DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45617#0014
142
Division III Section B Part 5
thronging about human habitations, ready and able to affect human life for good or evil.
The whole of this inscription, in each of its three lines, seems to me to be informed
with this superstition. And, with many other inscriptions of the same sort, it throws
a good deal light upon the ideas and beliefs of people in the fifth and sixth centuries,
in such communities as this.
The second line as a whole is one form of a text which is perhaps the common-
est of all on these Syrian lintels. See, for examples, Nos. 816, 822, 910, 933, 943,
1038 f., 1051, 1063: also A.A.E.S. hi, 12, 119, 184, 192—94, 220, 297. Some-
times the verb used is εΰλογείν, sometimes βοηθείν, but generally φυλαττειν. The closest
parallel to the present inscription was found at Kefr Ambil in the Djebel Riha1:
+ Ο Θεός των ό'ινόμεων φιλάξι καί ελεησι τόν είσωό'ον ημών καί τόν εξωό'ον +. The text, of
course, is originally from Psalms cxx, 8. It appears also in the Greek Liturgies and
in St. Chrysostom’s account of the service in his day 3. But, as I have said elsewhere,
I believe that this text, like many others, was carved above these doorways chiefly
because it was believed to have a magic power to ward off the evil spirits, which
might otherwise enter the building or beset those passing out. See A.A.E.S. hi,
pages 17—25, where this matter is discussed at some length, and particularly p. 25.
The formula εν (όν)όματι Κυρίου, in the third line, is also common among these
inscriptions: it has a variety of forms, such as εν όνόματι Κ(υρίο)υ ’ΐησοΰ Χ(ρίστο)ΰ 8, Θ(εο)ΰ
καϊ ’ΐ(ησο)ΰ Χ(ριστο)ΰ καί 'Αγίου Πν(ευματος) 4, Πατρός, Τίοΰ καί Αγίου Πνεύματος5, ττ,ς 'Αγίας
Τριαάος6, της Θεο[τόκου]7. Of course such formulae were interwoven with the church
service, the rite of baptism, doubtless with the marriage ceremony as in the modern
Greek service, and probably with the burial of the dead. For Christians, these words
were not inappropriate anywhere, even upon tombs. It seems to me curious, however,
to find εν άνόματυ Χρυστοΰ and the letters XM Γ, without any other word, on the side
of a sepulchral monument in the form of a sarcophagus8. Moreover, of the sixteen
inscriptions in this collection and in the A.A.P.S. in, containing this formula, no one
belongs with certainty to a private dwelling. Three or four are on tombs9, two
belonged to churches10, three are altogether uncertain. Three others are upon towers11,
designed, I think, to overlook the towns in which they were situated, for the mainte-
nance of order and safety. Three others are each upon a building called a χτίσμα, a
word which I am inclined to believe may mean, in some cases, an institution 13. To
the same class as these last three belongs also, in my opinion, No. 1029, which seems
to me to show quite plainly its superstitious or magical character.
1110. Lintel. An ancient lintel, used as a jamb-stone in a medieval building,
about 150 yards southwest of the mosque. The left end of the block is down, and
the beginning of the inscription is covered by heavy stones, which have fallen against
it and can not easily be moved. The visible portion is 1.34 m. in length. The letters
are of all sizes, from 5 to 15 cm. in height: the average height of the upper line,
I A.A.E.S. ill, 148. 2 A.A.E.S. in, p. 14. 3 No. 1002. 4 No. 996.
5 No. 1029. The same, with the addition of της Θεοτόκου, No. 860· also A.A.E.S. ill, 17.
6 No. 1087; A.A.E.S. m, 300. ‘ A.A.E.S. in, 287. 8 A.A.E.S. in, 216.
9 No. 994, and probably 1002· A.A.E.S. 216 and 232. 10 No. 1099·, A.A.E.S. 17.
II Nos. 860. 992, 1087 : Compare also No. 1016.
12 A.A.E.S. in, 300: το αλ[η(ϊ]ώργητον κτίσ·[μα] (και) rd εν αυτω ευκτηριον κτλ. A.A.E.S 287: τό κτίτμα τούτο. No. 996
above: το κτίσμα (Μοήρκελλίνου. Compare Nos. 881, 9715 A.A.E.S. in, 437«.
