E04343: Greek inscriptions/graffiti invoking the God of *All Saints, the intercession of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), *Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023), *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), probably the *Forty Martyrs (of Sebasteia, S00103, or of the Sinai Desert, S01620), and saints whose names are lost. Found in Room 7 at the North Church at Nessana/Auja Hafir in the Negev desert (Roman province of Palaestina III). Probably 5th-7th c.

A large number of fragmentary inscriptions and graffiti carved on chalk blocks were found in Room 7 of the North Church, probably the main archive of the sanctuary. From among them the editors published legible texts in 11 entries (I. Nessana, nos. 52-62). The following contain explicit references to saints:

Inscription 1:

On a chalk voussoir. H. 0.33 m; W. 0.44 m. The text overlaps a scratched rosette. Letter-height 0.01 m. The editors identify the script as semi-cursive.

(a) ὡ θε(ὸς) πάντον τõν ἁγίον μ(ν)ήσθετη
..̣τῆς δούλε<ς> σου κ(αὶ) τοὺς τέκνους [- - -]
εὐχῇ τῆς Θεοτόκου Μαρίας κ(αὶ) [- - -]

κ(αὶ) πάντον τõν ̣ἁ̣γ̣ίον [- - -]

(b) Στέφανος
κ(αὶ) Μηνᾶς ̣ο̣ἱ ̣υ̣ἱ-
οὶ τοῦ μακαρίου
ΒΙΤΑΛ̣Ι̣ΜΟΝ. Κύρ(ιε),
βοήθι, ἅ̣γιε
Σέργι(ε) [- - -]

5 ΒΙΤΑΛ̣Ι̣ΜΟΝ = Βιταλῖ̣νον (?) Kirk & Bradford Welles

(c) Στέφανο(ς)
κ(αὶ) Μηνᾶς οἱ [υἱο]ὶ
μακαρίου ΕΤΑ..ΟΝΟΥ
[- - -]

(a): 'O God, of All the Saints, remember [- - -] your servant and her children [- - -] through the intercession of the God-Bearer (Theotokos) Mary and [- - -] and of All the Saints.'

(b): 'Stephanos and Menas, sons of the blessed Vitalinos (?). O Lord, help, Saint Sergios [- - -]!'

(c): 'Stephanos and Menas, sons of the blessed ... [- - -].'

Text: I. Nessana, no. 52.

Inscription 2:

On a fragmentary chalk block, with preserved right-hand end of a tabula ansata. H. 0.32 m; W. 0.20 m. Letter-height 0.01 m. Rectangular script. The stone was removed and deposited in the Palestine Museum in Jerusalem (now the Rockefeller Museum).

τοῦ δο]ύλου σοῦ
]ου καὶ
μακαρ]ίας (?) Πορφυρίας
τ]ῆς αὐτοῦ εὐχῆς
]ν Σεργίου καὶ
μάρτυρες τεσσα]ράκοντα (?) καὶ
] θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ
]μ...ιλων
]ν..ς +

6. μάρτυρες τεσσα]ράκοντα (?) Kirk

'[- - - of] thy servant [- - -] and [- - -] of the blessed (?) Porphyria [- - -] through his intercession/prayer [- - -] of Sergios and [- - -] the Forty (?) [Martyrs - - -] of his daughter [- - -] ... +'

Text: I. Nessana, no. 54.

The inscription is poorly preserved, and we cannot say whether it commemorates a dedication, or is just a record of an individual's prayer on behalf of his or her family. The completions by Kirk are hypothetical: lines 5 and 6 may contain references to Saint Sergios and the Forty Martyrs (of Sebasteia or of the Sinai Desert), though one must remember that the latter group of saints only occurs very rarely in inscriptions, and the placement of the names of the saints in the middle of the text would also be unusual. If Kirk is right, one could perhaps lightly modify his restoration, e.g. τ]ῆς αὐτοῦ εὐχῆς | [καὶ τῶν ἁγίω]ν Σεργίου καὶ | [τῶν μαρτύρων τεσσα]ράκοντα/'through his prayer and of [the saints] Sergios and the Forty [Martyrs].'

Inscription 3:

Scarcely legible text in semi-cursive script on a fragmentary chalk voussoir. H. 0.32 m; W. 0.47 m. Letter-height 0.01 m. The inscribed face is badly weathered. Found in situ, in the east middle arch in the room.

The editors offer a schematic drawing and an incomplete transcription of several lines:

καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου ... [δού]λου σ[ου] ... ἁγίων ... Φεσάν(ης?) καὶ ... ὑπὲρ ... ἅγιε Στέφ[α]νε καὶ ἅγι[ε Σ]έργ[ιε βο]ηθῶσιν. ἀμήν.

'And of Saint ... thy servant ... saints ... Phesanes (?) and ... for ... may Saint Stephen and Saint Sergios help. Amen.'

In the lower right-hand corner, in big letters: Ἰσαάκι(ο)ς/'Isaakios'

Text: I. Nessana, no. 60.