E04121: Lead plaque with an image of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) labelled in Greek. Found in the monastery on Tell Iztabba at Beit She'an/Skythopolis (Roman province of Palaestina II). Probably second half of the 6th/first half of the 7th c.

Small rectangular lead plaque, probably with a loop on its top edge. Presumably meant to be worn around the neck. Found in 1930 in Room L, in the north section of the monastery on Tell Iztabba. Dimensions c. 2 cm x 3 cm. First published in 1931 by Gerald Milnes Fitzgerald with a photograph of the obverse. Photographs of both sides, and transcriptions, were published by Fitzgerald in 1939.

obverse: standing male figure with nimbus. His right hand is raised in the act of blessing. In his left hand he is holding a book. The editor suggests that the figure is trampling a snake, but this is not clear in the photograph. Label: Ἐμμανουὴλ μεθ' ἡμῶν/'Emmanuel. God is with us!'. This is certainly an image of Christ. The inscription is 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; Is. 7,14).

reverse: standing female figure in the orant posture, with nimbus. Label: ἡ ἁγία Μαρία/'Holy Mary'. This is certainly Mary, Mother of Christ.