Ceiling Tile with Greek Inscription in Wreath
Clay with Layer of Painted Plaster, H. 39.0 cm, W. 39.5 cm, D. 4.5 cm
From the Synagogue, Dura-Europos, ca. 245 CE
Yale University Art Gallery, Yale-French Excavations at Dura-Europos: 1933.257
Photography © 2011 Yale University Art Gallery
This dedicatory inscription on a tile from the synagogue ceiling records the date and the names of donors who sponsored the renovations in 244/45 CE: “Samuel son of Sapharah [Barsaphara], may he be remembered, he built these things thus.” This information is repeated in significantly greater detail in several Aramaic inscriptions, suggesting that the Jewish community was diverse and perhaps composed of civilians and members of the Roman military.