Ja 2360 Q 694; CSAI I, 195
Jamme 1972: pl. 5 (facsimile)
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Image free from copyright
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic | ||
| Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Writing technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 4-6 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Legal text |
TEXT
1 kn wqh ʾnby w-rb(q)((rb(ʿ))) Brm b-s¹ʾl
2 s¹ʾl Ydʿʾb Ygl mlk Qtbn b-ʿl[w]
3 S²bʿt w-Mtntm w-Ḍḥyn w-Fryḍ w-Ḍḥyn w-
4 S²bʿt w-Myfʿ w-ḏt Yḫḍ w-ḥql ʿynm bn ḫmyw
5 Byḥn w-ḏ-ʿdnm l-lʿl bn ʿḍd Byḥn mmqṭytm l-ms²r[q]
6 ʿd s¹mtn w-ʾs¹ṭrn ḏtm ws¹m w-s¹ṭr b-Ḫlbṣm l-lʿl l-ʾy-
7 (ḥ)rm rḥbt w-S²bʿt w-Mtntm w-Fryḍ w-Ḍḥyn w-ḥql ʿynm
8 (m)rḥbm bn nḫlm w-ḥrṯ ʾwd w-bqlm bqlm w-bny ḥrtm w-ʾqr—
9 (ḍ)m w-bn ḍmr ḍmrm ʾw ḥrṯ kl ʾwdm w-mrḥbm-ʾy l-yḍʾ w-ḥrt-s¹ w-
10 (b)qlm kwn b-ḏtn ʾrḍtn l-ygbḏ w-wḍʾ ḥrt-s¹n w-ʾwwd-s¹n w-bḍʿ
11 Ḫḏry l-yḥrm bn ʿlym w-fʿl w-ṣyr l-lʿl bqlm w-ṣyrm w-ḥrtm w-ʾ—
12 wwd bn qf Ẓrn ʿd ʾs¹ṭr Ḫlbṣm l-ms²rq w-l-lʿl w-ḏtn ʾrḍtn (w)-(ʾs¹)—
13 ṭrn ḥrmw bn qwr b-s¹m kl bʾrm bn-ḏn wrḫn l-ʾḫr w-kwnt ḏt
14 qhtn ywmyt s²lṯm ḏ-Fqḥw ḏ-Bs²mm ḫrf Yqhmlk ḏ-Ḏrʾn qdmn
| 1 | the reading rbʿ is also possible, more than a human waterkeeper, we could have a divine protector. |
| 2 | bʿl could be referred to the king: "the Lord of", but seems better to read b-ʿl[w]. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 So commanded ʾnby and the waterkeeper (or, the Protector) of Brm - through the oracle 2 requested by Ydʿʾb Ygl king of Qatabān - regarding 3 S²bʿt and Mtntm and Ḍḥyn and Fryḍ: Ḍḥyn and 4 S²bʿt and Myfʿ and ḏt Yḫd and the plane of ʿynm from the two properties, 5 Byḥn and ḏ-ʿdnm, towards the North from the enclosure of Byḥn, the area in the West, towards the East 6 as far as the mark and the inscriptions which were drawn and written in Ḫlbṣm towards the North, 7 that (these areas) were country open to the flood: S²bʿt and Mtntm and Fryḍ and Ḍḥyn and the plane of ʿynm, 8 as a country open to the flood (it is free) from palm-groves, terracing and retaining walls, cultivation of plants and edification of canals and dams, 9 edification of water conduits or terrace cultivations with retaining walls - and as a country open to the flood all constructions must be destroyed, its canals and 10 its cultivations, which were in these lands, their canals and their retaining walls must be eliminated and destroyed; the territory 11 of Ḫḏry is to be prohibited from building, putting up, cultivating, towards the North, cultivations, water pits, canals and retaining walls 12 from the land mark of Ẓrn as far as the inscriptions of Ḫlbṣm towards the East and the North and these lands and the inscriptions 13 which forbad to dig any well from this month forth. This decree has been 14 issued in the third day of the second ten days period of Bs²mm, the first year of Yqhmlk ḏ-Ḏrʾn. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Support type | Rock inscription |
| Measures | h. 180, w. 98-118 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Jabal Khalbaṣ |
| Ancient site | Ḫlbṣ |
| Geographical area | Wādī Bayḥān |
| Country | Yemen |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
The majority of the legal texts are royal decrees. But this first decree was emanated directly by the god ʾnby, the protector of property rights. According to our interpretation, the king is trying to
repeat, with the emphasis he draws from divine authority ("through the oracle" requested by the king), a decree which has not been
obeyed. It seems that, considering the system of water collection and conservation developed by the inhabitants of South Arabia, it was crucial for the entire
community that ownership of the lands earmarked for flooding be subtracted from individuals
and that they be considered the property of the king, namely of the state. Therefore the listed lands that the king is lord of had been declared set aside for the waters, thus making
it forbidden to cultivate them and build on them. In the first part, there is an attempt to specify
as clearly as possible what territories they are, giving the name and specifying the geographical
position. The decree, obviously, had not been obeyed and the king had to order the demolition of
all unauthorized buildings and cultivations that had been made. The prohibition to dig wells on the
land set aside for the flood had also to be repeated.
repeat, with the emphasis he draws from divine authority ("through the oracle" requested by the king), a decree which has not been
obeyed. It seems that, considering the system of water collection and conservation developed by the inhabitants of South Arabia, it was crucial for the entire
community that ownership of the lands earmarked for flooding be subtracted from individuals
and that they be considered the property of the king, namely of the state. Therefore the listed lands that the king is lord of had been declared set aside for the waters, thus making
it forbidden to cultivate them and build on them. In the first part, there is an attempt to specify
as clearly as possible what territories they are, giving the name and specifying the geographical
position. The decree, obviously, had not been obeyed and the king had to order the demolition of
all unauthorized buildings and cultivations that had been made. The prohibition to dig wells on the
land set aside for the flood had also to be repeated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Jamme 1972: 22-26, pl. 5 (facsimile) | Jamme, Albert W.F. 1972. Miscellanées d'ancient arabe III. Washington. 2019/07/23; https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A206336#page/1/mode/1up. [Privately printed] |
| Pirenne 1971: 117-132, pl. III | Pirenne, Jacqueline 1971. Une législation hydrologique en Arabie du sud antique. Pages 117-135 in Hommages à André Dupont-Sommer. Paris: Adrien-Maisonneuve. |