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E01954: Greek inscription from a boundary stone marking the asylum of a church/oratory (eukterios oikos) dedicated to *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033). Found at Anğarr, near el-Maṣna and Heliopolis/Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley (east Lebanon/southwest Phoenicia). Probably 6th c.

online resource

posted on 2016-10-21, 00:00 authored by pnowakowski

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ὅροι ἀσυλείας
δωρηθέντες
τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ
οἴκῳ τῆς δεσποί-
νης ἡμῶν τῆς ἁγ(ίας)
ἐνδοξ(οτάτης) Θεοτόκου
κ(αὶ) ἀειπαρθήνου
Μαρίας ἐκ τῶν εὐ-
σεβεστάτων καὶ
φιλοχρίστων ἡ-
μῶν δεσποτῶν

'+ Boundaries of the asylum, awarded to the church (eukterios oikos) of Our Lady, the Holy and Glorious God-Bearer (Theotokos) and forever Virgin Mary, by our most pious and Christ-loving emperors.'

Text: IGLS 6, no. 2984.

History

Evidence ID

E01954

Saint Name

Mary, Mother of Christ : S00033

Saint Name in Source

Μαρία

Related Saint Records

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

Image Caption 1

Photograph. From: IGLS 6, Pl. L.

Image Caption 2

Photograph. From: IGLS 6, Pl. LI.

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)

Language

Greek

Evidence not before

500

Evidence not after

750

Activity not before

500

Activity not after

750

Place of Evidence - Region

Syria with Phoenicia Syria with Phoenicia

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Heliopolis/Baalbek Anğarr

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

Heliopolis/Baalbek Thabbora Thabbora Anğarr Thabbora Thabbora

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Seeking asylum at church/shrine

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Monarchs and their family

Source

A column situated in front of the Ummayad palace at Anğarr near el-Maṣna (implausibly identified by the editor as Chalcis sub Libano, see: SEG 33, 1252). There is no published description. Seen and photographed by Maurice Chéhab and transcribed based on his photograph by Henri Seyrig. The transcription was published by Jean-Paul Rey Coquais in 1967.

Discussion

The inscription marked the boundaries of the asylum of a sanctuary dedicated to Mary. In lines 8-11 we have a reference to unnamed emperors who granted this right of asylum to the said shrine. Other dated boundary stones from the East were usually authorised by 6th c. emperors. Therefore, it is probable that also our inscription dates from the same period.

Bibliography

Edition: Rey-Coquais, J.-P., Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie, vol. 6: Baalbek et Beqa’: nos. 2711-3017 (BAH 78, Paris: P. Geuthner, 1967), no. 2984 and Plates L, LI. Reference works: Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 33, 1252.