Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

IGLSyr 4 1552 (ca. 418)

εἷς θ(εὸ)ς (καὶ) ὁ Χρυ(στός) {²⁶Χριστός}²⁶, ὁ βο(ηθῶν) Ῥωμανῷ. γέγονεν ἐν μη(νὶ) Δίου γʹ,
                      ἔτους λ̣ψʹ.

One God (εἷς θς), the Christ (ὁ Χρυ), the helper (ὁ βο). To Romanos. This was in the month of Dios, the 3rd, in the year 730*.

* According to the Seleucid era, beginning 311/312 CE.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/243801?hs=67-73

This appears to have a similar spelling error (Χρυ), like the one found in IGLSyr 4 1489, and also appears to have an abbreviation by suspension, with the first three letters. The "helper," often found in Syrian inscriptions, appears to be here as an abbreviation.

IGLSyr 4 1732

[Κ]ύ<ρι>ε <Ἰ(ησοῦ)> Χρισ(τέ), βωήθι Μάλχου Ἀσ-
οπίου πανυκί {²⁶πανοικεί}²⁶. ☩ πίστις,
ἔλπις, ἀγάπη. ☩

Lord Jesus Christ (Χρισ), help Malchus, son of Asopios, with his entire family. ☩ Faith, hope, love. ☩

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/243985?hs=53-61

This is the fourth inscription that I've noticed that has the first four letters (Χρισ) in an abbreviation by suspension, here in the vocative. The previous three were IGLSyr 4 1418, IGLSyr 2 432 (ca. 421), and Dura-Europos VIII,2 95,17 (ca. 225-250).

We can fairly say that this is an abbreviation by suspension, given that it has always, so far, ended in sigma, even when in the accusative (τον Χρισ, which would end with nu if an abbrevation by contraction) or vocative (which would end with epsilon). This observation disagrees with the decision of editors to render the nominative instances as an abbreviation by contraction.

IGLSyr 4 1870

Χρισ(τέ), βωήθι-
σον Θέλας.
Χρισ(τέ), βωή-
θισον μ<ε>το<ι>-
κί(οις)(?) μου. <ν>ʹ(?).

Christ (Χρισ), help Thelas.
Christ (Χρισ), help my fellow brothers(?). Year (?)

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/2 ... 34%2C70-78

This is the fifth inscription that I've noticed that has the first four letters (Χρισ) in an abbreviation by suspension, here again showing up (twice) in the vocative. The previous four were IGLSyr 4 1732, IGLSyr 4 1418, IGLSyr 2 432 (ca. 421), and Dura-Europos VIII,2 95,17 (ca. 225-250).

IGLSyr 5 2546

[πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖ]ς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθ̣εῖτο τὸ ὄν[ομά σου, ἐλθάτω]
[ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενη]<θ>εῖτο τὸ τέλεμά σ̣ου, ὡς ἐν οὐ[ρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς].
[τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐ]πιούσιων δὸς ἡμεῖν σήμερον· [καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ]
[ὀφειλόμ(ατα) ἡμῶν, ὡς κ]αὶ ἀφίομεν τ̣οῖς ὀφελέτοις ἡ[μῶν· καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς]
[ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμό]ν̣, {ε} ἀλ(λὰ) ῥῦσε ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ π̣ονηροῦ. Ε[— — —]
[— — — βασ]ιλίᾳ(?) τῆς δόξης· μηνὸς Πανήμου αʹ ἰν[δ(ικτιῶνος) —ʹ — —]
[— — —]ΑΗΤΟΥϹΜΤΗ[— — — —] Χρι(στὲ) βοήθι Σιλουανοῦ κ[όμιτος].
B.1 ☩ Χ(ριστ)ὲ βοήθι Ἡλένιν
 τ(ὸν) δοῦλ(όν) σου{ς} ὅτι σ<ὲ>
        ἐλπίζον
    [οὐκ ἀπολεῖται(?)].

[fragmentary:] Our Father who is in the heavens, let your name be sanctified, let your kingdom come, let your will be done, as in heaven, so also upon earth. Give us today our necessary bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the glory.

Month of Panemos, 1st of the indiction—
[—?—] Christ (Χρι), help Silouanos the c[ount].
☩ Christ (Χὲ), help Elenin, your servant, because he hopes in you. [He will not perish(?).]

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/2 ... %2C662-670

This inscription both has abbreviation by suspension, in three letters (Χρι), and abbreviation by contraction (Χὲ).

AnIsl 7.1967.192,122 (ca. 392), Greater Syria and the East: Syria and Phoenicia

ὁ βοηθῶν Ηβούλο
εἷς θεὸς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτοῦ
μηνὸς Ἀρτεμισίου μυʹ ἔτους.
Νέσταβος τηχνίτης.

The one who helps Heboulos, one God and His Christ. Month of Artemisios, 440th* year. Nestabos the artisan.

