Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions - b - דעת

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri
Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Part III

Introduction
Most of the epigraphic corpus in Elijah’s Cave is discussed in the present
article. The previous article dealt with 22 Greek inscriptions, out of the 170
engraved on the west and east walls,1 together with to 9 Hebrew inscriptions,
consisting of Jewish personal names, most probably of Jews from Acre/Acco
who visited the Cave in the 18th and 19th centuries.2 In addition to the Greek
inscriptions in the present article, a Hebrew inscription (No. 91) of a Jew from
Acre/Acco, as well as a Latin one (No. 28) are included. The onomasticon consists of Greek names, as well as Latin and Semitic ones in Greek transliteration
or transcription. Some Greek and Latin names were adopted by Jews and were
in use among them.
Some of the inscriptions are fragmentary or incomplete. Accordingly, an
attempt has been made to restore them, either on the basis of the syntax or of
the prefix/suffix of the proper names, in order to decipher and understand them.
Despite the difficulties, the research was highly stimulating and intellectually
challenging.
In order to examine the frequency and dissemination of the discussed proper
names, a comprehensive comparative study was carried out with names featuring in Antiquity and Late Antiquity.

1 The present article is a continuation of Parts I and II, published in the Michele Piccirillo
memorial volume (see Ovadiah and Pierri 2012).
2 See Buckingham 1821: 120-121; see also below, inscription No. 91 and No. 101.

Liber Annuus 62 (2012) 203-282

204

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

The Inscriptions
Inscription No. 2 (Fig. 1)
The inscription (25 × 37 cm) consists of two fragmentary lines, difficult to
complete. The script is regular but not uniform; the ω is round, but the ligature
of Τ and C is square.
1. [. υ]αι
2. τσωνριω
Lines 1-2: Incomplete and unidentifiable. The letters T and C in line 2 are
joined together, forming a ligature.
Inscription No. 3 (Fig. 1)
The inscription is enclosed within a rectangular frame (39 × 59 cm) and
consists of five fragmentary lines, difficult to complete. The script is regular but
not uniform and the letters are round.
1. ος
2. ομ
3. Ὀρ[ύ]ας / ῎Ορ[τ]ας μνη[σ]θῇ
4. θη[. .] νρσ[ο]ο[.]
5. διλιο[. . . .]

Oryas / Ortas remembered be

Lines 1-2: The preserved letters possibly belong to another inscription.
Line 3: Ὀρ[ύ]ας / ῎Ορτας μνη[σ]θῇ.- The completion of this word seems to be
a masculine Greek proper name in the nominative case, either Ὀρύας or ῎Ορτας /
Ὀρτᾶς. The name Ὀρύας appears infrequently in Crete from the Late Classical
through the Hellenistic and up to the Roman period,3 and in Peloponnese (Argolis)
in the 3rd century BCE.4 On the other hand, the name ῎Ορτας, also infrequent, occurs
in Thessaly (Demetrias) in the 3rd century BCE5 and in Coastal Asia Minor (Lydia)
in the 2nd century CE,6 but appears too as Ὀρτᾶς in Macedonia in the second half
of the 1st century CE.7 The completion of the formula μνη[σ]θῇ is certain.
Line 4: The letters Ν and Ρ are joined together, forming a ligature.
3
4
5
6
7

See LGPN I: 354.
See LGPN IIIA: 346.
See LGPN IIIB: 329.
See LGPN VA: 348.
See LGPN IV: 264.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

205

Inscription No. 4 (Figs. 2-3)
The inscription (39 × 59 cm) consists of five lines, difficult to complete. The
script is regular but not uniform and some letters, such as Ε, Θ, Ο, C and Φ,
are oval/round, except for the letter C in the ligature in line 2.
1. Μνη[σ]θῇ
2. Μνη[σ]θῇ ὀπφ
3. ωαιου
4. αοο[.] [μνησ]5. θήσῃ εὐ[τύ]χ[(ε)ι]

Remembered be
Remembered be
. . . . you will be remembered (and) succeed/be happy.

Lines 4-5: [Μνησ]θήσῃ.- Second person singular, future indicative passive
of μιμνῄσκω.8
Three formulae appear in this inscription: μνησθῇ in lines 1-2, μνησθήσῃ
in lines 4-5 and εὐτύχει in line 5;9 all in the imperative case. The letters Η and
C (the latter, square in form) in line 2 are joined together, forming a ligature.
Interestingly, the formula μνησθῇ appears twice, on consecutive lines. Unfortunately, the names have not survived in lines 2-4 and it is difficult to restore
them from the letters that have survived.
Inscription No. 5A
Empty tabula ansata (16 × 29 cm).
Inscription No. 6
The inscription was enclosed in a rectangular frame (40 × 59 cm) and consists of four lines, of which only two letters of the formula μν[ησθῇ] (remembered be) in line 1 have survived.
Inscription No. 6A
Empty rectangular frame (29 × 36 cm).

8
9

Liddell et alii 1973: 1135, s.v. “μιμνῄσκω”.
This formula also appears in inscriptions Nos. 33, 38, 86, 87, 95, 101, 106, 129, 146.

206

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 7 (Figs. 2, 4)
The inscription is enclosed in a rectangular frame (21 × 23 cm) and consists
of five lines.
The script is regular but not uniform and some letters, such as Ε, Θ, Ο, C
and Φ, are oval/round. Two ligatures appear in line 2. The inscription in question is later than inscription No. 8, since the last three letters in line 5 were engraved above No. 8.
1. Μνησθῇ Φιο[.]
2. τιαννω κὲ οιν
3. μες κὲ οἱ
4. ἀδελφοὶ
5. αὐτο[ῦ. .]

Remembered be Phio[.]
tianno and oin
mes and
his
brothers [. .].

Line 1: Μνησθῇ Φιο[.].- The formula was engraved twice in two different ways:
a. the earlier one – μνησθ; b. the later one – the formula was completed by adding
Μ and Ν in smaller letters over the previous, earlier, M; the earlier N had become H
and C was added after it and over the previous, earlier, Η; the previous, earlier, C
had become Θ. The incomplete word Φιο[.] is probably part of a proper name.10
Lines 2-3: τιαννω κέ.- The letters Α and Ν, Ν and ω, in the unidentifiable
word τιαννω, are joined together, forming two ligatures. Κέ is engraved incorrectly instead of κ<αί> (= and), a common mistake in Greek inscriptions, especially in the Roman and early Byzantine periods. The same mistake appears in
inscriptions Nos. 37 and 108. Between lines 1 and 2, 2 and 3, as well as 3 and
4, the following obscure inscription is engraved: θψμλουντικτμτος. This inscription seems to be the earlier one, engraved in a shallow manner; later on, a
monumental inscription, in deeper engraving, was added over it.
Inscription No. 8 (Figs. 2, 4)
The inscription (19 × 27 cm) consists of four lines. The letters C and Θ are
square.
1. . . . ε[. . . .]
2. [μν]ησθῇ
3. Γα-
4. ῖα

remembered be
Gaia.

10 For a different reading of this inscription, cf. LJN II: 409 and 544; Φιο[.] is regarded as a
proper name: Φιό[ς].

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

207

Line 2: [Μν]ησθῇ.- Based on the preserved letters, it can be assumed that
the word is the formula μνησθῇ, which frequently features in the Greek inscriptions found in Elijah’s Cave. The letters C, Θ and H are curiously joined together, forming a ligature.
Lines 3-4: Γαῖα or Γαία.- An uncommon feminine Greek or Latin personal
name respectively in the nominative. In Greek, the name is a poetic form of
γῆ.11 In Latin it is probably the feminine counterpart of Γαίος (Gaius) in Greek
transliteration.12
Inscription No. 9 (Fig. 2)
The inscription is enclosed in a rectangular frame (20 × 25 cm) and consists
of three fragmentary lines. The inscription is illegible. The letters Ε, Ο and Ρ
are square.
1. οκ
2. ραοκ
3. ερ
Between lines 1 and 2 there is an interspace, which may be interpreted in two
ways: a. engraving of two different inscriptions; b. engraving of one inscription
of which the letters between lines 1 and 2 were effaced, but the similar shape of
the letters may suggest that it is one inscription.
Line 2: the letters Ο and Κ seem to form a ligature.
Inscription No. 10A (Fig. 2)
The inscription consists of three fragmentary lines. The script is regular and
the letters Θ, Μ and Ο are oval/round; C tends to a square form.
1. Δόμ
2. αν
3. [μνη]σθῇ

Dom
an
remembered be.

Line 1: Δομ.- This fragmentary word perhaps constituted a familiar masculine or feminine Latin name in the nominative case, in Greek transliteration,
namely Δόμ(νος) or Δόμ(να). If the completion is correct as a masculine name,
See Liddell et alii 1973: 335, s.v. “Γαῖα”.
See Lewis and Short 1951: 799, s.v. “Gaius”. For Γαῖα, see LGPN VA: 105 (Coastal Asia
Minor – Lydia, 2nd century CE).
11

208

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

it prevailed in the Aegean island of Kos13 and in various geographical regions
of Coastal Asia Minor (Pontos to Ionia)14 in the Roman (1st-3rd centuries CE)
and early Byzantine periods. The name Δόμνος appears too in a tombstone
found in Kafr Nafâkh in the Golan Heights.15 Δόμνα, the feminine counterpart,
occurs in Coastal Asia Minor (Bithynia, Ionia, Mysia and Pontos), Wadi Haggag
in Sinai and Egypt16 in the Roman (1st-3rd centuries CE) and early Byzantine
periods. The name was adopted by Jews.17
Line 2: αν.- Obscure, but the engraver possibly engraved αν instead of να.
If this suggestion is correct, lines 1-2 form the name Δόμνα.
Line 3: [μνη]σθῇ.- Interestingly, the formula, whose completion is certain,
was engraved at the end of the inscription.
Inscription No. 11 (Fig. 2)
The inscription (21 × 49 cm) consists of three fragmentary lines. The script
is regular and uniform and the letters Ρ, C and Φ are round in shape. It is difficult to complete.
1. καὶ
2. Πρισ
3. α(.)λ

and
Pris
a(.)l

Line 2: Πρισ.- This seems to be a part of a proper masculine or feminine
name, such as Πρίσκα, Πρισκιανή, Πρισκιανός, Πρισκίλλα, Πρισκιλλιανός
and Πρίσκος.18
Line 3: α(.)λ.- Obscure, but perhaps these letters are the continuity of Πρισ-.
Inscription No. 12 (Fig. 5)
The inscription (25 × 40 cm) consists of three incomplete lines. The script is
regular and rather uniform and the letters Θ and C are oval/round.
1. Mν[ησθῇ . . . . . . .]
2. Mν[ησθῇ . . . . . . .]
3. M[νησθῇ . . . . . . .]
13
14
15
16
17
18

Remembered be [. . . . . . .]
Remembered be [. . . . . . .]
Remembered be [. . . . . . .].

LGPN I: 142.
LGPN VA: 147.
Gregg and Urman 1996: 137 (No. 108).
Negev 1977: 50 (No. 188) and n. 155 (Δῶμνα).
See LJN II: 301; LJN III: 580 (Δόμνη).
LGPN I: 387; LGPN VA: 380.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

209

If the completion of lines 2-3 is correct, the formula μνησθῇ (remembered
be) is curiously repeated three times, at the beginning of each line. Thus, it can
be assumed that after each formula a proper name was engraved, but these have
not survived.
Inscription No. 13 (Fig. 5)
This incomplete inscription is enclosed in a rectangular frame (11 × 12 cm)
and consists of three lines. The script is regular and the letters Θ and C are oval/
round. The letter M is rather monumental.
1. Mνησθ[ῇ . . . .]
2. η[. . . .
]
3. [. . . .
]

Remembered be [. . . .]

Only the first line with the formula μνησθ[ῇ] has survived. The C, between
Η and Θ, was not engraved on the same level as the other letters, probably
having been forgotten and added later.
Inscription No. 14 (Fig. 5)
The one-line inscription is enclosed in a rectangular frame (28 × 37 cm). The
script is regular. The size of the frame is disproportional in relation to a oneword inscription. Perhaps the intention was to engrave a longer inscription, but
for various reasons this was not implemented.
Διόνδη

Dionde

Unknown as a proper name.
Inscription No. 14A (Fig. 5)
The fragmentary inscription is enclosed in a rectangular frame (25 × 45 cm)
and consists of four(?) lines.
1. [Mνησθ]ῇ Δο
2. [ . . . . ]υ [ . . . . ]
3. [ . . . . ]υ υ [
]
4. [
]

Remembered be Do

210

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

The first line probably contained the formula μνησθῇ and a proper name of
which only the first two letters have survived.
Inscription No. 15 (Fig. 5)
The inscription was probably enclosed in a rectangular frame (19 × 33 cm)
and consists of four lines, of which only the first one has survived. The script is
regular and the letters Ο and C are round.
1. Μνησισιο[ς]
2. [
]
3. [
]
4. α[. . . . . .
]

Mnesisio[s]

Line 1: Μνησισιο[ς].- It seems to be a masculine Greek name, but one that
is unknown. It should be noted that Μνησ- is the initial part of many Greek
names.19 A shortened Greek name and very close to that in question is Μνῆσις,
which prevailed in the Hellenistic period.20
Inscription No. 16 (Fig. 5)
The original inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (26 × 47 cm). It was
deliberately deleted and replaced by a two-line inscription, superficially engraved. The Υ displays a horizontal line at its base and the letter Ν appears in
mirror writing. The Ο, Ρ and C are round.
1. Ὑγγαν, Ο-
2. ὐάπ(ι)ος

(For) health, Ouap(i)os.

Line 1: Ὑγγαν.- The preposition ἐπί or εἰς – for – is missing; ὑγγαν is incorrectly engraved for ὑγ<ί>(ει)αν; namely, a request for health in the accusative case. It should be noted that ὑγίειαν can be with or without the preposition
ἐπί or εἰς (τήν).
Line 1-2: Οὐάπ(ι)ος.- Unknown name in the nominative/vocative case. It
sounds very close to Ἄππιος, a masculine Latin name in Greek transliteration,
used also among Jews.21

19
20
21

See LGPN I: 317-319; LGPN VA: 319-320.
See LGPN I: 318; LGPN VA: 319.
LJN I: 327 (Appius).

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

211

Inscription No. 20 (Fig. 5)
The inscription (14 × 55 cm) consists of two lines. The script is regular and
uniform and some letters, Ο, Ρ, C and Φ are round in shape. The inscription was
engraved by a trained hand.
1. [Ἀ]δρίας ονλοοχ[ος. . .]
2. Ἰονᾶς Διοφάντ[ου]

[A]drias
Ionas son of Diophantos.

