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Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 136


CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DIONYSIA AT IASOS


Greek text:   Iasos_131   ( I.Iasos 193 )
Provenance:   Iasos , Caria
Date: mid 2nd century B.C. 
Format:   see key to translations

This is one of a long series of inscriptions at Iasos recording financial contributions to festivals; see inscription 134. The interest of this particular inscription is in the identity of one of the donors, Niketas of Jerusalem.

If Niketas was a Jew - and there is little reason to doubt this - then it is difficult to see how a devout Jew could justify contributing to a Greek festival; and indeed he has followed normal Greek convention by describing himself, not as a Jew, but as a citizen of Jerusalem.   Some scholars think that Niketas was not unusual in this respect; see for instance E.S. Gruen in "Early Judaism: New Insights and Scholarship", p. 57 ( Google Books ).


When Apollo was stephanephoros after Antigonos son of Antigonos, and the agonothete was Theodoros son of Melanion; these men, as they had previously promised, gave money at the Dionysia



inscription 137


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