* According to the Antiochene era, beginning 49/48 BCE.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/306054?hs=78-84

SEG 20:375 (ca. 388), Greater Syria and the East: Syria and Phoenicia

ἐπὶ Βαρβεουσου
        πρεσβυτέρου
      καὶ Θαλασίου
      καὶ Μαρίνου
      καὶ Δίου
        διακόνων,
ἔτους ψʹ, Θεόδωρος, Μαραω— — —,
Διογένης, Μαρῖνος, Μόκι[μος, — — —],
Σιγνώνης, Μαρκελλῖν[ος, — — —],
δεκάπρωτοι ἰνδικτιῶν[ος βʹ, — — —]
νης καὶ Μάρκελλος τεσε[ράριοι? — — —]
      ἐν Χριστῷ
      ἐψηφολό-
      γησαν τα[ύ]-
      την τὴν τάβλα.
      Χριστέ, βοήθι.

"During the time of Barbeous, presbyter, and Thalasios, and Marinos, and Dios, deacons. In the 700th* year, Theodoros, Maraos [illegible], Diogenes, Marinos, Mokimos, Sigrone, Markellinos [illegible], decaproti of the 2nd indiction [illegible] and Markellos, tesserarioi [illegible]. In Christ (Χριστῷ), they played this board game [literally: cast lots for this table]. Christ (Χριστέ), help."

* Of the Seleucid era, beginning 311/312 BCE.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/3 ... %2C451-457

IGLSyr 21,4 63 (ca 446/447), an inscription found at Petra

☩ παῖς ἐνθάδε κεῖμε Διονύσιος Ἰάσονος
τοῦ ποτ’ ἱερεύσαντος θεοῦ Λόγῳ, θεῷ ἐόντι
Χριστῷ πανβασιλῆι ὁμοουσίῳ τριάδι σεπτῇ
κεῖνος ἐνθάδε κεῖται παρ<ὰ> τράπεζαν ἁγιοφόρον.
☩ ἐγὼ δὴ δ’ἔτος εἰκοστὸν ὄγδοον ἡνιοχήσας, ☩
Χριστοῦ διάκονος μεγάλου τε νεὼς Ἱεροσολύμων
πέπαυμε μόχθου βίου, ἀδικηθεὶς οὐκ ἀδικήσας,
[ἀ]λλ’ ἐγὼ αὖθις ἀναστήσομαι Χριστοῦ παρόντος
․․παε ὕμνους δοξολογίας ἀναπέμπων. ☩ ἐκοιμήθη ☩
τῇ ․․ʹ Δύστρου, τμαʹ.

☩ Here lies Dionysius, son of Jason, once a priest of the God-Logos, the God being Christ (Χριστῷ), the all-royal, consubstantial (ὁμοουσίῳ) Trinity (τριάδι). He rests here by the holy table. ☩ And now, having completed the twenty-eighth year, as a great servant of Christ and deacon of the great church in Jerusalem, I have ceased from the toil of life. Unjustly treated, I have not retaliated. But I will rise again when Christ is present, sending forth hymns of glory. ☩ He fell asleep in the month of Dystros, (year) 341*.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/2 ... %2C448-454

* Based on an epoch starting March 22nd, 106 CE, i.e. the Bostran era: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bostran_era

The editors suggest this is with reference to the birth of Christ, making this "AD" 341, but I don't understand that decision (was that a calendar in use then and there? apparently not).

Lefebvre, IGChrEg 64 = Milne, Cairo Mus. 32,9273 = OGIS 722 = SEG 24:1194 (ca. 374), Egypt, Nubia and Cyrenaïca: Egypt and Nubia

[τ]ο̣υ π̣αντ̣[οκ]ρ̣[ατ]ο̣ρ̣ο̣ς̣ θεου θελησαντος και
του Χριστου αυτου επι της πανευδαιμονος
βασιλειας των τα παντα νεικωντων δεσποτων
ημων Ουαλεντινιανου και Ουαλεντος
και Γρατιανου των αιωνιων αυγουστων
εν τη ευτυχεστατη αυτων δεκαετηριδει τετρα-
πυλον επωνυμον του θειοτατου βασιλεως ημων Ουαλεντος
εκ θεμελιων εκτισθη επι της αρχης του κυριου μου
λαμπροτατου επαρχου της Αιγυπτου Αιλιου
Παλλαδιου, λογιστευοντος και επικειμενου
το κτισθεντι τετραπυλω Φλαουιου
κυρου πολειτευομενου επ αγαθω.

The will of God Almighty and of His Christ (Χριστου), our lords Valentinianus, Valens, and Gratianus, eternal Augusti, in the most auspicious tenth year of their rule, a tetrapylon bearing the name of our most divine emperor Valens was constructed from its foundations. This was initiated during the governorship of my illustrious lord Aelius Palladius, a most brilliant praeses of Egypt, with the supervision and management of the construction entrusted to Flavius Kyros, a city official serving the public good.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/217128?hs=115-121
source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/218670?hs=145-151
source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/219135?hs=117-123
source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/223395?hs=115-121

OGIS 200,Add(2) = SEG 26:1813 (ca. mid 4th century), Egypt, Nubia and Cyrenaïca: Egypt and Nubia

