E01953: A labelled depiction of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), on a marble plaque, in a relief Nativity scene. Found at Iabrouda/Yabrūd to the south of Ḥimṣ/Emesa (south Phoenicia). Probably the 6th-7th c. or later.

A marble plaque showing a relief with the Nativity scene. First recorded by Denis Fossey in the then Greek-catholic church in Yabrūd, where it was displayed in an altar. Fossey published the transcriptions of lables and a short description of the image, but was unable to identify the place of origin of the object.

The site was revisited by René Mouterde who figured out that our plaque was probably brought to its present place from another church, he said, dedicated to 'Our Lady'. When examined, the relief appeared to be weathered. As reported by Mouterde, the Nativity scene shows the seated Virgin Mary flanked by two animals (certainly an ox and an ass) that were, however, effaced.

The relief is labelled with the following inscriptions:

A: A quotation from the Book of Isaiah 1:3:

+ ἔγνο βοῦς τὸν κτησάμενον
καὶ ὄνος τὴν φάτνην τοῦ Κ(υρίο)υ αὐτοῦ

1. ἔγνο Mouterde, εγνοο Uspensky, εγνω Fossey

'The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib.'

B: Label of Mary:

+ ἡ ἁγία Μαρία

'+ The Holy Mary.'

Text: IGLS 5, no. 2710.