Greek inscription just possibly referring to *Elijah (Old Testament prophet, S00217). Found at Rīmet al-Loḥf (ancient Rimea), to the north of Dionysias and Bostra (Roman province of Arabia). Probably 6th c.
E02213
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)
The inscription is on a reused stone lintel. Its precise meaning is not clear:
Line 1 consists of the name Elias/Elijah in the accusative case, preceded by a cross: + Ἠλίαν.
Line 2 apparently contains a Christian acclamation of the good fortune of the faction of the Reds (here, however, named οἱ Κόχχινοι/'the Purples' instead of the regular term οἱ Ῥούσιοι): + νικᾷ ἡ τύ- + χη τ<ῶ>ν κοχ(χίνων?) +
If this inscription does refer to the saint, it might record an invocation of his help for the faction (for similar invocations, see: E00790; E00844; cf. E00864; E00917), or it might commemorate the construction of a church dedicated to the prophet (considering the fact that the stone is a lintel and that the cult of Elijah was very popular in the region). But, as our Elijah is not termed ἅγιος, we cannot be sure whether the saint is meant at all.
For further comments, see the edition in IGLS 15/2, no. 381.
Cult building - unspecified
Cult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivityConstruction of cult buildings
Prayer/supplication/invocation
Saint as patron - of a community
Cultic confraternities
Bibliography
Edition:Sartre-Fauriat, A., Sartre, M., Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie, vol. 15/2: Le plateau du Trachôn et ses bordures (BAH 204, Beyrouth: Institut Français du Proche-Orient, 2014), no. 381.
Waddington, W.H., Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie (Paris: Firmin Didot Frères, Libraires-Éditeurs, 1870), no. 2425.
Further reading:
Trombley, F.R., Hellenic Religion and Christianization c. 370-529, vol. 2, (Leiden - New York - Cologne: Brill, 1994), 366.
Images
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Photograph by the Sartres. From: IGLS 15/2, 438.
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Drawing by Waddington. From: LBW, 554.
Paweł Nowakowski
03/01/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00217 | Elijah/Elias, Old Testament prophet | Ἠλίας | Uncertain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Paweł Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E02213 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02213