Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine Creator Michael Satlow Brown University Zoor 0382

Zoora, 11 July 472 CE. Tombstone. Funerary (Epitaph).

Yellowish sandstone, rectangular in shape

Broken at the upper right corner and chipped all around; the front surface is flaked off especially on the left side

Rectangular heavily red painted frame, with small triangles decorating its corners Around the inscription Linear cross with forked serifs, the lower corners of which are occupied by the symbolic letters alpha and omega Above the frame, in the middle Outlined cross engraved and painted red, flanked by two red heraldic birds Below the frame Red cross Beginning and end of the epitaph

11 July 472 CE Negev Zoora An-Naq' Cemetery

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Taxonomies for IIP controlled values

Initial Entry Edited adding period attribute to date element, with Periodo value.

+ Εἷς Θεός. ΜνεμῖονΜνημεῖον προτονπρῶτον μὲν Σαμμασέου ὑποδιακόνου, ἀποθανὼνἀποθανόντος πρὸ ἐτῶν κε. Ἔπιταἔπειτα Λουλιανοῦ,ἐτῶν ε, καὶ Στεφάνου, ἀδελφοῦ, ἐτῶν β, υἱῶν ἈντύουἌντυος.Ἐτελεύτησαν δὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ὤρᾳμιᾷ, μετὰ καλῆς πίστεως, ἐν ἔτιἔτει τξζ, μηνὸς ΠανέμουΠανήμου κβ, ἠμέρᾳ γ. Θάρσιθαρσεῖτε, οὐδὶςοὐδείς ἀθάνατος. + +

One (is) the God. Monument (belonging) first to Sammaseos, (the subdeacon), who died 25 years ago; (and) then to Loulianos, 5 years old, and to (his) brother Stephanos, 2 years old, (both) sons of Antys. (The two children) passed away on the same day and hour, having a good faith, in (the) year 367, on (the) 22nd day of the month of Panemos, on (the) 3rd day (Tuesday). Be of good cheer, no one (is) immortal.

This epitaph is significant because it provides valuable information on both Zooran funerary customs and the identity of the tomb owners and their relationships with other people whose epitaphs have been found. The prosopographical and chronological data offered, combined with other published epitaphs, suggest that these three men were members of the same family. There is a strong possibility that Loulianos and Stephanos were the great-nephews of Sammaseos. It is quite possible that their father Antys outlived his two sons and did not yet have his own tomb, impelling him to bury them with his uncle.

Εἷς Θεός. ΜνεμῖονΜνημεῖον προτονπρῶτον μὲν Σαμμασέου ὑποδιακόνου, ἀποθανὼνἀποθανόντος πρὸ ἐτῶν κε Ἔπιταἔπειτα Λουλιανοῦ, ἐτῶν ε καὶ Στεφάνου, ἀδελφοῦ, ἐτῶν β υἱῶν ἈντύουἌντυος. Ἐτελεύτησαν δὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ὤρᾳ μιᾷ, μετὰ καλῆς πίστεως, ἐν ἔτιἔτει τξζ μηνὸς ΠανέμουΠανήμου κβ ἠμέρᾳ γ Θάρσιθαρσεῖτε, οὐδὶςοὐδείς ἀθάνατος.

41