Description: Fragment of a re-used marble
panel (maximum w:
0.253 x h:
0.335) very roughly rounded at
the top to form a funerary stele; the right-hand lower corner has been broken off and
rejoined to the rest in the museum, the upper edges are chipped away;. The great part of the inscribed face is occupied
by an elaborate but crudely painted Latin cross (α, ω) with forked terminals, each
fork ending in a small circle; on the lower vertical arm the forks are continued
beyond the circles and end in spirals;
there may have been similar ornament on theupper vertical arm, but if so it has been broken or worn away;
at the centre of the cross is an open circle containing a small plain cross; between each pair of arms are
two painted lines radiating from the centre, forming apparently a χ; along the bottom
edge of the panel is a spiral design.
Text: Inscribed on one face in red paint, badly faded. The inscription is written above, below, and
on either side of the cross.
Letters: Rough Greek lettering, capitals and cursive forms mixed; 0.01. In some cases ου is written with the upsilon placed above the
omicron.
Date: Sixth or seventh century CE (style of cross)
Findspot:
Western Jabal:
Asàbaa (map ref. Q 143782)
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location:
Tripoli Castle.
c.9: Perhaps another name.
c.12: At this point the arrangement of letters in straight lines fails; in the present state of preservation of the letters it is
difficult, if not impossible, to decide which are to be taken together.
English translation
Translation by: J. M. Reynolds
(a) Jesus Christ [---] (Cross)
(b) [---Lord] help your servant [---] of Ploutenos [---]
(c) [---] Lord help your servant Ploutenos [---] with his [---] (Line five might include a reference to generations).
(d) Not usefully translatable.
Bibliography: Reynolds, 1955, S.15, whence SEG 15.886, PHI 189677, IRT, 2009, 987, whence EDH 059825
Images
None available (2021).