Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

BANGANARTI

SUDAN

classifiable elsewhere. Here belong
single words, such as “Light”, for
example, and lists giving the names of
the archangels.
Who were the people who visited the
Banganarti church and left inscriptions on
the walls? Of those who indicated their
social or occupational status, the majority
belonged among the ecclesiastics, mainly
priests and deacons, but also archdeacons
and epideacons. The mention of the latter
function is noteworthy for it is seldom
attested in Oriental churches. Certain
people designated themselves as clerics and
levitai, the latter being probably only
a terminological variation for deacon. In
the overwhelming majority, these people
were attached to a Church of (Great) Jesus.
It is very likely that the church in question
is the Cruciform Church at Old Dongola.
It is known that in the late 13th century
this church suffered considerable damage,
presumably in the outcome of the Arab
raid on Dongola in 1275. It was rebuilt,
however, and for the next two hundred
years served as the main cult place of
Dongola, probably under the name of the
Jesus Church as alluded to in con-
temporary Arabic sources. Other churches
mentioned in the inscriptions include:
Church of Michael, Church of Mary,
Church of (the Leader) Raphael, Church of
the Holy Trinity, Church of the Three
Hebrew Youths, Church of lob, Church of
Marc, Church of Jacob, Church of Andreas.
It is presumed that these churches were to
be found in Dongola and its immediate
hinterland, i.e., in the vicinity of Ban-
ganarti. In one inscription, an archbishop
(probably of Old Dongola) is mentioned,
but it is uncertain whether the text refers
to him personally or to someone from
his entourage. There were also three
archimandritai: one of the monastery of

St. Stephanus, the other two of unknown
monasteries.
Laymen are much rarer than clerics.
Among them, there is one special case. An
inscription in Old Nubian written on the
right-hand side of the entrance to Room 7,
some 70 cm above the floor, reads: “King
Siti”. This Siti is probably identical with
his namesake who was King of Dotawo in
the 1330s, as attested by four documents
in Old Nubian found at Qasr Ibrim and
Edfu. King Siti is also attested indirectly
in other Banganarti inscriptions. In two
texts — one on the north face of the north
entrance to the church and another on the
southeastern pillar supporting the central
cupola — there appears a man with the
name Durere who was a deacon of the
Jesus Church and Epirshil of the King
Siti. King Siti is also mentioned in an Old
Nubian inscription on the west wall of
Room 9- In two inscriptions, there were
mentions of a Queen Mother. There were
also some civilian office-holders. The list
includes: Epirshil of a king, Lord of
Elders, Lord of Governors (reading
uncertain), Lord of Brothers (reading
uncertain), Thegna, and Tot. All these
offices, perhaps with the exception of
Thegna, are designated by Nubian terms
the exact meaning of which remains
unknown. It is worth mentioning here
that the term Tot occurs always in
connection with the name of a locality (or
district ?). Based on this it may be
assumed that we are dealing with a village
or district chief, perhaps the Makurian
forerunner of the contemporary sheikh el-
balad or wall.
The people occurring in the Banganarti
inscriptions bear Nubian names as a rule.
Several of these are attested for the first
time here. A number of Graeco-Nubian
formations also occur where a Greek stem

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