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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


Fragmentary Greek inscription on a lintel, probably invoking *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033). Found at Kafr Aqid, to the south of Apamea on the Orontes (central Syria). Probably late antique.

Evidence ID

E01686

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)

[Χριστὸ]ν (?) Μαρία γ(εννᾷ). + Γε[ώργις (?)]

'Mary bears Christ (?). + Georgios (?)'

Text:
IGLS 4, no. 1387.

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Other lay individuals/ people

Source

Fragment of a stone lintel, broken and lost at both ends. Decorated with a carving of a cross within a circle in the centre; remnants of an inscription to the right and left of it. H. 0.38 m; W. 0.80 m; letter height 0.18 m. Numerous ligatures.

Seen and copied by René Mouterde between 1935 and 1938. First published in 1950.


Discussion

René Mouterde supposed that the complete text contained one of the presumed expansions of the symbol ΧΜΓ, very frequent in eastern Greek inscriptions. Mouterde believed that here it was used as an apotropaic formula, displayed over the door of a house in order to protect it. The name of the owner of this building, possibly Georgios, might have followed the religious phrase.

Bibliography

Edition:
Jalabert, L., Mouterde, R., Mondésert, C., Les inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie, vol. 4: Laodicée, Apamène (BAH 61, Paris: P. Guethner, 1955), no. 1387.

Mouterde, R., "A travers l'Apamène",
Mélanges de l'Université Saint-Joseph (Beyrouth, Lebanon) 28 (1949-1950), 32-33.

Reference works:
Bulletin épigraphique (1952), 160.


Record Created By

Paweł Nowakowski

Date of Entry

01/07/2016

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00033Mary, Mother of ChristΜαρίαCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Paweł Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E01686 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01686