Complete
Linguistic features:
Writing from top to bottom; Name Yōḥannān/Ioannes spelt ܝܘܚܢܐ instead of ܝܘܚܢܢ or ܝܘܐܢܝܣ
Formulae:
building inscription without a full dedicatory/commemorative formula: just the names
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 501
-
AD 600
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
lintel
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
Foundation of a church
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
door/window lintel
People mentioned:
Name:
Lost 1
Patronym:
Lost 1
Status:
religious_authority
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Name recorded
Occupation:
head of the monastery
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Syriac
Name:
Lost 2
Patronym:
Lost 2
Status:
person of importance
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Name recorded
Occupation:
official
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Syriac
Name:
Yūḥan(n)ē/Yōḥannān/Ioannes
Patronym:
Status:
religious_authority
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Name recorded
Occupation:
periodeutes
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
unspecified
Language:
Syriac
Description
date: The inscription might date from the sixth century as the majority of Greek inscriptions from the site, see PAES III 896–899. description: An oblong slave, lacking its left-hand margin. Probably fragment of a lintel. When recorded, the stone was buried, and its opposite face could not be examined on site. Dimensions: H. 0.52 m; W. 0.66 m. Letter height 2–7.5 cm. Crosses: 9 cm (right) and 6 cm (left). Written vertically, in four columns. Littmann was unsure about the origin of the stone but did not consider it as a door jamb – rather a lintel. He noted that depending on the original position, the text could have been meant to be read from left to right, under the influence of Greek. As parallels for this layout, he quoted the inscriptions from Dēḥes and Mektebeh (AAES IV, pp. 7 and 23 = ********). Found by the PAES expedition in the north-eastern sector of the site, lying loose on the ground. First published in 1934 by Enno Littmann with a drawing. The stone was not found it situ but it probably belonged to one of three churches described in PAES IIB, p. 23. Just possible, from a colonnade of a courtyard providing shared space for these churches. ed. PAES IVB 3. "ܒܫܢܬ ܬ[ܪ - - - ܦ + "ܪ]ܫܕܝܪܐ ܘ[ܦ 4 ܫܠܝܛܐ ܝܘܚܢܐ ܦ[ܪܝܕܘܛܐ + 2. the first letter is dubious ‘+ In the year 6[- - -] the abbot and [- - -] prefect + Yūḥan(n)ē p(eriodeutes).’ (tr. E. Littman) commentary: This is apparently a commemorative building inscription which, however, lacks a full dedicatory and commemorative formula. Littman credited this habit with a continuation of a practice known from pre-Christian sanctuaries where dedicatory inscriptions mentioned just the name of the benefactor with no descriptive formulae. He also linked the phrasing of this text with that of the Zebed inscription of Zaortha the deaconess (AAES IV, p. 55 = ********). One also has to remember that commemorative graffiti by visitors to Christian sanctuaries often included names of the visitors – this was a common practice, and is not surprising here. The term ܫܠܝܛܐ is an adjective ‘mighty, powerful’, but according to Littmann it was employed here to denote a ‘prefect’ or hegoumenos. The form of the name John is very unusual. Instead of the usual spelling ܝܘܚܢܢ or ܝܘܐܢܝܣ after Greek Ioannes, we find one that according to Littmann might be influenced by a transcription of the Greek vocative: Ioanne! The site is rich in other, Greek inscriptions, some of them very fragmentary. One of them dated from 373 CE, the rest from the mid-sixth century. For an overview, see the description of this site in our database and the entry ar-Ruḥayya in TIB 15, p. 1663, and the Addendum ad p. 1667: PAES III B1, 35, No. 896 = IGLS IV, 310, No. 1877; PAES III B1, 35-36, No. 897, 36, no. 899 = IGLS IV 310, No. 1876, 312, No. 1882; IGLS IV, 311-312, No. 1878-1881bis; PAES III B1, 35-36, No. 897, 36, no. 899 = IGLS IV, 311, No. 1878-1879; PAES III B1, 36, No. 898 = IGLS IV 309-310, No. 1875.
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-07-16 12:37:09
Last update:
2023-11-13 14:50:20
Building:
unknown
Dimensions: surface: w 0.66 x h 0.52 meter
Condition: An oblong slave, lacking its left-hand margin. Probably fragment of a lintel. When recorded, the stone was buried, and its opposite face could not be examined on site. Crosses: 9 cm (right) and 6 cm (left).
Text: Letter height 2–7.5 cm Written vertically, in four columns. Littmann was unsure about the origin of the stone but did not consider it as a door jamb – rather a lintel. He noted that depending on the original position, the text could have been meant to be read from left to right, under the influence of Greek. As parallels for this layout, he quoted the inscriptions from Dēḥes and Mektebeh (AAES IV, pp. 7 and 23 = ********).
Date: 501 CE - 600 CE
The inscription might date from the sixth century as the majority of Greek inscriptions from the site, see PAES III 896–899.
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria ar-Ruḥayya (ir-Ruḥaiyeh; er-Ruḥaiyeh) 33.51545, 36.127898 unknown door/window lintel
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: building inscription
Summary:
Building inscription from ar-Ruḥayya (ir-Ruḥaiyeh; er-Ruḥaiyeh). 501 CE - 600 CE.
Changes history: 2022-07-16 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-08-17 Pawel Nowakowski Last modification; 2023-10-25 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021apparatus
2: The first letter is dubious.
Translation
‘+ In the year 6[- - -] the abbot and [- - -] prefect + Yūḥan(n)ē p(eriodeutes).’ (tr. E. Littman)
Commentary
This is apparently a commemorative building inscription which, however, lacks a full dedicatory and commemorative formula. Littman credited this habit with a continuation of a practice known from pre-Christian sanctuaries where dedicatory inscriptions mentioned just the name of the benefactor with no descriptive formulae. He also linked the phrasing of this text with that of the Zebed inscription of Zaortha the deaconess (AAES IV, p. 55 = ********). One also has to remember that commemorative graffiti by visitors to Christian sanctuaries often included names of the visitors – this was a common practice, and is not surprising here.
The term ܫܠܝܛܐ is an adjective ‘mighty, powerful’, but according to Littmann it was employed here to denote a ‘prefect’ or hegoumenos.
The form of the name John is very unusual. Instead of the usual spelling ܝܘܚܢܢ or ܝܘܐܢܝܣ after Greek Ioannes, we find one that according to Littmann might be influenced by a transcription of the Greek vocative: Ioanne!
The site is rich in other, Greek inscriptions, some of them very fragmentary. One of them dated from 373 CE, the rest from the mid-sixth century. For an overview, see the description of this site in our database and the entry ar-Ruḥayya in TIB 15, p. 1663, and the Addendum ad p. 1667:
PAES III B1, 35, No. 896 = IGLS IV, 310, No. 1877;
PAES III B1, 35-36, No. 897, 36, no. 899 = IGLS IV 310, No. 1876, 312, No. 1882;
IGLS IV, 311-312, No. 1878-1881bis;
PAES III B1, 35-36, No. 897, 36, no. 899 = IGLS IV, 311, No. 1878-1879;
PAES III B1, 36, No. 898 = IGLS IV 309-310, No. 1875.
Bibliography (edition)
- PAES IVB E., Littmann,1934, Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1905–5 and 1909. Division IV: Semitic Inscriptions. Section B: Syriac Inscriptions, 3.