Decree of the Jewish synagogue
created: Transcription (Reynolds).
source date: December, CE 55
language: ar; en; fr; de; grc; grc-Latn; el; he
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Bibliography

[...], 132 with illustration p.134, whence [...], 1959.514 [...] 1960.199, [...] 17.823, [...] 324429; [...], 167-174, whence [...], 100 p. 81. Revised text in [...], 16, whence [...] 28.1539, [...], 1979.658, [...] 72, [...], I.107, [...], 133

ἔτους β Νέρωνος Κλαυδίου Καίσαρος Δρούσου Γερμανικοῦ Αὐτοκράτορος Χοιάχι ζ ἐφάνη τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν ἐν Βερνεικίδι Ἰουδαίων τοὺς ἐπιδίδοντες εἰς ἐπισκευὴν τῆς συναγωγῆς ἀναγράψαι αὐτοὺς εἰς στήλην λίθου Παρίου

Ζηνίων Ζωίλου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Εἰσίδωρος Δωσειθέου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Δωσείθεος Ἀμμωνίου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Πρᾶτις Ἰωναθᾶ ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Καρνήδας Κορνηλίου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Ἡρακλείδης Ἡρακλείδου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Θαλίαρχος Δωσιθέου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Σωσίβιος Ἰάσονος ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Πρατομήδης Σωκράτου ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Ἀντίγονος Στράτωνος ἄρχων δραχμὰς ι Καρτισθένης Ἀρχία ἱερεὺς δραχμὰς ι Λυσανίας Λυσανία δραχμὰς κε Ζηνόδωρος Θευφίλου δραχμὰς κη Μαρίων [...]ους δραχμὰς κε [...]

[...] Ἀλέξανδρος Εὐφράνορος δραχμὰς ε Εἰσιδώρα Σεραπίωνος δραχμὰς ε Ζωσίμη Τερπωλίω δραχμὰς ε Πόλων Δωσιθέου δραχμὰς ε

Apparatus

[^a1: at i 2: Χοιάχ ις | >Χοιάχι ε [whence SEG]]

[^a2: at i 4: ἐπιδιδόντες | ἐπιδιδόντος [ἐπιδιδόντος is cut over ἐπιδιδόντες]]

[^a3: at i 10: Ἰωνάτα | Ἰωνάθα [whence SEG]]

[^a4: at ii 10-11: Ζωσίμη Τερπολίω | Ζωσιμητηρ Πολίω [whence SEG]]

[^a5: at i 11: Ἡρακλίδου | Ἡρακλαίδου [whence SEG]]

[^a6: at i 17: Ἀρχία ἱερεὺς | Ἀρίαἱερεὺς [whence SEG]]

[^a7: at i 20: Μαρί ων [...] ος | Μαρίων [...]ους | Μαριο ν [...] ους]

Translations

Im 2.Jahr des Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus Imperator, am 6.(?) Choiach: Es gefiel der Gemeinde der Juden in Berenike, die Spender für die Ausbesserung der Synagoge, sie aufzuschreiben auf eine Stele aus parischem Stein: Zenion des Zoilos, Archon, 10 Dr(achmen); Isidoros des Dositheos, Archon, 10 Dr.; Dositheos des Ammonios, Archon, 10 Dr.; Pratis des Jonathan, Archon, 10 Dr. Karnedas des Cornelius, Archon, 10 Dr.; Herakleides des Heraklides, Archon, 10 Dr.; Thaliarchos des Dositheos, Archon, 10 Dr.; Sosibios des Jason, Archon, 10 Dr.; Proatomedes des Sokrates, Archon, 10 Dr.; Antigonos des Straton, Archon, 10 Dr.; Kartisthenes des Archias, Priester, 10 Dr.; Lysanias des Lysanias, 25 Dr.; Zenodoros des Theophilos, 28 Dr.; Mar . . ., 25 Dr.

[2.Kolumne, Z.6b-14b)] Alexander des Euphranor, 5Dr.; Isidora des Serapion, 5 Dr.; Zosime des Terpolius, 5 Dr.; Polon des Dositheos, 5 Dr.

In the second year of the emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, Choiak 7 [16 ?, Williams], the community [synagoge] of the Jews in Berenice has decided to inscribe on a stele of Parian marble (the names of) those who have contributed to the repair of the synagogue [synagoge]:

[Column i]: Zenion son of Zoilos, 10 drachmas; Eisidoros son of Dositheos, archon, 10 drachmas; Dositheos son of Ammonios, archon, 10 drachmas; Pratis son of Ionathas, archon, 10 drachmas; Karnedas son of Kornelios, Archon, 10 drachmas; Herakleides son of Heraklides, archon, 10 drachmas; Thaliarchos son of Dositheos, archon, 10 drachmas; Sosibios son of Iason, archon, 10 drachmas; Pratomedes son of Sokrates, archon, 10 drachmas; Antigonos son of Straton, archon, 10 drachmas; Kartisthenes son of Archias, priest, 10 drachmas; Lysanias son of Lysanias, 25 drachmas; Zenodoros son of Theuphilos, 28 drachmas; Marion son of [ . . .

[Column ii]: Alexander son of Euphranor, 5 drachmas; Eisidora daughter of Serapion, 5 drachmas; Zosime daughter of Terpolios, 5 drachmas; Polon son of Dositheos, 5 drachmas.