ἐν τῇ πίστι τοῦ θ[εοῦ καὶ] τῇ δυ̣νά̣μ̣ι̣ τοῦ [Πα]-
τρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ [Ἁ]γί[ο]υ [Π]νε̣ύματος, τ[ῷ]
[σ]ώσαντί μοι τὸ βασ[ίλ]ιον τῇ πίστι τοῦ υἱ[οῦ]
α̣ὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τῷ βοηθήσαντί μο[ι]
τῷ καὶ πάντοταί μοι βοηθοῦντι ἐγὼ
Ἀζαν̣ᾶς βασιλεὺς Ἀξωμιτῶν καὶ Ὁμηρι-
[τῶν κ]α̣ὶ τοῦ Ῥεειδᾶν καὶ Σαβαειτῶν καὶ
τ̣ο̣ῦ̣ Ϲ[ιλ]ε̣ῆλ καὶ τοῦ Χάσω καὶ Βουγαειτῶν̣
[κ]α̣ὶ τ̣οῦ Τιαμῶ, ΒΙΣΙ ΑΛΗΝΕ, υἱὸς τοῦ ΕΛΛΕ-
ΑΜΙΔ̣Α̣, δοῦλος Χριστοῦ, εὐχαριστῶ Κυρίῳ
τῷ [θεῷ] μου καὶ οὐ δύναμαι εἰπῖν πλίρης
τὰς εὐχ̣α̣ριστίας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐ δύναται
τὸ στό[μ]α̣ μου καὶ ἡ διάνοιά μου πάσας
τὰς εὐχα̣ριστίας ἅ̣σπερ ἐποίησεν μετ’ ἐ-
μοῦ, ὅτι ἐπ[οί]ησεν ἐμοὶ ἠσχὺν καὶ δύναμιν
καὶ ἐχαρίσ[α]τ̣ό μοι ὄ[ν]ομα μέγα διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ
[α]ὐτοῦ εἰς ὃν ἐπ[ί]σ̣τευσα [κα]ὶ ἐποί̣η̣σ̣εν μαι ὁ-
[δ]η̣γὸν πάσης τῆς βασιλίας μου̣ δ̣ιὰ̣ τὴν πί-
στ[ι]ν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τ[ῷ] θελήματι [αὐ]τοῦ καὶ
δυνά̣μι τοῦ̣ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ̣δήγησέν
μαι καὶ ε̣ἰς α[ὐ]τὸν πιστεύω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγέ-
νετό μοι ὁδηγός. ἐξῆλθα πολεμῆσαι
τοὺς ΝΩΒΑ, ὅτι κατέκραξαν κατ’ αὐτῶν
οἱ ΜΑΝΓΑΡΘΩ καὶ Χ̣ΑΣΑ καὶ ΑΤΙΑΔΙΤΑΙ
καὶ ΒΑΡΕΩΤΑΙ λέγοντες ὅτι κατεπόνη-
σ̣α̣ν ἡμᾶς οἱ ΝΩΒΑ, βοηθήσατε ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἔ-
θληψαν ἡμᾶς ἀποκτένοντες. καὶ ἀνέστην̣
ἐν τῇ δυνάμι τοῦ θεοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς ὃν ἐπί-
σ̣τευσα, κ̣α̣ὶ ὁδήγησέν με. καὶ ἀνέστην ἀ-
πὸ Ἀξώμεος ἐν̣ μ̣ινὶ κατὰ Ἀξωμιτὰς ΜΑΓΑ-
ΒΙΘΕ ηʹ ἡμέρᾳ Ϲαμβάτῳ πίστι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ
ἔφθασα εἰς ΜΑΜΒΑΡΙΑΝ̣ καὶ ἐκῖθεν ἐσιτάρχησα.

In the faith of God and the power of the Father, son and Holy Spirit who saved for me the kingdom, by the faith of his son Jesus Christ (Χριστοῦ), who has helped me and will always help me. I Azanas king of the Aksumites, and Himyarites, and Reeidan and of the Sabaeans and of Sileel and of Khaso and of the Beja and of Tiamo, Bisi Alene, son of Ella Amida servant of Christ (Χριστοῦ) thank the Lord my God, and I am unable to state fully his favours because my mouth and my mind cannot (embrace) all the favours which he has given me, for he has given me strength and power and favoured me with a great name through his son in whom I believed. And he made me the guide of all my kingdom because of my faith in Christ (Χριστοῦ) by his will and in the power of Christ (Χριστοῦ), for he has guided me. And I believe in him and he became to me a guide. I went out to fight the Noba because there cried out against them, the Mangartho and Khasa and Atiaditai and Bareotai saying that `the Noba have ground us down; help us because they have troubled us by killing'. And I left by the power of Christ (Χριστοῦ) the God in whom I have believed and he has guided me and I departed from Aksum on the eighth day, a Saturday, of the Aksumite month of Magabit having faith in God and arrived in Mambarya and there I fed my army.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/2 ... C1579-1585
source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/2 ... C1580-1586
photo: viewtopic.php?p=155113#p155113

Oasis d'Égypte 35,44 (ca. 4th century), Egypt, Nubia and Cyrenaïca: Egypt and Nubia

Εὐπάτωρ,
δοῦλος
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Eupator, servant of Jesus Christ.

source: https://inscriptions.packhum.org/text/219223?hs=95-101