Linguistic features:
Formulae:
Name and function; εἰσεφόρησαν made contributions; προσκύνημα proskynema/veneration; GLFTH/‘I carved it’
Quotations from literary texts:
See also my comments in the CSLA database: http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01930 Greek and Latin inscriptions from a sarcophagus date: mid-sixth century. ed. Woosley 1849, 389, no. 16 and Woosley 1848, 690 (from a copy by Forest; partial edition: Texts B3 and D); Lammens 1900, 294, no. 21; Lammens 1902, 43, no. 78 (photo); Rozenvalle 1902, 386-409 (Syriac text); IGLS V 2143 (CSLA.E01930). Cf. Peeters 1927, 288–292; Leclercq, ‘Émésène’, DACL, col. 2724; TIB 15, p. 822. Syriac inscription: The Syriac text is poorly preserved and these readings are very tentative. It is carved on one of the oblique long faces of the lid, to the right of a cross. It is accompanied by a Syriac text (C1 in direct neighbourhood, C2 on the other side of the central cross). Line 2: TWM’/‘Thomas’ Line 3: BR KHD ŠMŠ/Bar KHD Šamaša, or ‘son of Kahed (?), deacon’ Line 4: (possibly) GLFTH/‘I carved it’ Greek inscriptions: C1: Γεώργις μά̣γ̣(ιστρος) (?) | Ἰοάνου. + (immediately above the Syriac text) ‘Georgios the magistros (?), son of Ioannes. +’ C2: On both sites of a carved circle enclosing a cross. + Ἰωάννου | Λαζάρου, | + Ανδρέας | Ἰωάννου, | + Ἰωάννις Β|ασίλου ‘+ Ioannes, son of Lazaros; + Andreas, son of Ioannes; + Ioannis, son of Basilios.’ A: Flanked by two circles with crosses. εὐσέ|φ|ου|ραν (?) εὐσέ|φ|ου|ραν = εἰσεσφόρουν or εἰσεφόρ(ησ)αν Mouterde ‘(Those who follow) made contributions.’ B: Next to the right-hand circle. B1: Within a tabula ansata + σωρὸς τ|οῦ ἁγίου | Θωμᾶ. ‘The tomb of Saint Thomas.’ B2: Surrounding this tabula ansata: + Βαραχεος (καὶ) Θω|μᾶ τεχ(νῖται). ‘+ Baracheos and Thomas, artisans.’ + Σαμούελος πρ(εσβύτερος) ἀρχεμανδρ(ίτης). + B3: On the lower rim of the lid: ‘Samouelos, presbyter (and) abbot (archimandrites). +’ D: On both sides of a carved cross. Α Ω + Γαια|νοῦ | προσκ(ύνημα) ‘+ The veneration by Gaianos.’ (possibly an inscription by a pilgrim to the sarcophagus who venerated the relics?) Ἰωά[ν]|ου (καὶ) Ῥ[․]|αν[․]|ικ[οῦ] ‘Of Ioannes and R[-]an[-]ikos.’ commentary: Klaus Peter Todt and Bernard Andreas Vest in TIB 15 record this inscription under the label of “the sarcophagus of Saint Thomas”. They also find noteworthy the presence of “architects / stonemasons (technitai) Baracheos and Thomas.” It is possible that some of the inscriptions are by pilgrims who visited the sarcophagus and venerated the relics. This is also suggested by the proskynema inscription of Gaianos. Others are certainly by donors who paid for the monumentalization of the burial site of this saint. This is strongly suggested by the formula εὐσέ|φ|ου|ραν = εἰσεσφόρουν or εἰσεφόρ(ησ)αν. That the sarcophagus contained the body of a saint is emphasized by the enclosing of its label within a tabula ansata to distinguish it from other inscriptions on the lid. The Syriac inscription is enigmatic – it might either be a signature of a visitor or of one of the contributors. The facts that it is executed in a very clumsy way and that it is positioned on the other face of the lid than the label and the main donor's inscription from the rim, alongside a number of short inscriptions with names starting with crosses, suggest that it was probably a visitor's inscription, not that of a donor.
Condition: The Syriac text is poorly preserved and these readings are very tentative. It is carved on one of the oblique long faces of the lid, to the right of a cross. It is accompanied by a Syriac text (C1 in direct neighbourhood, C2 on the other side of the central cross). Greek inscription has a few parts: A: On one of the faces of the lid, between carvings of two circles containing crosses. B: To the right of the right-hand circle. Text 2 is within a tabula ansata. Text 3 is on a band, running along the bottom edge of the lid. C: On the other face of the sarcophagus, to the right and to the left of a circle containing a cross. D: On one of the narrow ends, to the right and two the left of a carved cross.
Date: 525 CE - 575 CE
Date: mid-sixth century.
