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E02464: Floor-mosaics with Greek inscriptions from a church with a crypt, mentioning *Elijah (Old Testament prophet, S00217), declaring his aid for the construction of the sanctuary, invoking his intercession for rain, and mentioning a 'presbyter of Saint Ailianos' (probably *Elianos, martyr of Philadelphia/Amman, S00889). Found at Madaba (Roman province of Arabia/Jordan). Dated 595/596 (crypt) and 607/608 (upper church).
online resource
posted on 2017-03-06, 00:00 authored by pnowakowskiInscription 1:
Rectangular mosaic panel from the nave of the church. H. 0.60 m; W. 3.20 m; letter height 0.10 m. Black letters on white background. Set in front of the chancel screen. Now lost. The panel was first included in his journal by Henri Lammens, under the date 12 July 1897 (from a copy by Giuseppe Manfredi) and in the same year published by Paul Séjourné in La Revue biblique. A list of later re-editions and alternative readings is offered by Pierre-Louis Gatier in I. Jordanie 2.
+ ὁ πάσης ἀνθρωπείνης φύσεως ἐπέκεινα φθορᾶς (καὶ) τὸν ἰσραηλίτην λαὸν χαλιναγωγήσας πρὸς
ἀλήθειαν μία[ν......ζ]ήλῳ Ἠλίας ὁ προφήτης εὐχῇ συνεργήσας (καὶ) τόνδε τὸν περικαλλῆ
νεὸν ἐδήματο· ἐ[ν χρ]ό(νοις) Λεοντίου τοῦ πραϋτά(του) ἱερέως, (καὶ) εἰρήνης γνησίου ἐραστοῦ, κόπους τε ἀμει-
[β]ομένου Σεργίου τοῦ θεο̣φ̣ι[λεσ(τάτου) (καὶ)] ̣τοῦ φροντιστοῦ δῶρα προσδεχνυμέ(νου). Μηνᾶ Παμφίλου (καὶ) Θεοδοσίου ἀδελφ(ῶν)
Αἰγιάρων βοηθεία γίνο[υ τ]ούτοις τε (καὶ) τῷ ταπεινῷ ἀστέει τούτῳ. γέγονεν ἐν ἔτει φβ΄ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) ια΄.
5. βοήθεια γίνο[υ τ]ούτοις τε Feissel, βοηθείᾳ γινο[μέ(νων) τ]ούτοις τε Gatier
'The one who was beyond all the corruption of human nature and who led by the bridle the people of Israel towards the only truth [- - -] by his zeal, the Prophet Elijah, through his intercessions he assisted (us) and built this beautiful church (naos). In the times of Leontios, the most benign cleric and devoted lover of peace, who stepped in place of Sergios, the most God-fearing, the supervisor for gathering gifts. The help to them, to the kin (?), and to this miserable city were Menas, son of Pamphilos, and Theodosios, brothers from (the city of) Aigeai. It was completed in the year 502, the 11th indiction.'
Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 145 with altered completion of line 5 from CEByz, 884. Translation: P. Nowakowski.
Inscription 2:
The inscription runs in one line on a circular band, in the frame of a panel consisting of several concentric circles, set in the middle of the carpet mosaic of the nave. Diameter of the inner circle: 1.40 m; diameter of the outer circle: 1.80 m. Letter height 0.13-0.16 m. Black letters on white background. Now lost. First published by Paul Séjourné in La Revue biblique in 1897 and then re-edited by a number of scholars. For a list of editions and altered readings, see I. Jordanie 2.
(palm) ὁ τὰς ὀμβροτόκους νεφέλας προσφόρως τῇ εὐχῇ κινήσας κ(αὶ) λαοὺς οἰκτείρας, προφήτα, ̣μ[ν]ήσθητι κ(αὶ) τῶν προσενεγκάντων (καὶ) τῆς τα[πεινῆς πόλ]εως ταύτ(ης).
'(palm) O Prophet, the one who graciously brought through your prayer the rain-producing clouds and mercy upon peoples, remember both the donors and this miserable city!'
Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 146.
Inscription 3:
Mosaic panel framed by a tabula ansata. H. 0.37 m; W. 1.75 m. Letter height 0.13 m. Set in the floor of the nave, in front of the central west doorway. First recorded during the excavations in 1994 and published by Michele Piccirillo.
