Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

BANGANARTI

SUDAN

THE LOWER CHURCH

Inscriptions occur also in the lower church,
but they are much rarer there than in the
upper church. Four texts have been
evidenced thus far, three on the east wall of
the south pastophorium and one on the
east wall of the central space to the south of
the apse. Among the texts in the south
pastophorium there is an ink inscription
written with the inclined majuscules of
Biblical type, which probably should be

dated to the 7th/8th century. It contains
a literary text, which I have been unable to
identify for the time being. The in-
scription on the east wall of the central
space, also executed in ink, is a prayer to
the Archangel Raphael to guide, guard,
protect and save from enemy ambush one
king Zacharias who probably should be
identified with Zacharias I, reigning in the
first half of the 8th century.

OTHER EPIGRAPHIC FINDS

In addition to wall inscriptions, three
epitaphs have come to light, all discovered
in secondary contexts during the 2003
season.4) The oldest of them is written on
a marble plaque and commemorates Marcus,
a Hegemon (probably district governor),
who died in AD 786 (Fig. 2). The second
in chronological sequence is the epitaph of
a woman (name not preserved) deceased
between AD 794 and 894 (Fig. 3). The
text composed in blameless Greek states
that she died leaving her children mother-
less, somewhat unusual as far as Nubian
epitaphs go, these being normally deprived
of any personal sentiments. The third
epitaph, written on a sandstone slab, may
be dated on paleographical grounds to the
12th/13th century. It belongs to the
Euchologion Mega type, well known in
Nubian funerary epigraphy, and probably
commemorates a king of the name David.
The identification of this king with any of
the known personages of this name re-
mains a moot point.
In 2002, a curious epigraphic find came
to light in Room 26 (so-called prothesis).
Standing on the floor of the room near its

east wall, in front of a niche containing the
chalice and patena, was an object made of
three bricks — one at the bottom and two
laid crosswise on top — forming what looks
like a capital with square top. The object,
except for the bottom, was covered with
a thick layer of lime mortar and a Greek
inscription was executed in black ink on
two neighboring side surfaces, as well as on
the top.5) The text is composed of three
prayers of undoubtedly liturgical intention.
The first prayer quotes from Jn 3:3 and
Mt 18:3 words about rebirth and
becoming like children as prerequisites for
entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. In
the second, there is the question of food,
which is of heaven. Prayer three contains
an epiklesis for the Holy Ghost to come over
the milk. It is known that some early
churches, including the Latin and
Alexandrian ones, knew the custom of
distributing milk together with honey to
the newly baptized as a symbol of their
joining the community of Christ. On this
basis, we may assume that what we are
dealing with here is a reflection of the
baptismal liturgy of the Nubian church.

4) All three have been published already, cf. A. Lajtar, “Three Greek epitaphs from Banganarti”,j[/P 33 (2003), 161-175.
5) Cf. B. Zurawski, PAM XIV, Reports 2002 (2003), 249 and Fig. 15.

259