Bolnisi Inscriptions
Bolnisi Inscriptions are also known as Bolnisi Sioni Inscriptions. Among those, three inscriptions regarding the construction of the church are the most important. Two of them are fully preserved on the walls of the church. As for the third one, we knew only heavily damaged fragments (beginning and end) until 1937. The main part of the latter inscription was discovered during the restoration works. Today, there are moldings of the inscription on the church walls, while the original is preserved in S. Janashia National Museum. On the east wall, on top of the window above the altarpiece, there is the eight-line inscription: “k~e have mercy on d~t the bishop and those who worship you and bless those built this church for you. I. I.”. This inscription is connected to the church and was ingrained during the construction process. In the center of the inscription, there is the Bolnisi Cross, which is an organic part of Bolnisi Sioni artistic decorum (G. Chubinashvili).
I. Javakhishvili discerned that David the Bishop, mentioned in the inscription was the same David that took part in the united church council of Albanians, Georgians, and Armenians in Dvini, in 506. Consequently, he dated the inscription to the 5th-6th century. “I. I.” is deciphered as “Ikavn, Ikavn” (K. Kekeidze). On the lower part of the west door of the east façade there is a one-line inscription in Old Georgian. Scholars believe that the damaged version of the proper name is: Farnavan, Farnavaz, etc. The identity of other people mentioned in the inscription is unknown. The last part of the text is poorly visible and there are various readings of it. It is especially difficult to read the four-line text on the lower part of the east door in the northern façade. The beginning and the end of these lines are entirely illegible.
The inscription discovered in 1937 is damaged as well. By approximately restoring the text of inscriptions scientists provide the following reading: “With the mercy of Trinity, 20 years of reigning Ki[ng] Peroz when founded this church and 15 years [thereafter] it was completed. God have mercy who show reverence herein, and the builder of [this church] Da[vi]d the [B]ishop, and who pray for you, God have mercy, [Amen]” (A. Shanidze, G. Chubinaishvili, 1940). The inscription is dated based on the rule of King Peroz: construction started in the 20th (479) year of his rule and was completed after 15 years i.e. in 493-494. This also clarifies the date of the inscription about Bishop David and the construction date of Bolnisi Sioni (L. Muskhelishvili, G. Chubinashvili).
A. Shanidze provided a slightly different interpretation of the text in 1975 and 1977: “By the grace of the Trinity, in the 20th year of the rule of King Peroz the foundation of this church was made and after 15 years [it] was completed. God have mercy on those who worship you and God have mercy on the [builder] of [this church] [Davi]d the Bishop”. N. Shoshiashvili and E. Machavariani read this inscription in almost a similar way.
All three inscriptions are inscribed on stone in Mrgvlovani (Asomtavruli) Georgian script. According to the manner it was inscribed, the way it was cut, and paleographic characteristics, all three inscriptions were made in the same period and are connected to the construction of Bolnisi Sioni.
Bolnisi Inscriptions are the oldest examples of Georgian writing found on Georgian territory.
These texts resemble Khanmeti (a category of Ancient Georgian). According to writing style and language attributes, Bolnisi Inscriptions are close to the Khanmeti text (the 5th and 7th centuries) of ancient Georgian. These texts are very important for the study of the Georgian language, Georgian history, and cultural past.
Literature: კ ე კ ე ლ ი ძ ე კ., ბოლნისის ტაძრის წარწერების ინტერპრეტაციისათვის, წგ.: ეტიუდები ძველი ქართული ლიტერატურის ისტორიიდან, [ტ.] 6, თბ., 1960; მ ა ჭ ა ვ ა რ ი ა ნ ი ე., ბოლნისის სიონის სამშენებლო წარწერა, თბ., 1985; მ უ ს ხ ე ლ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ლ., ბოლნისი, «ენიმკის მოამბე», 1938, ტ. 3; მისივე, არქეოლოგიური ექსკურსიები მაშავერის ხეობაში, თბ., 1941; ქართული წარწერების კორპუსი. ლაპიდარული წარწერები, წგ. 1, შემდგ. ნ. შოშიაშვილი, თბ., 1980; შ ა ნ ი ძ ე ა., ბოლნისის წარწერები, «ნობათი» („ცისკრის“ დამატება), 1975, № 1; ჯ ა ვ ა ხ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ივ., ისტორიის მიზანი, წყაროები და მეთოდები წინათ და ეხლა, წგ. 3, ნაკვ. 1 – ქართული დამწერლობათამცოდნეობა ანუ პალეოგრაფია, თბ., 1949; Ч у б и н а ш в и л и Г., Болнисский Сион, «ენიმკის მოამბე», 1940, т. 9. ს ა რ ჯ ვ ე ლ ა ძ ე ზ., ბოლნისის სიონის წარწერები, „ნაკადული“, 1991, №2; პ ა ტ ა რ ი ძ ე რ., ბოლნისის სიონის წარწერები „ძიებანი“, 1999, №3; ს ი ლ ო გ ა ვ ა ვ., ბოლნისის უძველესი ქართული წარწერები, თბ., 1994.
M. Shanidze
