The Bir el Qutt inscriptions ( ka, ბირ ელ ქუტის წარწერები, tr) are four

Old Georgian Old Georgian (ႤႬႠჂ ႵႠႰႧႭჃႪႨ, ''enay kartuli'') was a literary language of the Georgian monarchies attested from the 5th century. The language remains in use as the liturgical language of the Georgian Orthodox Church and for ...

Byzantine mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

inscriptions in the ''

Asomtavruli The Georgian scripts are the three writing systems used to write the Georgian language: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli. Although the systems differ in appearance, their letters share the same names and alphabetical order and are written hor ...

'' script. They were excavated at a Saint Theodore Tiron Georgian Orthodox monastery in 1952 by Italian archaeologist Virgilio Canio Corbo near Bir el Qutt, in the

Judaean Desert The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert ( he, מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, Midbar Yehuda}, both ''Desert of Judah'' or ''Judaean Desert''; ar, صحراء يهودا, Sahraa' Yahuda) is a desert in Palestine and Israel that lies east of Jerusa ...

, south-east of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

and north of

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital ...

. The complex was built of reddish

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

. The excavations has also revealed a monastery which produced wine and olive oil. Georgian inscriptions were found on a mosaic floor decorated with geometrical and floral patterns. The first two inscriptions are dated AD 430, while the last two AD 532. The excavations of Bir el Qutt conditioned discovery of inscriptions where only one has survived completely while others lack parts of the mosaic that suffered significant damage. The inscriptions '' in memoriam'' mention Peter the Iberian alongside his father, and also Bacurius the Iberian who is thought to be a possible maternal great-uncle or grandfather of Peter. Peter reputedly was the founder or the renovator of the monastery. Peter's aristocratic descent would allow him easy access to various persons of power and prestige in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, Jerusalem and other places, to actively develop Georgian monastic establishments. At the end of the eighth century the monastery was completely abandoned. So far, the first two carvings alongside the Georgian graffiti of Nazareth and Sinai are the oldest extant Georgian inscriptions. The inscriptions are kept at the museum of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem. Inscription 2 mentioning Peter the Iberian is currently missing and is deemed to be lost.

Inscriptions

Inscription 1

::ႣႠႻႭჃႻ ::ႤႭჃႪႬႨႫ ::ႠႧႬႨႡႠ ::ႩႭჃႰႣႠ ::ႢႰႨႭႰႫ ::ႨႦႣႣႠႬ ::ႠႸႭႡႬႨ ::ႫႠႧႬႨႵ ::Translation: Jesus Christ, have mercy on Bakur and Griormizd and their descendants. This inscription was discovered to the west of the colonnade of central yard. The letters were arranged within three squares with black pebbles on white background. The carving of the inscription also differentiates from the other ones as the letters are comparatively rough. The text of the inscription is rather short, but an interesting thing is that out of two persons mentioned in the text the name of one of them repeats the name of prominent possible grandfather of Peter, Bakur the Iberian. The second person "Gri Ormizd" mentioned in the inscription is unknown, although as the inscription explains they were friends or relatives who grew up together.

Inscription 2

::ႼႫႨႣႠႭႧႤႭႣႭႰ ::ႤႫႠႰႭჃႠႬႣႠႡႭ ::ჃႰႦႬ ..��ႬႠႫႨ ..�� ::Translation: Saint Theodore, have mercy on Maruan and Burzen,

Amen Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and ...

. Maruan was a secular name of Peter the Iberian. His father is mentioned as Burzen. Syriac edition of the 6th century ''“

Vita Vita or VITA (plural vitae) is Latin for "life", and may refer to: * ''Vita'', the usual start to the title of a biography in Latin, by which (in a known context) the work is often referred to; frequently of a saint, then called hagiography * Vita ...

”'' of Peter provides their names as "Nabarnugios" and "Buzmarios", while the 13th century Georgian edition of the ''Vita'' refers them as "Murvanos" and "Varaz-Bakur" respectively. It is assumed that these names in Syriac edition have the Greek ending "-os". Buzmar is the same name as Buzmihr and it is concluded that full name of the father of Peter was to be "Burzen-Mihr". The name "Varaz-Bakur" is thought to be the mistake made by the author of Georgian edition. "Burzen" represents the Parthian form and is represented with many various forms in different sources such as Burzin, Burz, Borzin, Barzi, Barzen, Baraz, Barza. Syriac edition has secular name of Peter as John Rufus mentions Peter in the text as "Nabarnugios". John being his contemporary and follower, was certainly aware of a real name of his spiritual confessor prior to becoming the monk. Peter being referenced under the inscription by his secular name does signify that the inscription itself had been made before Peter entered the monkhood.

