E00786: Greek graffiti from the church of *John the Apostle and Evangelist (S00042) in Ephesos (western Asia Minor) with numerous invocations of this saint. 6th c. or later.

1) Fragment of the top bar of a screen of blue marble, located between the altar and the pulpit in the church of *John the Evangelist in Ephesos. Preserved dimensions: H. 0.12 m; W. 0.447 m; Th. 0.208 m. Inscription A is written on the upper surface with neatly carved letters. Texts B, C, D are graffiti. Josef Keil suspected that the inscription could cover other nearby blocks too.

A: [κύριε, βοήθησον] τῷ ταπινῷ διακό(νῳ) καὶ δούλῳ [σῷ - - -
B: + ἅγ(ι)ε Ἰω(άννη), βοήθη τὼν σὸν δοῦλον Λάζαρον
C: + ἅγιε Ἰω(άννη) θεο[λόγε, βοήθη - - -
D: + ἅγιε Ἰ[ω(άννη) - - -

A: '[O Lord, help] the humble deacon and [your] servant [- - -]!'
B: '+ Saint John, help your servant Lazaros!'
C: '+ Saint John the Theo[logian, help - - -]!'
D: '+ Saint J[ohn - - -]!'

Text: I. Ephesos, no. 4304.

2) Fragment of an upper plaque of a screen of blue marble. Precise find-spot unknown. Most probably from another structure than the one mentioned in the preceding entry. Preserved dimensions: H. 0.27 m; W. 0.24 m; Th. 0.096 m. Text A was erased and substituted with Text B. Graffito C runs below it. Next to it there are faint traces of yet another graffito.

A: - - -] στ̣ων ̣λ̣α[- - -
̣
λ̣α[- - - or ̣α̣λ[- - - Keil

B: - - -]ῳ πρεσβ[υτέρῳ - - -
C: Ἠοάνι +

B: '[- - - fo]r the presb[yter - - -].'
C: 'For Ioannes (or: for St. John?) +'

3) One of three graffiti written on a column at the middle entrance to the southern side-nave of the church. Next to them there is an inscription with an invocation to God by a certain Georgios, supervisor of construction works.

Ἠ(σοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς, ̣ἅ̣γ(ιος) + Ἰω(άννης)

1. perhaps ̣ἅ̣γ(ιος) or ̣ν̣ι(κᾷ) Keil

'Jesus Christ, Saint + John (?)'

Text: I. Ephesos, no. 4310C.

4) Inscription on a column, written on both sides of an elaborately carved cross (c. 0.45 m high), standing on an sphere and three steps, which strongly resembles depictions of the cross potent on coins issued by the emperor Heraclius (610-641) and later emperors. Almost certainly postdates the 7th c.


θεολόγε, βοεί-

θι τοῦ σοῦ δού-
λου Σισι- νήου
κὲ τῖς μ- ιτρὸς αὐτοῦ

'O Theologian, help your servant Sisinnios and his mother!'

Text: I. Ephesos, no. 4314.

5) Inscription and graffito on a column. The inscription is written on both sides of a carved cross (c. 0.42 m high). The graffito was placed to the left of the lower part of the cross.

A: inscription written written on both sides of a carved cross:

+ θεολό- γε, βοΐθι

ου
τοῦ σοῦ δούλ- Στεφάνου
ἁμαρ- τολοῦ

B: graffito; to the left of the lower part of the cross:

θεολόγε, βοήθησον ἀμίν
τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ Ο-
ΣΟΝΤΟΛΟΝ ἐν ἁμαρτήᾳ· σολην(ο-)
ποηός. ἁμαρτήα ..α

2-3. Ο|ΣΟΝΤΟΛΟΝ = Ὀσοντολον (a name?) Keil, or <ἁ|μάρ>τολον (?) || 3-4. σολην(ο)|ποηός = σωλην(ο)|ποιός (?) Foss

A: '+ O Theologian, help your servant, Stephanos the sinner!'
B: ' O Theologian, help the servant of God Osontolos (or: help the servant of God, the sinful one?) who is in sins, the pipe-maker! (?) Sins [- - -].'

Text: I. Ephesos, no. 4315.

6) Inscription engraved on the back side of a blue marble cornice-plaque.

τõ ἁγ(ίου) Ἰωάν(νου)

1. τõ ἁγ(ίῳ) Ἰωάν(νῃ ?) Halkin

'Of Saint John (or: For Saint John).'

Text: I. Ephesos, no. 4317.

7) Graffiti on the wall and columns near a holy water font in the church.

A:

κ(ύρι)ε, κ(ύριε), ἅγηε θεολόγε, βοήθησον
τοῦ δούλο σου Γεόργηον

E:
εν
θεολόγε αὐθο
τα [- - -] +
κ(ύρι)ε βοήθι κ(ύρι)ε
κ(ύρι)ε βοήθ(η) τὸν δοῦλον σου Ἠοά(ννην)

1-3. αὐθ{ο}έντα (?) Keil

H:
+ κ(ύρι)ε σὺ ὁ θ(εὸ)ς ὁ σ(ωτὴ)ρ ἡμõν
κ(αὶ) ἅγιε Εἰω(άννη) εὐαγελησ-
τὰ αὐτοῦ κ(αὶ) θεολόγε
βοήθη μι τῷ δ(ο)ύλοͺ σου
ἁμαρτολῷ Ν(ι)κόλαον

κ(ύρι)ε βοήθη κ(αὶ) τ(ὴν) δ(ο)ύλ(ην) σου
Μάρθαν μοναχήν

A: 'O Lord, Lord, (and) the holy Theologian, help your servant Georgios!'
E: 'O Theologian [- - -] O Lord, help, O Lord. O Lord, help your servant Ioannes!'
H: '+ O Lord, you are God, our Saviour and (you), Saint Jo(hn), are his Evangelist and the Theologian, help me, your servant and sinner, Nikolaos! Lord, help also your servant Martha, the nun!'

Text: I. Ephesos, no. 4318 A-E-H.