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Negev. Zoora. January 11, 435 CE. White sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.
Found by local inhabitants in the northwest corner of the Bronze Age, Byzantine and Islamic cemetery in the An Naq neighborhood south of the Wadi al-Hasa, probably in secondary use in later graves.
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ρας
ὀ
κα
ως ἐτ
ου
ἀθάνατος.
Monument of Kyra, (daughter) of Abbibos, who died having a good name and good faith (at the age) of 40 years, on (the) 26th (day) of (the) month Audynaios (?), (in the year) 329. Be of good cheer, no one (is) immortal.
The inscription provides the date as the month Apellaios in the year 329 according to the Era of the Province of Arabia, that is, between November 17 and December 16, 434 CE. The tombstone is one of about 700 discovered in Byzantine Zoora. The majority of the Greek tombstones from this location have been identified as Christian. The rectangular stone is curved at the top edge, broken at the lower left and right corners, and chipped all around. The smoothed, inscribed surface is flaked off in the upper left corner. The engraved text, written predominantly in round script with a few square exceptions, is painted red in lines one, two, and six. A small, simple engraved cross appears at the top of the tombstone. Traces of a red painted decorative motif appear above the text, particularly on the right side. A horizontal bar appears above the age and year numerals in line six. The month day numeral is inverted. These numerals are divided by two connected angular motifs, each facing the opposite direction. The abbreviation of the word μηνὸς in line six is denoted by its first letter and the sign ξ. The text is surrounded by a red painted frame. The text contains both spelling and grammatical errors. The first five letters of the patronymic are mostly illegible, making the reconstruction of the name dubious.