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A Samaritan Periapt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

The illustration shows a small amulet which is remarkable as being the first known example of a bilingual in Greek and Samaritan. On the obverse it bears, in Samaritan characters, ןורשי לאכ ןיא ēn ka'ēl Yeurûn, “ None like the God of Jeshurun” (Deut. xxxiii, 26). On the reverse, Εἷς θες: Βοθ[ε]ι Μαρκιανν “ One God. Help thou Marciane ! ” The female name, Marciane, recalls Marah הקרמ (a variant of the Latin Marcus), the first great Samaritan theologian. He has left a large literature, and is usually considered to have flourished about the fourth century of the Christian Era. His original name was Moses ben Amram ben Sered ; but from humility, or other consideration, he altered השמ Moeh. Instead of the ש, which has the numerical value of 300, he substituted ר = 200 and ק = 100 : thus preserving the original total, but replacing the revered name of Moses by the obscure Marah.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1920

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References

The Samaritans: the earliest Jewish Sect, by Montgomery, James Alan, Ph.D.; Philadelphia, 1907.Google Scholar
“ Samaritanische Inschriften aus Damascus,” Dr.Sobernheim, von M.. Mittheilungen des deutschen Palaestina-Vereins. Leipzig, 1902. pp. 70 ff.Google Scholar
Notes on some new Samaritan Inscriptions,” by Spoer, H. H., Ph.D. Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archæology, 1908, vol. xxx, p. 284.Google Scholar
Samaritan Phylacteries and Amulets,” by Gaster, M.. PSBA., 19151917, vol. xxxvii, pp. 96, 135, 163; vol. xxxviii, pp. 70, 96, 186, 202; vol. xxxix, pp. 16, 45.Google Scholar