'Christ Born of Mary' Inscription, at Megiddo

[lclapshaw]

They are referring to the first three letters of the inscription: ΧΜΓ, with a supralinear stroke. These three letters appear together like this in Byzantine Greek frequently. I can't tell from the photos whether the first letter (Χ) is clear enough or just predicted from the other two.

Thanks for the enlightenment Peter.

Maybe it was just “OMG”

ChiMuGama! Eh? Sounds like something you yell when you catch yourself in the zipper.

[davidmartin]

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OUCH, iclapshaw you might have a hidden talent to write Ben Stiller scripts!

if it wasn't found elsewhere the MG would look like Megiddo was being bound into the sacra nomina. that would 'cement' it nicely
or Mg stands for Magdalene, considering the Lady of Mary Mosaic

[lclapshaw]

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OUCH, iclapshaw you might have a hidden talent to write Ben Stiller scripts!

There's something about Mary here after all it would seem.

[Peter Kirby]

The ΧΜΓ mystery has a little something for everybody. It's not just Mary. There's angel Michael/Gabriel theories, theories that it's somehow just Christ and some extra words, theories of it being numerological, etc. There's a couple references where it appears in different contexts that get debates flowing. The kind of rorschach test that's perfect for discussion.

[Secret Alias]

Is there a doubt that the reason this monogram became popularized was owing to a connection a pre-existing Jewish messianic interest in the number 643? There is a question? Look at dozens of Christian examples of amen = 99.

I have this guy's catalogue of all examples of isopsephy. http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/kalvesm1.aspx I don't know why these guys "believe" in this shit. It's like studying homosexuality (or sex between senior citizens) and ignoring the importance of artificial lubricant. Everyone in antiquity took an interest in gematria. Gematria was the KY jelly of antiquity. It's at Pompeii. The Jews didn't invent gematria. Just kept the ubiquitous ancient practice alive.

[Secret Alias]

If you are interested in foreign cultures you have to be interested "zoned into" what THEY THOUGHT what they believed, how they acted, what they practiced. Not what you want to be true.

[Secret Alias]

It was the neo-Protestant cultures that introduced this absurd "practicality" to history. Ancient people had nothing to do with Teutonic Anglo-Saxon sensibilities.

[Baley]

They are referring to the first three letters of the inscription: ΧΜΓ, with a supralinear stroke. These three letters appear together like this in Byzantine Greek frequently. I can't tell from the photos whether the first letter (Χ) is clear enough or just predicted from the other two.

The meaning is a genuine mystery.

Here are a couple references:

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/p ... 086/359912

https://bazhum.muzhp.pl/media/files/The ... s21-27.pdf

The idea that it was used for 'Christ, Mary Born-of' was proposed in the 19th century (and commonly still is).

I see. Your links are very interesting, I'm reading them now.

[StephenGoranson]

Yes, the two links Peter provided are quite helpful.
The supralinear line does extend to the left enough for a first-of-three letter.
Recitations to "Mary, Mother of God," and similar, accord with Byzantine thought and practice.