Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

Manumission of Heraklas in a Judean Prayer-house (81 CE) Pantikapaion - Bosporan region


Pantikapaion (Bosporan region, Danube and Black Sea areas — Pleiades map), 81 CE (Jan.-Feb.)
AGRW 86 = GRA 95 = IBosp 70 = IJO II BS5 = IPontEux II 52 = PHI 182785 = AGRW ID# 1755


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Slab of white marble, broken in two (64 x 27-29 x 8-9 cm; letter height: 1.4 cm). Found at Kerch, now in Hermitage St. Petersburg (inv. П1832.34) This is one of several manumission inscriptions involving a group of Judeans. Beyond the Judean cases, there are at least two manumission inscriptions that involve dedications of a house-bred slave to other gods, including dedications to the goddess Ma (IBosp 74, from Pantikapaion) and to both Zeus and Hera (IBosp 1021, from the village of Zaporozhskaya). But no associations seem to be involved in those cases.

During the reign of king Tiberius Julius Rheskouporis, friend of Caesar and friend of the Romans, pious one, in the year 377 on the twelfth of the month Pereitios, I, Chreste, former wife of Drusus, permanently set free my house–bred slave, Heraklas, in the prayer–house in accordance with my vow.  Not subject to control and undisturbed (10) by any heir, he can go wherever he wants unhindered, just as I have vowed, apart from respect towards and service (or: attendance) at the prayer–house (proseuchē).  My heirs, Herakleides and Helikonias, have agreed to this and the synagogue (synagōgē) of the Judeans has been designated joint guardian.

Translation by: Harland



βασιλεύοντος βασιλέως Τιβε|ρίου Ἰουλίου Ῥησκουπόριδος φιλο|καίσαρος καὶ φιλορωμαίου, εὐσε|βοῦς ἔτους ζοτʹ, μηνὸς Περει[τί]||ου ιβʹ, Χρήστη γυνὴ πρότε|ρον Δρούσου ἀφείημι ἐπὶ τῆς π[ρο]|σευχῆς θρεπτόν μου Ἡρακλᾶν || ἐλεύθερον καθάπαξ κατὰ εὐχή[ν] | μου ἀνεπίληπτον καὶ ἀπαρενό||χλητον ἀπὸ παντὸς κληρονόμο[υ] | [τ]ρέπεσ<θ>αι αὐτὸν ὅπου ἂν βού|λ[ητ]αι ἀνεπικωλύτως καθὼς η[ὐ]|ξάμην, χωρὶς ἰς τ[ὴ]ν προσευ|χὴν θωπείας τε καὶ προσκα[ρτε]||[ρ]ήσεω[ς], συνεπινευσάντων δὲ | καὶ τῶν κληρ<ο>νόμων μου Ἡρα|κλείδου καὶ Ἑλικωνιάδος, | συνε[πιτ]ροπευούσης δὲ καὶ τῆ[ς] | συναγωγῆ[ς] τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

IBosp 70: Facsimile by Latyšev (IPontEux II 52).
Public domain.

 

Item added: March 2, 2012
Item modified: November 10, 2015
ID number: 1755
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=1755

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