Georgian graffito of Nessana
| Georgian graffito of Nessana | |
|---|---|
| Writing | Georgian script |
| Created | IX-X century |
| Present location | graffito was lost[1] |
| Language | Old Georgian |
The Georgian graffito of Nessana (Georgian: ნესანას ქართული გრაფიტი, romanized: nesanas kartuli grapit'i) was an Old Georgian pilgrim graffito inscription written in ancient Georgian Asomtavruli script,[2] found in ancient site of Nessana, southwest Negev,[3] on the Israeli–Egyptian border.[4] The graffito was first documented by the British archaeologist P. L. O. Guy in 1926,[5] mistakenly reporting it to be a Nabataean inscription.[6] Byzantine-period Nessana settlement was located on the route of Christian pilgrims travelling from the Holy Land to Mount Sinai.[7][8]
Inscription
There are six graphemes in the graffito inscription and one letter cannot be identified.[9] The graffito is dated to ninth–tenth centuries.[10]
- Translation: Christ have mercy upon K[…]
See also
References
Bibliography
- Yana Tchekhanovets & Temo Jojua (2024) Georgian Graffito from Nessana, Dating to the 'Dark Age' of Christianity in Palestine, Palestine Exploration Quarterly, DOI.org/10.1080/00310328.2024.2394375
- Ellen Bradshaw Aitken & John M. Fossey (2013) The Levant: Crossroads of late antiquity, Le Levant: Carrefour de L'Antiquité Tardive, Brill, ISBN 9789004258273, 9004258272