E01817: Greek, Syriac, and Arabic inscriptions from the door-lintel of a martyr shrine (martyrion) of *Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023) in Zabad (near Anasartha, to the southeast of Chalkis and Beroia/Aleppo, north Syria). Dated 511.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: In the centre of the lintel is a prominent christogram flanked by the letters Α and Ω.<br><br>Inscription 1: <br>The Greek inscription is carved to the right of the circle with the christogram. Letter height 0.03-0.06 m. <br><br>+ ἔτους γκω΄, μη(νὸς) Γοπιου δκ΄. ἐθεμελιόθη τὼ<br> μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου Σεργίου ἐπὶ τοῦ περ(ιοδευτοῦ)<br> Ἰωάννου καὶ Ἄννεος Βουκέου (καὶ) Σέργις τρὶς<br> ἔκτισυν<br> Συμέων<br> Αμραα<br> Ἡλία<br> Λεόντις<br> ἀρχ(έκτονες). θϙ΄<br>(christogram) Σατορνῖνος Ἄζιζος. Ἄζιζος Σεργίου (καὶ) Ἄζιζος Μαραβαρκα δί(ς) (?).<br><br>3. Βοκέ[σ]ου Littmann, Βοκέου Kugener, Ῥουκέου Sachau || πρ(εσβύτεροι) Prentice, Σεργιοπο(λίτ)ου Neubauer, τρυφ Sachau || 9. αρχιτ Kugener Cumont, ἄρχ(ων) πόλ(ε)ως (chief of the city) Neubauer, ἀρχιπάρθενος (chief-of-virgins) Prentice, ἀρχπ Sachau || 10. θεργιου Sachau || Μαραβαρκα δί(ς) (?) Kugener Cumont, Μαρα Βαρκα δι(άκονοι) Prentice, Ἀζιζος (καὶ) Μαρα, Βαρκα [υ]ἱοί Neubauer, Μαραβαρκαδι or Μαραβαρκα[ου] Sachau<br><br>'In the year 823, on the 24th of the month of Gorpiaios, this martyr shrine (martyrion) of Saint Sergios was founded under the periodeutes (= visiting presbyter) Ioannes. And Anneos son of Boukeos, and Sergis the Third built it (together with?) Symeon, son of Amraas, son of Elias, (and) Leontios, (were) the architects. 99 (= Amen). (Christogram) Satorninos Azizos, Azizos son of Sergios, and Azizos son of Marabarka the Second (?)'<br><br>Text: IGLS 2, no. 310, reproducing new readings by Franz Cumont and Marc Antoine Kugener. Translation: William Prentice, modified with remarks in Bevan and others 2015, 347-348.<br><br>Inscription 2: <br>The Syriac inscription is written to the left of the disc with the christogram. The last two lines are after the Arabic text. Letter height 0.03-0.06 m.<br><br>ܫܘܒܚܐ [ܠ]ܐܒܐ ܘܠܒܪܐ ܘܠܪܘܚܐ ܕܩܘܕܫܐ<br>ܒܫܢܬ ܬܡܢܡܐ ܘܥܣܪܝܢ ܘܬܠܬ ܒܪܒܥܐ ܘܥܣܪܝܢ<br>ܒܝܠܠ ܐܬ(ܣ)ܝܡ ܐܣܘ ܘܝܘܚܢܢ ܦܪܝܕܘܛܐ ܕܘܟܪܢܗ<br>ܠܒܘܪܟ<br>ܬܐ ܕܣܡ<br>ܒܗ ܟܦܐ<br>ܩܡܬܐ<br>ܘܡܪܐ<br>ܕܟܬܒ<br>ܘܐܚܢܢ ܘܐܢܛܝܘܟܐ<br>ܡܩܝܡ<br><br>In the margin:<br>ܐܒ(ܐ) ܣ(ܪ)ܓܣ<br><br>After the Arabic text:<br>ܘܐ[ܬ]ܩܢ ܐܒ ܣܪ ܓܝܣ ܘܐܢܛܝܘܟܐ [ܘ]ܡܩܝܡ ܒܪ ܬܝܡܝ ܘܡܪܝ<br><br><br><br>'+ Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the year 823, the 24th (of the month) of Elul the foundations (of this shrine) were laid, and it was the periodeutes (= visiting presbyter) Ioannes, may his memory be blessed, who set the first stone, and Mara, who carved (this inscription), and Annas and Antiochos the founder.' <br><br>In the margin: 'Aba Sergios'<br><br>After the Arabic text: 'And Aba Sergios, and Antiochos, and Moqim bar Timay, and Mari constructed (it).'<br><br>Text: IGLS 2, no. 310: text by Marc Antoine Kugener with corrections by Enno Littmann.<br><br>Inscription 3: <br>The Arabic inscription is written below the Greek and Syriac texts, on an oblique surface. Letter height 0.03-0.06 m. This is one of the very few extant monumental inscriptions in pre-Islamic Arabic (i.e. so-called Old Arabic).<br><br>[ḏ]{k}r ʾl-ʾlh srgw br ʾmt-mnfw w h{l/n}yʾ br mrʾlqys [Roundel] w srgw br sʿdw w syrw w s{.}ygw<br><br>'May God be mindful of Sirgū son of ʾAmt-Manāfū and Ha{l/n}īʾ son of Maraʾ l-Qays and Sirgū son of Saʿdū and Š/Syrw and Š/S{.}ygw.'<br><br>Text and translation: Fiema, Al-Jallad, Macdonald &amp; Nehmé 2015, 411.