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria Akrād Dayāsina (Krād ad-Dāsiniya; Dâsiniya; Dāsinīya) 34.927828,36.732312 unknown sarcophagus
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: inscription
Summary:
Inscription from a sarcophagus in Akrād Dayāsina (Krād ad-Dāsiniya; Dâsiniya; Dāsinīya). AD 525 - AD 575.
Changes history: 2022-05-25 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-11-13 Martyna Swierk Last modification; 2023-10-20 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021
[---]
TWM’
BR KHD ŠMŠ
[GLFTH?]
C1 (immediately above the Syriac text)
Γεώργις μά̣̣̣γ̣̣̣ιστρος (?)
Ἰοάνου.
C2
Ἰωάννου
Λαζάρου,
Ανδρέας
Ἰωάννου, Ἰωάννις Βασίλου
A
εὐσέ-
φ-
ου-
αν (?)
B:
B1 (within a tabula ansata)
σωρὸς τ-
οῦ ἁγίου
Θωμᾶ.
B2 (surrounding this tabula ansata)
Βαραχεος [καὶ] Θω-
μᾶ τεχ(νῖται).
B3
Σαμούελος πρ(εσβύτερος) ἀρχεμανδρ(ίτης).
D
Α Ω
Γαια-
νοῦ
προσκ(ύνημα)
Ἰωάν-
ου [καὶ] Ῥ[.]-
αν[.]-
ικ[οῦ]
[---]
TWM
BRKHDŠMŠ
[.....]
C1(IMMEDIATELYABOVETHESYRIACTEXT)
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΣΜ....ΙΣΤΡΟΣ(?)
ΙΟΑΝΟΥ
C2
ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ
ΛΑΖΑΡΟΥ
ΑΝΔΡΕΑΣ
ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥΙΩΑΝΝΙΣΒΑΣΙΛΟΥ
A
ΕΥΣΕ
Φ
ΟΥ
ΑΝ(?)
B:
B1(WITHINATABULAANSATA)
ΣΩΡΟΣΤ
ΟΥΑΓΙΟΥ
ΘΩΜΑ
B2(SURROUNDINGTHISTABULAANSATA)
ΒΑΡΑΧΕΟΣ[...]ΘΩ
ΜΑΤΕΧ
B3
ΣΑΜΟΥΕΛΟΣΠΡΑΡΧΕΜΑΝΔΡ
D
ΑΩ
ΓΑΙΑ
ΝΟΥ
ΠΡΟΣΚ
ΙΩΑΝ
ΟΥ[...]Ρ[·]
ΑΝ[·]
ΙΚ[..]
A: εὐσέ|φ|ου|ραν = εἰσεσφόρουν or εἰσεφόρ(ησ)αν Mouterde
C1:‘Georgios the magistros (?), son of Ioannes. +’
C2:‘+ Ioannes, son of Lazaros; + Andreas, son of Ioannes; + Ioannis, son of Basilios.’
A:‘(Those who follow) made contributions.’
B:
B1:‘+ The tomb of Saint Thomas.’
B2:‘+ Baracheos and Thomas, artisans.’
B3:‘Samouelos, presbyter (and) abbot (archimandrites). +’
D:
‘+ The veneration by Gaianos.’ (possibly an inscription by a pilgrim to the sarcophagus who venerated the relics?)
‘Of Ioannes and R[-]an[-]ikos.’
Klaus Peter Todt and Bernard Andreas Vest in TIB 15 record this inscription under the label of “the sarcophagus of Saint Thomas”. They also find noteworthy the presence of “architects / stonemasons (technitai) Baracheos and Thomas.”
It is possible that some of the inscriptions are by pilgrims who visited the sarcophagus and venerated the relics. This is also suggested by the proskynema inscription of Gaianos. Others are certainly by donors who paid for the monumentalization of the burial site of this saint. This is strongly suggested by the formula εὐσέ|φ|ου|ραν = εἰσεσφόρουν or εἰσεφόρ(ησ)αν. That the sarcophagus contained the body of a saint is emphasized by the enclosing of its label within a tabula ansata to distinguish it from other inscriptions on the lid.
The Syriac inscription is enigmatic – it might either be a signature of a visitor or of one of the contributors. The facts that it is executed in a very clumsy way and that it is positioned on the other face of the lid than the label and the main donor's inscription from the rim, alongside a number of short inscriptions with names starting with crosses, suggest that it was probably a visitor's inscription, not that of a donor.
([cf: 5,1948 690] from a copy by Forest; partial edition: Texts B3 and D.)
H., Lammens, 1900, Le pays des Nosairis. Itinéraire et notes archéologiques, Le musée belge: revue de philologie classique 4, 294, 21. H., Lammens, 1902, Le musée belge: revue de philologie classique 6, 43, 78.(photo)
S., Ronzevalle, 1902, Rev. de l'Orient chrétien 7, 386–409.(Syriac text)
IGLS IV Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie, V. Laodicée. Émésène, 1959, L., Jalabert, R., Mouterde, C., Mondésert, Paris, 2143.