Berenike inscription

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berenike inscription from the Musée Saint-Raymond (Toulouse): Decree of honor for Marcus Tittius
Greek text of the honorary decree for Marcus Tittius, copy of the original in the Musée Saint-Raymond (Toulouse)

The Berenike inscription usually only refers to the decree of the Politeuma of the Jews by Berenike in honor of Marcus Tittius, son of Sextus , which is now kept in the Musée Saint-Raymond in Toulouse and is dated 24/25 AD. In fact , over 30 inscriptions from Roman times have been found in Berenike (Kyrenaika) , today's Benghazi . Of the four larger inscriptions, three are of Jewish origin . The decree of the Politeuma of the Jews of Berenike in honor of Decimus Valerius Dionysios, son of Gaius , a stele in the Musée Lapidaire of Carpentras , is around 30 years older and the list of donors for the renovation of the synagogue is 30 years younger than the decree for the Roman prefect Marcus Tittius, son of Sextus. The two Greek-language decrees of honor are important evidence of the existence of a Jewish Politeuma in the Hellenistic Berenike of the early Roman Empire .

Honorary decrees of the Jewish Politeuma von Berenike

The original location in Berenike is not known for either of the two decrees of honor. They came to the private collection of Cardin Le Bret, Prime President of the “Parlement de Provence” (royal court in Aix-en-Provence ) through a Marseille antiques dealer from “Tripoly en Barbarie” around 1730 and only reached their current locations after several changes of hands .

Honorary decree for Decimus Valerius Dionysius, son of Gaius

The stele for the Jew Decimus Valerius Dionysius in Carpentras has the shape of an upright rectangular plate with a slightly widened base and a flat triangular gable, which is provided with an acroter at both ends (height: 77 cm, width: 39 cm (below) - 37 cm (top), thickness: 11 cm). The text fills the rectangle with an upper text block of 21 lines with a letter height of 1.0 cm and a lower text block of five lines with a letter height of 1.5 cm. The stele made of Parian marble is partially so badly damaged and weathered that it would probably not have been deciphered without the use of the legible and very similar honorary decree in Toulouse. It also does not contain the name of the town of Berenike in the legible area.

Even the year in the date of the first line of text - shown in the form of two letters (with overline) according to the Milesian principle - is not clearly legible. If it is KΕ, or KΓ, i.e. year 23 or 25, this would be based on the Actic era - it counts the years since the battle of Actium in 31 BC. - mean that the inscription from the year 9/8 or 7/6 BC BC. The year is followed by the day and month according to the Egyptian calendar : “5. Phamenoth ”(March 1st or 2nd).

The date is followed by the listing of the seven archons , i.e. the governing body of the Politeuma, during whose term of office the award was decided, then the general appreciation of the laureate and the special reason for the honor with the fact that he “had the floor of the amphitheater white and the walls painted ". This is followed by the details of the honor decided and the result of the vote on the proposed honor: "All (voting stones) white" - that is, accepted unanimously.

“Since Decimus Valerius Dionysius des Gaius .... is always a noble and good man ( καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός ) .... and does good .... wherever he can, generally and privately, to each of the citizens and in addition, had the floor of the amphitheater white and the walls painted, the Archons and the Politeuma of the Jews of Berenike decided to register him in the ... the ... and that he should be exempt from all public services, likewise to wreath it at every meeting and (every) new moon with a wreath of olive branches and woolen ribbon, by name. The archons may have this decision written down on a stele made of Parian stone and placed in the most conspicuous place in the amphitheater. All (voting stones) white. "

In the second text block, which is highlighted by a paragraph and larger font, the special reason for the honor is repeated and added that the laureate took over the work at his own expense as a voluntary contribution to the Politeuma.

The Cognomen Dionysius already suggests that Decimus Valerius Dionysius - despite tria nomina - could be a Jew . It is widespread among freedmen and among Jews with Roman citizenship . That the honored person is actually a Jew, however, only emerges from the passage “that he should be exempt from all public services”. Such an order of the Politeuma could only relate to an exemption from the obligations that parishioners had towards the Politeuma.

