Fragmentary Greek inscription with remnants of an apotropaic/liturgical text, referring to *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) and the story of Exodus. Found near Nakoleia and Amorion (Galatia, central Asia Minor). Probably late antique.
Evidence ID
E01012
Type of Evidence
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)
Liturgical texts - Other
Literary - Other
Literary - Magical texts and amulets
[- - - ἐν προσώ]̣πῳ δεσποίνης ἡμῶ̣ν ̣τῆς Θε̣οτόκου ̣τ̣ῆ̣ς [ἀ]ειπαρθέν[ου - - -]
[- - - τῶ]ν Αἰγυπτίων ἀποστρέψας ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰστραηλιτῶ[ν - - -]
[- - -] τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἀ[πόστρεψον - - -]
[- - -]̣την ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Ἐμμανουὴλ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ θ(εὸς) π[- - -]
1. [- - - ἐν κόλ]̣πῳ (?) || 2. δύναμι]ν Αἰγυπτίων ἀποστρέψας (?) Rizos || 3. σῷσον] τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας Rizos
'[- - - facing] our Lady, the God-Bearer (Theotokos), the ever-Virgin [- - -] you pushed [the power (?)] of the Egyptians away from the Israelites [- - -] those who dwell in this house and push [- - - away] from them. Emmanuel, God is with us [- - -]'
Text: MAMA I, no. 397.
Liturgical ActivitiesPrayer/supplication/invocation
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesOther lay individuals/ people
Liturgical invocation
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Magic
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesOther lay individuals/ people
Ecclesiastics – unspecified
Source
A stone, presumably a lintel, reused in the wall of a house at Hanköy (formerly Hüsrevpaşa Hanı/Khosrev Pasha Khan), near ancient Amorium and Nacoleia (Galatia, central Asia Minor). Broken and lost at both ends. Preserved dimensions: H. 0.25 m; W. 1.3 m; letter height 0.02-0.025 m. On the left-hand side there is part of the horizontal bar of a carved cross. In the middle of the inscription there is another carving of a cross. A line of small rectangles runs along the bottom of the slab.Discussion
The inscription records a fragmentary piece of apotropaic/liturgical writing, with a reference to Mary as the God-Bearer (Theotokos) and the story of the Israelites' salvation from enslavement in Egypt, as told in the book of Exodus. From the wording, and from the nature of the block it is carved on, the text appears to be designed to protect a dwelling. However, though a house/οἶκος is mentioned in line 5, it is not clear whether a church or a private household is meant, as churches were often called οἶκοι.Line 4 contains 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; Issaiah 7:14), which is quite frequent in inscriptions.
Bibliography
Edition:Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua I, no. 397.
Inscriptiones Christianae Graecae database, no. 1702: http://www.epigraph.topoi.org/ica/icamainapp/inscription/show/1702
Record Created By
Pawel Nowakowski
Date of Entry
21/12/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | Θεοτόκος | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Pawel Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E01012 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01012