Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine Prinicipal Investigator Michael Satlow

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 zoor0279 zoor0279

Negev. Zoora. Last quarter of fourth century CE. Greenish sandstone tombstone. Epitaph.

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Frame Around inscription Cross Above and to the left of the frame Last quarter of fourth century CE Negev Zoora An Naq cemetery

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.

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

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 Creation Adding Pleiades IDs to origin/placenames adding period attribute to date element, with Periodo value.

ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον ΚοζμᾶςΚοσμᾶς ἈβδαμόχοσυἈβδαμόχου, ΠετρέοςΠετραίος, ὀποθανόντοςἐτῶνἀποθανόντος μʹ.

Monument of Kosmas, (son) of Abdamochos, from Petra, who died (at the age) of 40 years.

ΜνημῖονΜνημεῖον ΚοζμᾶςΚοσμᾶς ἈβδαμόχοσυἈβδαμόχου, ΠετρέοςΠετραίος, ὀποθανόντοςἐτῶνἀποθανόντος μʹ

While no date has been provided in the text, the inscription has been dated to the last quarter of the fourth century CE on the strength of other factors. 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 tombstone has been mended from three fragments and is rectangular. A rectangular frame surrounds the text. A cross is depicted above and to the right of the frame, in an oblique position. The cross is faded, having originally been drawn in red paint. The frame and text are engraved and painted red. The author suggests that the frequent use of the name Κοσμᾶς in this area is probably indicative of the spread of the healing cult of Saints Cosman and Damian. She also notes that the name Ἀβδάμοχος vulgar spelling of the name Ἀβδομάνχος, found elsewhere at Ghor es-Safi. She indicates that the sigma ending the name Ἀβδομάνχος has been written over with an upsalon.

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