ἅγιος ὁ ναός σου θαυμα-
στὸς ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ
'Holy is your temple, admirable for righteousness!'
Text: Piccirillo 1994, 390.
Inscription 4:
Four mosaic panels, shaped as octagons, set in the carpet mosaic of the crypt beneath the choir of the church. The first three panels are positioned in one line, at the east end of the room, in front of the apse of the crypt. The last one is in the middle of the mosaic carpet. Dimensions: c. 0.50-0.52 m x 0.52 m. Letter height 0.07-0.08 m. Blue letters. First published by Kleopas Koikylides, librarian of the Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Jerusalem, who saw them in 1896, and then republished in many works. For a list of editions and alternative readings, see I. Jordanie 2.
Panel 1:
(palm) Χ(ριστὸ)ς
ὁ θ(εὸ)ς τὸν οἶ-
κον τοῦτον
ἀνήγει-
ρεν.
Panel 2:
(palm) ἐπὶ
Σερ+γίου
τοῦ ὁσιω(τάτου)
ἐπισκό-
που,
Panel 3:
(palm) σπου-
δῇ Σεργίου
πρ(εσβυτέρου) τοῦ ἁγίου Αἰλι-
ανοῦ ἐν τῷ υϙ΄
ἔτει·
Panel 4:
[(palm) ἐ]ψη-
[φώθ]η ἐκ
[προσφ]ορᾶς
[- - -]
[- - -].
'(palm) Christ, the God, erected this house (i.e. church or crypt). (palm) Under Ser+gios, the most venerable bishop, (palm) by the zeal of Sergios, presbyter of Saint Ailianos, in the year 490. [(palm)] It was paved with mosaics from the offering of [- - -]. '
Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 147. Translations: P. Nowakowski.
Rectangular mosaic panel from the nave of the church. H. 0.60 m; W. 3.20 m; letter height 0.10 m. Black letters on white background. Set in front of the chancel screen. Now lost. The panel was first included in his journal by Henri Lammens, under the date 12 July 1897 (from a copy by Giuseppe Manfredi) and in the same year published by Paul Séjourné in La Revue biblique. A list of later re-editions and alternative readings is offered by Pierre-Louis Gatier in I. Jordanie 2.
+ ὁ πάσης ἀνθρωπείνης φύσεως ἐπέκεινα φθορᾶς (καὶ) τὸν ἰσραηλίτην λαὸν χαλιναγωγήσας πρὸς
ἀλήθειαν μία[ν......ζ]ήλῳ Ἠλίας ὁ προφήτης εὐχῇ συνεργήσας (καὶ) τόνδε τὸν περικαλλῆ
νεὸν ἐδήματο· ἐ[ν χρ]ό(νοις) Λεοντίου τοῦ πραϋτά(του) ἱερέως, (καὶ) εἰρήνης γνησίου ἐραστοῦ, κόπους τε ἀμει-
[β]ομένου Σεργίου τοῦ θεο̣φ̣ι[λεσ(τάτου) (καὶ)] ̣τοῦ φροντιστοῦ δῶρα προσδεχνυμέ(νου). Μηνᾶ Παμφίλου (καὶ) Θεοδοσίου ἀδελφ(ῶν)
Αἰγιάρων βοηθεία γίνο[υ τ]ούτοις τε (καὶ) τῷ ταπεινῷ ἀστέει τούτῳ. γέγονεν ἐν ἔτει φβ΄ ἰνδ(ικτιῶνος) ια΄.
5. βοήθεια γίνο[υ τ]ούτοις τε Feissel, βοηθείᾳ γινο[μέ(νων) τ]ούτοις τε Gatier
'The one who was beyond all the corruption of human nature and who led by the bridle the people of Israel towards the only truth [- - -] by his zeal, the Prophet Elijah, through his intercessions he assisted (us) and built this beautiful church (naos). In the times of Leontios, the most benign cleric and devoted lover of peace, who stepped in place of Sergios, the most God-fearing, the supervisor for gathering gifts. The help to them, to the kin (?), and to this miserable city were Menas, son of Pamphilos, and Theodosios, brothers from (the city of) Aigeai. It was completed in the year 502, the 11th indiction.'
Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 145 with altered completion of line 5 from CEByz, 884. Translation: P. Nowakowski.
