Greek ΜΝΗΣΘΗ and Aramaic DKYR in the Near East: A Comparative Epigraphic Study

Abstract

Past studies of graffiti containing the word ΜΝΗΣΘΗ have never fully established its intrinsic meaning. However, due to the existence of the Aramaic term DKYR, which carries a seemingly identical meaning to ΜΝΗΣΘΗ, in similar contexts in the Roman Near East, a comparison between both words is possible. Four distinct sites where the coexistence of these words is attested were chosen: the cities of Dura-Europos and Palmyra, and the desertic zones of Wādī Ramm and Wādī Mukattab. The variety of archaeological contexts and the range of formulae allow for a comprehensive examination of their occurrences, especially in areas where they co-occur in multilingual inscriptions. It appears that these inscriptions can encompass a wide range of functions. Furthermore, Greek texts appear to bear a comparable significance to the Aramaic DKYR, whose meaning is more readily discernible and has contributed to the use of ΜΝΗΣΘΗ in the epigraphic tradition.