139. Pelusium - (Tell Farama)
ORIGINAL TEXTS	ENGLISH TRANSLATION Hierocles, Synecdemos, 726:3-727:6 (7th cent. A.D.) Province of Augustamnica Prima, 13 cities under a corrector: Rhinocorura, Ostracine, Casium, Pentaschoinon, Aphnaion, Gerra, the Tents, Pelusium, Sethroitis, Hephaestus, Panephusis, Tanis, Thmuis.
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND Ezek. 30:12-16 Oracle against Egypt I will dry up the channels, and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it by the hand of foreigners; I the Lord have spoken. Thus says the Lord GOD: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis; there shall no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; so I will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make Pathros a desolation, and will set fire to Zoan [=Tanis?], and will execute acts of judgment on Thebes. I will pour my wrath upon Pelusium, [LXX Sais] the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the hordes of Thebes. I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium shall be in great agony; Thebes shall be breached, and Memphis face adversaries by day.
MORE ANCIENT SOURCES Josephus, War 4.11.5 (1st cent. A.D.) His [Titus'] second station was Heracleopolis, and his third Pelusium; (661) he then refreshed his army at that place for two days; and on the third passed over the mouths of the Nile at Pelusium; he then proceeded one station over the desert, and pitched him camp at the temple of the Casian Jupiter, and on the next day at Ostracine. Egeria, Itinerarium, 9 (381-384 A.D.) From Tathnis we went by the way I already knew, and arrived at Pelusium. And from there we went on through all the Egyptian staging-posts of our outward journey till we reached the frontier of Palestine. And from there, in the name of Christ our God, I returned after several staging-posts in Palestine to Aelia, which is Jerusalem. Epiphanius, Descriptio Terrae Sanctae 5 (8th cent. A.D.) At the fortress given the name of Pharma (= Pelusion, Tel Farama) is the beginning of Egypt. And about two days' journey to the west is Tamiathin, a great fortress which was the place of Christ's exile. Four days' journey to the west of it is the city of Alexandria. BYZANTINE ADMINISTRATIVE LISTS Georgius Cyprius, 685-700 (7th cent. A.D.) Province of Augustamnica Prima: Pelusium, Setroithes, Tanis, Thmuis, Rhinocorura, Ostracine, Pentaschoinon, Casium, Aphnaion, Ephaestos, Panephysis, the Tents outside Gerra, the Tents inside Gerra, Thennesos.

ICONOGRAPHIC PARALLELS Tabula Peutingeriana (4th cent. A.D.) Pelusio
Notitia Dignitatum (5th cent. A.D.) Pelusio
Umm al Rasas: Church of St. Stephen (8th cent. A.D.) To Pilousin

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