The information presented here is derived from an article by Maurice Euzennat published in 1971 in the journal “Antiquités Africaines.” Additional information is drawn from articles by M. Sartre 1975 and S. Andreeva et al. 2019.
The presence of Syrians and Jews in Mauretania is well documented. This is unsurprising considering the significant number of Syrian merchants in the nearby region of Baetica and Eastern military personnel in neighboring Mauretania Caesariensis.
Research conducted until 1971 revealed 59 individuals of Eastern origin, excluding those with Punicized Libyan names or individuals with short stays. However, 17 of them were freedmen, making it difficult to establish a direct correlation between their names and their origin.
23 of those inscriptions provide evidence of ethnicity, cognomina derived from ethnic origins, and even place of origin. Based on this data, the list includes in addition to Jews, Syrians, “Syrophoenicians,” Arabs, a Cappadocian, a Thracian, and more.
The term “Syrophoenix” refers to Phoenicians from the East, while “Libyphoenix” refers to Phoenicians from the West. Based on 4 inscriptions found in Volubilis, these Syrians seem to have brought their cults, including those of Theandrios (an Arabian deity from Hauran) and Manaf.
Furthermore, it is important to note that Greek cognomina were not exclusively borne by freedmen or true Greeks, but were also adopted by local aristocratic families who embraced Hellenistic influences (influence of Juba II’s court ?), such as the Caecilii of Volubilis.
We have five reliable inscriptions that attest to a Jewish presence, discovered in Volubilis and Sala, as well as nine Greek inscriptions (from Oppidum Novum, Sala, and Volubilis) that undeniably demonstrate the presence of Jews and Hellenophones in Mauretania Tingitana.
These settlers are distributed among the main cities of the province, such as Volubilis, Banasa, Tingi, Sala, and others. However, according to M. Euzennat, this figure is likely much lower than the actual reality, which is only revealed to us through a limited epigraphic corpus.
These epitaphs reveal genuine settlers with families, not just passing through.This may explain the presence of Greek epigraphy (though Latinized) uncommon in Africa. All Greek inscrip. in Tingitana are linked to the N. East, confirming the Eastern origin of most of those “greeks”
Jewish presence is firmly established and notably by the discovery of the westernmost Hebrew inscription from the 3rd cent. AD. A Greek epitaph mentions a leader of a Jewish congregation, implying a significant local Jewish community likely centered around a synagogue.
The Hebrew inscription says : “Matrona the daughter of Rabbi Yehuda, may she rest in peace”. The Greek one says : “Rest in peace here, Caecilianus a Protopolites, the head of the congregation of the Jews, 45 years 8 months and 3 days”
A third one in latin mentions the hebrew name “Sabbatrai” from the Hebrew root “shabbath” (the “r” might be a mistake of the engraver). It says : “For the ghost gods Ant(onii) Sabbatrai. He lived three years five months and four days; by loving father made.”
One in Volubilis bears the name “Salemon,” possibly corresponding to the Hebrew “Shalom”. Additionally, there is a Greek epitaph discovered in Sala (Chellah) that translates as follows: “Marinus Ptolemaeus from Judea.”
In addition to these inscriptions, two lamps decorated with menorahs have been discovered; one made of bronze and the other of terracotta. The first one dates back to the 4th or 5th century AD.
As for the Syrian names, the analyses provide interesting insights as they reveal that many of these names belong to the Safaitic/Nabatean sphere, such as Aithaa, Alapus, Cadamus (QDM). Others come from more northern regions, like BelBaracus (typical Emesian name).
In Mauretania, the presence of eastern soldiers is also noteworthy. Three permanent garrison units originated from the East. One of them was the ala I Hamiorum Syrorum sagittariorum, from the Hamath-Epiphania region, which settled in Tingitana in the late 1st century.
Another unit, the cohors II Syrorum sagittariorum, from the Perea region in the southern levant, also appeared in the 2nd cent. AD. It was a milliary cohort reinforced with cavalry. They were stationed in Sala and Thamusida. The third unit of eastern origin was the cohors I Ituraeorum c.r., which emerged between 88 and 109, specifically coming from Syria. It may have included archers, Itureans were known for this type of unit. This unit persisted until the Late Roman Empire.
Temporary reinforcement units (one wing and one cohort) appeared in the mid-2nd century, stationed in Sala and Sidi Moussa bou Fri. These units remained predominantly composed of eastern soldiers often reinforced by Syrian units from Mauretania Caesariensis.
In total, they represent 2,000/3,000 soldiers at various times in the province. It is likely that some of these soldiers settled in the region after their service, forming relationships and marrying ‘local’ women. For instance, M. Antonius Maximus was married to a Spanish woman.
Lucian of Samosata refers to this type of movement in a story of a Mauretanian horseman in Syria encountering a syrian peasant who had been stationed in Mauretania. The mention of elephants confirms Tingitana, as they were absent from Caesariensis in the 2nd century.
