Material: Limestone
Text: One side of the stone is smoothly carved and it has Engraved Asomtavruli inscription. The right side of the stone, back side and bottom side are smoothly carved unlike the left side. We suppose that there could have been an inscription on the left side too and what has survived are the right parts of the lines. 1st-4th lines are missing the last letters. 3rd-4th lines are also missing the middle letters, approx 4-5. 5th line on the bottom of the stone approx 10-10 letters are lost. w 22 x h 23,5 x d 12,5 cm
Letters: 1,5 - 2 0,9 - 1,3
Date: According to paleographic data (the shape of particular letters (α, ε, σ, ζ, φ), the angles of the letter - deeply carved), language norms ( αι diphthong present, ει diphthong is not represented) the inscription can be dated to VI-VII centuries. (lettering)
Findspot: Vashnari The stone was found during the excavations of Vashnari basilica church.
Original location: Vashnari
Last recorded location(s): Ozurgeti History Museum 54
Text type:Unknown
Editor(s): Tinatin Kaukhchishvili
Publication details:ილიას სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, ლინგვისტურ კვლევათა ინსტიტუტი; დოკუმენტი ვრცელდება Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 ლიცენზიით.
Translation
Those who share the bread to … from the women’s chambers... all deceased and sinners...regarded them as brothers and (gave them relief) and baptized.
Commentary
The word Ἀδελφίζω can be replaced with the word "κουφίζω" according to Tinatin Kaukhchishvili. Word Βαπτίζω is represented with the form βαπτιζιν. The inscription proved that the basilica church where this stone was found had types of rooms: baptize room and women’s chambers. According to earlier archaeologists it was dated to V-VIII, the church itself as V-VI century, according to the stylistics of the architecture, these churches can be given VI century.
Bibliography
საუერი, 1931 თინათინ ყაუხჩიშვილი, საქართველოს ბერძნული წარწერების კორპუსი, 135
Images
Fig. 1. Stone from Vashnari, 1949