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E01012: Fragmentary Greek inscription with remnants of an apotropaic/liturgical text, referring to *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) and the story of Exodus. Found near Nakoleia and Amorion (Galatia, central Asia Minor). Probably late antique.

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posted on 2015-12-21, 00:00 authored by pnowakowski

[- - - ἐν προσώ]̣πῳ δεσποίνης ἡμῶ̣ν ̣τῆς Θε̣οτόκου ̣τ̣ῆ̣ς [ἀ]ειπαρθέν[ου - - -]
[- - - τῶ]ν Αἰγυπτίων ἀποστρέψας ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰστραηλιτῶ[ν - - -]
[- - -] τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἀ[πόστρεψον - - -]
[- - -]̣την ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Ἐμμανουὴλ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ θ(εὸς) π[- - -]

1. [- - - ἐν κόλ]̣πῳ (?) || 2. δύναμι]ν Αἰγυπτίων ἀποστρέψας (?) Rizos || 3. σῷσον] τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας Rizos

'[- - - facing] our Lady, the God-Bearer (Theotokos), the ever-Virgin [- - -] you pushed [the power (?)] of the Egyptians away from the Israelites [- - -] those who dwell in this house and push [- - - away] from them. Emmanuel, God is with us [- - -]'

Text: MAMA I, no. 397.

History

Evidence ID

E01012

Saint Name

Mary, Mother of Christ : S00033

Saint Name in Source

Θεοτόκος

Related Saint Records

https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Mary_Mother_of_Christ/13729186

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.) Liturgical texts - Other Literary - Other Literary - Magical texts and amulets

Language

Greek

Evidence not before

400

Evidence not after

800

Activity not before

400

Activity not after

800

Place of Evidence - Region

Asia Minor Asia Minor

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Amorion Nakoleia

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Amorion Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia Nakoleia Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia

Cult activities - Liturgical Activity

Liturgical invocation

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Other lay individuals/ people Ecclesiastics – unspecified

Source

A stone, presumably a lintel, reused in the wall of a house at Hanköy (formerly Hüsrevpaşa Hanı/Khosrev Pasha Khan), near ancient Amorium and Nacoleia (Galatia, central Asia Minor). Broken and lost at both ends. Preserved dimensions: H. 0.25 m; W. 1.3 m; letter height 0.02-0.025 m. On the left-hand side there is part of the horizontal bar of a carved cross. In the middle of the inscription there is another carving of a cross. A line of small rectangles runs along the bottom of the slab.

Discussion

The inscription records a fragmentary piece of apotropaic/liturgical writing, with a reference to Mary as the God-Bearer (Theotokos) and the story of the Israelites' salvation from enslavement in Egypt, as told in the book of Exodus. From the wording, and from the nature of the block it is carved on, the text appears to be designed to protect a dwelling. However, though a house/οἶκος is mentioned in line 5, it is not clear whether a church or a private household is meant, as churches were often called οἶκοι. Line 4 contains a reminiscence of a passage from the Gospel according to Matthew: καὶ καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ· ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον 'Μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός' / 'They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us' (Matthew 1:23, cf. Psalm 46:7; Issaiah 7:14), which is quite frequent in inscriptions.

Bibliography

Edition: Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua I, no. 397. Inscriptiones Christianae Graecae database, no. 1702: http://www.epigraph.topoi.org/ica/icamainapp/inscription/show/1702