Skip to Content

The laura of St. Sabas (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Sabas holding a small cross in his right hand and keeping his left open in front of him. Inscription: Ο|.|.Ι|..Σ|Α| /|Σ : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Σάβ(α)ς. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of three lines. Border of dots.

ΗΛΑΥ
ΡΑΤΟΥ
ΑΓΙΟΥ
ΣΑ /

Ἡ λαύρα τοῦ ἁγίου Σάβ(α)

Obverse

Bust of St. Sabas holding a small cross in his right hand and keeping his left open in front of him. Inscription: Ο|.|.Ι|..Σ|Α| /|Σ : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Σάβ(α)ς. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of three lines. Border of dots.

ΗΛΑΥ
ΡΑΤΟΥ
ΑΓΙΟΥ
ΣΑ /

Ἡ λαύρα τοῦ ἁγίου Σάβ(α)

Accession number BZS 1955.1.4949
Diameter 22.0 mm; field: 16.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 19.6. Parallel specimen in Sig., 319, no. 2 = Laurent, Corpus 5.2: no. 1578.

Translation

Ἡ λαύρα τοῦ ἁγίου Σάβα.

The laura of St. Sabas.

Commentary

Now known as Mar Saba, located southeast of Jerusalem in the Judaean desert. The monastic complex of St. Sabas was founded in 483 by the famous ascete Sabas (d. 532) and continues to function today. See Laurent, Corpus 5.2:409; ODB 3:1823–24; and Patrich, Sabas.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
  • Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Sabas, Leader of Palestinian Monasticism. A Comparative Study in Eastern Monasticism, Fourth to Seventh Centuries (Open in Zotero)