E02477: Floor-mosaics with Greek inscriptions from the rotunda church of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) in Madaba (Roman province of Arabia/Jordan), with a poem praising Mary as the Mother of God and possibly indicating the presence of her image, a dedicatory text dated probably 767, and an invocation to her (probably c. 607/608).
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2017
Subjects: History

description: The inscriptions were first published by Joseph Germer-Durand in 1890 in the journal Le Cosmos from a copy by an unnamed 'Latin missionary'. Inscription 3 was also independently published that year by Marie-Joseph Lagrange (Dominican and founder of the École Biblique et Archéologique in Jerusalem) in the journal La Science catholique. Among authors of early copies we also have: Giuseppe Manfredi and E. Zaccaria (their transcription was edited by Giovanni Battista de Rossi), and Paul Séjourné. Since then the texts have been many times re-published and commented on. Here we follow the most recent edition by Andreas Rhoby (for Inscription 1) and the edition by Pierre-Louis Gatier (for Inscriptions 2 and 3). For a list of earlier editions, alternative readings and restorations, see I. Jordanie 2, nos. 130-132. <br><br>Inscription 1:<br><br>Medallion set in the middle of the floor-mosaic of the rotunda. Framed by a circular braid, a chevron, and a square inscribed into another circle decorated with depictions of flowers and leaves. Diameter: 1.36 m. Letter height 0.11 m. Black letters in white background.<br><br>Four verses of hexameters. Here set out in verse form.<br><br>παρθενι|κὴν Μαρίην θεο|μήτορα καὶ ὃν ἔτικ|τεν<br>Χ(ριστὸ)ν παμβασιλῆα θε|οῦ μόνον υἱέα μούνου |<br>δερκόμενος καθάρευ|ε νόον καὶ σάρκα καὶ ἔ|ργα<br>ὡς καθαραῖς | εὐχαῖς αὐτὸν | θ(εὸ)ν λαον (palm)<br><br>v.4 θ(εὸ)ν Rhoby, θ[νήτο]ν Séjourné, θ(εῖο)ν Piccirillo, SEG, Buschhausen, Gatier, Michel || λαον Rhoby, λαόν other editors<br><br>'Beholding Mary, the virginal mother of God (theometor), and the one she bore, Christ, the King of All, the only son of the only God, purify your mind and body, and acts, so that by pure prayers you the merciful God himself.'<br><br>Text: Rhoby 2009, no. M7. Translation: P. Nowakowski.<br><br>Inscription 2:<br><br>Fragmentary rectangular mosaic panel framed by a tabula ansata. H. 1.10 m; W. 3.07 m. Letter height 0.09 m. Set in the floor-mosaic of the rotunda, in front of the chancel screen. The left-hand end of the panel was originally covered by a modern building. Together with line 1 it was uncovered only in 1978 during the excavations by Michele Piccirillo.<br><br>(palm) ἐπὶ τοῦ ὡσιω(τάτου) πατρὸς ἡμῶν Θεοφάνους ἐπησκώπου<br>̣ἐ[γέν]̣ητω τὸ πᾶν καλὸν ἔργον τοῦτο τῆς ψιφώ-<br>[σεως τοῦ ἐ]νδώξου κ(αὶ) σεπτοῦ ὔκου τῆς ἁγίας (καὶ) ἀχράντου δεσποί-<br>[νης ....] Θεοτώκου σπουδῇ (καὶ) προθυμίᾳ τοῦ φιλωχ(ρίστο)υ λαοῦ ταύ(τη)ς<br>[τῆς πόλε]̣ος Μιδάβων ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας (καὶ) ἀντιλήμσεος (καὶ) ἀφέ-<br>[σ(εως) ἁμαρτ]ιῶν τῶν καρποφωρησάντων (καὶ) καρποφω-<br>[ρούντω]̣ν τῷ ἁγίο τώπο τούτῳ· ἀμήν, Κ(ύρι)ε. ἐταιλιώ-<br>[θη χάρ]ιτη θεοῦ μινὴ Φεβρουαρήο ἔτους ,ςοδ΄ ἰνδ(ι)κ(τιῶνος) ε΄ <br><br>8. ,ςοδ΄ Di Segni, ϡοδ΄ Gatier<br><br>'Under our most venerable father, bishop Theophanes, was made all this beautiful work of the mosaic of the glorious and venerable house (oikos) of the holy and immaculate Lady (despoina) [- - -] the God-Bearer (Theotokos), by the care and zeal of the Christ-loving people of this [city] of Madaba, as a vow for the salvation and succour and the remission [of sins] of those who offered and offer to this holy place (hagios topos). Amen, O Lord! It was completed by the grace of God in the month of February of the year 6&lt;2&gt;74, in the 5th indiction.'<br><br>Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 131 with a different reading of the date in line 8 by Leah Di Segni. Translation: L. Di Segni, lightly modified.<br><br>Inscription 3:<br><br>Mosaic panel set in the floor at the entrance to the nave. One line. Red letters on black background. The right-hand end is covered by an arch. Dimensions not specified.<br><br>ἁγία Μαρία, βοήθι Μηνᾷ τῷ δ[- - -]νον<br><br>usually completed as τῷ δ[ούλῳ σου<br><br>'O Holy Mary, help Menas, [your servant (?) - - -]!'<br><br>Text: I. Jordanie, no. 132.