| Artefact ID | 1313 |
| TM ID | - |
| Findspot (DEChriM ID) | 13 (ʿAyn al-Sabīl) | Class | Textual |
| Material | Plaster |
| Writing medium | Graffito |
| Text content | Subliterary |
| Language | Greek |
| Description | I.Ain al-Sabil 1: Invocation Four short lines of Greek text scratched roughly into a column of the church, reading "One God, helping Alexander armatura, servant of Jesus-Christ". The type is common in the western desert, with the "One god" acclamation, the rank of the individual mentioned (a Roman army officer, see another armatura in I.Oasis p. 36-38, no. 49) and heavily abbreviated final line, with nomina sacra. The formula "slave of Jesus-Christ" has many parallels, see for instance in Šams al-Dīn, I.Oasis p. 35 no. 44; as for the "One God" formula, see I.Oasis p. 64 no. 3 or in I.Gedida 2, for other examples. |
| Selection criteria | Christian terms/formulas/concepts, Nomina sacra |
| Date from | 350 |
| Date to | 425 |
| Dating criteria | The church itself is roughly dated 4th c. On comparison with the graffiti found in the church at Šams al-Dīn dated 4th c. by G. Wagner., the ed. suggests that a date in the later 4th or early 5 seems most likely. |
| Absolute/relative date | Relative date |
| Archaeological context | Found during the excavation of the church, upon one of the columns at the east end of the south colonnade. The core of the column is mud brick, with an outer coating of plaster, into which the short text was scratched. Subsequent to excavation, some of the plaster fell from the column and so the inscription is now lost. |
| Accession number | ʿAyn al-Sabīl, church, in situ [now lost]. |
ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS
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