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.
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).