Inscription 2:
The inscription runs in one line on a circular band, in the frame of a panel consisting of several concentric circles, set in the middle of the carpet mosaic of the nave. Diameter of the inner circle: 1.40 m; diameter of the outer circle: 1.80 m. Letter height 0.13-0.16 m. Black letters on white background. Now lost. First published by Paul Séjourné in La Revue biblique in 1897 and then re-edited by a number of scholars. For a list of editions and altered readings, see I. Jordanie 2.
(palm) ὁ τὰς ὀμβροτόκους νεφέλας προσφόρως τῇ εὐχῇ κινήσας κ(αὶ) λαοὺς οἰκτείρας, προφήτα, ̣μ[ν]ήσθητι κ(αὶ) τῶν προσενεγκάντων (καὶ) τῆς τα[πεινῆς πόλ]εως ταύτ(ης).
'(palm) O Prophet, the one who graciously brought through your prayer the rain-producing clouds and mercy upon peoples, remember both the donors and this miserable city!'
Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 146.
Inscription 3:
Mosaic panel framed by a tabula ansata. H. 0.37 m; W. 1.75 m. Letter height 0.13 m. Set in the floor of the nave, in front of the central west doorway. First recorded during the excavations in 1994 and published by Michele Piccirillo.
ἅγιος ὁ ναός σου θαυμα-
στὸς ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ
'Holy is your temple, admirable for righteousness!'
Text: Piccirillo 1994, 390.
Inscription 4:
Four mosaic panels, shaped as octagons, set in the carpet mosaic of the crypt beneath the choir of the church. The first three panels are positioned in one line, at the east end of the room, in front of the apse of the crypt. The last one is in the middle of the mosaic carpet. Dimensions: c. 0.50-0.52 m x 0.52 m. Letter height 0.07-0.08 m. Blue letters. First published by Kleopas Koikylides, librarian of the Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Jerusalem, who saw them in 1896, and then republished in many works. For a list of editions and alternative readings, see I. Jordanie 2.
Panel 1:
(palm) Χ(ριστὸ)ς
ὁ θ(εὸ)ς τὸν οἶ-
κον τοῦτον
ἀνήγει-
ρεν.
Panel 2:
(palm) ἐπὶ
Σερ+γίου
τοῦ ὁσιω(τάτου)
ἐπισκό-
που,
Panel 3:
(palm) σπου-
δῇ Σεργίου
πρ(εσβυτέρου) τοῦ ἁγίου Αἰλι-
ανοῦ ἐν τῷ υϙ΄
ἔτει·
Panel 4:
[(palm) ἐ]ψη-
[φώθ]η ἐκ
[προσφ]ορᾶς
[- - -]
[- - -].
'(palm) Christ, the God, erected this house (i.e. church or crypt). (palm) Under Ser+gios, the most venerable bishop, (palm) by the zeal of Sergios, presbyter of Saint Ailianos, in the year 490. [(palm)] It was paved with mosaics from the offering of [- - -]. '
Text: I. Jordanie 2, no. 147. Translations: P. Nowakowski.
History
Evidence ID
E02464Saint Name
Elijah, Old Testament prophet : S00217 Elianos, martyr of Aman : S00889Saint Name in Source
Ἠλίας ΑἰλιανόςRelated Saint Records
Image Caption 1
Photograph of Inscription 4. From: I. Jordanie 2, Pl. XXVIII.Image Caption 2
Photograph of Inscription 1 (as seen by P. Savignac in 1907). From: Piccirillo 1994, Pl. 9.Image Caption 3
Photograph of the medallion with Inscription 2. From: Piccirillo 1994, Pl. 5.Image Caption 4
Photograph of Inscription 3. From: Piccirillo 1994, Pl. 9.Image Caption 5
Drawing of Inscription 3. From: Piccirillo 1994, 390.Image Caption 6
Plan of the church. From: Michel 2001, 321.Image Caption 7
Plan of the crypt. From: Michel 2001, 321.Image Caption 8
Reconstruction of the church of Mary (to the left) and of Elijah (to the right) with visible entrances to the crypt. From: Michel 2001, 321.Image Caption 9
Plan of the city. From: Michel 2001, 303.Type of Evidence
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.) Archaeological and architectural - Cult buildings (churches, mausolea) Archaeological and architectural - Internal cult fixtures (crypts, ciboria, etc.)Language
- Greek
