Tombstone Inscription (Baalbek, Lebanon)

The inscription on the tombstone of Moses bar Elijah is written in a mixture of Aramaic and Hebrew. The year of death is initially given according to the seven-year sabbatical cycle, and the text closes with traditional wishes for the resurrection. Aramaic inscriptions from this region are quite rare. The text is similar to fifth- and sixth-century tombstones from Zoara, Jordan, near the Dead Sea. A menorah is roughly carved at the bottom of the inscription. The phrase “the memory of the just be blessed!” is a quotation from Proverbs 10:7 and was used on other tombstones as well.