Line 1: [Ἀ]δρίας.- The word may be completed Ἀδρίας, an infrequent
(masculine/feminine?) Greek personal name in the nominative case, found in
Central Greece (Phokis) in the 3rd century CE.22
Line 2: Ἰονᾶς Διοφάντ[ου].- Ἰονᾶς, the nominative case in Greek transliteration of a masculine Hebrew proper name, common among Jews (hnwy).23 It
also appears as a feminine name.24 Διοφάντου, the father of Ἰονᾶς, is the
genitive case of a common masculine Greek proper name Διόφαντος, spread
throughout the Greek and Roman worlds, from the 5th century BCE and onwards.25 The name, which also appears in inscription No. 102, was in use among
Jews.26
Inscription No. 21 (Fig. 5)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (35 × 52 cm) and consists of
seven fragmentary lines. The script is uniform and monumental; some letters,
Θ, Ο, Ρ, C, Φ, and ω, are oval/round in shape. The inscription was engraved
by a skilled engraver.
1. Τὸ [προσ]κύνημα
2. Φαβιανοῦ κ(αὶ) Ἀπουνᾶς
3. καὶ τοῦ ου[. .]θω κα[ὶ.λ. .]υ
4. κ[αὶ
]τ
5. τ[οῦ
]
6. κ[αὶ] ον[.]ι[.]φ[. . . .] στ[. . . .]υ
7. ταφα[
]

The adoration/veneration
(of) Phabianus and Apounas
and of . . . . . . . . . . . . and . . . . .
and
of
and

See LGPN IIIB: 12.
See LJN II: 426; for a different spelling – Ἰωνᾶς –, see LJN II: 110; LJN III: 108-109.
24 See LJN III: 179.
25 See LGPN I: 141; LGPN II: 132; LGPN IIIA: 132; LGPN IIIB: 123; LGPN IV: 108; LGPN VA: 144-145; see also Le Bas and Waddington 1870: No. 1904; Milne 1905: Nos. 9296,
33012; IGLS IIIA: No. 710; IGLS IIIB: Nos. 1057, 1237; IGLS V: No. 2333.
26 See LJN I: 273; LJN II: 205; LJN III: 248.
22
23

212

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Line 1: Τὸ [προσ]κύνημα.- Above τό, in the cornice of the frame, the word
ὑμῖν is discernible, part of a later unpreserved inscription. The word [προσ-]
κύνημα at the head of the inscription (it also appears in inscription No. 50A) is
peculiar and raises interest from the religious point of view: most probably the
adoration/veneration of the god Ba‘al Carmel, who was apparently worshipped
in the Cave by the visitors/pilgrims. This expression is an important additional
evidence regarding the function of the Cave, as a pagan cultic place or shrine in
the Roman period.
Line 2: Φαβιανοῦ κ(αὶ) Ἀπουνᾶς- The genitive case of the proper names
after τὸ [προσ]κύνημα is grammatically correct. Φαβιανός is a Greek transliteration of an infrequent masculine Latin name. It was in use in Roman times
(2nd-3rd centuries CE), as for instance in Attica,27 Coastal Asia Minor (Mysia)
and Syria.28 Its feminine counterpart is Φαβιανή,29 also an infrequent name.
The letter κ with a diagonal line at its base, engraved between the two names,
is an abbreviation of καί (= and), frequent in the Roman and early Byzantine
periods.30 Ἀπουνᾶς(?) is an unfamiliar name (the last letter in the name, C, is
smaller than the other letters and disproportional in size).
Inscription No. 22 (Figs. 5-6)
The inscription (21 × 47 cm) consists of three lines. The script is regular
and uniform; the letters Θ, Ο, C and Φ are oval/round in shape, except for the
square form of Ε and C in line 3. The inscription was engraved by a trained
hand.
1. Mνησθῇ Φιλ[ό]π[α]π[π]ος
2. να Λουκίλλις κα[ί]
3. τες oἱ φίλοι αὐτο[ῦ]

Remembered be Phil[o]p[a]p(p)os
na(?) Loukillis and
also his friend.

Line 1: Mνησθῇ Φιλ[ό]π[α]π[π]ος.- The letters Ν and Η in μνησθῇ are
joined together, forming a ligature. The C, between the ligature and Θ, was not
engraved on the same line with the other letters and was probably forgotten and
added later. Φιλ[ό]π[α]π[π]ος is a masculine Greek name, found in Attica,
Macedonia, Thrace and Coastal Asia Minor (Mysia and Troas) in the Roman
period (2nd-3rd centuries CE).31 The name was adopted by Jews.32
27
28
29
30
31
32

LGPN II: 438.
See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: No. 2290; IGLS V: No. 2186; LGPN VA: 442.
See LGPN I: 452 (Euboia – Karystos[?], 1st century CE).
See Avi-Yonah 1940: 74, 76; see also inscriptions Nos. 37, 92, 94, 108, 113, 140, 149.
LGPN II: 458; LGPN IV: 348; LGPN VA: 453.
See LJN III: 391.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

213

Line 2: Λουκίλλις.- An unknown masculine Latin name in Greek transliteration, possibly a variant of Λουκίλλιος and Λούκιλλος.33 Its feminine counterpart may be Λούκιλλα / Λουκιλία / Λουκιλλία.34
Line 3: τες.- The ς appears to be superfluous and was added incorrectly to
τε; the latter is an enclitic particle, and/also, answering to the Latin que.
Inscription No. 23 (Figs. 5, 7)
Illegible graffito, engraved on the left side of the upper (larger) aedicula.
Inscription No. 23A (Figs. 5, 7)
This fragmentary inscription is engraved within the upper (larger) aedicula
(34 × 50 cm) and consists of one line: [.]ι[λ]η. It is unclear whether the word
forms a proper name.
Inscription No. 24 (Figs. 5, 7)
The inscription is engraved within the middle (smaller) aedicula (30 × 30
cm) and consists of three lines. The script is regular and the letters Ε, Θ, Μ, Ο,
Ρ, C and ω are oval/round, except for C in line 1 that tends to a square form.
The inscription was engraved by a trained hand on both sides of the mutilated
figure, presumably representing the cult statue of the god Ba‘al Carmel.35
1. [Θ]εο[ῦ] ἰκασία
2. . . Θεόδωρον
3. ἐμωὴ ἀνέθη[κ]εν

The image of the god
. . Theodoros
to me dedicated.

Line 1: [Θ]εο[ῦ] ἰκασία.- The completion of the word [Θ]εο[ῦ] is based on
the two remaining letters; ἰκασία was incorrectly engraved or it is phonetic
spelling for εἰκασία – image or likeness – a pure pagan word that occurs in the
Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.36
Line 2: Θεόδωρον.- The name is engraved in the accusative and also appears in inscriptions Nos. 37 and 96. It was in use among Jews.37

See LGPN I: 289 (Crete, 1st century CE); LGPN II: 286 (Athens, 3rd century CE).
See LGPN IV: 212; LGPN VA: 271.
35 For the description and iconography of the relief, see Ovadiah and Pierri 2012: 35-36,
Figs. 15-16.
36 See Liddell et alii 1973: 484, s.v. “εἰκασία”.
37 See LJN I: 286-287; LJN II: 218, 453.
33
34

214

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Line 3: ἐμωή.- It seems to be an incorrect spelling of ἐμοί – to me; personal
pronoun, first person singular dative.
This dedicatory inscription and the relief of the deity, within the aedicula,
were done by Theodoros and can be attributed to the Roman period. Both indicate unequivocally the pagan character of the Cave, while in the early Byzantine
period it was dedicated to the Prophet Elijah by Christians and Jews, and later
on by Muslims. It may be assumed that the mutilation of the images in the relief
occurred with the appearance of the monotheistic religions.
Inscription No. 25 (Figs. 5, 7)
The inscription is engraved within the lower (smallest) aedicula (14 × 15 cm),
modified to a tabula ansata, and consists of four lines. The script is regular and
the letters Θ and C are square.
1. Mνήσθ-
2. ητι Ἐπα-
3. σκι […]
4. σια [….]ς
5. ροθες [….]ων

Remember Epaski . . .

Lines 1-2: Mνήσθητι.- Aorist, imperative passive, second singular of
μιμνήσκω.38
Lines 2-3: Επασκι.- It is unclear whether the word is part of a proper name.
Lines 4-5: These two lines are illegible.
Inscription No. 26 (Fig. 5)
The inscription (16 × 20 cm) consists of three lines.
1. Mν[η]σθῇ
2. [. . .]λλ . . . . .
3. [. .]ος . . . .

Remembered be

Except for line 1 with the preserved formula μνησθῇ, the other two lines are
fragmentary and it is difficult to restore them.

Liddell et alii 1973: 1135, s.v. “μιμνήσκω”.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

215

Inscription No. 27 (Figs. 5, 7)
The inscription (15 × 21 cm) consists of five lines. The script is regular and
the letters Θ, Ο, C and Φ are oval/round in shape. The inscription was engraved
by a non-trained hand.
1. [.]δδας
2. μνησθῇ […]
3. Ἀγιπις [Μ]ήνιος
4. Ἄλαφος o[. . .]
5. [. .]σαπ[. . .] κητ[. .]

[.]ddas
remembered be
Agipis [M]enios
Alaphos . . .

Line 1: [.]δδας.- Probably a proper name that may be completed [Ἀ]δδᾶς;
the name seems to be adopted by Jews in the following forms: Ἀδᾶς and
Ἀδδᾶν,39 and Ἀδδα.40
Line 2: μνησθῇ [. . .].- Only the formula has survived; the rest of the line is missing.
Line 3: Ἀγιπις [Μ]ήνιος.- Both names, probably praenomen and nomen,
sound like masculine Greek proper names. Ἀγιπις does not exist in the Greek
onomasticon; the two closest examples are Ἄγιππος41 and Ἀγίππας.42 It is not
possible to determine whether Ἀγιπις is a mistake or distortion of these two
names. [Μ]ήνιος, if the completion is correct, exists in various regions of the
Greek world, as for instance in the Aegean islands,43 in Coastal Asia Minor44
etc., in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It is unclear whether these names are
the praenomen and nomen of the visitor/pilgrim.
Line 4: Ἄλαφος.- Probably a cognomen of Semitic origin, derived from the
Nabataean root hlfw. The name is a Greek transcription of the theophoric Arabic
name Khalaf, that is, successor of Allah (God).45 The name also appears among
Jews in the following variants: Ἀλάφιος and Ἀλαφέος,46 and Ἀλαφᾶν.47
See LJN I: 360.
See LJN II: 325.
41 See LGPN I: 11 (the Aegean islands – Kalymnos, 200 BCE and 1st century CE).
42 See LGPN VA: 5 (Coastal Asia Minor – Bithynia, Roman Imperial period).
43 See LGPN I: 311.
44 See LGPN VA: 302.
45 For this name, see Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 90, 174, 185, 191; Wuthnow 1930: 16, 141;
Dunand 1939: 565 (No. 268); Sartre 1985: 172-173, s.v. “Ἄλαφος” (with instances from Hauran
and parallels in various Semitic languages); Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 154155 (No. 60), 225-226 (No. 130); Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2008: 82-83 (No.
20), 104-106 (No. 36); cf. also Gregg and Urman 1996: 169-170 (No. 136), 194 (No. 160), 255
(No. 213); SEG XXXVII: No. 1555 (Ἀλαφα); XXXVIII: No. 1627B (Ἀλαφαλ[λος?]). See also
Ovadiah and Pierri 2012: 60 and n. 167 (inscription 80).
46 See LJN II: 476.
47 See LJN III: 673.
39
40

216

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 28 (Figs. 5, 7-8)
The inscription (11 × 18 cm) consists of four lines. Drill marks are discernible to facilitate precise engraving of the letters. This is the sole Latin inscription
found in the Cave, engraved on its west wall.
1. Calvo m(onumen)t(um)
2. hest, Moni-
3. cus et Met[tius]/Met[tia],
4. omnibu[s]

To Calvus (in) remembrance / commemoration,
Monicus and Met[tius]/Met[tia],
for all.48

Line 1: Calvo.- Calvo is the dative case of Calvus, a cognomen of several
known persons, as for example the poet and orator Caius Licinius Calvus.49
Lines 1-2: m(onumen)t(um) hest.- Mt is probably an abbreviated Latin formula, in the nominative case, for m(onumen)t(um), that is, (in) remembrance or
commemoration.50 Hest is most probably for est (= is). Thus, the correct spelling
and reading should be monumentum est.
Lines 2-3: Monicus et Met[tius]/Met[tia].- Monicus et Met[tius]/Met[tia] are
the dedicators of the inscription in honour and commemoration of Calvus. It is
difficult to determine whether the second incomplete name is feminine or masculine. However, Monicus, the Latin transliteration of the masculine Greek
name Mώνυχος (= Monychus),51 is uncommon in the Latin onomasticon. Met[tius] or Metius is an infrequent Latin name, found in Greek transliteration:
Μέττιος52 or Μέτιος.53 Its feminine counterpart would seem to be Met[tia], an
unknown Latin(?) name, very close to the Greek proper name Mettia, existing
in the Roman period (1st-2nd centuries CE).54
Line 4: omnibu[s].- For all, in the dative case.
Dating of the inscription is problematic, but the names suggest its attribution
to the Roman period.
Inscription No. 28A
One-line graffito without frame. The script is regular.
48 I wish to thank Prof. Rachel Birnbaum of the Department of Classical Studies, Tel Aviv
University, for the fruitful discussions and her kind advice (A.O.).
49 See Lewis and Short 1951: 273, s.v. “Calvus”; Forcellini 1965: 321.
50 See Lewis and Short 1951: 1163, s.v. “Monumentum”; Livy, VIII.xi.16: monumentoque
ut esset (= and to commemorate or in commemoration).
51 See Lewis and Short 1951: 1163, s.v. “Monychus”; Forcellini 1965: 289.
52 Cf. Breccia 1911: No. 61 (p. 40); see also Forcellini 1965: 269 (Mettius).
53 See Forcellini 1965: 267-268.
54 See LGPN VA: 301.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

217

[…]παρακι κύριο[ν…]
If the completion of κύριο[ν…], in the accusative case, is correct, the meaning could be authority or the ruling power in a state. If the word is in the nominative case (κύριο[ς]), then the meaning is lord or master. Unfortunately, the
content of the graffito is unclear.
Inscription No. 29
The inscription (43 × 134 cm) consists of four lines. The script is regular and
the letters Θ, Ρ, and C are oval/round in shape. The inscription is very fragmentary and difficult to restore.
1. [
2. η[. .]ας [. . . .]αι αλα[.]ας
3. λε[
] καὶ

4. αιρ[

]
]

Inscription No. 30 (Figs. 5, 7)
The three-line inscription, enclosed within a rectangular frame (11 × 18 cm),
has not been preserved.
Inscription No. 31 (Figs. 5, 7)
The three-line inscription (14 × 22 cm) appears to be two different inscriptions, since the script is not uniform. The script of the word in line 1 was engraved by a trained hand, using a drill, while the words in lines 2-3 are graffiti.
1. Παρμ
2. Mνη[σθῇ]
3. Mν[ησθῇ]

Parm
remembered be
remembered be.

Line 1: Παρμ.- Possibly the first letters of a Greek proper name, such as
Παρμενέα, Παρμενίδης, Παρμενίς, Παρμενίων, etc.55

LGPN I: 362-363; LGPN VA: 358-359.

218

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 32 (Fig. 10)
The inscription (25 × 32 cm) consists of seven incomplete lines. The surviving letters are undecipherable.
1. Γ
2. Τ
3. ο[π]
4. [.]πηο
5. σ (or ς) καπ
6. [ο]τ
7. ι
Inscription No. 33
The inscription (6 × 18 cm) consists of two lines. The script is regular; the
Ε and C intend to square form. The letter Γ in line 1 is larger than the other
letters of the inscription and the P is within its space.
1. Εὐγρύ-
2. δης

Eugrydes.

