Bir el Qutt inscriptions
Bir el Qutt inscriptions | |
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![]() Inscription 1 | |
Material | Mosaic |
Size | 98 cm × 45 cm (39 in × 18 in) (inscription 1)[1] |
Writing | Georgian script |
Created | AD 430 (inscription 1 & 2) AD 532 (inscription 3) |
Discovered | 1952, by Virgilio Canio Corbo |
Present location | Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Jerusalem |
Language | Old Georgian |
The Bir el Qutt inscriptions[a] (Georgian: ბირ ელ ქუტის წარწერები) are the Old Georgian Byzantine mosaic inscriptions written in the Georgian Asomtavruli script which were excavated at a St. Theodore[2][3] Georgian monastery in 1952[4][5] by Italian archaeologist Virgilio Canio Corbo[6] near Bir el Qutt,[b] in the Judaean Desert, 6 km (3.7 mi) south-east of Jerusalem and 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Bethlehem.[7] The whole complex was built of reddish limestone.[8] The excavations has also revealed a monastery produced wine and olive oil.[9]
Georgian inscriptions were found on a mosaic floor.[10][11] Two inscriptions are dated AD 430 and the third one AD 532.[12][13] The inscriptions in memoriam mention Peter the Iberian[14] alongside his father, and also Bacurius the Iberian who is thought to be a possible maternal great-uncle[15] or grandfather of Peter.[16][17] Peter reputedly was the founder of the monastery.[18]
So far, the first two carvings are the oldest extant Georgian inscriptions.[19] The inscriptions are kept at the museum of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem.[20] Inscription 2 mentioning Peter the Iberian is currently missing.[21]
Inscriptions[]
Inscription 1[]
- ႣႠႻႭჃႻ
- ႤႭჃႪႬႨႫ
- ႠႧႬႨႡႠ
- ႩႭჃႰႣႠ
- ႢႰႨႭႰႫ
- ႨႦႣႣႠႬ
- ႠႸႭႡႬႨ
- ႫႠႧႬႨႵ
- ႣႠႻႭჃႻ
- Translation: "Jesus Christ, have mercy on Bakur and Griormizd and their descendants."[22][23][24]
- Dated: AD 430
Inscription 2[]
- ႼႫႨႣႠႭႧႤႭႣႭႰ
- ႤႫႠႰႬႣႠႡႭჃ
- ႰႦႬႤႬႠႫႨ
- ႼႫႨႣႠႭႧႤႭႣႭႰ
- Translation: "Saint Theodore, have mercy on Maruan and Burzen, Amen."[25][26][27]
- Dated: AD 430
Inscription 3[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/2018-10-13_Terra_Sancta_Museum_by_Benoit_Soubeyran_%2831694342008%29.jpg/220px-2018-10-13_Terra_Sancta_Museum_by_Benoit_Soubeyran_%2831694342008%29.jpg)
- ႸႤႼႤႥႬႨႧႠႵჁႱႨႧႠႣႠႫ
- ႤႭႾႤႡႨႧႠႼႫႨႣႨႱႠႣႠႧႤჂႱႨႧႠ
- ႸႬႠႬႲႭႬႨႠႡႠჂႣႠႨႭႱႨႠႫႭ
- ႫႱႾႫႤႪႨႠႫႨႱႱႤႴႨႱႠჂႣႠႫႠ
- ႫႠႣႤႣႠჂႨႭႱႨႠჂႱႨႠႫႤႬ
- ႸႤႼႤႥႬႨႧႠႵჁႱႨႧႠႣႠႫ
- Translation: "With the help of Jesus Christ and Saint Theodore, God have mercy on Abba Antony and Iosia the layer of this mosaic and the father and mother of Iosia, Amen."[28][29][30]
- Dated: AD 532
See also[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 144
- ^ Corbo, p. 113
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 26
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 13
- ^ Corbo, p. 110
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 6
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 137
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 138
- ^ Corbo, p. 2
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 140
- ^ Corbo, pp. 8-136
- ^ Rayfield, p. 41
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 17
- ^ Corbo, p. 130
- ^ Rayfield, p. 39
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 24
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 148
- ^ Rayfield, p. 40
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 146
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 141
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 18
- ^ Tchekhanovets, pp. 144—145
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 23
- ^ Corbo, pp. 137—138
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 145
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 19
- ^ Corbo, p. 138
- ^ Tchekhanovets, p. 143
- ^ Khurtsilava, p. 16
- ^ Corbo, p. 135
- ^ Palmer, p. 289
Bibliography[]
- Corbo, V. C. (1955) Gli scavi di Kh. Siyar el-Ghanam (Campo dei pastori) e i monasteri dei dintorni, Tip. dei PP. Francescani
- Tchekhanovets, Y. (2018) The Caucasian Archaeology of the Holy Land: Armenian, Georgian and Albanian communities between the fourth and eleventh centuries CE, Brill Publishers, ISBN 978-90-04-36224-6
- Khurtsilava, B. (2018) Traces of the Georgians on the Holy Land, Tbilisi, ISBN 978-9941-8-0042-9
- Palmer, E.H. (1881). The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- Rayfield, D. (2013) Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia, Reaktion Books, ISBN 9781780230702
Further reading[]
- Hewitt, B.G. (1995). Georgian: A Structural Reference Grammar. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 978-90-272-3802-3.
- Djobadze, W. (1976) Materials for the study of Georgian monasteries in the Western environs of Antioch on the Orontes, Volume 48; Volume 372, Corpussco
- Tsereteli, G. (1961) The oldest Georgian inscriptions from Palestine, Tbilisi, 1960
- Chachanidze, V. (1977) Peter the Iberian and the archaeological excavations of Georgian monastery in Jerusalem, Tbilisi
External links[]
- Lombardo, S. & Scardigno, C. (2018) I mosaici di Bir el-Qutt, tra le più antiche testimonianze di lingua georgiana Terra Sancta Museum
- Survey of Western Palestine, Map 17: IAA, Wikimedia commons
- Georgian inscriptions
- Archaeological artifacts
- Earliest known manuscripts by language
- 5th-century inscriptions
- 6th-century inscriptions
- 5th century in the Byzantine Empire
- 6th century in the Byzantine Empire
- 1952 archaeological discoveries
- Classical sites in Jerusalem
- Byzantine mosaics
- Archaeological sites in the West Bank
- Judaean Desert