Complete
Linguistic features:
Formulae:
ܒܪܝܟ ܡܪܢ ܪܒܐ Blessed our great Lord; ܬܫܒܘ(ܚ)ܬܐ Praise to; ܒܪܚܡܘܗܝ ܫܠܡܢܢ ܒܢܝ(ܢ)ܐ by His grace we have completed the building; ܕܘܟܪܢܐ ܛܒܐ ܢܗܘܐ Be well remembered
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 450
-
AD 700
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
lintel
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
; Foundation of a building
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
door/window lintel
People mentioned:
Description
date: unknown. description: On a broken lintel whose two extant fragments did not conjoined when recorded. Dimensions: H. of the inscribed field 8–9 cm. W. of Fr. A: 0.13-0.29 cm; W. of Fr. B: 0.63 m. The lintel had several carved decorations, among them a cross in the centre of the slab, a traditional ornamentation of late antique lintels in Syria. Found in the northwest sector of the town. Upon the discovery, Fragment A was reused in an enclosure wall, the other was not set in any structure. First recorded by Butler’s American Archaeological Expedition to Syria and published by Enno Littmann in 1904 with a drawing. Squeezes were also made. ed. AAES IV Syr. 2. .A ..ܒ]ܪܝܟ ܡܪܢ ܪܒ[ܐ ܬܫܒܘ(ܚ)ܬܐ ܠ .. .B .. ܪܝܢ ܘܒܪܚܡܘܗܝ ܫܠܡܢܢ ܒܢܝ(ܢ)ܐ ܕܘܟܪܢܐ ܛܒܐ ܢܗܘܐ 2. ܬܫܒܘܬܐ is on the stone but was unknown to Littmann, a form of ܫܒܐ, probably ‘praise’ || 3. Littmann first read here ‘peaceful are the sons’, later he followed Nöldeke’s suggestion ‘we have completed the building’, perhaps the word bannāyā, or "architect" is used here A: ‘Blessed our great Lord... Praise to...’ B: ‘... and by His grace we have completed the building (?). Be well remembered!’ (tr. E. Littmann) commentary: Based on the phrase ‘be well remembered’, Littmann suggests that the inscription commemorated a tomb or a martyr shrine. But the phrase may also refer to one of the figures whose names are now lost. Tf this was a building or dedicatory inscription – their reward for merit and piety may be expressed in this way.
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-07-26 00:14:38
Last update:
2023-11-13 17:33:10
Building:
unknown
Dimensions: surface: w of Fr. A: 0.13-0.29 cm; of Fr. B: 0.63 m x h of the inscribed field 8–9 cm
Condition: On a broken lintel whose two extant fragments did not conjoined when recorded. The lintel had several carved decorations, among them a cross in the centre of the slab, a traditional ornamentation of late antique lintels in Syria.
Text:
Date: 450 CE - 700 CE
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Syria Bšindelāyā (Bšandalantī; Bšindelinte; Ḥārim; Bšandlāyā) 36.209507, 36.52068 unknown door/window lintel
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: building inscription
Summary:
Inscription from Bšindelāyā (Bšandalantī; Bšindelinte; Ḥārim; Bšandlāyā). 450 CE - 700 CE.
Changes history: 2022-07-25 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-08-24 Pawel Nowakowski Last modification; 2023-10-20 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021apparatus
2: ܬܫܒܘܬܐ is on the stone but was unknown to Littmann, a form of ܫܒܐ, probably ‘praise’ 3: Littmann first read here ‘peaceful are the sons’, later he followed Nöldeke’s suggestion ‘we have completed the building’, perhaps the word bannāyā, or "architect" is used here
Translation
A: ‘Blessed our great Lord... Praise to...’ B: ‘... and by His grace we have completed the building (?). Be well remembered!’.
(tr. E. Littmann)
Commentary
Based on the phrase ‘be well remembered’, Littmann suggests that the inscription commemorated a tomb or a martyr shrine. But the phrase may also refer to one of the figures whose names are now lost. Tf this was a building or dedicatory inscription – their reward for merit and piety may be expressed in this way.
Bibliography (edition)
- AAES IV E., Littmann,1914, Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1904-1905 and 1909. IV (a–D). Semitic inscriptions, Leiden, 2.