CIH 397
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic | ||
| Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Writing technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 2.7 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
TEXT
1 ʾlrm Yḥm(d) [ʿb]d ḏ-ʿnn—
2 n w-S²hrʿly w-(G)[rḥn ʾṣ]—
3 rḥn ʾdm mlkn hqny[w mrʾ]-
4 hmw ʾlmqh-bʿl-ʾwʿl-Ṣrw(ḥ)[ ṣl]—
5 mn ḏ-ḏhbn ḥmdm b-ḏt ḫmr-(hw)
6 ʾlmqhw b-ms¹ʾl-hw l-s¹bʾ w-m—
7 ṭw hʾ ʾlrm b-ʿm s²ʿbn S¹bʾ w-
8 ʾrbn w-tqdm-hmw S¹ʿdtʾlb-ḏ-
9 Gdnm ywm mṭww w-ḍbʾ ʿdy s¹—
10 rrn w-rʾ k-ḫmr ʾlmqh ʿbd-hw
11 ʾlrm hrg ʾs¹m (b)ḍʿm b-ḫlf h—
12 grn Mrymtm w-ʿs¹m s¹bym w-
13 mltm ḏ-hrḍy-hmw (w)-(ḥ)md ʾ—
14 lrm ḫyl w-mqm mrʾ-hmw ʾlm—
15 [qh-bʿl-ʾwʿl]-(Ṣ)[rw](ḥ)( b)-(ḏt hw)[f](y)
16 [... ...]
| The upper left fragment of the inscription was lacking in CIH's photograph and restored by Jamme on the base of his squeeze. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 ʾlrm Yḥmd servant of ḏu-ʿnnn, 2 and S²hrʿly and Grḥn from Ṣrwḥ 3 vassals of the king dedicated to their 4 Lord ʾlmqh Master of the ibexes of Ṣrwḥ the statue 5 in bronze, in praise because 6 ʾlmqh granted him in His oracle (favourable auspices) concerning the undertaking and 7 expedition of this ʾlrm together with the tribe of Sabaʾ 8 and the bedouins; and it was S¹ʿdtʿlb of Gdnm who was in charge of their command, 9 when they made the expedition and fought in the wadi. 10 And in fact ʾlmqh granted His servant 11 ʾlrm the killing of a wounded man in the district of the town of 12 Mrymtm, and a large quantity of captives and 13 loot, which gave them full satisfaction. And ʾlrm praised 14 the strength and the power of their Lord ʾlmqh 15 Master of the ibexes of Ṣrwḥ, because He granted 16 [... ...]. |
| 11 | "the killing of one officer in hand-to-hand conflict" (Beeston). |
| Beeston 1976 b | Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1976. Warfare in ancient South Arabian (2nd.-3rd. centuries A.D.). Qahtan. Studies in Old Arabian Epigraphy. 3. London: Luzac and Co. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Deposit | Bombay, Museum, 50 |
| Support type | Artefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription |
| Material | Stone |
| Measures | h. 45.6, w. 30 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Ṣirwāḥ-Khawlān |
| Ancient site | Ṣrwḥ |
| Geographical area | Ṣirwāḥ |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context: Temple of ʾlmqh bʿl ʾwʿl Ṣrwḥ |
| Link to site record |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Jamme 1971 b: 26, 28 | Jamme, Albert W.F. 1971. Miscellanées d'ancient arabe II. Washington. 2019/07/23; https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A206497#page/1/mode/1up. [Privately printed] |
| Beeston 1976 b: 55 | Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1976. Warfare in ancient South Arabian (2nd.-3rd. centuries A.D.). Qahtan. Studies in Old Arabian Epigraphy. 3. London: Luzac and Co. |