The Jvari inscriptions ( ka, ჯვრის წარწერები, tr) are the

Old Georgian Old Georgian (ႤႬႠჂ ႵႠႰႧႭჃႪႨ, ''enay kartuli'') was a literary language of the Georgian monarchies attested from the 5th century. The language remains in use as the liturgical language of the Georgian Orthodox Church and ...

inscriptions written in the Georgian ''

Asomtavruli The Georgian scripts are the three writing systems used to write the Georgian language: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli. Although the systems differ in appearance, their letters share the same names and alphabetical order and are written hor ...

'' script on the

Jvari Monastery :''The name of this monastery translated as the "Monastery of the Cross". For the Georgian monastery in Jerusalem with the same name, see Monastery of the Cross.'' Jvari Monastery () is a sixth-century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta, ...

, a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

located near

Mtskheta Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა, tr ) is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia. It is one of the oldest cities in Georgia as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Itis located approximately north of ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

. Per Professor Wachtang Djobadze, inscriptions mention Georgian princes

Stephen I of Iberia Stephen I ( ka, სტეფანოზ I, ''Step'anoz I or Stephanoz I''; died 627), of the Guaramid Dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia (Kartli, central and eastern Georgia) from c. 590 to 627. He was killed during the battle with the i ...

, Demetrius the Hypatos and

Adarnase I of Iberia Adarnase I ( ka, ადარნასე I) or Adrnerse (ადრნერსე, also transliterated as Atrnerseh), of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from 627 to 637/642. The name Adarnase der ...

, however, Professor

Cyril Toumanoff Cyril Leo Toumanoff (russian: Кирилл Львович Туманов; 13 October 1913 – 4 February 1997) was a Russian-born Georgian historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, ...

disagrees with this view and identifies these individuals with

Stephen II of Iberia Stephen II ( ka, სტეფანოზ II, ''Step'anoz II''), of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from 637/642 to c. 650. The son and successor of Adarnase I, Stephen pursued his father's pro-By ...

, Demetrius and

Adarnase II of Iberia Adarnase II ( ka, ადარნასე II), of the Chosroid dynasty, was a presiding prince of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from c. 650 to 684/5. He is presumably the Iberian '' patricius'' mentioned in the 660s letter of Anastasius Apocri ...

, respectively. Inscriptions are dated to the late sixth-early seventh centuries.

Inscriptions

Inscription 1

::Ⴍ ႫႠႺ ::ႭႥႰႨႱႠ ::Ⴍ ႱႲႤႴႠႬႭ ::Ⴑ ႵႠႰႧႪႨႱ ::Ⴀ ႮႠႲႰႨ ::ႩႨႭႱႨ ႸႤ ::Translation: "Cross of Our Savior, have mercy on Stephanoz, the ''

patrikios The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after ...

'' of Kartli."

Inscription 2

::ႼႭ ::ႫႵ Ⴊ Ⴋ ::ႧႠႥႠႰႠႬႢႤႪႭႦႭ ::ႣႤႫႤႲႰ ::ႤႱ ჃႮႠ ::ႲႭႱႱ ::Ⴀ ႫႤႭ ::Ⴞ ႾႤႷ ::ႠႥ ::Translation: "Holy Michael Archangel, have mercy on Demetre the ''

hypatos ''Hypatos'' ( gr, ὕπατος; plural: , ''hypatoi'') and the variant ''apo hypatōn'' (, "former ''hypatos''", literally: "from among the consuls") was a Byzantine court dignity, originally the Greek translation of Latin ''consul'' (the litera ...

''."

Inscription 3

::ႼႭ ႢႰႪ ::ႫႧႠႥ ::ႠႬႢႤႪႭ ::Ⴍ ႠႣႰ ::ႰႱႤႱ ჃႮႠႲ ::ႭႱႱႠ ႫႤႭႾ ::ႤႷႠႥ ::Translation: "Holy Grigol Archangel, have mercy on Adarnase the ''hypatos''."

Inscription 4

::ႼႭ ႱႲႤ ::ႵႭႡႳႪ ::ႱႲႨ ::ႸႤ ::Translation: "Holy Stephen, have mercy on Kobul Stephanoz."ECG, insc
029
/ref>

References

Bibliography

*Epigraphic Corpus of Georgia (ECG) Project, Institute of Linguistic Studies,

Ilia State University Ilia State University ISU ( Georgian: ილიას სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი) was founded in 2006 as a result of a merger of six different academic institutions with long and varied histories. Current ...

Rapp, Stephen H. Stephen H. Rapp Jr is an American professor and scholar of history, with a focus and primary research investigating the Roman Empire, ancient Iran, Armenia and Georgia. He is a professor of history at Sam Houston State University. Education and c ...

(2014) The Sasanian World Through Georgian Eyes, Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature,

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, ...

, {{ISBN, 9781472425522 Georgian inscriptions Archaeological artifacts 6th-century inscriptions 7th-century inscriptions Mtskheta