Beser (Arab Bashir), patrikios and strategos, first half 8th century. Seal (Lead, 28 mm, 12.66 g, 12 h). [ЄΞЄΛ૪ MЄ KЄ] ЄΞ ANΘPOΠ૪ ΠOVHPOV Cruciform monogram BHCHP with crosses in quadrants ('Beser / Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man'). Rev. AΠO ANΔPOC AΔI[K૪ S ΔOΛIOV PVCЄ MЄ] Cruciform monogram ΠATPIKI૪ with CT-PA/TH-Γ૪ in quadrants ('Patrikios and strategos / Preserve me from the unjust and deceitful man'). Berlin II 212. Joe Glynias, “Prayerful Iconoclasts” no. 2. Wassiliou-Seibt, Corpus 750. Zacos/Veglery 2835. Struck on a small blank and surface roughness, otherwise, very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

The circular legends on this seal quote Psalms 139, 2 and 42, 1. We know of a figure named Beser in the entourages of the emperors Leo III and, later, Constantine V, on whose side he fought against the Armenian usurper, Artavasdos. Theophanes the Confessor mentions Beser in the context of Leo III’s iconoclasm, calling the man a partner in the 'evil' and 'boorishness' of destroying icons. He also tells us Beser was a Christian taken captive in Syria, who had abjured his faith and followed the beliefs of the Arabs. Beser/Bashir figures in the Islamic tradition as well, in a dialogue with the Muslim dialectician, Wasil al-Dimashqi. There, he appears as a youth who, during Umayyad rule, was educated in the Islamic tradition, despite later reverting to Christianity and fleeing to the Byzantine emperor to 'become one of his patricians'.