Division III Section B Part 5
thronging about human habitations, ready and able to affect human life for good or evil.
The whole of this inscription, in each of its three lines, seems to me to be informed
with this superstition. And, with many other inscriptions of the same sort, it throws
a good deal light upon the ideas and beliefs of people in the fifth and sixth centuries,
in such communities as this.
The second line as a whole is one form of a text which is perhaps the common-
est of all on these Syrian lintels. See, for examples, Nos. 816, 822, 910, 933, 943,
1038 f., 1051, 1063: also A.A.E.S. hi, 12, 119, 184, 192—94, 220, 297. Some-
times the verb used is εΰλογείν, sometimes βοηθείν, but generally φυλαττειν. The closest
parallel to the present inscription was found at Kefr Ambil in the Djebel Riha1:
+ Ο Θεός των ό'ινόμεων φιλάξι καί ελεησι τόν είσωό'ον ημών καί τόν εξωό'ον +. The text, of
course, is originally from Psalms cxx, 8. It appears also in the Greek Liturgies and
in St. Chrysostom’s account of the service in his day 3. But, as I have said elsewhere,
I believe that this text, like many others, was carved above these doorways chiefly
because it was believed to have a magic power to ward off the evil spirits, which
might otherwise enter the building or beset those passing out. See A.A.E.S. hi,
pages 17—25, where this matter is discussed at some length, and particularly p. 25.
The formula εν (όν)όματι Κυρίου, in the third line, is also common among these
inscriptions: it has a variety of forms, such as εν όνόματι Κ(υρίο)υ ’ΐησοΰ Χ(ρίστο)ΰ 8, Θ(εο)ΰ
καϊ ’ΐ(ησο)ΰ Χ(ριστο)ΰ καί 'Αγίου Πν(ευματος) 4, Πατρός, Τίοΰ καί Αγίου Πνεύματος5, ττ,ς 'Αγίας
Τριαάος6, της Θεο[τόκου]7. Of course such formulae were interwoven with the church
service, the rite of baptism, doubtless with the marriage ceremony as in the modern
Greek service, and probably with the burial of the dead. For Christians, these words
were not inappropriate anywhere, even upon tombs. It seems to me curious, however,
to find εν άνόματυ Χρυστοΰ and the letters XM Γ, without any other word, on the side
of a sepulchral monument in the form of a sarcophagus8. Moreover, of the sixteen
inscriptions in this collection and in the A.A.P.S. in, containing this formula, no one
belongs with certainty to a private dwelling. Three or four are on tombs9, two
belonged to churches10, three are altogether uncertain. Three others are upon towers11,
designed, I think, to overlook the towns in which they were situated, for the mainte-
nance of order and safety. Three others are each upon a building called a χτίσμα, a
word which I am inclined to believe may mean, in some cases, an institution 13. To
the same class as these last three belongs also, in my opinion, No. 1029, which seems
to me to show quite plainly its superstitious or magical character.
1110. Lintel. An ancient lintel, used as a jamb-stone in a medieval building,
about 150 yards southwest of the mosque. The left end of the block is down, and
the beginning of the inscription is covered by heavy stones, which have fallen against
it and can not easily be moved. The visible portion is 1.34 m. in length. The letters
are of all sizes, from 5 to 15 cm. in height: the average height of the upper line,
I A.A.E.S. ill, 148. 2 A.A.E.S. in, p. 14. 3 No. 1002. 4 No. 996.
5 No. 1029. The same, with the addition of της Θεοτόκου, No. 860· also A.A.E.S. ill, 17.
6 No. 1087; A.A.E.S. m, 300. ‘ A.A.E.S. in, 287. 8 A.A.E.S. in, 216.
9 No. 994, and probably 1002· A.A.E.S. 216 and 232. 10 No. 1099·, A.A.E.S. 17.
II Nos. 860. 992, 1087 : Compare also No. 1016.
12 A.A.E.S. in, 300: το αλ[η(ϊ]ώργητον κτίσ·[μα] (και) rd εν αυτω ευκτηριον κτλ. A.A.E.S 287: τό κτίτμα τούτο. No. 996
above: το κτίσμα (Μοήρκελλίνου. Compare Nos. 881, 9715 A.A.E.S. in, 437«.