Decree of honor for Marcus Tittius, son of Sextus

The decision to honor the Roman Marcus Tittius is engraved on a rectangular slab of Parian marble 44 cm high, 36 cm wide and 2.8 cm thick. The 28-line Greek inscription is made in letters 0.9 to 1.1 cm high and is very well preserved and legible. The first line shows that the date of the council decision to erect the stele is October 25th of the year 24/25 AD. The structure of the text follows exactly the pattern of the upper part of the text in the decree of honor for Decimus Valerius Dionysius.

row Greek text (transcription) German translation (as line-compliant as possible)
01 [Ἔτους] νε Φαῶφ κε, ἐπὶ συλλόγου τῆς σκηνο- In the year 55, on the 25th Phaoph, at the meeting of the Tabernacles
02 πηγίας, ἐπὶ ἀρχόντων: Κλεάνδρου τοῦ fixed, under the archonate of: Kleandros, son of
03 Στρατονίκου, Εὐφράνορος τοῦ Ἀρίστωνος, Stratonikos, Euphranor, son of Ariston,
04 Σωσιγένους τοῦ Σωσίππου, Ἀνδρομάχου Sosigenes, son of Sosippus, Andromachos,
05 τοῦ Ἀνδρομάχου, Μάρκου Λαιλίου Ὀνασί- Son of Andromachus, Marcus Laelius Onasi-
06 ωνος τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου, Φιλωνίδου τοῦ Ἁγή- on, son of Apollonios, Philonides, son of Hage-
07 μονος, Αὐτοκλέους τοῦ Ζήνωνος, Σωνί- mon, Autocles, son of Zeno, Soni-
08 κου τοῦ Θεοδότου, Ἰωσήπου τοῦ Στράτωνος Kos, son of Theodotus, Josepus, son of Straton:
09 ἐπεὶ Μᾶρκος Τίττιος Σέξτομ υἱὸς Αἰμιλία, Since Marcus Tittius, son of Sextus, (from the tribus) Aemilia,
10 ἀνὴρ καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς, παραγενηθεὶς εἰς a noble and good man since he came in
11 τὴν ἐπαρχείαν ἐπὶ δημοσίων πραγμάτων τήν the province over public affairs (to office),
12 τε προστασίαν αὐτῶν ἐποιήσατο φιλανθρώ- whose leadership exercised kindly and rightly
13 πως καὶ καλῶς ἐν τε τῆι ἀναστροφῆ ἡσύχιον and in his behavior his calm
14th ἦθος ἐνδ [ε] ικνύμενος * ἀεὶ διατελῶν τυγχάνει Shows character all the time
15th οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐν τούτοις ἀβαρῆ ἑαυτὸν παρέσ- and not only in it (in public affairs) as pleasant
16 χηται ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κατ 'ἰδίαν ἐντυγχάνουσι has shown, but also towards those who address him privately
17th τῶν πολιτῶν ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ πολιτεύ- Citizens, and since he also vis-à-vis the Jews
18th ματος ἡμῶν Ἰουδαίοις καὶ κοινῆ καὶ κατ 'ἰδίαν our politeuma both publicly and privately
19th εὔχρηστον προσστασίαν ποιούμενος οὐ δια- exercises a very useful leadership, and so does not
20th λείπει τῆς ἰδίας καλοκἀγαθίας ἄξια πράσσων hears his own behavior worthy to choose according to
21st ὧν χάριν ἔδοξε τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ τῶι πολιτεύ- his merits, it seemed good to the archons and the political
22nd ματι τῶν ἐν Βερενίκη Ἰουδαίων ἐπαινέσαι τε αὐ- ma of the Jews in Berenike to praise him
23 τὸν καὶ στεφανοῦν ὀνομαστὶ καθ 'ἑκάστην and to wreath, especially, for everyone
24 σύνοδον καὶ νουμηνίαν στεφάνωι ἐλαίνωι καὶ Gathering and (at each) new moon with a wreath of olive branches and
25th λημνίσκωι τοὺς δὲ ἄρχοντας ἀναγράψαι τὸ Ribbon, and that the archons have written down
26th ψήφισμα εἰς στήλην λίθου παρίου καὶ θεῖναι εἰς the decision on a stele made of Parian stone and put up on
27 τὸν ἐπισημότατον τόπον τοῦ ἀμφιθεάτρου most conspicuous place in the amphitheater.
28 Λευ- καὶ πᾶ- σαι white: all (voting stones)
* Line 14: ἐνδ [ε] ικνύμενος Sources: E. Schürer, J. and G. Roux, G. Lüderitz, B. Le Guen
missing ε (stonemason error)

