E02899: Lead seals of officials and ecclesiastics, decorated with images of saints, mainly *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), including a seal of the Nea Church in Jerusalem, dedicated to Mary. All found at Caesarea Maritima (Roman province of Palaestina I). Probably 6th-7th c.

In 1999 John Nesbitt published a collection of lead seals found in Caesarea Maritima, at the site of the governor's palace/praetorium and adjacent complex of warehouses. The collection consisted of 47 objects, but Nesbitt selected and published only 36 of them. He was unable to decipher some of the texts, but better readings were offered by Denis Feissel in the Bulletin épigraphique in 2002, and by Jean-Claude Cheynet and Claudia Sode in Studies in Byzantine Sigillography in 2003. In 2011 Claudia Sode re-published 31 of the Caesarean seals, those which bore inscriptions, in the Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae.

One seal contains a direct reference to a church of Mary, eight more are decorated with images of the Virign (but bear no relevant inscriptions), one shows an orant male saint, and one perhaps shows a holy rider.

Many of these seals were probably those of officials local to Caesarea, but some of course may have reached the city attached to documents issued elsewhere (as is the case with the first seal below, from Jerusalem).

1) Seal of the Nea Church in Jerusalem:

Diameter: 23 mm. Damaged at top and bottom. No images.

Obverse: τῆς | Θε+[ο]τό|κου τ̣ῆς | ̣Νέα̣ς

τῆς | Θε+[ο]τό|κου τ̣ῆς | ̣Νέα̣ς Feissel, + .C|Ο..ΤΟ|ΚΟ.ΗC|Ε.. .. Nesbitt

'(Seal) of the New (Nea) Church of the God-Bearer (Theotokos)

Reverse: Ἱερ|οσολ|ύμον

'in Jerusalem.'

The Nea Church was founded in Jerusalem by Justinian in 543 ($EXXXX).

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1781; Nesbitt 1999, no. 33.

2) Seals with images of Mary

2.1 Diameter: 18 mm. Cut (?) at top and bottom.

Obverse: bust of Mary holding Christ, with a small cross to the left of her.

Reverse: monogram reading probably Λέοντος χαρτουλαρίου/'(Seal) of Leon chartularius'

possibly Λέοντος μαγίστορυ Nesbitt

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1754; Nesbitt 1994, no. 4

2.2 Diameter: 20 mm.

Obverse: bust of Mary holding Christ, flanked by two small crosses.

Reverse: monogram reading probably Κωνσταντίνου/'(Seal) of Konstantinos'

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1762; Nesbitt 1994, no. 12.

2.3 Diameter: 16 mm. Damaged on bottom.

Obverse: bust of Mary holding a medallion, flanked by two small crosses.

Reverse: monogram reading probably Π[α]ν[α]ρέτου (?)/'(Seal) of Panaretos (?)'

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1766; Nesbitt 1994, no. 16.

2.4 Diameter: 22 mm, inner field 19 mm. Damaged on top.

Obverse: fine bust of Mary holding Christ, flanked by two small crosses.

Reverse: inscription in three lines Θεο|χαρίσ|του/'(Seal) of Theocharistos'

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1768; Nesbitt 1994, no. 18.

2.5 Diameter: 18 mm. Cut (?) on all sides.

Obverse: bust of Mary holding Christ, with a small cross to the left.

Reverse: damaged monogram, only one letter is legible: Ο

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1770; Nesbitt 1994, no. 22.

2.6 Diameter: 20 mm.

Obverse: bust of Mary holding Christ.

Reverse: undeciphered, possibly damaged monogram, letters: Ρ, Ε, Ω, Θ, probably Α.

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1771; Nesbitt 1994, no. 23.

2.7 Diameter: 21.5 mm.

Obverse: bust of Mary holding a medallion, flanked by two small crosses.

Reverse: undeciphered, monogram, letters: Ν, Ε, Κ, Σ, Χ, Ο, Υ, possibly Εὐτυχίου or Εὐτυχι[α]νοῦ σχολ[α]στικοῦ/'(Seal) of Eutychios (or: Eutychianos) scholasticus'

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1772; Nesbitt 1994, no. 24.

2.8 Diameter: 20 mm.

Obverse: Mary, standing, with Christ in front of her, a small cross to the right of them.

Reverse: undeciphered, scarcely legible monogram, letters: Τ, Χ, Κ, Ω, Α.

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1773; Nesbitt 1994, no. 25.

3) Seal with an orant male saint

Diameter: 24 mm, inner field 16 mm. Damaged at top and bottom.

Obverse: bust of a male saint with nimbus, posture of an orant.

Reverse: fragmentary inscription in three lines, remarkably in the Latin alphabet: [- - -]|EOD|ORU = [Th]|eod|oru/'(Seal) of Theodoros'

Although the name is written in the Latin alphabet, the genitive ending -u (= -ου) suggests that the inscription is in Greek. In late antique documents specific Greek phrases were sometimes displayed with Latin letters.

The name Theodoros refers to the owner of the seal. The identity of the saint depicted is not clear. He could just possibly Theodoros, patron saint of the owner, but other figures are also possible.

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1769; Nesbitt 1994, no. 19.

4) Seal possibly with a holy rider

Diameter: 17 mm.

Obverse: a rider facing left, just possibly a saint.

Reverse: monogram probably reading: Βάρδας νοτάριος (?)/'(Seal) of Bardas, notarius'

It is not clear if a saint is depicted on the obverse, but images of holy riders (e.g. George, Theodore, Sergios, Sisinnios, etc.) often appear on small objects.

Text: CIIP 2, no. 1756; Nesbitt 1994, no. 6.