In the second year of the emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, on the 6th of Choiach. It ws resolved by the congregation (synagoge) of the Jews in Berenice and its vicinity that the names of those who donated to the reapirs of the synagogue (synagoge) be inscribed on a stele of Parian stone:

[Column i]: Zenion, son of Zoilos, ruler (archon) 10 drachmae; Isidoros, son of Dositheos, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Dositheos, son of Ammonius, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Pratis, son of Ionathas, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Carnedas, son of Cornelius, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Heracleides, son of Heraclides, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Thaliarchos, son of Dositheos, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Sosibios, son of Jason, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Pratomedes, son of Socrates, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Antigonos, son of Straton, ruler (archon), 10 drachmae; Cartisthenes, son of Archias, priest, 10 drachmae; Lysanias, son of Lysanias, 25 drachmae; Zenodoros, son of Theuphilos, 28 drachmae; Marion, [son of ?] 25 drachmae . . . [Stone broken]

[Column ii]: Alexander, son of Euphranor, 5 drachmae; Eisidora, daughter of Serapion, 5 drachmae; Zosime, daughter of Terpolius, 5 drachmae; Polon, son of Dositheos, 5 drachmae.

في السنة الثانية من فترة الإمبراطور نيرون كلاودوس قيصر دروسيوس جيرمانيكوس، في السادس من (شهر) خوياخ. تقرر من قبل التجمع (التكتل) اليهودي في برنيكي والمناطق المجاورة لها بأن تنقش أسماء أولئك الذين تبرعوا للصيانة المعبد (مكان التجمع) على لوحة من الحجر الباري: (العمود الأول): زينيون، بن زوليوس، الحاكم (أرخون) 10 دراخما؛ أزيدوروس، بن دوسيثيوس، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ دوسيثيوس، بن أمونيوس، حاكم (أرخون) ، 10 دراخما؛ براتيس، بن إيونثاس، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ كارنيداس، بن كورنيليوس، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ هيراكليدس، بن هيراكليدس، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ ثاليارخوس ، بن دوسيثيوس، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ سوسيبيوس ، ابن جاسون، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ براتوميديس، بن سقراتيس، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ أنتيغونوس، بن ستراتون، حاكم (أرخون)، 10 دراخما؛ كارتيسثينيس، بن أرخياس، كاهن، 10 دراخما؛ ليسانياس، بن ليسانياس 25 دراخما؛ زينودوروس، بن ثيوفيلوس، 28 دراخما؛ ماريون ، [بن؟] 25 دراخما؛ . .. [الحجر مكسورهنا] (العمود الثاني): الإسكندر، بن إيفرانور، 5 دراخما؛ إيسيدورا، ابنة سيرابيون، 5 دراخما؛ زوسيم، ابنة تربوليوس، 5 دراخما؛ بولون، بن دوسثيوس، 5 دراخما.

Commentary

The stone was reused in later buildings. It is uncertain whether it was still associated with the building to which it refers (so Applebaum) or, as seems more likely from its condition, had been cut down and reused in a new context.

i, lines 1-2: 56 CE. The spacing of the final letters suggests that the month was written as Χοιάχι. The figure could be read as ς six or ζ, seven.

i, line 4 For other evidence of the Jewish community at Berenike, in the first century CE see B.75, B.76. The phrasing seems to indicate that the whole Jewish group at Berenike is meant; there are here ten archontes as compared with seven in B.76 and nine in B.75 and the decision is taken on the authority of ἡ συναγωγή and not just of the archontes and politeuma cited in B.75 and B.76. Applebaum suggested that an increase in the total membership of the group should be the justification for the extra offices (the implied connection between the number of the member of offices being relevant to the degree of democracy in Hellenistic and Roman Jewish communities) and that these had been a change in the formal status of the group, perhaps involving abolition of the politeuma, in the second quarter of the first century CE

i, line 6: For Parian marble in Cyrenaica see also B.75, B.76, C.737, with Robert, Hellenica XI-XII, p.119.

The names of eighteen contributors survive headed by those of ten archons and one priest. Those offices contributed 10 drachmae each (col.i, lines 7-17) while of the ten ordinary members of the group two contributed 25 drachmae (col1. lines 18,20), one 27 drachmae (col. i, line 19) and four, including two women, 5 drachmae each (col.ii, lines 6-13). Very few of them have Jewish names (only Ἰωναθᾶς col.i, line 10 and if rightly read, Μαρίων, col. i, line 20) an although the greek names include several especially favored by Jews, notably Δωσίθεος (col.i, lines 2,13), while Applebaum attractively suggests that Ζωσίμη (col. ii, line 10) is translation of Eve, many are specifically Cyrenaican (cf. Ἀμμώνιος col.i, line 3, Θαλίαρχος col.i, line 13, Ἰάσων, col i, line 9., αλthough this is also a Jewish favourite, Πρατομήδης col.i, line 1, line 15, Καρτισθένης, col.i, line 17, Εὐφράνωρ, col.ii, line 7), indicating marked cultural influence on the community from its neighbours.

ii: it is to be noted that the second column of names, although inscribed in the same hand as the rest of the text, is more carelessly written and not at all clearly set out.

The individual sums contributed are not large, so that it is unlikely that major works were involved, even although Caputo is probably right to argue from the disparity between the last recorded sums in col. 1 and the priest in col.2, that quite a number of names is lost.

ii,line 8: The name and attribution of Eisidora daughter of Serapion is written in rather large letters and occupies the space of other three lines.