IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

M.242. Christian invocations

Description: Fragment of plaster painted yellowish green (w: 0.06 x h: 0.055).
Text: Scratched on the surface; later roughly filled with red paint.
Letters: 0.01-0.25; lunate epsilon

Date: Sixth century CE

Findspot: Gebel Akhdar: East of Cyrene: Ras al-Hilal, Church, among debris in the north west room (Room C); excavated in 1961
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location: Apollonia Museum.

Interpretive

[---]Ἀβρα[ὰμ---]
[---]Ε̣ΟΕΘ̣[---]

Diplomatic

[---]ΑΒΡΑ[..---]
[---].ΟΕ.[---]

English translation

Translation source: Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003

(Perhaps a reference to Abraham)

Commentary

For the building, probably of the sixth century, see Ward-Perkins, op. cit, 326-341

The name Abraham is clear. Τhe formula 'in the bosom of Abraham', ἐν κόλπῳ/κόλποις Ἀβρααμ is usually found in a funerary context; but the protection of the God of Abraham is sometimes invoked: so from Egyptian Thebes SEG 8,754 κ(υρι)ε θ(εο)ς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ (available at PHI 223145) and SEG 8,740, (available at PHI 223131). For a private invocation cf. SEG 8,240 Ἅγιε Ἀβράαμα βωήθεν τὸν δοῦλόν σου, from Hebron, the site of Abraham's tomb (available at PHI 319482). . But this could also be a personal name.

Bibliography: Reynolds, 1964, A.2, Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003, 337.1b.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

None available (2020).