That the honored prefect is a Roman suggests his high office and the indication of his tribe , namely Aemilia . His honor is justified broadly to redundantly, and "the Archons and the Politeuma" decided it unanimously ("All (voting stones) white"). The decree of honor is to be placed “in the most conspicuous place in the amphitheater” - just as it was decreed for the stele for Decimus Valerius Dionysios. However, since no amphitheater has (so far) been found in Berenike, the hypothesis is justified that the term “amphitheater” was more likely to refer to an assembly building with a round auditorium that was available to the archons and the Politeuma for consultation. Such a separate meeting place would at least be evidence of a good financial situation of the Politeuma. Otherwise the inscription would be proof of an unusual cooperation between the Polis and the Politeuma: the Jews would have been allowed to hold their meetings in an important public building in the city - and had to contribute to its maintenance.

Historical classification of the decrees of honor

In terms of form and content, the two inscriptions belong to the category of Greek decrees of honor dating from the middle of the 6th century BC. Were widespread in the eastern Mediterranean until the late Roman Empire. This period can be further narrowed down by the shape of the letters and the extensive reasons for the honors and can be brought into agreement with the dating of the inscriptions determined from the text. Another characteristic of the period of late Hellenism and the imperial era is that in both inscriptions the laureate was granted the properties καλὸς κἀγαθός (Kalos Kagathos), a term that in classical times only referred to the ideal man . In Greek, the two laureates are promised honor, they are to be crowned by name in a kind of liturgical act at each meeting and at each new moon "with a wreath of olive branches and a woolen ribbon." An additional eulogy is to be given at each of the Roman prefects. The Jew Dionysios was thanked with privileges. Only in another inscription, which was found near Cyrene, is the mention of a vote on an honor in the same form as in the two honorary decrees by Berenike. Obviously, this is a local custom in Cyrenaica.

Of the 31 names (including patronyms ) of the Jews mentioned in the two honorary decrees, 28 are Greek or Roman, only Josepos ( Ἰωσηπος ) is clearly Jewish and probably also Theodotos ( Θεόδοτος ) and Simon ( Σίμων ).

The two steles are the only materially preserved Jewish inscriptions by Berenike that are important witnesses of Jewish life in this Hellenistic city ​​in Roman times. Above all, they belong to the rare evidence of the existence of Jewish self-government ( Politeuma ) in the cities of the Ptolemaic Empire and of their continued existence into the Roman Empire. They tell of an obviously prosperous Judaism, which was very strongly Hellenized in terms of language, names and customs and, in Hellenistic manner, distinguished those who had rendered services to the good functioning of coexistence, be it through euergetism or unselfish generosity.

The fact that the Roman prefect is honored for his kind, pleasant and humane manner in dealing with the Jews of the Politeuma reminds us today that during this time Rome had to intervene repeatedly in disputes between Greeks and Jews in Cyrenaica and protect the Jews . For example, Emperor Augustus confirmed the right of the Jews to freely practice their religion, expressly allowed the controversial transfer of temple funds to Jerusalem and declared that their theft should be punished as temple robbery. The escalation of this conflict led in the diaspora uprising from 115–117 AD to a great bloodbath of the Jews of the Greek and Roman populations and ultimately to the decimation of the Jewish population in Cyrenaica, Egypt and Cyprus.

