Complete
Linguistic features:
Mixed spelling of the date: numeral and numbers
Formulae:
ܒܫܢܬ In the year; ܐܬܩܡ was raised (built); ܨܠܘ ܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܐܫܬܘ Pray for all those who participated
Quotations from literary texts:
Dating:
AD 771
-
AD 772
Language:
Syriac
Monumental:
Medium:
wall
Visible:
Accessible:
Has figural depiction:
Has iconoclastic damage:
Activities commemorated:
Foundation of a church
Funds:
Price:
Placement:
wall
People mentioned:
Name:
ḤBYB/Ḥabib
Patronym:
Status:
priest
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Supervisor
Occupation:
priest
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
non-Chalcedonian
Language:
Syriac
Name:
ʾYR/Iyor
Patronym:
Status:
religious_authority
Ethnic allegance:
unspecified
Tribal allegane:
none
Family status:
unspecified
Role:
Supervisor
Occupation:
monk_or_clergyman
Age:
Gender:
male
Religion:
Christianity
Religious denomination:
non-Chalcedonian
Language:
Syriac
Description
date: 771/772 CE (the year 1083 of the Seleucid era / Anno Graecorum). description: Palmer: Now lost. Apparently seen only by Pogon. Palmer did not see this inscription but describes it as located in the apse of an oratory annexed for the south to the building. Written within a tabula ansata. Written vertically. Pognon: The same slab which bears this inscription, also has another text dating from the eleventh century, which testifies to a lively epigraphic tradition on site. That other inscription (Pognon 1907, no. 95) is the epitaph for the presbyter Samuel, and the priest Suleiman, and invokes the memory of God (i.e. Christ) for them, through the prayers of the Mother of God, and the saints. The name of the engraver is introduced as Bassiro the sinner. The inscription ends with a habitial clause with a request for the accidental readers to pray for the deceased. Dated AG 1389 (= 1077/1078 CE). After the narratove part, there follows a list of four names: David the sinner, Daniel the sinner, Slivo, Samuel the sinner. ed. Pognon 1907, no. 96 (Barṣawm 1964, p. 139; Palmer 1987, no. A5 (dr.)). Pognon’s text: ...ܒܫܢܬ ܐܠܦ ܘܦ ܘܓ ܕܝ̈ܘܢܝܐ ܐܬܩܡ ܥܕܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܒܐܝܕܝ ܚܒܝܒ ܚܛܝܐ ܘܐ....ܪܝܫܥ .4 ܘܫܪܟܐ ܕܩܫ̈ܝ ܕܥܡܗܘܢ ܨܠܘ ܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܐܫܬܘ Palmer’s text (better readings in l. 3, based on Pognon's drawing): ܒܫܢܬ ܐܠܦ ܘܦ ܘܓ ܕܝ̈ܘܢܝܐ ܐܬܩܡ ܥܕܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܒܐܝܕܝ ܚܒܝܒ ܚܛܝܐ ܘܐܝܪ ܪܝܫܥ .4 ܘܫܪܟܐ ܕܩܫ̈ܝ ܕܥܡܗܘܢ ܨܠܘ ܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܐܫܬܘ 1. ܐܬܩܡ abbr. for ܐܬܩܝܡܬ, ‘was built’ Pognon || 3. partly lost name, perhaps ܐܝܘܒ, ‘Job’ Pognon || ܪܝܫܥ abbr. for ܪܝܫ ܥܕܬܐ ‘head of the church’ Pognon 3. ܪܝܫܥ instead of ܪܝܫܥܕܬܐ Palmer || 4. ܕܩ̈ܫܝ instead of ܕܩܫܝ̈ܫܐ Palmer || 5. ܕܐܫܬܐ instead of ܕܐܫܬܘܬܦ Palmer ‘In the year 1083 of the Greeks, this church was built by Habib, the sinner, and Job (?), head of the church, and the other priests who were with him. Pray for all those who contributed/participated!’ (tr. after H. Pognon) ‘In the year one thousand and eighty-three of the Greeks, this church was raised by Ḥabib, the sinner, and Iyor, the rector (head), and the rest of the priests who were with them. Pray for all who participated!’ (tr. Palmer) commentary: This is the earliest inscription in the complex and at the same time the building inscription for this structure. It it reveals the dedication of the church and records the date of its construction. Between this inscription and the earliest dated epitaphs of monks is a gap of approximately 150 years. We can, therefore, infer that the habit of recording the deaths of local clergy began much later, probably in the tenth century with the first extant epitaphs, while many are even later, belonging to the twelfth century. The collection can also be considered as a peculiar, extensive listing of records of death rather than classic epitaphs, as the bodies need not be laid in the church. Formulae are repetitive over the centuries. The habit of putting on display the names of the engravers is also present. Palmer notes that Iyor – probably a personal name as in Palmer 1987, no. B3 and Life of Simeon of the Olives (OstkSt 28 (1979), p. 178) .