Lines 1-2: Εὐγρύδης.- Unfamiliar masculine Greek(?) name.
Inscription No. 34 (Figs. 5, 11)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (23 × 29 cm) and consists of
ten lines. The script is regular but the letters are not uniform: some are lunar/
oval/round and others square. The inscription is very fragmentary and it is impossible to restore it or any proper name.
1. [. . . . . . . .]λοσ[.]
2. [. .λ]ιη σῷσε Γαο[.]η[.]
save
3. [.]α[.]ος παδοουσ[.]σ[. .]
4. [. . . . . . . .]π [. . . . . . .]
5. [. . . . . . . . .]η[. .]
6. [
συ]
7. Ατπιις ζα[. .]σα[. .]οφ[.]
8. αμ[.]σ
]
9. Α[υ]ουαλε[. . .] ψαπουτιε[. . . .]
10. μ[.]θος

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

219

Line 2: σῷσε.- The word is incorrectly engraved and should be σῷζε, second
person imperative of σῴζω – save.
Line 9: Two ligatures can be observed – the letters Ο and Υ are joined together.56
Inscription No. 35 (Figs. 9, 11)
The inscription (19 × 80 cm) consists of one line. The script is regular.
Mνη[σ]θῇ Πο[.α]νος καὶ [. . . . .ω. . . .]
Remembered be Po[. a]nos and . . . .
The formula μνη[σ]θῇ is clear, but the fragmentary proper name is problematic.
Inscription No. 38 (Figs. 9-11)
The inscription (18 × 30 cm) consists of five lines. The script is regular and
was engraved by a trained hand; the letters Ε, Ο, C and ω are round in shape.
1. […]ος
2. ουσ
3. [. .]ντις
4. εὐτυ-
5. χ(ε)ίτω

[. . .]os
ous
[. .]ntis
be prosperous / successful.

Line 1: [. . .]ος.- Possibly the suffix of a personal name, such as Ἄδαος,
῞Ηραος, Ἰσάος, etc.57
Line 2: ουσ.- It is difficult to complete.
Line 3: [. .]ντις.- Perhaps the suffix of a personal name, like Φίντις. Although two letters are missing, other completions of the name in question are
possible, such as for example Λεοντίς, Φροντίς, etc.58 The Ν and Τ are joined
together, forming a ligature.
Lines 4-5: εὐτυχ(ε)ίτω.- A formula in present imperative active, third person singular of εὐτυχέω – be prosperous / successful. The E was mistakenly
omitted or the word was engraved in phonetic spelling. The formula εὐτύχ(ε)ι
also appears in inscriptions Nos. 4, 33, 86, 87, 95, 101, 106, 129, 146.

56
57
58

See Avi-Yonah 1940: 90-91, 118.
See LGPN VA: 484-495.
See LGPN VA: 484.

220

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 40 (Figs. 9, 12)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (15 × 21 cm) and consists of
four lines. The script is regular and uniform and seems to have been engraved
by a trained hand.
1. Mνη[σθῇ] [. .]ιω
2. Ἰούδας [. . . .]ις
3. κλατ[. . . . . . .]
4. ιερ[. . . . . . . .]

Remembered be [. .]io
Ioudas

Line 1: Mνη[σθῇ] [. .]ιω.- The completion of the formula is certain, but the
other word is undecipherable, perhaps the suffix of a personal name.
Line 2: Ἰούδας.- The nominative case in Greek transcription of a masculine
Hebrew personal name (hdwhy), common among Jews,59 appearing also among
Christians. The name is spread throughout the Roman world (1st-4th centuries
CE) and in various geographical regions in the early Byzantine period, such as
in Crete and Cyrenaica,60 Sicily,61 Central Greece (Thessaly),62 in the Northern
Regions of the Black Sea (Skythia),63 in Coastal Asia Minor (Ionia and Lydia),64
Syria65 and Egypt.66 The name also features frequently in the Jewish cemetery
at Beth She‘arim, Israel.67
Inscription No. 41 (Figs. 9, 11-12)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (14 × 22 cm) and consists of
three lines. The script is regular and seems to have been engraved by a trained
hand. The letters Θ, Ο and C are oval/round and the ω is square.
1. Mνη[σθ]-
2. ῇ Cάων-
3. ος

59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67

Remembered
be Saonos.

See, e.g., LJN I: 115-118; LJN II: 94-97, 423; LJN III: 95-98, 707.
See LGPN I: 235.
See LGPN IIIA: 220.
See LGPN IIIB: 207.
See LGPN IV: 174.
See LGPN VA: 226.
See Prentice 1922: No. 1014; IGLS IV: No. 1343.
See Milne 1905: No. 9219.
See Schwabe and Lifshitz 1967: Nos. 29, 33, 62(?), 63, 64, 83, 181, 202, 209.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

221

Line 1-2: Mνη[σθ]ῇ.- Based on the preserved letters, the completion seems
to be certain.
Lines 2-3: Cάωνος.- Unknown name. This form may be the genitive case of the
masculine Greek name Cάων, but in the present inscription seems to be used in the
nominative. Cάων was found in the Aegean islands (Euboia and Thera) in the 4th2nd centuries BCE68 and in Coastal Asia Minor (Ionia) in the 3rd century CE.69
Inscription No. 42 (Figs. 9, 11)
The inscription (10 × 37 cm) consists of two fragmentary lines. The script is
regular, but not uniform. The following restoration is suggested:
1. Ι[σ]αι σ[ῷ]σε [ἡ]μᾶ[ς]
2. καὶ C[. . .]υ[. .]

I[s]ai s[a]ve us
and S[. . .]u[. .].

Line 1: Ι[σ]αι σ[ῷ]σε [ἡ]μᾶ[ς].- Ι[σ]αι is unclear whether it is a proper
name; σ[ῷ]σε- the word is incorrectly engraved and should be σῷζε, second
person imperative of σῴζω – save; [ἡ]μᾶ[ς – a pronoun, first person (accusative) plural – us.
Line 2: Line 2: καὶ C[. . .]υ[. .].- A conjunction word – καί, but the following
word, probably a proper name, has not survived.
Inscription No. 43
The inscription (21 × 28 cm) consists of two unclear lines. The script is
regular.
1. [ο]αλ[.]
2. πτο[.]
Inscription No. 43A
The inscription consists of three fragmentary lines, difficult to restore. The
script is regular.
1. [. . .τ]η
2. [. . .]θηλ
3. [. . .]ιαλ
68
69

See LGPN I: 403.
See LGPN VA: 399.

222

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 44 (Figs. 9, 11)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (14 × 24 cm) and consists of
three fragmentary lines. The script is regular.
1. M[νησθῇ]
2. [
]ος
3. [α]ριμψρτδ

Remembered be

Line 1: M[νησθῇ].- The survived M enables to restore the formula μνησθῇ
in this line.
Lines 2-3: Unclear; ος may be the last syllable of a masculine personal name
in the nominative.70
Inscription No. 45 (Fig. 9)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (14 × 30 cm) and consists of
three lines. The script is regular; the letters Θ and C are square.
1. Mνιησθ[ῇ] Δ[.]
2. [υεν. .] καὶ [. .]
3. [
]

Remembered be D[.]
[. . . . .] and [. .]

Line 1: Mνιησθ[ῇ].- The regular formula remembered be, but the ι after ν
was incorrectly engraved.
Line 2: Unclear.
Inscription No. 46 (Fig. 9)
The one-line inscription (5 × 26 cm) contains the formula μνησ[θῇ] (remembered [be]).
Inscription No. 47 (Fig. 9)
The inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (20 × 37 cm) and consists
of five lines, of which only the formula μνη[σθῇ] (remembered be) has partially survived in line 3; in line 5, only the letter η has been preserved.

See LGPN VA: 484-495 (passim).

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

223

Inscription No. 49 (Fig. 13)
The unpreserved inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (16 × 22 cm).
Inscription No. 50 (Figs. 13-14)
The letters of this two-line inscription (21 × 39 cm) are larger and deeper
than those of inscription No. 50A. The script is regular and the letters Θ, Ο and
C are square in shape.
1. [.]λσσυθο[.]
2. μνησθῇ

remembered be.

Line 1: [.]λσσυθο[.].- Unclear; συ was engraved as a ligature (the Υ is within C). This line was partly destroyed by a tabula ansata.
Inscription No. 50A (Figs. 13-14)
The four-line inscription is engraved in a shallow manner and enclosed in a
thin rectangular frame (28 × 39 cm). Line 2 of inscription No. 50 overlaps line
1 of inscription No. 50A and consequently some letters of the latter were partially damaged; it appears that the inscription in question postdates that of No.
50. The script is regular and the letters Ε, Ο, Π and C are square in shape.
1. Τὸ [πρ]οσκύνη[μ]α
2. Ἐλίου Ἰουλίου
3. [. . .]αριου καὶ [ι]
4. [. . . . . .]εν π[.]ς

The adoration / veneration
of Elios son of Ioulios
of [. . .]arios and [.]
[. . . . . .] . . . [.] .

Line 1: Τὸ [πρ]οσκύνη[μ]α.- This word also appears in inscription No. 21.
Line 2: Ἐλίου Ἰουλίου.- Ἐλίου is the genitive case in Greek transliteration
of the masculine Latin name of Ἔλιος (Elios)71 for Ἀέλιος (Aelius), appearing
also in inscription No. 18.72 Ἰουλίου is the genitive case in Greek transcription
of the masculine Latin name of Ἰούλιος (Julius). The name is common in various geographical regions in the Roman period: in the Aegean islands and Cyrenaica,73 Attica,74 Peloponnese, Sicily and Magna Graecia,75 Central Greece
71
72
73
74
75

The name was also adopted by Jews (see LJN II: 62).
See Ovadiah and Pierri 2012: 53, Fig. 26.
See LGPN I: 235.
See LGPN II: 236.
See LGPN IIIA: 220.

224

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

(Thessaly),76 Macedonia, Thrace and Tauris,77 Coastal Asia Minor,78 and Syria.79 Ἰούλιος also appears among Jews.80
Line 3: [. . .]αριου.- It seems to be a fragmentary proper name in the genitive
case.
Inscription No. 51 (Figs. 9, 15)
This fragmentary inscription, engraved by a trained hand, was enclosed in
a tabula ansata (13 × 28 cm) and probably consisted of five lines. The script
is regular.
1. Mνησθ[ῇ. . . . . . . . . .]
2. Μάζιμο[ς . . . . . . . καὶ]
3. οἱ φ[ίλοι αὐτοῦ . . . . . ]
4. [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
5. [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

Remembered be [. . . . . . . . . .]
Mazimo[s . . . . . . . and]
[his] f[riends . . . . .]

Line 2: Μάζιμο[ς].- The name is unknown with ζ; it seems that the engraver may have erroneously substituted the letter ξ for ζ and thus engraved Μάζιμος
instead of Μάξιμος. The latter is a masculine Latin name in the nominative, in
Greek transliteration, and prevailed in various geographical regions in the Roman period.81 It also appears among Jews.82
Inscription No. 52 (Fig. 9)
The unpreserved inscription was enclosed in a rectangular frame (16 ×
27 cm).

See LGPN IIIB: 207.
See LGPN IV: 175.
78 See LGPN VA: 228-229.
79 Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 1875a, 1909, 1922, 2072, 2077, 2078, 2112, 2290,
2292, 2292a, 2309, 2374a, 2383, 2413f, 2524, 2543, 2552, 2555a, 2563, 2567, 2569a, 2571b,
2572, 2577, 2580, 2597, 2598, 2599, 2601, 2603, 2607, 2608, 2609, 2610, 2620; IGLS I: Nos.
49(?), 56, 61; IGLS II: No. 287; IGLS IIIA: Nos. 718, 927; IGLS IV: No. 1314; IGLS V: Nos.
2132, 2212, 2344, 2345, 2346, 2347, 2677; IGLS VI: Nos. 2854, 2917, 2979; IGLS VII: Nos.
4010, 4011.
80 See LJN I: 332; LJN II: 277; LJN III: 502.
81 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 1854d, 1877a, 1922, 1926, 1927, 1975, 1977,
1978, 1984c, d, e, 2115, 2146, 2169, 2175, 2207, 2218, 2225, 2228, 2238, 2253b, 2294, 2317,
2374c, 2396, 2401, 2404, 2405, 2412k, 2462, 2484, 2526, 2527, 2538, 2547, 2707; IGLS IIIB:
No. 993; IGLS IV: No. 1491; IGLS V: Nos. 2090, 2095, 2370; IGLS VI: No. 2973; LGPN I: 298;
LGPN II: 297; LGPN IIIA: 288; LGPN IV: 221; LGPN VA: 280.
82 See LJN II: 287; LJN III: 523.
76
77

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

225

Inscription No. 53
The unpreserved inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (18 × 20 cm).
Inscription No. 54
The unpreserved inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (15 × 18 cm).
Inscription No. 55
The inscription (35 × 54 cm) consists of two lines, of which only line 1 has
partially survived, with the formula μ[νη]σθῇ (remembered be).
Inscription No. 56
The inscription (6 × 20 cm) consists of three lines, of which only line 2 has
partially survived, with the formula [μ]νη[σθῇ] (remembered be).
Inscription No. 57
The inscription was completely effaced; it was enclosed in a tabula ansata
(32 × 41 cm).
Inscription No. 58
The inscription (23 × 62 cm) consists of two lines. The script is regular and
the letters are large; some of them, Θ, Ο and C, are oval/round in shape.
1. [Mν]ησθῇ
2. [……]ος

Remembered be
[. . . . . .]os.

Line 2: [……]ος.- The suffix of the unpreserved word enables the assumption that this is the last syllable of a masculine proper name in the nominative.83
Inscription No. 59
The effaced inscription was engraved in a rectangular frame (9 × 15 cm).

See LGPN VA: 484-495 (passim).

226

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 60
The one-line and undecipherable inscription was probably enclosed in a rectangular frame (12 × 28 cm).
Τῶν

μμη

Of . . . . …

Τῶν.- Genitive plural – of. Curiously, the letters ΜΜΗ were engraved in
the spaces of the letter Ν in the word ΤΩΝ; their meaning is obscure.
Inscription No. 61
It is uncertain whether the effaced inscription was engraved within a
frame.
Inscription No. 62 (Fig. 17)
The effaced inscription was enclosed in a rectangular frame (11 × 15 cm).
Inscription No. 63 (Fig. 17)
The effaced inscription was enclosed in a rectangular frame (16 × 20 cm).
Inscription No. 64 (Fig. 17)
The effaced inscription was enclosed in a rectangular frame (9 × 15 cm).
Inscription No. 65 (Figs. 16-17)
The effaced inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (24 × 39 cm).
Inscription No. 66 (Fig. 17)
The inscription was enclosed in a rectangular frame (40 × 50 cm). The first
five lines were completely effaced. The restoration of line 6 is certain, since the
first and last letters of the formula μ[νησθ]ῇ (remembered be) have survived.
Interestingly, as in some other inscriptions in the Cave, the formula appears at
the end of the present inscription.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

227

Inscription No. 67 (Figs. 17-18)
The inscription (37 × 46 cm) consists of two lines and partially overlaps the
rectangular frame of inscription No. 66. The script is regular and the letters are large.
1. Mνησ[θ]ῇ
2. [.]μ or λ[. .] π[. .]

Remembered be

Line 2 is very fragmentary and undecipherable; probably contained a proper
name.
Inscription No. 68 (Figs. 16-17)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (20 × 28 cm) and consists of
three lines, of which line 3 is almost effaced. The script is rather regular.
1. Mνησ-
2. [θῇ] Νανᾶς or Νανάς
3. η[. . . . .]

