Ja 852 HI 39; Q 551; CSAI I, 117
Jamme 1969 a: 306, pl. 45
Image free from copyright
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 | 3.5 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
TEXT
1 Wdʾl w-Ys²rm bnw ʾbʾns¹ [bn]w Mghmm s³ḥrw
2 ʿm Ryʿn w-s¹s³ḥr ʾḫy-s¹my N(bṭ)ʿm w-Lḥyʿm w-
3 s¹s³ḥr Ys²rm bny-hw Ṣbḥm w-Ṣdqm w-ʾbnm q—
4 ẓrw ʾṯrt w-s¹qẓr Wdʾl bny-hw ʿs³b(m) w-Kl—
5 ybm w-bny Lḥyʿm Nbṭʿm w-ʿmkrb qẓrw ʾ—
6 ṯrt w-Wdʾl w-Ys²rm w-Ṣbḥm w-Ṣdqm rbyw ʾ—
7 ṯrt b-ʾs¹ḫr w-rs²w Rbs² ḏ-Nhlb Wdʾl w-Ṣbḥm
8 s¹qnyw ʿm Ryʿn ms³ndn w-kl s²rʿ-s¹ b(n fr)[ʿm]
9 frʿw l-ʿm rṯdw ʿm Ryʿn ʾw(l)[d-s¹m ... ... ms³]—
10 nd-s¹m b-ʿṯtr w-b ʿm w-b ʿ(m)[ ... ...]
11 (b)-ʾṯrt w-ʾlhy Tw(d)[... ...]
| 8 | the editor reads at the end of the line: (fr)[ʿ]. Grammatically more correct is the integration: (fr)[ʿm]. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 Wdʾl and Ys²rm sons of ʾbʾns¹ of the family Mghmm the two Wizards 2 of ʿm Ryʿn - and (they) ordained Wizards their brothers Nbṭʿm and Lḥyʿm, and 3 Ys²rm ordained Wizards his sons Ṣbḥm and Ṣdqm and ʾbnm - the two Collectors 4 of ʾṯrt - and Wdʾl ordained Collectors his sons ʿs³bm and Kl- 5 ybm and the sons of Lḥyʿm Nbṭʿm and ʿmkrb - the two Collectors of ʾ- 6 ṯrt - and Wdʾl and Ys²rm and Ṣbḥm and Ṣdqm the Priests of ʾ- 7 ṯrt in ʾs¹ḫr and Wdʾl and Ṣbḥm the Priests of Rbs² ḏ-Nhlb - 8 dedicated to ʿm Ryʿn the inscription and all that is due to Him from the tribute 9 they paid to ʿm. They have committed to ʿm Ryʿn their sons [... ...] 10 [... ...] ; by ʿṯtr and by ʿm and by ʿm[... ...] 11 by ʾṯrt and by the gods of [... ...] |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Support type | Artefact » Stela |
| Material | Alabaster |
| Measures | h. 60, w. 42 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Hajar Ibn Ḥumayd |
| Ancient site | ḏ-Ġylm / ḏt-Ġylm |
| Geographical area | Wādī Bayḥān |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context: Temple of ʿm Ryʿn |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
This inscription, similarly to many other Qatabanic dedicatory texts, refers to a complex cultural situation. What this text highlights is the close link between a family and some specific priestly functions. It recalls the specialization of some tribes as to functions peculiar to them, as mentioned in Strabon (see CSAI I, 196=RES 3688).
There are two brothers who not only perform defined roles in the cult of the god ʿm Ryʿn ("the two Wizards"), the goddess ʾṯrt ("the two Collectors") and the god Rbs² ("Priests"), but also appoint their sons and nephews to those same roles.
There are two brothers who not only perform defined roles in the cult of the god ʿm Ryʿn ("the two Wizards"), the goddess ʾṯrt ("the two Collectors") and the god Rbs² ("Priests"), but also appoint their sons and nephews to those same roles.
ʿm Ryʿn appears in the royal title of the Qatabanian kings when they leave inscriptions in the capital ("Wizard and Priest of ʿm Ryʿn").
There was probably one or more sanctuaries in Timnaʿ dedicated to this god (see for example RES 3566=CSAI I, 208). This text testifies that ʿm Ryʿn was also worshipped in Hajar ibn Ḥumayd.
There was probably one or more sanctuaries in Timnaʿ dedicated to this god (see for example RES 3566=CSAI I, 208). This text testifies that ʿm Ryʿn was also worshipped in Hajar ibn Ḥumayd.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Jamme 1955 b: 97-99, photo | Jamme, Albert W.F. 1955. A Qatabanian Dedicatory Inscription from Hajar bin Ḥumaid. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 75: 97-99. |
| Jamme 1969 a: pl. 45 | Jamme, Albert W.F. 1969. Inscriptions from Hajar bin Ḥumeid. Pages 331-354 in Gus W. Van Beek. Hajar bin Ḥumeid. Investigations at a Pre-Islamic Site in South Arabia. (Publications of the American Foundation for the Study of Man, 5). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. |