Complete
Linguistic features:
Formulae:
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 301
-
AD 800
Language:
Hebrew
Monumental:
Medium:
mosaic
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
; unknown
Funds:
; unknown
Price:
unknown
Placement:
between the main door in the eastern wall and the mosaic in the central hall
People mentioned:
Description
date: 4-8 c. CE description: Hebrew mosaic inscription with unpreserved date formula founded between the main door in the eastern wall and the mosaic in the central hall. Text set in a frame, written on six lines in square letters. Mosaic partially damage: the left side and part of the right side are missing, the damaged left side filled in with tiles in modern times. Single-tessera lines separate the lines of text. Dimensions: 8-9 cm high, size of letters 2-6 cm. Six-line inscription in square Hebrew letters, within a black frame; the left side and part of the right side are missing, the damaged left side filled in with tiles in modern times; single-tessera lines separate the lines of text. Ornaments: Frame and layout lines ed. (CIIP IV 3874) [--רכה] זכורין לטובה ולב [הזה בשנה --ה את] שהחזיקו ועשו [--]שלשבוע ה [ני] הש שנה --ו מאות -- ן]ארבעת אלפי[ב] -- ם] העול שנברה[מ [-- ום] של יהי בו לי[-- zkwryn lṭwbh wlb[rkh --] šhḥzyqw wʿśw [ʾt h—hzh bšnh] hš[ny]h šlšbwʿ[-- b]ʾrbʿt ʾlpy[n -- mʾwt w-- šnh m]šnbrh hʾwl[m -- --]ly bw yhy šl[wm --] 'May they be remembered for the good and for a blessing, … who maintained/supported and made (i.e., donated) …, in the second year of the Sabbatical cycle, in the year four thousand … from the creation of the world, … in it. May there be peace …' commentary: (by CIIP IV 3874) This is the only surviving synagogue inscription employing the date according to Creation, although that system was used in Greek church texts from this region, see Di Segni; on later rabbinical use of anno Mundi in eschatological calculations, see O. Irshai, in: A. Baumgarten, ed., Apocalyptic Time, 2000, 113-53. The other dated synagogues in Iudaea/Palaestina use different systems: the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, in Kefar Nevoraiah (Aramaic, cf. Naveh, no. 13) and Deir Aziz, (Greek, cf. Di Segni 123f.); the reign of the Roman emperor, in Beth Alfa (Aramaic, Naveh, no. 43); and the local era, in Gaza and Ascalon (Greek, CIIP III 2321, 2460, and cf. 2468). A fragmentary donor inscription from Asaliya (Golan) contains part of a date, J. Naveh, EI 20, 1989, 305 no. 3 (Hebr.). The use of the era of the Temple’s destruction, accompanied by the year in the sabbatical cycle, was used by Jews in nearby Zoar, on the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea, see J. Naveh, Tarbiz 64, 1995, 477-98 and 69, 2000, 619-36 (Hebr.); Y. Stern - H. Misgav, Tarbiz 74, 2004, 137-52 (Hebr.); and H. Cotton - J. Price, Michmanim, 15, 2001, 10ff. (Hebr.). CIIP IV 3874 Beyer 1984: not present because it's Hebrew (not JPA) Naveh 1978: 116-118 (no 76) Werlin 2015: 149-151 https://library.brown.edu/iip/viewinscr/ksus0004/
Author:
Tomasz Barański
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-07-21 13:39:58
Last update:
2024-03-27 15:18:21
Dimensions: surface: h 8-9 cm
Condition: Hebrew mosaic inscription with unpreserved date formula founded between the main door in the eastern wall and the mosaic in the central hall. Text set in a frame, written on six lines in square letters. Mosaic partially damage: the left side and part of the right side are missing, the damaged left side filled in with tiles in modern times. Single-tessera lines separate the lines of text.
Text:
Date: 301 CE - 800 CE
4-8 c. CE
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Palestine Susiya 31.391944, 35.112222 Synagogue between the main door in the eastern wall and the mosaic in the central hall
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: mosaic inscription
Summary:
Partially preserved inscription on mosaic in Hebrew script from Susiya. AD 301 - AD 800.
Changes history: 2022-07-21 Tomasz Barański Creation; 2024-03-27 Martyna Swierk Last modification; 2023-12-07 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021Translation
'May they be remembered for the good and for a blessing, … who maintained/supported and made (i.e., donated) …, in the second year of the Sabbatical cycle, in the year four thousand … from the creation of the world, … in it. May there be peace …'
Commentary
(by CIIP IV 3874) This is the only surviving synagogue inscription employing the date according to Creation, although that system was used in Greek church texts from this region, see Di Segni; on later rabbinical use of anno Mundi in eschatological calculations, see O. Irshai, in: A. Baumgarten, ed., Apocalyptic Time, 2000, 113-53. The other dated synagogues in Iudaea/Palaestina use different systems: the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, in Kefar Nevoraiah (Aramaic, cf. Naveh, no. 13) and Deir Aziz, (Greek, cf. Di Segni 123f.); the reign of the Roman emperor, in Beth Alfa (Aramaic, Naveh, no. 43); and the local era, in Gaza and Ascalon (Greek, CIIP III 2321, 2460, and cf. 2468). A fragmentary donor inscription from Asaliya (Golan) contains part of a date, J. Naveh, EI 20, 1989, 305 no. 3 (Hebr.). The use of the era of the Temple’s destruction, accompanied by the year in the sabbatical cycle, was used by Jews in nearby Zoar, on the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea, see J. Naveh, Tarbiz 64, 1995, 477-98 and 69, 2000, 619-36 (Hebr.); Y. Stern - H. Misgav, Tarbiz 74, 2004, 137-52 (Hebr.); and H. Cotton - J. Price, Michmanim, 15, 2001, 10ff. (Hebr.).
Bibliography (edition)
- CIIP IV W., Ameling, H., Cotton, W., Eck, A., Ecker, B., Isaac, A., Kushnir-Stein, H., Misgav, J., Price, P., Weiß, A., Yardeni, 2023, Corpus inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae. Volume IV: Iudaea/Idumaea, Berlin, Boston, 3874.
Bibliography
- K., Beyer, 1984, Die aramäischen Texte vom Toten Meer: samt den Inschriften aus Palästina, dem Testament Levis aus der Kairoer Genisa, der Fastenrolle und den alten Talmudischen Zitaten, Gottingen, not present. J., Naveh, 1978, On Stone and Mosaic: The Aramaic and Hebrew Inscriptions from Ancient Synagogues, Tel Aviv, 116-118, 78. S.H., Werlin, 2015, Ancient Synagogues of Southern Palestine, 300-800 C.E.: Living on the Edge, Leiden, 149-151.