Remembered
be Nanas

Line 2: Νανᾶς or Νανάς.- The nominative form of an infrequent masculine
Greek name, found in Attica in the 2nd century BCE,84 in the Northern Regions
of the Black Sea (Cimmerian Bosporos, Skythia and Skythia Minor) in the 5th4th centuries BCE and 2nd-3rd centuries CE,85 and in Coastal Asia Minor (Lydia) in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.86 The name is also found with a double
ν, namely Νάννας or Ναννᾶς, in Samos, Skythia, Thrace, Bithynia and Lydia
in the Late Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.87 The feminine counterpart
appears to be Νάννα, based on the name of a deaconess found on an early Byzantine tombstone in Fîk, in the Golan Heights.88 Νανᾶς / Νανάς was in use
among Jews.89
Inscription No. 68A (Fig. 17)
The one-line inscription, containing the formula μνησθῇ (remembered be),
was carelessly engraved, without a frame, between inscriptions Nos. 68 and 73.
84
85
86
87
88
89

See LGPN II: 325.
See LGPN IV: 246.
See LGPN VA: 328.
See LGPN I: 323; LGPN IV: 246; LGPN VA: 328.
See Gregg and Urman 1996: 35-36 (No. 30).
See LJN III: 438.

228

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 69 (Figs. 16-17)
The inscription (57 × 82 cm) consists of two unclear and undecipherable
lines.
1. [. .]ποδυμης
2. [. .]ου[. . . . . .]]

[. .]podymes

Line 1: [. .]ποδυμης.- Probably part of a proper name.
Inscription No. 69A (Fig. 17)
The three-line inscription is very fragmentary, the script is regular and the
letters are large; the shape of some of them, Ο, C and Φ, is oval/round. The possible legible words are Μάσ[ας] and Λούκι[ος] in lines 1 and 3 respectively.
1. [. .ν]φνιος Μάσ[ας]
2. [. . . . . . .] οἱ [..]ιυ Crux immissa [. . .]
3. [………..]ν Λούκι[ος]

[. . n]phnios Mas[as]
] the [
[. . . . . . . . . . .]n Louki[os].

Line 1: Μάσ[ας].- If the completion is correct, this is an infrequent masculine Greek name in the nominative. It appears in Coastal Asia Minor (Pontos)
in the 5th-4th centuries BCE.90
Line 2: Crux immissa.- A small and plain cross with four equal arms, standing on a triangular form, possibly a stylized and schematic representation of the
Hill of Golgotha, is engraved between the letters of the inscription. This is the
so-called Greek-type cross (crux immissa) that can perhaps be dated to the early Byzantine period (although there are no grounds to confirm this date).91
Line 3: Λούκι[ος].- The nominative case of a masculine Latin name in
Greek transliteration, prevalent in many geographical regions of the Greek and
Roman worlds. The name also appears in inscriptions Nos. 1, 70, 103,92 as well
as among Jews.93
Inscription No. 70 (Figs. 17-18)
The inscription (7 × 26 cm) consists of two lines, of which only line 1
has survived.
90
91
92
93

See LGPN VA: 284.
See Ovadiah and Pierri 2012: 47 and n. 111.
For comparisons and references, see Ovadiah and Pierri 2012: 47-48 (inscription No. 1).
See LJN I: 334; LJN II: 283, 467; LJN III: 511-512.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

1. Λού[κιος]
2. [
]

229

Lou[kios]

Line 1: Λού[κιος].- See inscriptions Nos. 1, 69A, 103.
Inscription No. 71 (Figs. 17-18)
The effaced inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (9 × 11 cm), within
the frame of inscription No. 71A, and probably consisted of two lines.
Inscription No. 71A (Fig. 17)
The inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (37 × 48 cm) and consists
of four lines. Except for two letters (υ and δ) in line 3, the inscription was completely effaced.
Inscription No. 72
The inscription (14 × 22 cm) consists of two fragmentary lines.
1. Λον[….]
2. μ[νησθῇ]

Lon[. . . .]
remembered be.

Line 1: Λον[….].- This seems to be the initial part of a proper name.
Line 2: μ[νησθῇ].- Despite the fact that only the letter m of the formula has
survived, the completion seems to be certain.
Inscription No. 73
The inscription was enclosed in a tabula ansata (27 × 31 cm) and consists
of four lines. Despite the fact that only the letter μ of μ[νησθῇ] has survived in
line 1, the completion seems to be certain. The other three lines were completely effaced.
Inscription No. 74
The inscription, completely effaced, was enclosed in a tabula ansata
(10 × 22 cm) and consists of three lines.

230

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 75
The inscription, completely effaced, was enclosed in a tabula ansata
(12 × 22 cm) and consisted of two lines.
Inscription No. 77 (Figs. 19, 21)
The inscription, completely effaced, was enclosed in a tabula ansata
(31 × 42 cm) and consisted of four lines.
Inscription No. 78 (Fig. 19)
The inscription (8 × 38 cm) consists of two obscure lines.
1. Ν τῶν
2. ν

(The younger) of

Line 1: Ν τῶν.- The letter Ν, like in inscription No. 80, may be an abbreviation of Ν(εώτερος), that is, the younger.94 Τῶν – article in genitive plural – of.
Inscription No. 79
The inscription, completely effaced, was enclosed in a tabula ansata
(10 × 18 cm) and consisted of four lines.
Inscription No. 81 (Figs. 19-20)
A graffito, not engraved by a trained hand, above line 1 of inscription No. 80
and in between its letters; it consists of three lines.
1. Mνησθῇ
2. Θή[α] ἀγαθὴ
3. παιδία χελ(or π)μηγ

Remembered be
the good Thea,
children . . . . . .

Line 1: Contains the complete frequent formula μνησθῇ.
Line 2: Θή[α] ἀγαθή.- Θή[α] is unfamiliar as a (feminine) proper name;
perhaps a shortened form of Θηάθη, engraved on a tombstone from early Byz-

See Avi-Yonah 1940: 87-88; see also Ovadiah – Pierri 2012: 59-60 (inscription No. 80).

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

231

antine Zoora (Ghor es-Safi), dated to 370 CE, or a version of Θέη, which is
found twice in Ghor es-Safi and Moab.95
Line 3: παιδία χελ(or π)μηγ.- The first word means probably children; the
second one is obscure and undecipherable.
Inscription No. 82 (Figs. 19-20, 22)
The inscription, completely effaced, was engraved in a rectangular frame
(14 × 39 cm) and probably consisted of three lines.
Inscription No. 84 (Fig. 22)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (17 × 24 cm) and consists of
four lines. Only the formula μνησθῇ in line 1 and probably two letters – ιν – in
line 3 have survived.
Inscription No. 85 (Fig. 22)
The inscription, of which only two letters – ις – have survived, was probably
enclosed in a rectangular frame (7 × 9 cm).
Inscription No. 87 (Figs. 19, 21, 23-24)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (34 × 44 cm) and consists of
three lines. The script is regular and the letters were meticulously engraved by
a skilled hand. The Ε and C are in square shape.
1. Eὐτύχ(ε)ι
2. σὺν χά-
3. [ρ]ιν

Succeed
with grace / joy.

Line 1: Eὐτύχ(ε)ι.- A formula in the imperative, engraved at the head of the
inscription, like μνησθῇ. The ε was mistakenly omitted or the word was engraved in phonetic spelling. It also appears in inscriptions Nos. 4, 33, 38, 86,
95, 101, 106, 129, 146.
Lines 2-3: σὺν χάριν.- σύν – preposition with dative: with; χάριν was engraved incorrectly in the accusative instead of dative – χάριτι – of the substantive χάρις: grace/joy.
95 See Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 126-127 (No. 29), 228-229 (No.
132), 272-273 (No. 178) (with references).

232

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 87A (Figs. 19, 24)
The one-line inscription is a graffito, engraved below inscription No. 87 and
within the same frame. It contains the formula μνησθῇ (remembered be) and
probably a fragmentary and undecipherable personal name Φ[.λα. . .].
Inscription No. 88 (Figs. 19, 21, 23)
The inscription was probably enclosed in a rectangular frame (26 × 38 cm)
and consists of three lines. The script is regular and rather uniform; the letters
were meticulously engraved by a skilled hand. The Θ and C are in square shape.
1. Mνησθῇ
2. Μυμνης
3. [. .]δαμ

Remembered be
Mymnes
[. .]dam.

Line 2: Μυμνης.- It seems to be a masculine Greek(?) personal name, but
unfamiliar. The letters Μ and Ν are joined together, forming a ligature. The last
letter of the name – C – was damaged by the ansa of the tabula of inscription
No. 93. Thus, the inscription in question is earlier than that of No. 93.
Inscription No. 89 (Figs. 19, 22-23, 25)
In the area measuring 13 × 36 cm there are actually two inscriptions. Lines
1-2 represent the first (earlier) inscription and lines 3-4 the second (later) one.
The script is regular and the letters Ε, Θ and C are oval/round in shape.
1. [. . . .]κια
2. μνησθῇ
3. [.] νεᾶν(ις) or Νέαν
4. μν(ησθῇ)

[. . . .]kia
remembered be
[.] young or Nean
remembered be.

Line 1: [. . . .]κια.- The only discernible letters are κια which may be completed as feminine Greek proper names: [Εὐδο]κία96 or [Εὐτυ]κία. If the intention was Εὐτυκία, it seems that the letter κ was incorrectly engraved instead
of χ; thus, the intention was undoubtedly for the feminine Greek name Εὐτυχία,
prevailed in various geographical regions in the Roman and early Byzantine

96 For this name, see LGPN IV: 131 (Macedonia, 6th century CE). The ex-wife of the Emperor Theodosius II (408-450) was the Empress Eudokia (see Mucznik, Ovadiah and Turnheim
2004: 229-230).

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

233

periods, as for example in the Aegean islands, Cyprus and Coastal Asia Minor
(Bithynia, Ionia, Lydia and Mysia).97
Line 3: [.] νεᾶν(ις) or Νέαν.- Νεαν may be the shortened form of νεᾶνις, that
is, young, as for example νεᾶνις girl or maiden.98 On the other hand, Νέαν as a
proper name was incorrectly engraved in the accusative case, and should have been
Νέα in the nominative case. This is a feminine Greek name found in Crete, Cyrenaica, Euboia99 and Thrace100 in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The name, reusing the formula μνησθῇ of the first (earlier) inscription, was probably added later.
Inscription No. 90 (Figs. 19, 22-23, 25)
The inscription (27/35 × 50/108 cm) consists of three fragmentary lines. The
only clear word is the formula μνησθ[ῇ] (remembered be) in line 2. The characters Μ and Ν are joined together, forming a ligature.
1. μ
2. λιλ μνησθ[ῇ]
3. [. .]σ[. . . .]δ[. .]

. . . remembered be

Inscription No. 91 (Figs. 19, 22-23, 25-26)
One-line Hebrew inscription.

hmwk rb qjxy

Isaac son of Koma

The inscription, engraved on the west wall of the Cave, mentions a visitor/
pilgrim probably from Acre/Acco, Isaac bar (son of) Koma, who paid a visit to
Elijah’s Cave sometime in the 18th and 19th centuries.101
Inscription No. 92 (Fig. 19)
The inscription (20/24 × 85 cm) consists of two lines. The script is rather
regular and uniform; the letters Ο, Φ and Ψ are oval/round; the C and Ο in
lines 1-2 are square. The C and Ο in line 1 are joined together, forming a
See LGPN I: 186; LGPN VA: 184.
Liddell et alii 1973: 1164, s.v. “νεᾶνις”.
99 See LGPN I: 324.
100 See LGPN IV: 247.
101 See Buckingham 1821: 120-121: “… and we saw also, among a multitude of visitors’
names, some written recently in Hebrew characters, by Jews from Accho; this place being held
in equal esteem by Jews, Mohammedans, and Christians”.
97
98

234

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

ligature. Below this inscription, there is a graffito of Μ and Ν in large letters,
probably the initial letters of μν(ησθῇ). This formula is not related to the
present inscription.
1. Φάλις κ(αὶ) Ψάσον υα
2. Μάλαχος

Phalis and Psason . .
Malachos.

Line 1: Φάλις κ(αὶ) Ψάσον.- Unfamiliar masculine personal names;102 κ is an
abbreviation of καί (= and), frequent in the Roman and early Byzantine periods.103
Line 2: Μάλαχος.- Most probably a Greek transcription, in the nominative,
of a masculine Hebrew personal name: Malach (Kalm) – Angel. The name, certainly of Semitic origin, is infrequent in Syria (Hauran).104 Although it resembles the Semitic names Μάλεχος, Μάλιχος, Μαλέχιος, Μάλχος, Μαλχαῖος,
Μαλχᾶς and Μαλχίων,105 derived from the root mlk, to reign,106 the name in
question has a different meaning.
Inscription No. 94 (Fig. 25)
The inscription (14 × 79 cm) consists of two lines with large letters. The
script is regular.
1. Κύριλ(λ)α κ(αὶ) ε(ὐσεβεστάτη)
Kyril(l)a and most pia
2. Νόνα Μον[ίμου] / Μον[άθου]
Nona (daughter of)
Mon[imos] / Mon[athos].
Line 1: Κύριλ(λ)α κ(αὶ) ε(ὐσεβεστάτη).- Κύριλ(λ)α is the nominative
case of a common feminine Greek name, prevailing in the Aegean island of
102 Perhaps the name Φάλις was incorrectly engraved and may be completed Φλά(β)ι(ο)ς,
a masculine Latin proper name, in Greek transliteration, prevailing in the Roman and early Byzantine periods (see, e.g., Negev 1977: 12 [No. 6] [Φλαούιος]; Negev 1981: 65-66 [No. 75],
73-74 [No. 92] [Φλαύιος]; LGPN I: 474-475; Gregg and Urman 1996: 237 [No. 194]; LGPN VA:
456 [Φλαούιος, Φλάουις]).
103 See Avi-Yonah 1940: 74, 76; see also inscriptions Nos. 21, 37, 94, 108, 113, 140, 149.
104 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: No. 2123; Dunand 1932: 410 (No. 41).
105 See Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 158-159 (No. 65) (with references);
see also additional references for the following names: Μάλχος – Prentice 1908: Nos. 189, 283,
395, 401a; Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 329, 610, 685, 732, 787, 796, 797; Prentice 1922: Nos.
904, 1041; IGLS II: Nos. 269, 577; IGLS IIIA: Nos. 760(?), 853(?); IGLS IV: Nos. 1480, 1565,
1732, 1797, 1845; IGLS V: Nos. 2018, 2367; Μάλεχος – Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 214, 366,
713, 753, 795; Μάλιχος – Milne 1905: No. 9296; Littmann et alii 1921: No. 720; Μαλωχας IGLS II: No. 269. The following names were also in use among Jews: Μάλιχος – LJN I: 390;
Μάλχος – LJN I: 390; LJN III: 674; Μαλωχῶς – LJN III: 674.
106 Sartre 1985: 214, s.vv. “Μάλεχος”, “Μάλχος”.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

