Inscriptions de la Jordanie

Le cinquième volume du corpus des inscriptions grecques et latines de la Jordanie réunit 747 inscriptions provenant de dix-huit sites de la région nord-est, dont un site – Umm al-Jimal – totalise à lui seul 537 numéros ! L’ouvrage comprend une introduction générale, une introduction historique, des notes sur les voyageurs, et le corpus dans lequel les inscriptions sont classées selon leur localisation, d’ouest en est. Pour chaque site, les inscriptions sont présentées selon leur date et leur nature. C’est une épigraphie très diversifiée : inscriptions païennes, inscriptions chrétiennes, inscriptions des équipes de sport, édits des empereurs, inscriptions honorifiques, inscriptions commémorant les constructions, et inscriptions funéraires, qui sont de loin les plus nombreuses. L’épigraphie régionale est principalement de langue grecque ; signalons aussi quelques inscriptions latines et deux bilingues. Peu de pierres inscrites sont encore in situ. Les inscriptions datées couvrent un arc chronologique de près de cinq siècles (177-646 ap. J.-C.) This study presents the results of a survey and a collection of Greek and Latin inscriptions from the north east area of Jordan. Representing the fifth Volume of the Corpus of Greek and Latin inscriptions in Jordan, this study consists of 747 inscriptions collected from two sources: published scientific references and field work which enabled us to uncover more inscriptions. The inscriptions were found in eighteen sites, the most important of which was Umm al-Jimal with 537 inscriptions. The study includes a general introduction, a historical introduction, general remarks about inscriptions, notes about travelers and explorers, notes about the inscribed stones and the contents of the inscriptions, and finally, the Corpus which represents the largest part of the research. The inscriptions in the Corpus are organized in a geographical order from west to east. The inscriptions from each site are arranged according to their subject matter and according to their date, the oldest coming first. The subjects of the inscriptions were numerous: Pagan inscriptions, Christian inscriptions, sport teams’ inscriptions, emperors’ edicts, honorific inscriptions, inscriptions commemorating constructions, and funerary inscriptions, which are the most numerous. Most of the inscriptions were in Greek, some were in Latin, and two were bilingual. What is worth noting is that the stones on which the inscriptions were made were moved from their original place either to a new place within the same site or to another site. As for dating these inscriptions, it was found that the few dated ones covered the period from 177AD to 646 AD.