Literature

T. Tseradze

Georgian Placename in Palestine: Tkebnari Monastery

The collection of Georgian manuscripts kept in the library of Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem contains 14th-15th cc. manuscript Jer. Georg. 132. Two colophons preserved in this manuscript cover different stages of history of St. Theodore's Monastery in Jerusalem.

These colophons were written by monk Michael who was the scribe of the manuscript Jer. Georg. 132. According to the second colophon Michael donated the manuscript to the church of St. Theodore and its monastery to which he refers as "der Tkebnari". Arabic word "dayr", that means "monastery ", proves that the church of St. Theodor was located in Palestine (likewise other monasteries in Palestine: "Dertavi" and "Dertupha". Accounts about those monasteries are kept only in Georgian manuscripts).

In regards of "Tkebnari", we suppose that it is a placename of Georgian origin ("Tkebnari" means "a trodden place"). It seems that in Georgian monastic colony in Jerusalem Georgian placenames were used to designated some areas in Jerusalem.

The text of the Michael's colophon has not been published previously.

 

K. Kekelidze Institute of Manuscripts
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