Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
The article provides the editio princeps of the Syriac inscription in a mosaic depicting Orpheus which is now in the Dallas Museum of Art. The mosaic is from Edessa and is dated 194 CE. It belongs to a series of such mosaics, but predates the other dated examples by over two decades. The inscription refers to the building of the tomb in which the mosaic was originally located and also mentions the profession of the mosaic-maker who made it, using a Syriac term, rāscombining dot belowōpcombining minus sign belowā, not otherwise attested in Classical Syriac in this sense.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
John F. Healey (2006) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: