6. Inscriptions as Philological Texts; Epigraphy as a Philological Practice
Working with inscriptions has a number of inter-related elements. Depending on the academic discipline, inscriptions may be used in Theology, and many theologians are important Epigraphists, such as Pieter van der Horst. This is because inscriptions give insight into translations of Biblical texts, such as in the case of Prov 10:7, as well as priorities around death, namely ideas of peace, sleep, memory, and the soul. Inscriptions may be used in Archaeology, as inscriptions are material texts, and may assist archaeologists in dating certain sites, or can be worked on with archaeological practices, such as radiocarbon dating. The epigraphic practice can also be a fundamentally archaeological one, working with ideas of certain materials used, writing styles, or letter forms. Inscriptions can equally be key in the study of History, as different texts provide insight into historical communities, migration, and practices, such as the movement of an individual from Caesarea in Palestine to Rome.
Moreover, Epigraphy is a philological practice. The transmission of certain formulae, such as different forms of “resting in peace” found on gravestones throughout history, in different communities, and of individuals part of different ethno-religious communities, is one example of this. If Philology is the study of texts, then epigraphical texts are one aspect of the materials available to a philologist. The necessity of understanding grammar; the changing nature and irregularities of language on epigraphic evidence; and the study of transmission, transliteration, and translation are all key parts of a philologist’s toolbox.
Epigraphy, like Codicology, Papyrology, and other such auxiliary sciences, is both a textual and a material discipline. In order to best study inscriptions, one must be able to unite both textual and material elements. Without both, it is not possible to access the entirety of an inscription’s function, purpose, or meaning.
When working with inscriptions, here are some questions to keep in mind:
- Who is the audience, both the intended and the unintended?
- Who paid for the inscription, and why?
- What function might the inscription have for the community who erected it?
- What might this inscription have meant to those who could read it when it was first erected? What about ten years later? One hundred? One thousand?
- Are other texts quoted? If so, why?
- Are there pictures? If so, what do they add to the text?
- Is there more than one language? If so, are they the same? What changes are made?