235

Lesbos,107 Southern Italy and Sicily,108 Macedonia, Thrace and the Northern
Regions of the Black Sea,109 Syria,110 Golan Heights (Farj),111 the Jewish cemetery of Beth She‘arim in Israel,112 Moab,113 early Byzantine Zoora (Ghor esSafi),114 Sinai (Wadi Haggag),115 Egypt,116 etc. in the Roman and early Byzantine periods. Its masculine counterpart – Κύριλλος – is engraved in inscription
No. 18. The lower diagonal line of κ is crossed by a vertical line, a common
abbreviation for καί (= and) in Greek inscriptions of the Roman and early Byzantine periods.117 The ε is probably the abbreviation for ε(ὐσεβεστάτη).118
Line 2: Νόν(ν)α Μον[ίμου] / Μον[άθου].- Νόνα or Νόννα is the nominative case of a common feminine name, found in Thrace and the Northern
Regions of the Black Sea in the early Byzantine period,119 Ionia in the 3rd century CE,120 Moab,121 Sinai (Wadi Haggag)122 and Egypt123 from the 4th century
CE, etc. Its masculine counterpart is Νόνος or Νόννος.124 It has been argued
that both names, masculine and feminine, are Lallnamen originating in Asia
Minor and from there reaching Syria, Palaestina and Egypt, mainly from the 4th
century CE.125 The name Νόν(ν)α also appears among Jews.126 Μον[ίμου] /
Μον[άθου].- The restored genitive case of Μόνιμος or Μόναθος, a masculine
Greek personal name. Μόνιμος appears in the Aegean islands (Delos and Samos),127 and Coastal Asia Minor (Ionia and Pontos)128 in Late Classical, HelleSee LGPN I: 279.
See LGPN IIIA: 263.
109 See LGPN IV: 205.
110 See Prentice 1908: Nos. 73, 274; Littmann et alii 1921: No. 586; Prentice 1922: No. 1074;
IGLS II: Nos. 509, 685; IGLS IIIA: Nos. 922, 947; IGLS V: Nos. 2340(?), 2355.
111 Gregg and Urman 1996: 167-168 (No. 133).
112 Schwabe and Lifshitz 1967: Nos. 120, 146; cf. also LJN I: 321 (Κυριλη); LJN II: 255;
LJN III: 434-435.
113 Canova 1954: LXXXIII(?), CIX(?), 44(?).
114 Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 354-355 (No. 266).
115 Negev 1977: No. 46.
116 Milne 1905: No. 33034.
117 See Avi-Yonah 1940: 76; see also inscriptions Nos. 21, 37, 92, 108, 113, 140, 149.
118 See Avi-Yonah 1940: 61.
119 See LGPN IV: 257.
120 See LGPN VA: 339.
121 Canova 1954: LXXXIII, CVIII, 37, 51, 59, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 227, 270,
271, 289.
122 Negev 1977: Nos. 30, 42, 57, 101, 138, 195(?), 199, 200.
123 Lefebvre 1907: Nos. 87, 122, 322.
124 See Prentice 1908: Nos. 93, 94; Prentice 1922: Nos. 1119, 1121, 1122, 1142(?); IGLS II:
Nos. 625, 695; Canova 1954: LXXXIII, CVIII, 42; IGLS IV: No. 1337; LGPN I: 340; LGPN IIIA:
330; LGPN IIIB: 312; LGPN IV: 257; LGPN VA: 339.
125 Bonner 1954: 15-17.
126 See LJN II: 258; LJN III: 439 (also Νόννη).
127 See LGPN I: 320.
128 See LGPN VA: 321.
107
108

236

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

nistic and Roman periods. The name is also found in Syria129 and among Jews.130
Μόναθος is a rare name and has been found only once in Syria.131
Inscription No. 96A (Fig. 19)
This two-line fragmentary inscription was engraved between the letters of
line 1 in inscription No. 94 and is certainly a later insertion. It is difficult to
restore it, except for the formula μνησ[θῇ].
1. [. .]ε μνησ[θῇ] τὰ [. .]
2. [. . . . . . .]νας

[. .]e remembered be the [. .]
[. . . . . . .]nas.

Line 1: τά.- Nominative neuter plural of the article.
Line 2: [. . . . . . .]νας.- Probably the suffix of a proper name, as for example
Νανᾶς or Νανάς, Ἰωνᾶς, etc.
Inscription No. 96B (Fig. 19)
A very fragmentary inscription, which was partially engraved in between the
letters of line 1 in inscription No. 94.
[. . . .]λη[. .]μ[. .]ικ[ιο. .]
Inscription No. 97
The inscription (16 × 38 cm) consists of two unclear lines. The script is regular and rather uniform; the letters Ο and the last C are square in shape; the
other C is round.
1. ο αικ[ο]ς αχ[. .]
2. ν[ο]νοιας
Inscription No. 98 (Figs. 19, 27-28)
The unpreserved inscription was engraved in a rectangular frame (12 ×
24 cm).
129 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 2117, 2118, 2128, 2243 (Μόνημος), 2293,
2412e, 2544; Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 661, 127 and 786 (Μόνεμος); IGLS V: Nos. 2187(?),
2382, 2383, 2563, 2595.
130 See LJN I: 297; LJN II: 230; LJN III: 336.
131 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: No. 2429.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

237

Inscription No. 99 (Figs. 19, 25, 28)
The fragmentary and undecipherable inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (18 × 23 cm) and consists of five lines.
1. [
]
2. [.ωση. . .]
3. τ.οφ[. . .]
4. [. . . .]α[. ]
5. π.χυ. . . .
Inscription No. 100 (Figs. 25, 27-28)
The inscription (10 × 25 cm) consists of two lines. Only the formula μνη[σθῇ]
has partially survived.
1. Mνη[σθῇ]
2. ι

Remembered be

Inscription No. 101 (Figs. 27, 29)
The inscription (8 × 208 cm) consists of two long lines. The script is regular
and was engraved by a trained hand. The letters Ε, Θ, Ο, C and ω in line 1 are
oval/round in shape, but Ε, Θ and ω also appear in square form.
1. Θεότεκνος ψυχὴ σῳζέσθω,
2. εὐτύχ(ε)ι κ[.]παλ[…]

[. .]νωιληενη

1. Soul born of God be saved,
2. succeed or be happy . . . . . . . .
Line 1: Θεότεκνος ψυχή.- Since θεότεκνος appears here in the nominative and not in the genitive, the word presents most probably an unusual invocation rather than a proper name, although Θεότεκνος appears as a personal name in Syria.132 σῳζέσθω.- Third-person singular, present imperative
passive of σῴζω – save. This inscription was engraved by an anonymous
visitor/pilgrim, who invokes salvation or help and wishes success and happiness, probably to a certain one (ὁ δεῖνα). The linguistic expression of the
132 See Prentice 1908: Nos. 279, 281; Prentice 1922: Nos. 935, 987, 997, 1000, 1118, 1170;
IGLS II: Nos. 376, 460, 690, 692; IGLS IV: Nos. 1617, 1636, 1645, 1711.

238

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

inscription raises the possibility that it is a Christian one, dated to the early
Byzantine period.
Inscription No. 102 (Fig. 27)
The inscription (30/31 × 124/139 cm) consists of three lines. The script is
regular; the large characters seem to have been engraved by a skilled hand. The
letters Ο, C and Φ are oval/round in shape. In the space between lines 1-2 a
single Μ is engraved.
1. Mνησ[θ]ῇ
2. υανυφυννους ὁ
3. Διόφαντος

Remembered be
. . . . . . . . . . . the
Diophantos.

Line 2: υανυφυννους.- Difficult to decipher. The Υ and Ν are joined together, forming a ligature.
Line 3: Διόφαντος.- The nominative case of a common masculine Greek
personal name, widespread throughout the Greek and Roman worlds, from the
5th century BCE and onwards.133 The name in question, which also appears in
inscription No. 20, was adopted by Jews.134
Inscription No. 102A (Fig. 27)
The one-line inscription was mostly engraved in between the letters of
line 1 in inscription No. 102. The script is regular and uniform and the letters
are large.
Χα[ρῇ] Δημ(ή)τριος

Happy be Demetrios.

If the completion of χα[ρῇ] is correct, the present inscription contains the
same formula as that in inscriptions Nos. 94, 108 and 109. Δημ(ή)τριος is the
nominative case of a very common masculine Greek personal name, widespread
throughout the Greek and Roman worlds.135 The name appears frequently in the
epigraphy – mostly pagan – of the Graeco-Roman cities of Decapolis, particularly at Gerasa, but also at Abila, Philadelphia (Amman), Pella and Gadara.
133 See LGPN I: 141; LGPN II: 132; LGPN IIIA: 132; LGPN IIIB: 123; LGPN IV: 108;
LGPN VA: 144-145; see also Le Bas and Waddington 1870: No. 1904; Milne 1905: Nos. 9296,
33012; IGLS IIIA: No. 710; IGLS IIIB: Nos. 1057, 1237; IGLS V: No. 2333.
134 See LJN I: 273; LJN II: 205; LJN III: 248.
135 See LGPN I: 124-126; LGPN II: 104-108; LGPN IIIA: 122-123; LGPN IIIB: 111-112;
LGPN IV: 91-93; LGPN VA: 121-125.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

239

Occasional instances are encountered as well at Madaba, Horvat Hesheq in
Western Galilee and in the region of Hauran.136 Δημήτριος was a popular name
in the nomenclature of the Roman East,137 especially in the areas that had formerly been under Seleucid rule. The name was adopted by Jews.138 It is rarely found
in the Christian epigraphy of the provinces of Palaestina and Arabia. These facts
perhaps strengthen the possibility of dating the inscription in question to the Roman period. The feminine counterpart of Δημήτριος is Δημητρία.139
Inscription No. 104 (Figs. 27-28)
It is unclear whether the text contains a two-line inscription or two different
inscriptions of one line each. The script is regular.
1. Αν[ν. . .]
2. χωσ[α.η] μνη[σθῇ]

An[n . . .]
. . . . . . remembered be.

Line 1: Αν[ν…].- Perhaps the initial part of a personal name.
Line 2: χωσ[α.η] μνη[σθῇ].- The first word is obscure and difficult to restore. The restoration of the formula is much easier, since the first three characters have survived.
Inscription No. 105 (Figs. 27-28)
This incomplete and obscure inscription is engraved within a small aedicula, in
the area of inscription No. 104. On the right side of the inscription, a monumental
Μ was engraved by a skilled hand, perhaps the first character of the formula μνησθῇ.
1. Λ[. . .]
2. δεπγ(?)
Inscription No. 105A (Fig. 27)
The script of the two-line text is not uniform. The preserved characters of
line 1 are large and were engraved meticulously, whereas those of line 2 are
much smaller and less meticulous. Thus, it seems that the two-line text consists
136 For a detailed discussion and bibliographical references of these specific examples, see
Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 96 (commentary of inscription No. 4); see also
Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2008: 59-60 (No. 4), 129-130 (No. 52).
137 Sartre 1985: 198.
138 See LJN I: 271; LJN II: 204; LJN III: 240.
139 See, for example, Gregg and Urman 1996: No. 62 (Golan Heights – El-’Âl).

240

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

of two different inscriptions of one line each. Both lines are included in the area
of inscription No. 104 and were engraved below inscription No. 105.
1. [. . .]λης
2. Cτε[. .]
Line 1: [. . .]λης.- Perhaps the suffix (?) of a personal name.140
Line 2: Cτε[. .].- Perhaps the prefix (?) of a personal name.
Inscription No. 106 (Figs. 27-28)
The inscription (17 × 25 cm) consists of two lines. The script is regular; the
shape of Ε and C is square.
1. Κ
2. Εὐτύχ(ε)ι σ[ύ]

K
Succeed or be happy you.

Inscription No. 107 (Figs. 27, 31)
A long and unclear inscription (12 × 72 cm) consists of one line.
[μ.]πσ[α]ρ[υ]
Inscription No. 109 (Figs. 29-31)
A long inscription (55 × 116/138 cm), with rather large characters, consists of
four lines. The script is regular and uniform. Some characters are oval/round (Θ,
Ο, Ρ and C) and others are square (Ε and Θ). Three letters (η, ν, ε) in line 3 are
joined together, forming a ligature. Contrary to other inscriptions, the present one
begins with the formula χαρῇ (happy be) and ends with μνησθῇ (remembered be).
Happy be Marinos and lady
1. Χαρῇ Μαρῖνος καὶ Ἀνιην κυρία,
Anien,
2. θμ[.]νηπαια
………
3. πᾶς ἡ νεόρις Αἰμηλ[ίου]/[ίας]
all the youth of Aim<i>l[ios]/[a]
4. μνησ[θῇ]
remembered be.
Line 1: Χαρῇ Μαρῖνος καὶ Ἀνιην κυρία.- The formula χαρῇ was originally engraved for inscription No. 108, but was reused for the present inscription
140

See LGPN VA: 481.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

241

as well, by engraving it horizontally after the formula. Thus, the formula served
both inscriptions simultaneously. It also appears in inscriptions Nos. 94 and
102A. Μαρῖνος is the nominative case, in Greek transliteration, of a frequent
masculine Latin name (Marinus), prevailing in various geographical regions in
the Roman and early Byzantine periods, such as in Cyrenaica,141 Attica (Athens),142 Peloponnese (Korinthia),143 Macedonia and Thrace,144 Coastal Asia Minor (Bithynia, Ionia, Lydia),145 Syria146 and Egypt.147 The name also appears in
a dactylic hexameter Greek inscription, inlaid in an early Byzantine mosaic
floor in a church at Apollonia148 and in the Jewish cemetery at Beth She‘arim149
in Israel. Μαρῖνος and the feminine counterpart Marina are to be found in
Jewish inscriptions in Europe and Africa.150 Ἀνιην κυρία: the name is unfamiliar; the title κυρία, like in inscriptions Nos. 110A and 133, seems to indicate the
status of the lady Ἀνιην, who visited Elijahs Cave.
Line 3-4 πᾶς ἡ νεόρις Αἰμηλ[ίου]/[ίας] μνησ[θῇ].- It seems that πᾶς was
erroneously engraved in masculine, instead of πᾶσα (all) in feminine; ἡ νεόρις
can be interpreted in two ways: 1) as a substantivized adjective for νεώρης (feminine), that is, new or fresh; 2) as νεότης (youth), where the τ was substituted for
ρ. Thus, the proper name, either masculine or feminine, should de in the genitive
case, namely Αἰμ<ι>λ[ίου]/[ίας]. Αἰμίλιος, the Greek transcription of the Latin
name Aemilius, is found in the Aegean islands (Lesbos) and Cyrenaica,151 Attica
(Athens),152 Southern Italy,153 Macedonia, Thrace and Scythia Minor,154 Coastal
Asia Minor (Pontos),155 etc. The name was also in use among Jews.156 Its feminine
counterpart is Αἰμιλία.157 Consequently, the proposed reading of these lines is as
follows: all the youth of Aimilios or Aimilia remembered be.

