Umm Leisun inscription
| Umm Leisun inscription | |
|---|---|
| Material | Limestone |
| Writing | Old Georgian inscription written in a Georgian script |
| Created | 5th or 6th century |
| Discovered | 2002 |
| Present location | Archaeological Garden of Knesset, Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem |
The Umm Leisun inscription (Georgian: უმ ლეისუნის წარწერა) is the Old Georgian limestone tombstone slab inscription written in the Georgian Asomtavruli script which was discovered in 2002, after the renewal of 1996[1] excavation, at a Georgian monastery of the Byzantine period, in the neighborhood of Umm Leisun, 4.5 km southeast of the Old City of Jerusalem,[2] found in a burial crypt under the polychrome[3] mosaic floor.[4]
In total about 24 interments were discovered in the crypt.[5] Per sex estimation for human skeletons, all of them were adult males, as would be expected in a monastery.[6] The occupant of the most important tomb identified by a Georgian inscription was a "Georgian bishop Iohane" (John in Old Georgian), who was also the oldest and his age underlined his special status.[7] He would have been aged 66 or 67 when he died, and had suffered from osteoporosis.[8] The inscription is the earliest known example for an ethnonym ႵႠႰႧႥႤႪႨ (kartveli i.e. Georgian) on any archaeological artifact, both in the Holy Land and in Georgia.[9][10]
The inscription covers an area of 81 × 49 cm cut into the tombstone. It is dated to the end of the 5th or the first half of the 6th century AD.[11] The inscription is kept at the Archaeological Garden of Knesset.[12]
Inscription
ႤႱႤႱႠႫႠႰႾႭჂ
ႨႭჀႠႬႤႴႭჃႰ
ႲႠႥႤႪႤႮႨႱႩႭႮႭ
ႱႨႱႠჂႵႠႰႧႥႤ
ႪႨႱႠჂ
- Translation: "This is the grave of Iohane, Bishop of Purtavi, a Georgian."
See also
References
Bibliography
- Seligman, J. (2015). "A Georgian Monastery from the Byzantine Period at Khirbat Umm Leisun, Jerusalem". ‘Atiqot. 83: 145–180.
- Tchekhanovets, Y. (2014) Iohane, Bishop of Purtavi and Caucasian Albanians in the Holy Land
- Khurtsilava, B. (2014) A Georgian Monastery of Purta, Istoriani