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The laura of St. Sabas (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Sabas orans in monastic garb. Remains of a vertical inscription: Α|ΑΣ : [Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Σ]άβας. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.

ΤΗΣ
ΛΥΡΣ
ΤΓΙ
Σ

Τῆς λαύρας τοῦ ἁγίου Σάβα.

Obverse

Bust of St. Sabas orans in monastic garb. Remains of a vertical inscription: Α|ΑΣ : [Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Σ]άβας. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.

ΤΗΣ
ΛΥΡΣ
ΤΓΙ
Σ

Τῆς λαύρας τοῦ ἁγίου Σάβα.

Accession number BZS 1955.1.5077
Diameter 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 19.7. Parallel specimens listed by Laurent, Corpus 5.2: no. 1577. See also Likhachev, Molivdovuly, 46 (no. LVIII, 16), and Seyrig, no. 287.

Translation

Τῆς λαύρας τοῦ ἁγίου Σάβα.

(Seal) of the laura of St. Sabas.

Commentary

Now known as Mar Saba, located southeast of Jersualem in the Judaean desert. The monastic complex of St. Sabas was founded in 483 by the famous ascete Sabas (d. 532) and continues to function today. See Laurent, Corpus 5.2:409; ODB 3:1823–24; and Patrich, Sabas.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Molivdovuly grečeskogo Vostoka (Open in Zotero)
  • Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Sabas, Leader of Palestinian Monasticism. A Comparative Study in Eastern Monasticism, Fourth to Seventh Centuries (Open in Zotero)