Author:
Paweł Nowakowski
Added by:
Martyna
Created:
2022-08-02 10:38:57
Last update:
2023-11-13 18:08:40
Dimensions: surface: cm
Condition: Palmer: Now lost. Apparently seen only by Pogon. Palmer did not see this inscription but describes it as located in the apse of an oratory annexed for the south to the building. Written within a tabula ansata. Written vertically. Pognon: The same slab which bears this inscription, also has another text dating from the eleventh century, which testifies to a lively epigraphic tradition on site. That other inscription (Pognon 1907, no. 95) is the epitaph for the presbyter Samuel, and the priest Suleiman, and invokes the memory of God (i.e. Christ) for them, through the prayers of the Mother of God, and the saints. The name of the engraver is introduced as Bassiro the sinner. The inscription ends with a habitial clause with a request for the accidental readers to pray for the deceased. Dated AG 1389 (= 1077/1078 CE). After the narratove part, there follows a list of four names: David the sinner, Daniel the sinner, Slivo, Samuel the sinner.
Text: Mixed spelling of the date: numeral and numbers.
Date: 771 CE - 772 CE
771/772 CE (the year 1083 of the Seleucid era / Anno Graecorum).
Findspot: Unknown
Original location: Ṭūr ʿAbdīn Heshterek (Hachtarak) 37.34799, 41.373242 an outdoor burial chapel/‘house of prayer’/church of Mor Addai wall
Current repository: Unknown
Text type: building inscription
Summary:
Inscription from the 'house of prayer' in Heshterek (Hachtarak). 771 CE - 772 CE.
Changes history: 2022-08-02 Pawel Nowakowski Creation; 2023-08-24 Pawel Nowakowski Last modification; 2023-10-26 Martyna Swierk Preparation of EpiDoc file
Publication details: University of Warsaw; Warsaw;
Available under licence CC-BY 4.0
; @2021apparatus
1: ܐܬܩܡ abbr. for ܐܬܩܝܡܬ, ‘was built’ Pognon
3: partly lost name, perhaps ܐܝܘܒ, ‘Job’ Pognon
ܪܝܫܥ abbr. for ܪܝܫ ܥܕܬܐ ‘head of the church’ Pognon
ܪܝܫܥ instead of ܪܝܫܥܕܬܐ Palmer
4: ܕܩ̈ܫܝ instead of ܕܩܫܝ̈ܫܐ Palmer
5: ܕܐܫܬܐ instead of ܕܐܫܬܘܬܦ Palmer
Translation
‘In the year 1083 of the Greeks, this church was built by Habib, the sinner, and Job (?), head of the church, and the other priests who were with him. Pray for all those who contributed/participated!’ (tr. after H. Pognon)
‘In the year one thousand and eighty-three of the Greeks, this church was raised by Ḥabib, the sinner, and Iyor, the rector (head), and the rest of the priests who were with them. Pray for all who participated!’
(tr. Palmer)
Commentary
This is the earliest inscription in the complex and at the same time the building inscription for this structure. It it reveals the dedication of the church and records the date of its construction. Between this inscription and the earliest dated epitaphs of monks is a gap of approximately 150 years. We can, therefore, infer that the habit of recording the deaths of local clergy began much later, probably in the tenth century with the first extant epitaphs, while many are even later, belonging to the twelfth century. The collection can also be considered as a peculiar, extensive listing of records of death rather than classic epitaphs, as the bodies need not be laid in the church. Formulae are repetitive over the centuries. The habit of putting on display the names of the engravers is also present.
Palmer notes that Iyor – probably a personal name as in Palmer 1987, no. B3 and Life of Simeon of the Olives (OstkSt 28 (1979), p. 178).
Bibliography (edition)
- H., Pogon, 1907, Inscriptions sémitiques de la Syrie, de la Mésopotamie et de la région de Mossoul, Paris, 96. I. E., Barṣawm, 1964, Maktbonūtô d‘al atrô dṬūr ‘Abdīn, Lebanon, 139. A., Palmer, 1987, A corpus of inscriptions from Tur ʿAbdin and environs, Oriens Christianus 71, A5 (dr.).