Greek Inscription from Southern Egypt

[David Foster]

Hi there, I'm having problems getting some inscriptions translated so I was hoping some of you may be able to help...

 

One is I'm pretty Greek, not Coptic, while the other one seems to be neither Greek, Coptic (or Hebrew or Arabic). If anyone has any thoughts they'd be greatly appreciated.

 

I'll post the greek one first and then the unknown script in another post (because of the file size).

 

 

 

 

[Ken Simpson]

OK - my classical is pretty rusty, and uncial inscriptions are not always clear, and often depend as much on knowing the vocab to fill in the less clear bits, but this is definitely greek!

 

The first section is pretty easy:

και τουτο το αγαθον εργον εγενετο επι του οσι ωτα του πατροσ

 

and this good work came to the ears of the father (I am not quite sure how best to translate the wsi here)

 

The rest is something like this

 

ηλιων επισκαπα θεοδωρου ο θεοσ ο αυτον δια φυλλ?η επι [υ ηκi] (unsure here) τον χρονον

 

ηλιων may not be correct, it's a little unclear

 

επισκαπα also is not a word I am familiar with, not to be confused with επισκοποσ

 

I think the ο θ at the end of the 5th line is shorthand for ο θεοσ

 

and I think θεοδωρου will be the name Theodore, rather than something else...επι σκα παθε οδωρου ??? also to me obscure.

 

Anyway, perhaps one of our better scholars will have a go for you!

[Rick Bennett]

If I had to wager a guess I'd say a funerary inscription, probably Egypt, not sure of the time period, but likely from a monastic context.

 

ll. 4-5:

πατρος ημων επισκ(οπος)

απα θεοδωρου ο θ(εο)ς

[Rick Bennett]

After looking it up, I am correct on ll. 4-5 with the exception that it should read επισκ(οπου). It's dated c. 537 CE. There's enough to go on to find the transcription and get the rest of it.

[Ken Simpson]

Thanks Rick!

[David Foster]

If I had to wager a guess I'd say a funerary inscription, probably Egypt, not sure of the time period, but likely from a monastic context.

 

ll. 4-5:

πατρος ημων επισκ(οπος)

απα θεοδωρου ο θ(εο)ς

Thanks so much Rick... since I know nothing about these inscriptions, nor Greek, could I ask you a couple of questions (simply because I'm fascinated by what you came up with): couple you give an English translation of the Greek text you gave above, what clues where there that made you think 1) it was a funerary inscription and 2) from an Egyptian Monastic context? Thanks so much for helping out... I think I got a couple of more I'd like to post if you don't mind... from the same temple.

[Rick Bennett]

Thanks so much Rick... since I know nothing about these inscriptions, nor Greek, could I ask you a couple of questions (simply because I'm fascinated by what you came up with): couple you give an English translation of the Greek text you gave above, what clues where there that made you think 1) it was a funerary inscription and 2) from an Egyptian Monastic context? Thanks so much for helping out... I think I got a couple of more I'd like to post if you don't mind... from the same temple.

 

I'm pretty busy with other things, but a couple quick comments…

 

translation of ll. 4-5: our father overseer Apa Theodore; God… (God starts a new sentence, may God guard him)

 

Apa is a common monastic title (equiv to Father).

[gbjohnston]

Given that it's the sixth century, wouldn't it be reasonable to translate επισκ(οπου) as "bishop"?

[Rick Bennett]

Given that it's the sixth century, wouldn't it be reasonable to translate επισκ(οπου) as "bishop"?

 

yes, good catch.