Complete
Linguistic features:
Formulae:
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 582
-
AD 582
Language:
Greek
Monumental:
Medium:
mosaic
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
mosaic
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
in the middle of the dining hall (L4)
People mentioned:
Name:
Elias
Patronym:
Status:
religious_authority
Ethnic allegance:
Semitic
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Founder
Occupation:
head of the monastery
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Greek
Name:
Anastasios
Patronym:
Status:
maker
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
maker
Occupation:
mosaicist
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Greek
Description
date: 582 CE (?), which is the date of the first indication year between the dates given in two other mosaic (575 and 596 CE) description: Greek mosaic inscription located in the middle of the dining hall (L4). Text in the centre of the mosaic surrounded by two frames. Mosaic richly decorated with both geometric and floral patterns as well as figurative representations of amphorae, caps of grapes. A black and white medallion was depicted on the northern side, with a cross-shaped Greek inscription, bearing the words φῶς (light) and ζωή (life). ed. Ustinova 2023: inscription 3 ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοφιλ(εστάτου) Ἠλία πρεσβ(υτέρου) καὶ ἡγουμένου ἐτελιό- θη τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἐν μ(ηνὶ) Γορπέου κζ́ ἰνδ(ικτιόνος) ά εὐξ(άμενος) ὑ- πὲρ Ἀναστασίου ψι(χῆς) 'Under the most god-loving Elias the priest and abbot this work was completed on the 27th of the month of Gorpiaios, in the first indiction, by a vow, for Anastasios’ soul.' commentary: Elias, the hegumen and priest, was possibly mentioned in the inscription from the praying hall (L8). The phrase ὑπὲρ Ἀναστασίου ψι(χῆς) refers to the consecration toward the salvation of Anastasios’ soul. The similar phrase is found in an inscription from a Christian basilica in Macedonia (SEG 33, 508). Another, more common phrase ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας, ‘for the salvation,’ was used for both living and death people. Yet another parallel is a phrase ὑπὲρ ἀναπαύσεος ψυχῆς ‘for the resting of the soul, attested in several places across the late antique period (cf. SEG 60,1652 and1678). In this context, another noteworthy parallel for the Ḥura inscription is a mosaic medallion in a religious recluse adjacent to the St. Georges’ monastery at Wadi el-Qilt, founded in the fifth century CE. The inscription uses a formula: ὑπὲρ σωτ[ηρία]ς καὶ ἀν[αλή]μψεως) ‘the salvation and deliverance’ of τῶν καρ[ποφο]ρησάντων κα[ὶ καρ]ποφο[ρο]ύν[των] ‘donors and past-donors’. There is a decorated frame which also contains the phrase φῶς ζωής, ‘the light of life.’ In terms of linguistics, there are some variants not uncommon to late antique Greek such as ἐτελιόθη instead of ἐτελιώθη, Γορπέου instead of Γορπιαίου and ψι(χῆς) instead of ψυ(χῆς). However, this can be a vow by a mosaicist, psephothetes. SEG 65 1767 Ustinova, Y. Greek Inscriptions from the Byzantine-Period Monastery at Ḥura. ‘Atiqot 110 (2023): 385-393. Varga, D., Talgam, R., A Byzantine-Period Monastery at Ḥura. ‘Atiqot 110 (2023): 365-384. https://search.inscriptionsisraelpalestine.org/viewinscr/khur0004/
Author:
Tomasz Barański
Added by:
Paweł Nowakowski
Created:
2023-09-14 11:06:47
Last update:
2025-09-02 11:28:32
Building:
Monastery
Site:
Hura (Northen Negev)
Dimensions: surface: cm
Condition: Greek mosaic inscription located in the middle of the dining hall (L4). Text in the centre of the mosaic surrounded by two frames. Mosaic richly decorated with both geometric and floral patterns as well as figurative representations of amphorae, caps of grapes. A black and white medallion was depicted on the northern side, with a cross-shaped Greek inscription, bearing the words φῶς (light) and ζωή (life).
Text:
Date: 582 CE
582 CE (?), which is the date of the first indication year between the dates given in two other mosaic (575 and 596 CE)
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Palestine Hura (Northen Negev) 31.298333, 34.939167 Monastery in the middle of the dining hall (L4)
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: mosaic inscription
Summary:
Inscription on mosaic in Greek script from Hura (Northen Negev). 582 CE.
Changes history: 2023-09-14 Tomasz Barański Creation; 2024-01-29 Martyna Swierk Last modification; 2024-01-29 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021Translation
'Under the most god-loving Elias the priest
and abbot this work was completed on the
27th of the month of Gorpiaios, in the first
indiction, by a vow, for Anastasios’ soul.'
Commentary
Elias, the hegumen and priest, was possibly mentioned in the inscription from the praying hall (L8). The phrase ὑπὲρ Ἀναστασίου ψι(χῆς) refers to the consecration toward the salvation of Anastasios’ soul. The similar phrase is found in an inscription from a Christian basilica in Macedonia (SEG 33, 508). Another, more common phrase ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας, ‘for the salvation,’ was used for both living and death people. Yet another parallel is a phrase ὑπὲρ ἀναπαύσεος ψυχῆς ‘for the resting of the soul, attested in several places across the late antique period (cf. SEG 60,1652 and1678). In this context, another noteworthy parallel for the Ḥura inscription is a mosaic medallion in a religious recluse adjacent to the St. Georges’ monastery at Wadi el-Qilt, founded in the fifth century CE. The inscription uses a formula: ὑπὲρ σωτ[ηρία]ς καὶ ἀν[αλή]μψεως) ‘the salvation and deliverance’ of τῶν καρ[ποφο]ρησάντων κα[ὶ καρ]ποφο[ρο]ύν[των] ‘donors and past-donors’. There is a decorated frame which also contains the phrase φῶς ζωής, ‘the light of life.’ In terms of linguistics, there are some variants not uncommon to late antique Greek such as ἐτελιόθη instead of ἐτελιώθη, Γορπέου instead of Γορπιαίου and ψι(χῆς) instead of ψυ(χῆς).
Bibliography (edition)
- Y., Ustinova, 2023, Greek Inscriptions from the Byzantine-Period Monastery at Ḥura., Atiqot 110, 385-393.
Bibliography
- SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 65, 1767. D., Varga, R., Talgam, 2023, A Byzantine-Period Monastery at Ḥura, Atiqot 110, 365-384.