The Nazareth inscription.
An edict of Caesar against graverobbing.
Also of interest, the priestly
courses inscription.
On a marble slab in the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, France, can be found the
following inscription, an edict of Caesar against graverobbing. The date is uncertain,
as is exactly which Roman ruler is meant. Despite its name, the Nazareth inscription
did not necessarily originate from Nazareth. The name comes from an inventory note which
specifies that the slab was sent from Nazareth at some point.
The following transcription is from Bruce
Metzger, New Testament Studies (volume
10 of New Testament Tools and Studies), page 76.
The accompanying translation is my own, but with an eye toward the translation that
Metzger himself supplies on page 77, as well as the textual notes on pages 80-82:
- Διαταγμα
Καισαρος.
- Αρεσκει
μοι
ταφους
τυνβους
- τε,
οιτινες
εις
θρησκειαν
προγονων
- εποιησαν
η
τεκνων
η
οικειων
- τουτους
μενειν
αμετακεινητους
- τον
αιωνα.
εαν
δε
τις
επιδιξη
τι-
- να
η
καταλελυκοτα
η
αλλω
τινι
- τροπω
τους
κεκηδευμενους
- εξερριφφοτα
η
εις
ετερους
- τοπους
δωλω
πονηρω
με-
- τατεθεικοτα
επ
αδικια
τη
των
- κεκηδευμενων
η
κατοχους
η
λι-
- θους
μετατεθεικοτα,
κατα
του
- τοιουτου
κριτηριον
εγω
κελευω
- γενεσθαι
καθαπερ
περι
θεων
- ες
τας
των
ανθρωπων
θρησκ-
- κιας.
πολυ
γαρ
μαλλον
δεησει
- τους
κεκηδευμενους
τειμαν·
- καθολου
μηδενι
εξεστω
μετα-
- κεινησαι·
ει
δε
μη,
τουτον
εγω
κε-
- φαλης
κατακριτον
ονοματι
- τυμβωρυχιας
θελω
γενεσθαι.
- An order of Caesar.
- It pleases me that graves and tombs,
- whoever has made them as a religious act
- for forebears or children or household members,
- that these remain undisturbed
- forever. But if any should show
- that someone has either destroyed or in any other
- way cast out those buried
- there, or has with evil deception
- removed them to other places,
- an injustice for those buried
- there, or has removed the monument
- or the stones, in such a case
- I command that there be
- a trial, as if pertaining to matters of the gods,
- for the benefit of the religious duty of
- men. For it shall very much be required
- to honor those who have been buried.
- Let no one move them for any
- cause. But if someone does not comply, it is
- my will that he suffer capital punishment
- on a charge of robbing tombs.
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