See LGPN I: 298.
See LGPN II: 297-298.
143 See LGPN IIIA: 288.
144 See LGPN IV: 221.
145 See LGPN VA: 281.
146 Prentice 1908: Nos. 153, 154, 395, 396, 397, 400a; Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 765, 787,
801; IGLS II: No. 668B(?) (Μαρῆνος); IGLS IV: Nos. 1506, 1523; IGLS VI: No. 2740.
147 Lefebvre 1907: No. 651.
148 See Ovadiah 1997: 444-445.
149 See Schwabe and Lifshitz 1967: 64 (No. 149); cf. also LJN II: 285-286; LJN III: 521
(Μαρίνους).
150 See Schwabe and Lifshitz 1967: 64 and n. 2.
151 See LGPN I: 18.
152 See LGPN II: 14.
153 See LGPN IIIA: 18.
154 See LGPN IV: 11.
155 See LGPN VA: 12.
156 See LJN II: 262.
157 See, e.g., Negev 1977: 41 (No. 141); LGPN VA: 12. The name also appears among Jews
(LJN III: 453).
141
142

242

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 110 (Fig. 31)
A fragmentary and undecipherable graffito (7 × 24 cm), engraved over some
of the letters of inscription No. 110A.
[….]τ[ε]πταν
Inscription No. 110A (Fig. 27)
The inscription is short and incomplete; some letters of the graffito (inscription No. 110) were engraved over it, most probably at a later date.
Κυρία Λ

Lady L

Κυρία Λ.- The title κυρία seems to indicate the status of this anonymous
lady, as in inscriptions Nos. 109 and 133. The name begins with the letter Λ, but
it has not survived.
Inscription No. 111
The three-line inscription (6 × 40 cm) was almost effaced, except for two
letters in line 1 – σθ – that enable restoration of the formula [μνη]σθ[ῇ].
Inscription No. 112 (Fig. 32)
The three-line inscription (8 × 65 cm) was almost effaced, except for three
letters in line 1 – μνη – that enable restoration of the formula μνη[σθῇ].
Inscription No. 113 (Fig. 32)
This initially appears to be one inscription (47 × 72 cm), consisting of six lines,
but in fact may be three different inscriptions, one below the other, engraved by three
different visitors/pilgrims. However, the text is incomplete. The script is regular and
the characters Ε, Θ, Ο and C are oval/round in shape, except for the square ω.
1. Mνησθῇ Ζήνων
2. [
] κὲ [
]
3. [Mν]η[σθῇ] (τὰ) τέκν[α . . .]
4. Mνη[σθῇ] [Λου]ιλ[ ]
5. [
]θος [
]
6. κὲ [
]

Remembered be Zenon
[
] and [
]
Remembered be (the) children [. . .]
Remembered be Lou]il[
]
[
]thos [
]
and [
].

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

243

Line 1: Ζήνων.- The nominative case of a common masculine Greek theophoric name (derive-d from Zeus), prevailing in Antiquity (from the 5th century BCE) and Late Antiquity in various geographical regions of the Greek and
Roman worlds.158 The name is documented in the epigraphy of Palaestina and
Arabia continuously from the Hellenistic to the early Byzantine period. The
preference for this name among the Christians of these provinces has been related to the cult of Saint Zenon, a military official who served at the Roman
garrison of Zizia – a fort located ca. 40 km south of Amman – and was martyred
there in 304 CE.159 The name was also frequent in Egypt.160 The rare form
Ζηνωνίς is the feminine counterpart of Ζήνων, found in a Roman epitaph from
Tyre.161 The name was adopted by Jews.162
Lines 2 and 6: κέ.- κέ is instead of καί (= and), either a common mistake or
phonetic spelling in Greek inscriptions, especially in the Roman and early Byzantine periods.163
Line 3: [Mν]η[σθῇ] (τὰ) τέκν[α].- It seems plausible to restore the formula
on the basis of the character η. If the completion of τέκν[α] is correct, it is
possible to restore τά – nominative neuter plural of the article.
Line 5: [
]θος.- This seems to be the suffix of a personal name.164
Inscription No. 114 (Fig. 32)
The inscription (5 × 52 cm) consists of one line: the formula μνησθῇ (remembered be) and the missing name. The characters C and Θ form a ligature.
Inscription No. 115 (Fig. 32)
The inscription is enclosed within a tabula ansata (12 × 28 cm) and consisted of four lines. Only the formula μνησθῇ (remembered be) in line 1 and three
characters (συγ) in line 2 have survived.

158 See LGPN I: 194-195; LGPN II: 193-194; LGPN IIIA: 187; LGPN IIIB: 175; LGPN IV:
143; LGPN VA: 191.
159 Ζήνων is found three times at Ghor es-Safi (early Byzantine Zoora); see Meimaris and
Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 254-255 (No. 159), 366-367 (No. 283); Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2008: 62-63 (No. 7); see there also detailed bibliographical references
for the appearance of Ζήνων in inscriptions in the Roman East and in the Early Christian
epigraphy.
160 See Milne 1905: Nos. 9283, 9296.
161 See Rey-Coquais 2006: No. 396.
162 See LJN I: 281; LJN II: 214, 453; LJN III: 281.
163 See also inscriptions Nos. 21, 37, 92, 94, 108, 140, 149.
164 Cf. LGPN VA: 485.

244

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 116 (Fig. 32)
The inscription (11 × 30 cm) contains only the last three characters of the
formula [μνη]σθῇ, but enables its restoration with certainty.
Inscription No. 117 (Fig. 32)
The inscription (10 × 61 cm) contains only the formula μνησθ[ῇ] of which
the last character is missing.
Inscription No. 118
The effaced inscription was enclosed within a rectangular frame (15 × 18 cm).
Inscription No. 119
The effaced inscription was enclosed within a tabula ansata (23 × 33 cm).
Inscription No. 120
The effaced inscription was enclosed within a tabula ansata (25 × 31 cm).
Inscription No. 121
The effaced inscription was enclosed within a tabula ansata (17 × 31 cm).
Inscription No. 122
The effaced inscription was enclosed within a tabula ansata (16 × 23 cm).
Inscription No. 123
The effaced inscription was enclosed within a rectangular frame (14 × 22 cm).
Inscription No. 124
Most of the three-line inscription, enclosed within a tabula ansata (26 × 30
cm), was effaced and only four characters in line 1 – [. . . . .]ανος –, probably
the suffix of a personal name,165 have survived.
165

Cf. LGPN VA: 490-491.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

245

Inscription No. 125
This long fragmentary inscription (20 × 105 cm) consisted of three lines, but
only the formula μνησθῇ (remembered be) in line 1 is clear and legible.
1. [M]νησθῇ [.(λ).(μ).]
2. [. .]ο[. .]ινο[. . .
]
3. [. . . . . . . ]π[. . . . . . ]

Remembered be [. . . . . ]

Inscription No. 126
The inscription is enclosed within a tabula ansata (20 × 33 cm) and consists
of four fragmentary lines, difficult to restore.
1. [
2. [
3. [
4. [

]ιο

]ς
]π[.]
α]λ[
]
Inscription No. 127 (Fig. 33)

The effaced inscription was enclosed within a rectangular frame (6 × 12 cm).
Inscription No. 128 (Fig. 33)
Of this six-line inscription, probably enclosed within a square frame (18 ×
18 cm), only lines 1 and 6 have been partially preserved, with the restored formula μνησθῇ (remembered be) at the head of the inscription and at its end.
1. Μνη[σθῇ] Α[…]
2. [
]μ[.]
3. [
]
4. [
]
5. [
]
6. [μνη]σθῇ [. .]

Remembered be A. . .

remembered be.

Line 1: Α[…].- Since it follows the formula, this seems to be the first character of a personal name.

246

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 130 (Fig. 33)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (18 × 32 cm) and consists of
three incomplete lines.
1. [Μνησθῇ]
2. οἱ [
]
3. ση[
]

[Remembered be]
the

The completion of line 1 with μνησθῇ seems to be reasonable, since the
formula usually appears at the head of the inscription.
Line 2: οἱ.- Nominative masculine plural of the article.
Inscription No. 131 (Figs. 33-34)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (21 × 32 cm) and consists of
four lines. The script is regular and uniform; the characters Ε, Θ, Ο and C are
oval/round in shape.
1. Μνησθῇ ιν
2. Πολέ[μ]ων
3. Ἀγα[θ]ῆνος
4. Ὀπ[ο]υανη

Remembered be . .
Pole[m]on
Aga[th]enos
Op[o]uane.

Line 2: Πολέ[μ]ων.- A masculine Greek name in the nominative, prevailing
in various geographical regions in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, such as
the Aegean islands, Crete and Cyprus,166 Coastal Asia Minor (Aiolis, Bithynia,
Ionia, Lydia, Mysia and Troas),167 etc. The name was also in use among Jews.168
Line 3: Ἀγα[θ]ῆνος.- If the completion is correct, this is the nominative case
of a masculine Greek name, frequent in the Aegean islands and Cyrenaica,169
Attica (Athens),170 Peloponnese, Southern Italy and Sicily,171 Central Greece,172
Macedonia, Scythia Minor and Skythia,173 and Coastal Asia Minor174 from the

166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174

LGPN I: 375.
LGPN VA: 370.
See LJN III: 357.
See LGPN I: 2 (Ἀγαθῖνος).
See LGPN II: 2 (Ἀγαθῖνος).
See LGPN IIIA: 3 (Ἀγαθῖνος).
See LGPN IIIB: 2 (Ἀγαθῖνος).
See LGPN IV: 2 (Ἀγαθῖνος).
See LGPN VA: 2 (Ἀγαθῖνος).

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

247

4th century BCE up to the Roman period. Among Jews, the name appears with
a different spelling – Ἀγαθεῖνος.175
Line 4: Ὀπ[ο]υανη.- Unfamiliar proper name, probably Latin in Greek
transliteration.
Inscription No. 132 (Fig. 33)
The inscription is enclosed within a tabula ansata (15 × 30 cm) and consisted of four lines (the fourth line is missing). The script is regular and uniform;
the characters Ε, Θ, Ο and C are oval/round in shape.
1. Mνησθῇ
2. Οὐαλ[έρι]ος
3. [. . . .]υερ κα[ὶ]
4. [
]

Remembered be
Oual[eri]us
. . . . . . . and

Line 2: Οὐαλ[έρι]ος.- The nominative case of the masculine Latin proper
name Valerius, in Greek transcription. The name prevailed in various regions in
the Roman and early Byzantine periods: the Aegean islands and Cyrenaica,176
Attica (Athens),177 Illyria,178 Central Greece (Thessaly),179 Macedonia, Thrace,
Skythia and Scythia Minor,180 Coastal Asia Minor (Bithynia, Ionia, Lydia, Mysia and Troas),181 Syria182 and Egypt.183 The name also appears among Jews.184
Its feminine counterpart is Οὐαλερία (Valeria).185
Inscription No. 133 (Figs. 33, 35)
The inscription, consisting of six lines (5 and 6 are missing), is fragmentary
and enclosed within a rectangular frame (17 × 31 cm). The script is regular and
uniform; the characters Ε, Ο, Ρ and ω are oval/round in shape.
See LJN III: 197.
See LGPN I: 355.
177 See LGPN II: 355.
178 See LGPN IIIA: 346.
179 See LGPN IIIB: 329.
180 See LGPN IV: 265.
181 See LGPN VA: 349.
182 Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 1893, 1975; Prentice 1908: No. 102; Littmann et alii
1921: No. 765; Prentice 1922: No. 1107; IGLS II: Nos. 467, 523; IGLS IIIA: No. 741; IGLS V:
No. 2581.
183 Milne 1905: No. 9248; Lefebvre 1907: No. 68.
184 See LJN I: 340; LJN II: 297; LJN III: 555-556.
185 See IGLS IIIA: No. 962; IGLS IV: No. 1255; LGPN I: 355; LGPN II: 355; LGPN IIIB:
329; LGPN IV: 265; LGPN VA: 349.
175
176

248

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

1. [
2. [
3. [
4. [
5. [
6. [

μ]νῆμα
]ιου καὶ Καλ-
]πματη κυρία
]τη [κ]αὶ Μυ[.]λω]
]

. . . . . . . remembrance/commemoration
. . . . . . . iou and Kal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lady
. . . . . . . . . . . and My[.]lo-

Line 1: [
μ]νῆμα.- In Palaestina and Arabia the term μνῆμα in
funerary epigraphy is employed alternatively with μνημεῖον for the designation
of burial monuments. The only known case of a non-funerary use of μνῆμα is
encountered at Wadi Umm-Sideira in Southern Sinai. On a rock graffito at this
site the word μνέμα is employed as the equivalent of ὑπόμνημα, that is, remembrance/commemoration.186
Line 2: [
]ιου καὶ Καλ-.- Perhaps the suffix in the genitive case (like
Ἰουλίου and Ἰουνίου) and the prefix of two proper names respectively.
Line 3: κυρία.- Most probably a title of status, as in inscriptions Nos. 109, 110A.
Line 4: Μυ[.]λω-.- Unclear fragmentary word, perhaps the prefix of a proper name. Curiously, the Y was engraved a little higher than the other letters of
the word.
Inscription No. 134 (Fig. 33)
Of the four-line inscription, enclosed within a rectangular frame (15 × 17
cm), only the formula μνησθῇ, in lines 1 and 2, has survived.
Inscription No. 135 (Figs. 33, 36)
The inscription is enclosed within a square frame (15 × 15 cm) and consists of two lines. The script is regular and the characters Θ, Ο and C are
oval in shape.
1. Mνησθῇ
2. Οὐλ[ιάδης] / Οὔλ[πιος]

Remembered be
Oul[iades] / Oul[pios].

Line 2: Οὐλ[ιάδης] / Οὔλ[πιος].- If one of the two completions is correct,
the present inscription may offer an additional masculine proper name in the
nominative case. Οὐλιάδης exists in various regions of the Greek world from
the 5th century BCE up to the Roman period.187 Οὔλπιος (Ulpius) is the Greek
186
187

Lifshitz 1971: 151-152 (No. 1).
See, e.g., LGPN I: 355; LGPN VA: 351.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

249

transliteration of a masculine Latin proper name, known to have become popular during and after the rule of Trajan. The name features frequently in inscriptions of the Roman period in various places, especially in the Roman East.188
Inscription No. 135A (Figs. 33, 36)
The three-line inscription is enclosed within the frame of No. 135. The script
is regular and the characters Ε, Ο, Ρ and C are oval/round in shape, except for
the square C in line 3.
1. Mνησ[θ]ῇ Οὐ-
2. αλέρι(ο)ς καὶ
3. Ἰού[λ]ις ετε

Remembered be Oualeris and
Iou[l]is . . .

Lines 1-2: Οὐαλέρις.- The nominative form of the masculine Latin proper
name Valeris, in Greek transcription. The name prevails in various places in the
Roman period.189 A variant of the name, also in Greek transcription, is Οὐαλέριος
(Valerius)190 and its feminine counterpart – Οὐαλερία (Valeria).191 Οὐαλέριος
was adopted by Jews.192
Line 3: Ἰού[λ]ις.- The completion of the word, on the basis of the remaining
characters, seems to be plausible, but not certain. Thus, it can be suggested that
the word presents the nominative case in Greek transcription – Ἰούλιος – of the
masculine Latin name Juli(u)s.193 The name is widespread in the Roman period,194 usually in the spellings reflecting the later pronunciation. Both names,
Ἰού[λ]ις195 and Ἰούλιος,196 appear among Jews.

188 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 1990, 2330, 2341, 2374b, 2399, 2445, 2465,
2546; Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 45, 584, 765; IGLS I: Nos. 134, 153F; IGLS V: No. 2581; Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 312-314 (No. 224) (with bibliographical references);
see also LGPN VA: 351 (Coastal Asia Minor – Troas).
189 See, e.g., LGPN VA: 349 (Coastal Asia Minor – Lydia).
190 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 1893, 1975; Milne 1905: No. 9248; Lefebvre
1907: No. 68; Prentice 1908: No. 102; Littmann et alii 1921: No. 765; Prentice 1922: No. 1107;
IGLS II: Nos. 467, 523; IGLS IIIA: No. 741; IGLS V: No. 2581; Negev 1977: No. 242; LGPN I:
355; LGPN II: 355; LGPN IIIA: 346; LGPN IIIB: 329; LGPN IV: 265; Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 303 (No. 213); LGPN VA: 349.
191 See IGLS IIIA: No. 962; IGLS IV: No. 1255; LGPN I: 355; LGPN II: 355; LGPN IIIB:
329; LGPN IV: 265; LGPN VA: 349.
192 See LJN I: 340; LJN II: 297; LJN III: 556 (Βαλέρις).
193 Cf. Gregg and Urman 1996: 86 (No. 88) – Ἰούλις (Joulis = Julius); LGPN VA: 229.
194 For the distribution or appearance of the name in the Roman period (with bibliographical
references), see above inscription No. 50.
195 See LJN II: 277.
196 See LJN I: 332; LJN III: 502-503.

