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Fragment of Tabula Ansata (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Fragment of tabula ansata (from Road Trench, Monumental Arch, Late Roman fill): Bilingual (Greek-Hebrew) Inscription, set up by Sozomenos, citing Psalm 125:5 and 128:6 (“Peace upon Israel”)
- Date
- 5th–6th century AD?, Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- S15.003
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Inscription
- Inscription Type
- Religious Inscription
- Inscription language
- Greek, Hebrew, Bilingual Greek and Hebrew
- Inscription Text
ΚΝ θ(εο)ῦ ΣΟΖ̣Ο̣ . . [ σωτη[ρ]ίας τῷ θε̣[ εἰς δόξαν τοῦ ἁγίου οἴ[κου]. 4 שלו]ם על ישראל]
- Inscription Translation
“[ - - ] of God: Sozo[menos(?), in return for (his)] rescue, [gave?] to the God for the glory of the Holy [House] (i.e., the synagogue).”
Hebrew: “(Peace upon Israel!)”
- Inscription Comment
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- RT
- Trench
- RT 15.1
- Locus
- RT 15.1 Locus 8
- B-Grid Coordinates
- E122.1 / S21.6 *98.6
- Findspot
- Road Trench, Monumental Arch, Late Roman/Byzantine fill.
- Description
Fragment of a tabula ansata of white coarse marble; broken on all sides, while portions of the upper, left, and lower edges of the tabula are preserved, and the rear face is smooth. Bilingual Greek and Hebrew inscription.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.14, max. W. 0.18, Th. 0.054, H. of letters 0.05–0.015.
- Comments
1 ΚΝ: unclear; the K has a small inverted “c” attached to the lower oblique stroke going under the line; Ν in ligature. - θ(εο)ῦ: ΘΥ under a horizontal stroke. - ΚΝ θ(εο)ῦ may perhaps designate the dedicated object.
1–2 Σ(ω)ζόμ̣[ενος ὑπὲρ] / σωτη[ρ]ίας τῷ θε̣[ῷ - -](?) W. Ameling, per litt.
2 σωτη[ρ]ίας: doubtful; the stone seems to have ΣΩΤΗΙΑΣ. A ligature HP was perhaps intended but can hardly be verified on the stone, which has a fissure there.
2–3 [ἔδωκεν] / εἰς δόξαν… vel sim.?
3 NT in ligature. - οἴ[κου]: Ameling’s restoration. For οἶκος, see no. 516, 3 comm.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Unpublished.
- Author
- GP