Early medieval amphora with a Hebrew inscription on the lead seal from Phanagoria

The article presents an amphora found in Phanagoria in the layer of the last quarter of the 9th–early 10th century. It bears a dipinto in black and two graffiti (its interpretation by A.Yu. Vinogradov is given in the Supplement). Of great interest is the lead seal inserted into one of its handles with a Hebrew inscription interpreted by Prof. Shaul Shaked. The practice of stamping amphorae with lead seals was never used in antique or medieval periods which makes this find really unique. The Hebrew language was not intended for everyday communication and was usually used for cult and ritual purposes. Hebrew inscriptions and Judaic symbols on amphorae were sings of the kosher product contained in it. Moreover, the vessels themselves were also produced according to special rules, most likely, within Jewish communities for transportation of such products and supply of other Jewish communities. Thus, the amphora can be regarded as the archaeological evidence of the presence of the Judaic community in Phanagoria in the “Khazarian” period. Taking into account the significance the Jews attached to the production and transportation of kosher products it is logical to suppose that amphora was brought to Phanagoria by Jewish merchants, Radhanites, known from the “Book of Ways and Lands” by ibn Hordadbeh (IX c.) and “Concise Book of Lands” by ibn al-Faqih (903).

Keywords

Phanagoria, early medieval period, amphora, lead seal, Hebrew inscription, Radhanites

Received

30.09.2019

Publication date

29.09.2020

Number of characters

27829

Cite

GOST	Golofast L. Early medieval amphora with a Hebrew inscription on the lead seal from Phanagoria // Rossiiskaia arkheologiia – 2020. – Issue 3 C. 159-172 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/ra/s086960630010958-2-1-en (circulation date: 19.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S086960630010958-2
MLA	Golofast, Larisa A "Early medieval amphora with a Hebrew inscription on the lead seal from Phanagoria." Rossiiskaia arkheologiia 3 (2020):159-172. DOI: 10.31857/S086960630010958-2
APA	Golofast L. (2020). Early medieval amphora with a Hebrew inscription on the lead seal from Phanagoria. Rossiiskaia arkheologiia (3), pp.159-172 DOI: 10.31857/S086960630010958-2

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1	В 2015 г. в Фанагории в ходе раскопок на участке «Нижний город» в слое конца IX – начала Х в. найден развал амфоры, которую удалось собрать почти полностью (рис. 1). Амфора с высоким, слегка расширяющимся книзу горлом с крупной желобчатостью и массивным валикообразным венчиком, под которым прикреплены массивные подовальные в сечении ручки со слабовыраженной профилировкой на внешней поверхности. На тулове – слабовыраженная желобчатость. Дно округлое. Диаметр венчика – 7.5 см, горла – 7.7 см; наибольший диаметр тулова – 30.8; высота амфоры – 57.1. Глина желтая с легким красноватым оттенком, плотная, очень хорошо отмученная, практически без включений. Не северо-причерноморское производство амфоры не вызывает сомнений, хотя регион ее происхождения установить не удалось: аналогии в известных классификациях отсутствуют; параллели в доступных публикациях материала из раскопок различных памятников Средиземноморско-причерноморского региона также не найдены¹. Однако общий силуэт амфоры и условия находки позволяют отнести ее к IX в.	1. П. Артур при личном общении выдвинул осторожное предположение о ее происхождении из бассейна Эгейского моря.
2	На тулове под нижним прилепом одной из ручек – дипинто темной краской в форме перевернутого треугольника, из верхнего угла которого проведена медиана, выходящая за его основание (рис. 2). Размеры дипинто – около 8.4 х 7.9 см.
3	На противоположных сторонах плечиков между ручками – два граффито, процарапанные после обжига. Одно, с утратой в центральной части, – в виде двух примыкающих друг к другу треугольников (?), от внешних сторон которых под углом отходит черта (рис. 3, 1). Точных аналогий найти не удалось, но похожие знаки, в основе которых лежит угол или треугольник, иногда с аналогичными отходящими линиями составляют большую группу граффити строителей Маяцкого городища (Флерова, 1997. С. 36. Табл. IV, 80, 81).
4	Подпись к рисунку/медиа Рис. 1 . Раннесредневековая амфора из раскопок Фанагории. Fig. 1. Early Medieval amphora from Phanagoria Рис. 1 . Раннесредневековая амфора из раскопок Фанагории. Fig. 1. Early Medieval amphora from Phanagoria
5	Второе – четко прочерченное однострочное греческое граффито, высота букв – 0.5–0.9 см (рис. 3, 2). Автор признателен А.Ю. Виноградову за интерпретацию (см. Приложение).
6	В одной из ручек (толщина 2.8 х 4.2 см) – отверстие, залитое свинцом, расклепанным на нижней поверхности ручки. На внешней поверхности – квадратная пломба размерами 1.2 х 1.3 см с плохо читаемой рельефной надписью (рис. 4). Расплывшиеся края первоначальной свинцовой нашлепки обрезаны острым инструментом, от которого на поверхности ручки остались процарапанные следы. Подобная практика клеймения амфор как античных, так и средневековых, до сих пор не была известна, что делает находку поистине уникальной.
7	Практически нечитаемую надпись на пломбе определил как древнееврейскую один из ведущих специалистов по восточным языкам, литературе и культуре, профессор Еврейского университета в Иерусалиме Шауль Шакед, который дал следующее заключение: It is difficult to reach a safe reading but it is possible to attribute the inscription to Hebrew, although one must assume that something is missing. Thus there is a faint possibility of reading from right to left:

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