250

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 136 (Figs. 33, 38, 41)
The inscription (40 × 52 cm) is incomplete and consists of seven lines. The
script is regular, but not uniform; the letters Θ, Ο and C are oval/round and
square in shape. The formula μνησθῇ appears twice.
1. Mνησθῇ [
]
2. Ἰουλιανὸς καὶ Οἰτισκή-
3. λιος Νομ[. .]κανος [
]
4. μν ο
5. θηου
6. μν[ησθῇ] [
]
7. Ἡλιό[δω]ρος

Remembered be [. . . . . . . . . .]
Ioulianos and Oitiskelios Nom[ . .]kanos [. . . .]
…
….
remembered be [. . . . . . . . .]
Helio[do]ros.

Lines 2-3: Ἰουλιανὸς καὶ Οἰτισκήλιος.- Ἰουλιανός is the nominative, in
Greek transcription, of a very common and popular masculine Latin name (Julianus). It is spread throughout various geographical regions in the Roman and
early Byzantine periods.197 The name was in use among Jews, especially in Rome.198
However, even if the reading of Οἰτισκήλιος is correct, this name is unfamiliar.
Line 3: Νομ[. .]κανος.- This seems to be a personal name, but is difficult
to restore.
Line 6: μν[ησθῇ].- Based on the surviving first two letters of the word, its
restoration seems to be certain.
Line 7: Ἡλιό[δω]ρος.- The prefix and suffix of the word justifies its completion as the proposed Greek personal name. The formula μνησθῇ in the previous line enables its restoration in the nominative case. The name occurs in
various regions from the 4th century BCE up to the early Byzantine period.199
It also appears among Jews.200 The feminine counterpart is Ἡλιοδώρα.201
197 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 1867, 1868, 1915, 2017, 2257, 2306, 2316a,
2399, 2407, 2580, 2699; Prentice 1908: Nos. 111, 209, 217; Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 36, 198,
262, 295, 491, 557, 645, 801, 803; Prentice 1922: No. 1127; IGLS II: No. 455; IGLS IIIA: No.
733; IGLS IIIB: No. 1038; Canova 1954: 238 (No. 241); IGLS IV: Nos. 1376, 1485, 1490, 1820;
IGLS VI: No. 2916; Schwabe and Lifshitz 1967: Nos. 13, 14, 15, 53, 58, 61, 72; Negev 1977: 12
(No. 8); LGPN I: 235; LGPN II, 1994: 236; Gregg and Urman 1996: 190-191 (No. 157), 232 (No.
187); LGPN IIIA: 220; LGPN IIIB: 207; LGPN IV: 175; LGPN VA: 227-228.
198 See CIJ 1936: Nos. 88, 172, 353, 354, 356, 504; cf. also LJN II: 275-276; LJN III: 500-501.
199 See Le Bas and Waddington 1870: Nos. 2350, 2557b, 2581, 2600; Milne 1905: Nos. 9296,
33028; Lefebvre 1907: Nos. 220, 396, 503 (Ἡλλιόδωρος); Prentice 1922: No. 869; IGLS I: No.
193; IGLS IIIA: No. 736; IGLS IIIB: No. 1128; IGLS IV: Nos. 1270(?), 1850, 1890; IGLS V: Nos.
2035, 2370, 2564; IGLS VII: No. 4016; LGPN I: 201; LGPN II: 203; LGPN IIIA: 192-193; LGPN
IIIB: 180; LGPN IV: 151-152; LGPN VA: 199.
200 See LJN II: 452.
201 See, e.g., Prentice 1908: No. 89; LGPN I: 201; LGPN IV: 151; LGPN VA: 199.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

251

Inscription No. 137 (Figs. 33, 37)
This two-line unclear inscription is enclosed within a tabula ansata (22 ×
28/32 cm). The ω in line 2 was engraved a little lower than the other letters of the
word, perhaps as a result of a mistaken calculation in the engraving.
1. Καο μηλ[.μ]ι
2. μνιλαρωδ[. .]
Inscription No. 138 (Figs. 33, 37)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (24 × 28 cm) and consists of
four lines. The script is regular and the letters Θ, Ο, C and ω are square in
shape; Φ and Ψ are round. A ligature can be observed in line 3: the ω and Ν
are joined together.
1. Mνησθῇ
2. πᾶς φι-
3. [λ]ῶν τὸν
4. [.]αψαι

Remembered be
whoever loves the
[.]apsai

Lines 2-3: πᾶς φι[λ]ῶν τόν.- φι[λ]ῶν is a singular masculine nominative
present participle of φιλέω – love. Τόν.- Accusative masculine singular of the
article.
The anonymous visitor/pilgrim appears to have engraved the inscription in
remembrance or commemoration of whoever loves someome or something. The
word in line 4 is unclear.
Inscription No. 139 (Figs. 33, 38)
Of this inscription only some undecipherable characters were preserved; it
is enclosed within a rectangular frame (26 × 38 cm) and consists of five lines.
1. Μ[. .]ν[. .]σε[
2. [
]η[
3. [
4. [
5. [

]
]
]
]
]

252

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 140 (Fig. 33)
The inscription is enclosed within a rectangular frame (23 × 31 cm) and
consists of six fragmentary lines. The script is regular and the letters Ε, Θ, Ο
and C are square in shape. The Ο and Κ in line 2 were engraved a little lower
than the other letters, and the Κ in line 4 – a little higher than Α, assumedly an
erroneous calculation of the engraving.
1. [M]νησθῇ ὁ
2. Εὐσιδοχιμο[ς] κ-
3. (αὶ) C[ω]σίαν κ(αὶ) σ[υ]
4. [. . . . . . . . . . .]α κ(αὶ)
5. [. . . . . . . . . . .] καὶ
6. [
]

Remembered be
Eusidochimo[s] and
Sosias and. .
[. . . . . . . . . . .]a and
[. . . . . . . . . . .] and

Line 2: Εὐσιδοχιμο[ς] κ.- Unclear whether it is a proper name. The κ is
most probably an abbreviation for καί (= and).202
Line 3: C[ω]σίαν κ(αὶ) σ[υ].- The masculine Greek personal name Cωσίας is
in the accusative case, instead of the nominative. It also occurs in inscription No.
48203 and variants of the name appear among Jews.204 Καί – as in lines 2 and 4.
Inscription No. 141 (Figs. 33, 38, 41)
Of the ten-line inscription, enclosed within a rectangular frame (30 × 35 cm),
only line 1 has survived. The script is regular and the letters Ε, Ο, C, Φ and ω
are lunar/oval/round in shape.
Πᾶς φίλων Πτολεμα[ί]-
[ου
]

Every one of the friends of Ptolema[i]]
[os

Πτολεμα[ῖ]ος – Ptolema(i)os.- A very common masculine Greek name in
the nominative, prevailing too among Jews (it also features in inscription No.
96).205 It seems that Πτολεμα[ῖ]ος, who visited the Cave, engraved this inscription in remembrance or commemoration of every one of his friends, as did the
anonymous visitor/pilgrim in inscription No. 138. The feminine counterpart is
Πτολεμαΐς.206
202
203
204
205
206

It also occurs in inscriptions Nos. 21, 37, 92, 94, 108, 113, 149.
See there, for bibliographical references.
See LJN I: 307 (Σωσᾶς); LJN II: 240; LJN III: 378 (Σώσεις – s.v. Σωσέας).
See there, for bibliographical references; cf. also LJN I: 304; LJN II: 238; LJN III: 363-364.
See, for example, LGPN I: 391; LGPN VA: 385.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

253

Like in inscription No. 138, πας φιλων can also be interpreted as πᾶς φιλῶν
(whoever loves) and then the proper name Πτολεμαῖος should be in the accusative case Πτολεμαῖον.
Inscription No. 142 (Figs. 39-40)
The inscription is enclosed in a tabula ansata (19 × 20 cm) and consists of
five fragmentary lines. The script is irregular and non-uniform; the letters Ε, Θ,
Ο and C are lunar/oval/round in shape.
1. [Mνησθ]ῇ Λο[υ]κία
2. (καὶ) Ἄνης [.] Δόρι-
3. ος αθετολ
4. [. . . . . . . .]
5. [.]μ[. . . . .]

Remembered be Loukia
(and) Anes [and] Dorios . . . . . .

Line 1: [Mνησθ]ῇ Λο[υ]κία.- The restoration of the formula is based on the
surviving letter η. Λουκία is the Greek transliteration, in the nominative case,
of the common feminine Latin name Lucia. The name prevailed in various geographical regions in the Roman period,207 but is rare in the epigraphy of Palaestina and Arabia. It has been recorded to date in the early Byzantine Zoora (Ghor
es-Safi) onomasticon208 and in two epitaphs from the Golan Heights.209 Its masculine counterpart, Λούκιος, is more frequent in these provinces.210
Line 2: Ἀνῆς.- Perhaps the correct spelling is Ἀννῆς. In this case, it is probably a masculine name in the nominative case, found on a tombstone, dated to
405 CE, in early Byzantine Zoora (Ghor es-Safi). This name is known from
papyri found in Egypt, presenting a double genitive, namely Ἀννέους and
Ἀννῆτος. According to some scholars, Ἀννῆς is the Greek equivalent of the
Aramaic, Hebrew or old-Arabic name Hannai.211
Lines 2-3: Δόριος.- A rare masculine Greek name in the nominative case,
found in Crete in the 2nd century BCE.212

207 See IGLS I: No. 171; IGLS IIIA: No. 756; LGPN I: 289; LGPN IIIA: 276; LGPN IIIB:
261; LGPN IV: 212; LGPN VA: 270.
208 See Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2008: 103-104 (No. 35).
209 See Gregg and Urman 1996: 72-73 (No. 70), 263 (No. 225).
210 The name also occurs in inscriptions Nos. 1 (see there, for references), 69A, 70, 103.
211 See Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2005: 184-185 (No. 91) (with references);
see also IGLS VI: No. 2915.
212 See LGPN I: 142.

254

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 143 (Fig. 39)
Of the four-line inscription, enclosed within a rectangular frame (8 × 12 cm),
only the formula μν[ησθῇ], in line 1, has partially survived.
Inscription No. 144 (Fig. 39)
The inscription (8 × 100 cm) is incomplete and consists of two lines.
1. [Mνησ]θῇ τ[.]
2.
α[. .]

Remembered be

Line 1: [Mνησ]θῇ τ[.].- Based on the last two letters of the formula – θη
– it is possible to restore the word μνησθῇ with certainty.
Inscription No. 145 (Figs. 39, 41)
The inscription is enclosed within a tabula ansata (24/27 × 40 cm) and consists of three lines. The script is regular and uniform; the letters Θ, Ο, C and ω
are oval/round in shape.
1. M[νησ]θῇ
2. Δο[μι]ττίλλα (καὶ)
3. Ζῶσυς

Remembered be
Do[mi]ttilla (and)
Zosys.

Line 1: M[νησ]θῇ.- The formula has only partially survived, but it is possible to restore it on the basis of the remaining characters.
Line 2: Δο[μι]ττίλλα.- The completion of this fragmentary name appears to
be certain, although the spelling is incorrect and should be Δομιτίλλα. It is a
Greek transliteration, in the nominative case, of the feminine Latin proper name
Domitilla.213 The name also prevails among Jews.214
Line 3: Ζῶσυς.- The name is unknown with this spelling, but occasionally
is found with ι instead of υ, namely Ζῶσις, in the Aegean islands (Mykonos?),
probably from the 1st century BCE.215

213 See Milne 1905: No. 9279(?). The name appears also in another spelling: Δομετίλλα (see
IGLS II: No. 665).
214 See LJN III: 580.
215 See LGPN I: 198.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

255

Inscription No. 147 (Fig. 41)
The four-line inscription is very fragmentary.
1. [M]νησ[θ]ῇ
2. Ἠλί[ας] / Ἠλί[ος]
3. αλ
4. ροι

Remembered be
Eli[as] / Eli[os]

Line 1: [M]νησ[θ]ῇ.- Based on the remaining characters, the completion of
the formula seems to be certain.
Line 2: Ἠλί[ας] / Ἠλί[ος].- The completion of the word does not enable its
determination decisively as Ἠλίας (Elias),216 the nominative case in Greek
transcription of a typical masculine Hebrew name (whyla), or, alternatively,
Ἠλίος, related to the Prophet Elijah as well.217 Ἠλίας and Ἠλίος are derived
from the biblical name Elias or Elijah, whose diffusion among Christians (from
the 4th century CE onwards) is due to the most eminent of all the OT prophets,
Elijah the Thesbite (ybCth whyla).218
Inscription No. 147A (Figs. 38, 41)
The inscription was engraved below No. 147 and consists of two lines. The
script is regular and the letters Ε, Θ and C are oval/lunar in shape.
1. Mνησθῇ
2. κ[α]ὶ σε[. . . . . .]

Remembered be
and . . . . . . . .

Line 1: Mνησθῇ.- The formula refers to remembered be.
Inscription No. 147B (Figs. 38, 41)
The one-line inscription was engraved between the lines 1 and 2 of No. 147A.
Μαδαρχια μν[ησθῇ]

Madarchia remembered be.

Μαδαρχια seems to be a feminine personal name (unfamiliar), such as
Δημαρχία, Δικαρχία, Νεαρχία, etc.
216 See Prentice 1908: No. 336a (Ἠλίας = Elias); Littmann et alii 1921: Nos. 554, 605, 791,
797 (Ἠλίας = Elias); LGPN VA: 199.
217 See, for example, LJN II: 62.
218 See Meimaris and Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou 2008: 118-119 (No. 46), 153-154 (No. 71).

256

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Inscription No. 148 (Fig. 39)
The one-line inscription is enclosed within a long rectangular frame (27 ×
110 cm) and its script is regular. The letters η and ρ in the word μήτηρ are
joined together, forming a ligature.
Αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ

Of him and the mother.

Αὐτοῦ is a third-person demonstrative pronoun masculine, in the genitive,
of αὐτός, that is, of him. The anonymous visitor/pilgrim engraved an inscription
with an unclear purpose.
Inscription No. 148A (Fig. 39)
The inscription was engraved below No. 148 and within the same frame. It
probably consisted of two lines; the single letter ω in line 1 is square and Θ, Ο,
C, ω in line 2 are oval/round in shape.
1. ω κ
2. [βο]ηοθῶσιν

let help.

Line 1: The single letters ω and κ are obscure.
Line 2: [βο]ηοθῶσιν.- The restoration of the word is not certain; if it is
correct, this may be conjunctive third-person plural in the present tense of the
verb βοηθέω, that is, help. The letter Ο between Η and Θ is superfluous.
Inscription No. 149 (Fig. 39)
The inscription (69 × 114 cm) consists of six lines and its text is mostly obscure. The script is rather regular and non-uniform; the letters Ε, Ο, Ρ, C and
ω are oval/lunar/round in shape. The letters Ν and Η in the word Δό[μ]νης, in
line 2, are joined together, forming a ligature.
1. Μὰ κῆνοι οἳ Πανὶ συ-
2. [ν]άγ[ουσι], Δό[μ]νης ακι[.]
3. [
]νο κ Ἔρως
4. [
]οξιδαλας [
]
5. [
] πατρὸς [
]
6. [
] καὶ σὺ(?)[
]

For those who to Pan gathered
together, Domnes aki[.]
[. . . .]no and Eros
[. . . . .]oxidalas [. . . . .]
[. . . . . ]. . . of the father [. . . .]
[. . . . .] and you(?)[. . . . . . .].

