A-20-664
By kind permission of GOAM
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic | ||
| Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Writing technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 1.5 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
TEXT
1 N(s¹)rm w-b(n)t-[hw Nḍ]—
2 [rt] ḏty (Ḥ)qbʾm((Nqbʾm)) ʾs¹l[.]—
3 tn ʾmh ʾlt Wdnʿm
4 ʾmh [....]n hqnyt ʾl-
5 (h)w (Ns¹r)m ʾlh ʿ[.]nwm((ʿ[.]nwm)) ṣ[l]—
6 [m](t)nhn ḏ(ty) ḏhbn ḏt—
7 (y) s²ftt-hw l-wft grb
8 bt-hw Nḍrt w-l-wzʾ ḫ[m]—
9 [r]-hw Ns¹rm ḥyw grb ʾn[s¹]-
10 hw w-ʾwld-hw w-ḏ-qny[t]
11 w-t[.]n[..] w-s¹ʿd-(h)w Ns¹r(m)
12 [ḏ]t nʿmt w-t(nʿ)[mn] l-h—
13 (y)t hnʾ-Ns¹rm w-(N)[ḍ](r)t
14 (b) Ns¹rm ʾl(h) ʿ[.]n(w)[m]((ʿ[.]nwm))
| 5, 14 | ʿ[y]nwm is a possible integration (see Ja 560: 2). |
| 11 | On the basis of the formulary we could integrate w-t[q](n)[yn]. |
| 14 | There's a blank space left by the engraver at the beginning of the line, after the letter b. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 Ns¹rm and her daughter Nḍ- 2 rt, both of Ḥqbʾm ((Nqbʾm)), of the tribe ʾs¹l[.]- 3 tn, servants of the family Wdnʿm, 4 servants of [....]n dedicated to her 5 god Ns¹rm, god of ʿ[.]nwm, these two statues 6 which are both in bronze, which 7 she had promised Him for the safety of the body 8 of her daughter Nḍrt; and may Ns¹rm continue to grant her 9 the life of the body of her 10 husband and her children, and all she possess 11 and [will possess?], and (may) Ns¹rm (continue) to grant her 12 past and future prosperity, (and) for the (lit.: that) 13 health of Ns¹rm and her 14 daughter Nḍrt, by Ns¹rm god of ʿ[.]nwm. |
| In the text it is always used the masculine suffix pronoun, though it refers to a female dedicant. | |
| 8-9, 11 | We can also translate "and in order that Ns¹rm continue to grant ..." considering l-wzʾ ḫmr and w-s¹ʿd two final sentences, at the same level as l-wfy. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Deposit | Ṣanʿāʾ, University Museum, A-20-664 |
| Support type | Artefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription |
| Material | Stone |
| Measures | h. 23.6, w. 14.6, th. 7 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Unknown |
| Ancient site | Unknown |
| Geographical area | wādī al-Jawf |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
The dedicant bears the same name as the god Ns¹rm. From other occurrences it seems to exist a special connection in dedicatory texts between women and this divinity.
There is another interesting point in the woman's onomastic formula: according to our translation, she and her daughter declare to be "servants of the family Wdnʿm". The group name is introduced by the plural feminine pronoun ʾlt, thus implying that Wdnʿm is a female clan. This formula is parallel to bnt ʾlt followed by a name of group, which is found in texts such as Ir 34 or CIH 518. In that case, scholars are uncertain whether to translate "the daughters of the clan X" or "the daughters, those of the clan X" (the latter would not imply any female clan). A-20-664 seems to confirm the first interpretation and then, perhaps, the existence of clans with a matrilinear descent or, at least, where the female side had to be particularly important.
There is another interesting point in the woman's onomastic formula: according to our translation, she and her daughter declare to be "servants of the family Wdnʿm". The group name is introduced by the plural feminine pronoun ʾlt, thus implying that Wdnʿm is a female clan. This formula is parallel to bnt ʾlt followed by a name of group, which is found in texts such as Ir 34 or CIH 518. In that case, scholars are uncertain whether to translate "the daughters of the clan X" or "the daughters, those of the clan X" (the latter would not imply any female clan). A-20-664 seems to confirm the first interpretation and then, perhaps, the existence of clans with a matrilinear descent or, at least, where the female side had to be particularly important.