Umm Leisun inscription

The Umm Leisun inscription (უმ ლეისუნის წარწერა) is an Old Georgian limestone tombstone slab. It has a five-line inscription written in the Georgian Asomtavruli script and was discovered in 2002, after the renewal of 1996 excavation at a Georgian monastery of the Byzantine period, in the neighborhood of Umm Leisun, in the southern part of Sur Baher, 4.5 km southeast of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was found in a burial crypt under the polychrome mosaic floor.

In total about 24 interments were discovered in the crypt. Per sex estimation for human skeletons, all of them were adult males, as would be expected in a monastery. The occupant of the most important tomb identified by a Georgian inscription was a "Georgian bishop Iohane" (John in Old Georgian), who was also the oldest and his age underlined his special status. He would have been aged 66 or 67 when he died, and had suffered from osteoporosis. The inscription is the earliest known example for an ethnonym ႵႠႰႧႥႤႪႨ (kartveli i.e. Georgian) on any archaeological artifact, both in the Holy Land and in Georgia.

The inscription covers an area of 81 × 49 cm cut into the tombstone. It is dated to the end of the 5th or the first half of the 6th century AD. The inscription is kept at the Archaeological Garden of Knesset.

Inscription

 * ႤႱႤႱႠႫႠႰႾႭჂ
 * ႨႭჀႠႬႤႴႭჃႰ
 * ႲႠႥႤႪႤႮႨႱႩႭႮႭ
 * ႱႨႱႠჂႵႠႰႧႥႤ
 * ႪႨႱႠჂ✢


 * esesamarkhoy
 * iohanepʼowr
 * tʼavelepʼiskʼopʼo
 * sisaykartʼve
 * lisay✢


 * Translation: This is the grave of John, Bishop of Purtavi, a Georgian.