Ямболският надпис на господин Шишман, брат на цар Йоан Александър, от 1356/1357 г.
The Yambol inscription of lord Shishman, brother of king John Alexander, ad 1356/1357

Summary/Abstract: The article presents a revised edition of the medieval Bulgarian inscription from Yambol dated to AD 1356–1357, now kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia (inv. no. 555). The inscription was found in 1885 and has since been published and commented numerous times, but the readings of the text proposed by different editors are proven to have contained some inaccuracies. It is now shown that Shishman, who erected the inscription, was not the son of a non-existing brother of Bulgarian king John Alexander named Michael, as believed before, but was himself brother of the king, with the title милос[т(иѫ)] б(ож)иѫ г(осподи)нь, ‘Lord by God’s grace’ (lines 2–3). He was apparently given the name Shishman after his maternal grandfather, the Vidin ruler Shishman. Two signs after the name of the town in line 5, hitherto considered as ornaments/separation marks, are revealed to be two letters forming a case ending: прѣд дѫбилинѡм. Another correction is proposed for the reading of the protective clause in the second part of the inscription (line 7).

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