Inscription 3

::ႸႤႼႤႥႬႨႧႠႵჁႱႨႧႠႣႠႫ ::ႤႭႾႤႡႨႧႠႼႫႨႣႨႱႠႣႠႧႤჂႱႨႧႠ ::ႸႬႠႬႲႭႬႨႠႡႠჂႣႠႨႭႱႨႠႫႭ ::ႫႱႾႫႤႪႨႠႫႨႱႱႤႴႨႱႠჂႣႠႫႠ ::ႫႠႣႤႣႠჂႨႭႱႨႠჂႱႨႠႫႤႬ ::Translation: With the help of Jesus Christ and Saint Theodore, God have mercy on

Abba ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...

Antony and Iosia the layer of this mosaic and the father and mother of Iosia, Amen. This five-line mosaic inscription (size: ) was set in a ''

tabula ansata A tabula ansata or tabella ansata (Latin for "tablet with handles", plural ''tabulae ansatae'' or ''tabellae ansatae'') is a tablet with dovetail handles. It was a favorite form for votive tablets in Imperial Rome. Overview ''Tabulae ansata ...

'', placed on the floor of the

refectory A refectory (also frater, frater house, fratery) is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries. The name derives from the Lat ...

hall of the monastery. Asomtavruli letters and the frame are made of black '' tessera'' on the white background and the mosaic's state of preservation is excellent. Iosia (i.e.

Josiah Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah (–609 BCE) who, according to the Hebrew Bible, instituted major religious reforms by removing official worship of gods other than Yahweh. Josiah is credited by most biblical ...

) in the inscription is referenced as "master of mosaics". The name “Josiah” is unknown for Georgian nomenclature of that time. It is the

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

ish personal name, represented with the Greek form, a name is not known by other sources. It seems that he was a Christian and is mentioned in the inscription together with his parents. Some scholars consider Josiah to be the person who provided the funds for mosaic in the church. Abba Anthony is identified by scholars with the Jerusalemite Georgian monk and priest Amba Anthony (''

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

'' 596) who had been mentioned in several Georgian sources, who was connected with

Simeon Stylites the Younger Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger, also known as Simeon of the Admirable Mountain ( el, Συμεὼν ὁ νεώτερος ὁ στυλίτης, Arabic: مار سمعان العمودي الأصغر ''mār semʻān l-ʻamūdī l-asghar'') (521 ...

. Per sources he brought to Simeon the relics of the

True Cross The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, althoug ...

, later stayed in Syria, where he became a bishop.

Inscription 4

:: ..::Ⴆ ..::Ⴈ ..::CO ..::MCO ..::Translation: .. .. ..O ..CO .. The fourth mosaic inscription is too fragmentary to propose a reading. It was found at the eastern ''

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...

'' of the courtyard.

Notes

). ) means "the

well A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...

of the crag".Palmer, p.
289
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References

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 Brill Academic Publishers (known as E. J. Brill, Koninklijke Brill, Brill ()) is a Dutch international academic publisher founded in 1683 in Leiden, Netherlands. With offices in Leiden, Boston, Paderborn and Singapore, Brill today publishes 2 ...

, *Khurtsilava, B. (2017) The inscriptions of the Georgian Monastery in Bi’r el-Qutt and their chronology, National Youth Palace of Tbilisi *Khurtsilava, B. (2018) Traces of the Georgians on the Holy Land, Tbilisi, * * Rayfield, D. (2013) Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia,

Reaktion Books Reaktion Books is an independent book publisher based in Islington, London, England. It was founded in 1985 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to London in 1987. Reaktion originally focused on the fields of art, architecture, and design. In rece ...

, *

De Gruyter Walter de Gruyter GmbH, known as De Gruyter (), is a German scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature. History The roots of the company go back to 1749 when Frederick the Great granted the Königliche Realschule in Be ...

(2018) Iudaea / Idumaea: 2649-3324, Part 1, LXXIV, *Horn, C. B. (2006) Asceticism and Christological Controversy in Fifth-Century Palestine, The Career of Peter the Iberian,

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

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 Wikimedia Commons (or simply Commons) is a media repository of free-to-use images, sounds, videos and other media. It is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. Files from Wikimedia Commons can be used across all of the Wikimedia projects in ...

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