List of donors for the renovation of the synagogue

The marble plaque with the list of donors for the renovation of the synagogue in Berenike is well documented, but unfortunately lost. The original location in Berenike is not known for this inscription either. It was found reused and is cut off at the bottom. The text begins as follows:

In the 2nd year of Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus

Germanicus Imperator, on the 6th (?) Choiak :

The community ( συναγωγή ) of the Jews in Berenike liked it ,

the donors for the repair

the synagogue to write it down on a

le from Parian stone:

.....

This is followed by two parallel columns of lines with name, father's name, function and donation amount. The first column consists of 14 lines, only the last of which is illegible. The second is largely illegible overall. The first ten donors are designated as archons , followed by a priest ( ἰερεύς ) and then donors without a function.

The inscription dates from the year 55/56 AD. Although it mentions ten archons, it does not mention the legally important term “Politeuma” - the community describes itself as a “synagogue” (assembly). The language of the inscription is also less chosen and less correct than in the two earlier inscriptions. It may be that the church was going through a more difficult period, despite the increased number of archons.

literature

  • August Boeckh et al. (Ed.): Corpus inscriptionum Graecarum. Volume 3, Reimer, Berlin 1853, pp. 557-561, no. 5361 ( online in the Google book search).
  • D. Cazès: Essai sur l'histoire des Israélites de Tunisie. Armand Durlacher, Paris 1888, Appendice I, pp. 193/194 ( online: French translation of the Berenike inscription ).
  • Brigitte Le Guen: Décréts de Bérénikè. In: L'Art grec au musée Saint-Raymond. Catalog raisonné d'une partie de l'exposition. Musée Saint-Raymond, Toulouse 1993, pp. 142-145.
  • Gert Lüderitz: Corpus of Jewish evidence from Cyrenaica. Reichert, Wiesbaden 1983, ISBN 3-88226-186-2 .
  • Jeanne and Georges Roux : Un décret du politeuma des Juifs de Bérénikè en Cyrenaïque. In: Revue des études Grecques. 62: 281-296 (1949).
  • JM Reynolds: The Inscriptions. in: JA Lloyd (Ed.): Excavations at Sidi Khrebish, Benghazi (Berenice). Volume I, Buildings, Coins, Inscriptions, Architectural Decoration. The Society for Libyan Studies, Tripoli 1977, pp. 233-254.
  • Emil Schürer : History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ. Hinrichs, Leipzig 1886, Volume 2, pp. 515–516 ( online: Berenike inscription, Greek ); Volume 3, p. 42.
  • Shimon Applebaum : Jews and Greeks in Ancient Cyrenaica. Brill, Leiden 1979, pp. 160-167 (excerpts online) .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum CIG III n. 5361
  2. ↑ Jeanne and Georges Roux, pp. 281–283.
  3. ↑ Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 16, 931 .
  4. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, p. 150.
  5. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, p. 150.
  6. ↑ Jeanne and Georges Roux, pp. 290-293
  7. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, p. 155.
  8. ↑ Brigitte Le Guen, p. 144.
  9. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, pp. 153/154.
  10. ^ Jeanne and Georges Roux, p. 294.
  11. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, p. 154.
  12. ↑ M. Rachmuth: The Jews in North Africa until the invasion of the Arabs. In the monthly for the history and science of Judaism 14, Koebner, Breslau 1906, pp. 26/27 online .
  13. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus: Antiquitates Judaicae. 16, 6, 1-2, (Greek and French, Philippe Remacle)
  14. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, pp. 155–158.
  15. ↑ Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 17, 823 .
  16. ↑ "Lβ" with L = ἔτους (year) and β = 2
  17. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, p. 157
  18. ↑ Gert Lüderitz, p. 158.