Column

Greenish marble column has an incised Hebrew and Arabic inscription, reading from top to bottom. One end is marked with an arrow. No field number, probably not catalogued in the field.

Fitzgerald: “Column 1. The shaft lay on the west side of the Church, with the end which had supported the capital towards the east. 5 Arabic and two Hebrew graffiti run along the shaft, all inscribed by persons facing north, with the exception of Number 7 – Hebrew – which is head-on to the other texts.

[see publication for Arabic and Hebrew]

(Arabic)

Inscription of Ahmed be Sa’id ben El-Khattab El-Najjari in the month of Rabi of the year 190. (the date is equivalent to January-February AD 806)

No… in… nor in… and every day…..

In the name of Allah, Mohommed is the Prophet of Allah

In the name of Allah, inscription of….

(Hebrew)

In the name of the Lord we will do and we shall prosper.

(Hebrew in the opposite direction)

Great shall be the peace of thy sons.”