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Last Updated on 23 Mar 2017

Author: Benedikt Eckhardt

CAPInv. 620: t[g]ry’ klhwn dy bmdynt bbl

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area The Near East and Beyond
ii. Region Syria
iii. Site Palmyra

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) ת[ג]ריא כלהון די במדינת בבל (IGLS XVII.1 16, l. 3-4)
ii. Full name (transliterated) t[g]ry’ klhwn dy bmdynt bbl

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 24 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Geographical:Babylon
Professional:"All the merchants in the city of Babylon"

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IGLS XVII.1 16 (AD 24)
Note See also PAT 1352
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorary inscription with bilingual Aramaic-Greek text. The Aramaic text is followed by a shorter Greek version that has only the Demos of the Palmyrenians honour Maliku; according to Yon 2012, it was added later, on a different occasion.
i.c. Physical format(s) Base of a column
ii. Source(s) provenance Temple of Bel at Palmyra

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The inscription was found in the temple of Bel and refers positively to that structure. This suggest worship by the group.
Deities worshipped Bel
iv. Honours/Other activities The group has dedicated a statue to Maliku, a member of the Bene Komare, a) because he has supported them, and b) because he has helped to build the temple of Bel.

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Yon, J.-B. (2012), Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie XVII.1: Palmyre. Beyrouth.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Probable
Note Assessing the degree of merchant-organization at Palmyra is difficult. In general, I have excluded from the inventory the considerable number of inscriptions set up by the members of caravans for their respective synodiarches. These groups were probably united solely by the shared experience of travelling. In this case, however, nothing militates against seeing the "merchants in the city of Babylon", who honour a benefactor of both themselves and the city, as a professional association. The support given to the merchants seems to have surpassed a one-time event such as leading a caravan.