Sarcophagus with Aramaic inscription for Queen Sadan (Queen Helena?) from Jerusalem (JLM0128)
Description
Limestone sarcophagus with a two-line Aramaic inscription for Queen Sadan (or Tsadan), possibly to be identified with Queen Helena of Adiabene (in Mesopotamia) from the Tomb of the Kings in the upper Kidron Valley, dated to the 1st c. CE.
Image rights Image A: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Hanay, WikiMedia Commons Image B: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Coyau, WikiMediaCommons Images C & D: Drawing in de Saulcy, 1865, pp. 377, 385
Two stone disks on each long side, and one on each short side, all within a frame. The two line Aramaic inscription is located between the two stone disks on the facade. Vaulted lid.
Summary of contents
de Saulcy (1865, 375-410) recorded the skeletal remains of a woman wrapped in a decorated shroud, which largely disintegrated after the sarcophagus was opened.
CIIP1=Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae, volume I: Jerusalem: a multi-lingual corpus of the inscriptions from Alexander to Muhammad, Ameling et. al. Berlin: De Gruyter. 2014. pp.165-167, no.123.
de Saulcy, F. 1865. Voyae en Terre Sainte. Paris. (pp.375-410)
Inscription mentioning Zenobia from the Great Colonnade located in Palmyra (PAL0108)
Description
Bilingual Greek and Palmyrene dedicatory inscription for statues of Zenobia, and commanders Septimii Zabdas and Zabbaios from the Great Colonnade at Palmyra, dated to 271 CE.
(Greek): Statue of Septimia Zenobia, most illustrious and pious queen; the Septimii Zabdas, commander-in-chief (lit. great general), and Zabbaios, local commander, (both) most eminent (men), raised it to their sovereign lady, in the month of Loos, in the year 582 (August, A.D. 271)
(Palmyrene) Statue of SPTYM' (Septimia) BTZBY most illustrious and pious queen; the SPTYMW' (i.e. the Septimii) ZBD', commander in chief, and ZBY, commander of Tadmor, the most excellent (men), have set (it) up to their mistress, in the month of 'B in the year 582 (August, AD 271).
(Translation of Greek)...and [for the sa]fety of Septimia Zenobia, the most illustrious queen, the mother of the Emperor [Septimius Athenodoros] V[aballathus...]
(Translation of Palmyrene) For the safety and vi[ctory] of SPTYMYWS (Septimius) WHBLT 'TNDR [WS] (Athenodorus), the most illustrious King of Kings and Corrector of the entire Orient, son of SPT[YMY]WS (Septimius) ['DYNT, King] of Kings; and for the safety of SPTYMY' (Septimia) BTZBY (i.e. Zenobia), the most illustrious queen, mother of the King of Kings, daughter of 'NTYWKWS (Antiochus), Fourteen m<iles>.