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

257

Line 1: Μὰ κῆνοι οἳ Πανί.- The word μά appears to be an exclamation, a
particle used in asseverations and oaths, followed by the accusative of the deity
or thing appealed to, that is, for,219 although in our case the consecutive word is
in the nominative case (most probably a mistake by the engraver). Κῆνοι, nominative (or first-person) plural, in Aeolic and Doric dialects for κεῖνοι / ἐκεῖνοι
in Ionic dialect and poetically, namely those.220 Οἵ plural nominative of the
relative pronoun ὅς, namely who. Πάν (Pan) was engraved in the dative case,
indicating that this is a dedicatory inscription to the god, who was venerated and
worshipped in caves and nearby springs.221 Pan seems to have been venerated
as a secondary deity together with Eros in Elijah’s Cave, under the auspices of
Ba‘al Carmel, to whom the Cave was dedicated. A similar case occurred in the
Roman Temple of Ba‘alshamin at Kedesh, where Apollo was also worshipped
as a secondary deity.222
Lines 1-2: συ[ν]άγ[ουσι].- The remaining letters enable to complete the
word συνάγουσι, third-person plural, present indicative active of the verb
συνάγω, to gather together.223
Line 2: Δό[μ]νης.- The genitive case of a feminine Latin personal name, in
Greek transliteration, probably the same as Δόμνα in inscription No. 10A. The
name was in use among Jews.224
Line 3: κ Ἔρως.- Κ is an abbreviation of κ<αί> (= and), either a common
mistake or phonetic spelling in Greek inscriptions, especially in the Roman and
early Byzantine periods.225 According to the inscription it appears that Ἔρως
(Eros) was also venerated in the Cave. 226
Line 4: [. . . . .]οξιδαλας.- This fragmentary word may be part of a proper
name.
Line 5: πατρός.- The genitive case of πατήρ – of the father.
Inscription No. 150 (Fig. 39)
The two-line inscription, totally effaced, was enclosed within a rectangular
frame (10 × 37 cm).
See Liddell et alii 1973: 1070, s.v. “μά”.
See Liddell et alii 1973: 505-506, s.v. “ἐκεῖνος”; 935, s.v. “κεῖνος”; 947, s.v.
“κῆνος”.
221 For the cult of Pan in Eretz Israel in the Roman period, see Ovadiah and Mucznik 2009:
163-172; Ovadiah and Turnheim 2011: 6-7, 9-11.
222 See Ovadiah and Mucznik 2009: 20-21; Ovadiah and Turnheim 2011: 29.
223 See Liddell et alii 1973: 1691-1692, s.v. “συνάγω”.
224 See LJN III: 580; see also iscription No. 10A for Δόμνα (LJN II: 301).
225 See also inscriptions Nos. 21, 37, 92, 94, 108, 113, 140.
226 For the cult of Eros in Eretz Israel in the Roman period, see Ovadiah and Mucznik 2009:
101-105.
219

220

258

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

***
The remaining 148 Greek inscriptions in Elijah’s Cave, discussed in the
present article, yielded an onomasticon of 59 additional Greek, Latin and Semitic proper names. Together with those 30 engraved names that featured in the
22 inscriptions discussed in the previous article,227 the total number of the masculine and feminine proper names in the epigraphic corpus is 89, some of which
are unfamiliar. This epigraphic corpus comprises a rich and impressive onomasticon, mostly consisting of Greek personal names well known throughout the
Greek, Roman and Byzantine worlds. In inscriptions Nos. 101, 110A, 138, 141,
148, the visitors/pilgrims are anonymous, desiring to be remembered, or invoking salvation or help for other people, such as friends, and wishing them success
and happiness.
Four formulae appear in the inscriptions in question: μνησθῇ – remembered
be, very often (almost in every inscription, and in six cases – Nos. 12, 17, 31,
80, 83, 128 – both at the head of the inscription and at its end); μνησθήσῃ /
μνήσθητι – remember, only once (Nos. 4 and 25 respectively); εὐτύχ(ε)ι – succeed / be happy (Nos. 4, 33, 38, 86, 87, 95, 101, 106, 129, 146); χαρῇ – happy
be (Nos. 94, 102A, 108, 109).
Four invocations occur in the inscriptions: σῷζε (save) in three cases (Nos.
34, 42, 101) and βοηοθῶσιν (help) (No. 148A), for salvation and help respectively; (ἐπί or εἰς) ὑγί(ει)αν ([for] health) (No. 16) and θεότεκνος ψυχή (soul
born of God) (No. 101).
The abbreviation κ for κ(αί) (= and), as well as κέ instead of κ<αί>, a phonetic writing or incorrect spelling, appear several times in the inscriptions (Nos.
21, 37, 92, 94, 108, 113, 140, 149).
A considerable number of the Greek inscriptions can be attributed to the
Roman era,228 when the Cave was used as a pagan cultic place or shrine to the
god Ba‘al Carmel, with Pan and Eros as secondary deities, and others to the
early Byzantine period, being a pilgrimage site dedicated to the Prophet Elijah
(Elias – aybnh whyla).
The large number of personal names, engraved on the walls of the Cave,
reflects a wide socio-cultural interaction of people, beyond the national and
religious limits, whether pagans, Jews or Christians. Jews in Antiquity and Late
Antiquity used to adopt Greek and Latin names, most probably to be merged
with the socio-cultural environment. Hence, the unequivocal attitude of some
scholars,229 that a number of adopted Greek and Latin names in general and a
See above, n. 1.
See Ovadiah and Pierri 2012: 224.
229 See the four-volume Lexicon of Jewish Names in Late Antiquity, edited by T. Ilan (LJN
I, 2002; II, 2012; III, 2008; IV, 2011). Regrettably, T. Ilan and O. Pinkpank published part of the
227
228

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

259

considerable number of those in Elijah’s Cave in particular are Jewish (such as
Diophantos, Ioulios, Loukios, Ptolemaios, Theodoros, etc.), should be rejected.
The varied and rich onomasticon also attests to the many visitors/pilgrims to
the Cave during the Roman and early Byzantine periods, who engraved their
names and other personal details for commemoration and prophylactic purposes and in the hope of prosperity and good fortune.

Asher Ovadiah
Tel Aviv University
Rosario Pierri, ofm
Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Jerusalem

inscriptions in Elijah’s Cave (LJN II: 499-584) without my knowledge. This behaviour is unacceptable, both from the ethical and professional points of view. Moreover, such an act is an invasion of scientific and intellectual property (A.O.).

260

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 1. Inscriptions Nos. 1-3.Temple of Artemis
(after Browning 1982: Fig. 97).

Fig. 3. Inscription No. 4.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 2. Inscriptions Nos. 4-5, 7-10, 10A.

Fig. 4. Inscriptions Nos. 7-8.

261

262

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 5. Inscriptions Nos. 12-13, 14, 14A-23, 23A,
24-28, 30-31, 34.

Fig. 6. Inscription No. 22.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 7. Inscriptions Nos. 23, 23A, 24-25, 27-28, 30-31.

Fig. 8. Inscription No. 28.

263

264

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 9. Inscriptions Nos. 35-42, 44-48, 51-52.

Fig. 10. Inscriptions Nos. 32, 38.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 11. Inscriptions Nos. 34-38, 41-42, 44.

Fig. 12. Inscriptions Nos. 39, 40-41.

265

266

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 13. Inscriptions Nos. 49-50, 50A.

Fig. 14. Inscriptions Nos. 50, 50A.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 15. Inscription No. 51.

Fig. 16. Inscriptions Nos. 65, 68-69.

267

268

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 17. Inscriptions Nos. 62-68, 68A, 69, 69A, 70-71, 71A.

Fig. 18. Inscriptions Nos. 67, 70-71.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 19. Inscriptions Nos. 76-78, 80-83, 8687, 87A, 88-93, 95-96, 96A, 96B, 98-99.

Fig. 20. Inscriptions Nos. 80-83.

269

270

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 21. Inscriptions Nos. 76-77, 86-87, 88 (part).

Fig. 22. Inscriptions Nos. 82-85, 89-91.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 23. Inscriptions Nos. 87-91.

Fig. 24. Inscriptions Nos. 87, 87A.

271

272

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 25. Inscriptions Nos. 89-91, 94 (lower part), 95, 99-100.

Fig. 26. Inscription No. 91.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 27. Inscriptions Nos. 98, 100-102, 102A, 103105, 105A, 106-108, 110A.

Fig. 28. Inscriptions Nos. 98-100, 103-106.

273

274

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 29. Inscriptions Nos. 101 (part), 109.

Fig. 30. Inscription No. 109.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 31. Inscriptions Nos. 107-110.

Fig. 32. Inscriptions Nos. 112-117 with 2 menorahs.

275

276

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 33. Inscriptions Nos. 127-135, 135A, 136137, 137A, 138-141, 146.

Fig. 34. Inscription No. 131.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 35. Inscription No. 133.

Fig. 36. Inscriptions Nos. 135, 135A.

277

278

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 37. Inscriptions Nos. 137, 137A, 138.

Fig. 38. Inscriptions Nos. 139, 141, 146, 147A, 147B, upper part of Inscr. 136.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

Fig. 39. Inscriptions Nos. 142-145, 148, 148A,
149-150.

Fig. 40. Inscription No. 142.

279

280

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Fig. 41. Inscriptions Nos. 136, 141, 145-147, 147A, 147B.

Bibliography
Avi-Yonah M. 1940. Abbreviations in Greek Inscriptions (Supplement to The Quarterly
of the Department of Antiquities in Palestine 9), Jerusalem – London.
Bonner B. 1954. “Two Notes. I: The Names Nonnos, Nonna”, The Journal of Egyptian
Archaeology 40: 15-17.
Breccia E. 1911. Catalogue général des antiquités Égyptiennes du musée d’Alexandrie.
Iscrizioni Greche e Latine, Le Caire.
Buckingham J.S. 1821. Travels in Palestine Through the Countries of Bashan and Gilead, East of the River Jordan, London.
Canova R. 1954. Iscrizioni e monumenti protocristiani del paese di Moab (Sussidi allo
studio delle antichità cristiane 4), Roma.
CIJ 1936. J.-B. Frey, Corpus Inscriptionum Judaicarum: Recueil des inscriptions juives
qui vont du 3e siècle avant Jésus-Christ au 7e siècle de notre ère. I: Europe (Sussidi allo studio delle antichità cristiane 1), Città del Vaticano.
Dunand M. 1932. “Nouvelles inscriptions du Djebel Druze et du Hauran”, RB 41: 397-416.
Dunand M. 1939. “Nouvelles inscriptions du Djebel Druze et du Hauran”, in Mélanges
syriens offerts à Monsieur Rene Dussaud, II, Paris, 559-576.
Forcellini A. 1965. Lexicon Totius Latinitatis, VI, Bononia (Bologna).
Gregg R.C. – Urman D. 1996. Jews, Pagans, and Christians in the Golan Heights. Greek
and Other Inscriptions of the Roman and Byzantine Eras, Atlanta GA.
IGLS. L. Jalabert – R. Mouterde, Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie, Paris 1929 etc.
Le Bas Ph. – Waddington W.H. 1870. Voyage archéologique en Grèce et en Asie Mineure. Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie, III.1, Paris.

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions

281

Lefebvre G. 1907. Recueil des inscriptions grecques-chrétiennes d’Égypte, Le Caire.
Lewis Ch.T. – Short Ch. 1951. A Latin Dictionary, Oxford.
LGPN. A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, Oxford 1987 etc.
Liddell H.G. – Scott R. – Jones H.S. – McKenzie R. 1973. A Greek-English Lexicon,
Oxford.
Lifshitz B. 1971. “Inscriptions de Sinaï et de Palestine”, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und
Epigraphik 7: 151-163.
Littmann E. et alii 1921. Syria. Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological
Expeditions to Syria in 1904-5 and 1909, Division III: Greek and Latin Inscriptions,
Section A: Southern Syria, Leyden.
Livy. Trans. B.O. Foster, IV (LCL), London – Cambridge MA 1963.
LJN. T. Ilan (ed.), Lexicon of Jewish Names in Late Antiquity. I: Palestine 330 BCE-200
CE; II: Palestine 200-650 CE; III: The Western Diaspora 330 BCE-650 CE (Texts
and Studies in Ancient Judaism 91, 148, 126), Tübingen 2002; 2012; 2008.
Meimaris Y.E. – Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou K.I. 2005. Inscriptions from Palaestina
Tertia. Ia: The Greek Inscriptions from Ghor es-Safi (Byzantine Zoora) (Meletēmata 41), Athens.
Meimaris Y.E. – Kritikakou-Nikolaropoulou K.I. 2008. Inscriptions from Palaestina
Tertia. Ib: The Greek Inscriptions from Ghor Es-Safi (Byzantine Zoora) (Supplement), Khirbet Qazone and Feinan (Meletēmata 57), Athens.
Milne J.G. 1905. Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire. Nos.
9201-9400, 26001-26123, 33001-33037. Greek Inscriptions, Oxford.
Mucznik S. – Ovadiah A. – Turnheim T. 2004. Art in Eretz Israel in Late Antiquity –
Collectanea, Tel Aviv.
Negev A. 1977. The Inscriptions of Wadi Haggag, Sinai (Qedem 6), Jerusalem.
Negev A. 1981. The Greek Inscriptions from the Negev (SBF. Collectio Minor 25),
Jerusalem.
Ovadiah A. 1997. “Allegorical Images in Greek Laudatory Inscriptions”, LA 47:
441-448.
Ovadiah A. – Mucznik S. 2009. Worshipping the Gods. Art and Cult in Roman Eretz
Israel, Leiden.
Ovadiah A. – Pierri R. 2012. “Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions” (Parts
I-II), in L.D. Chrupcała (ed.), Christ is Here! Studies in Biblical and Christian Archaeology in Memory of Michele Piccirillo, ofm (SBF. Collectio Maior 52), Milano,
29-76.
Ovadiah A. – Turnheim Y. 2011. Roman Temples, Shrines and Temene in Israel (Supplementi alla Rivista di Archeologia 30), Roma.
Prentice W.K. 1908. Publications of an American Archaeological Expedition to Syria
in 1899-1900. III: Greek and Latin Inscriptions, New York.
Prentice W.K. 1922. Syria. Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological
Expeditions to Syria in 1904-5 and 1909, Division III: Greek and Latin Inscriptions,
Section B: Northern Syria, Leyden.
Rey-Coquais J.-P. 2006. Inscriptions grecques et latines de Tyr (Bulletin d’archéologie
et d’architecture libanaises, Hors-Série 3), Beirut.
Sartre M. 1985. Bostra: des origines à l’Islam (BAH 117), Paris.

282

Asher Ovadiah – Rosario Pierri

Schwabe M. – Lifshitz B. 1967. Beth She‘arim. II: The Greek Inscriptions, Jerusalem (Hebrew).
SEG. Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden – Amsterdam.
Wuthnow H. 1930. Die semitischen Menschennamen in griechischen Inschriften
und Papyri des vorderen Orients (Studien zur Epigraphik und Papyruskunde
I/4), Leipzig.

⬇ הורדת הקובץ (PDF)

Elijah’s Cave on Mount Carmel and its Inscriptions – b