CSAI

Corpus of Sabaic Inscriptions (work in progress)


By kind permission of GOAM

INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueIncision
Measure of letters1.3
Chronology
PeriodD
Textual typologyDedicatory text

TEXT


   1  S²fnʾb w-bt-hw Ddt [... ...]—
   2  ḥm ʾfys²tn ʾmh ḏ-Gr[t .. ]hq—
   3  [ny]ty ʾlmqh-Ṯhwn-bʿl-ʾwm ṣl(m)—
   4  (t)m ḏt ḏhbm l-qbly ḏ-ʾtwt S²fnʾb
   5  l-hḥḍrn ʾlmq(h) w-ʾwlt bt-hw Ddt (b)-
   6  ṯdy-hw ḏ-ts¹ʿm wrḫm w-s²ftt [ʾlmq]—
   7  h S²fnʾb k-mʿn-mw ḥyt l-hw bt-(h)[w Dd]—
   8  t thgb(ʾ)[n]-hw l-hḥḍrn b-[ʿm]-hw w-gbʾ—
   9  t S²fnʾb l-hḥḍrn b-ḏ-Hb(s¹) w-ʾl ʿlwt
  10  b-ʿm-hw bt-hw Ddt w-hbrrt Ddt l-s²w—
  11  ʿn S²fnʾb w-ʿdwt mḥrmn ḏ-ʾwm ḏ-ḫ—
  12  lf Ṣnʿw b-mlbs¹m mgybm w-nqm-h[w]
  13  ʾlmqh w-s²m-hw b-twḍʿm ṯny ḫrf[n]
  14  w-rʾ k-wqh-hmw ʾl[mqh] b-ʾmr-hw k-[y]—
  15  hqnynn ṣlmtm w-l-yḫmrn-hw ʾl[m]—
  16  qh hʿnn Ddt bn h(w)t mrḍn l-mẓʾ-h[w]
  17  [... ...]w w-tḍrʿn (l)-(hwt)[... ...]

Apparatus
13b-tḍrʿm (CIAS).

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  S²fnʾb and her daughter Ddt [...]
   2  ḥm of the tribe Fys²n, handmaids of the family Grt[..], dedicated
   3  to Almaqah Ṯhwn Master of Awām, a female statue
   4  in bronze, because S²fnʾb had come
   5  to make a pilgrimage to Almaqah when her daughter Ddt had been ailing
   6  in her breast for nine months, and S²fnʾb promised
   7  Almaqah that, as soon as her daughter Ddt should have recovered satisfactorily,
   8  she would bring her back to make the pilgrimage along with herself, so
   9  S²fnʾb did return to make the pilgrimage in (the month of) ḏ-Hbs¹,
  10  but her daughter Ddt did not go up with her: Ddt set out to accompany
  11  S²fnʾb, but turned aside to the sanctuary of Awām which is in
  12  the vicinity of Ṣanʿāʾ in a garment (? covering the breast?); so she was punished
  13  by Almaqah and He imposed on her a penance for two years.
  14  Now Almaqah has commanded them in His oracle that
  15  they should dedicate a statue; and may Almaqah vouchsafe them
  16  to deliver Ddt from this ailment, for her to (?go?)
  17  ... ... do penance ...
CIAS: 42Beeston, Alfred F.L., Pirenne, Jacqueline and Robin, Christian J. 1977-1986. Corpus des inscriptions et antiquités sud-arabes:
Vol. I (1977): Tome 1. Inscriptions. Tome 2. Antiquités;
Vol. II (1986): Le Musée d’Aden. Tome 1. Inscriptions. Tome 2. Antiquités
. Louvain: Peeters. [Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres]

OBJECT INFORMATION

DepositAden, The National Museum, NAM 2494
Support typeArtefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription
Measuresh. 25, w. 17, th. 9
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin and provenance
Modern siteMaḥram Bilqīs
Ancient siteʾwm
Geographical areaMaʾrib
CountryYemen
Archaeological contextReligious context: Temple of ʾlmqh bʿl ʾwm
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CIAS: ii, 41-44Beeston, Alfred F.L., Pirenne, Jacqueline and Robin, Christian J. 1977-1986. Corpus des inscriptions et antiquités sud-arabes:
Vol. I (1977): Tome 1. Inscriptions. Tome 2. Antiquités;
Vol. II (1986): Le Musée d’Aden. Tome 1. Inscriptions. Tome 2. Antiquités
. Louvain: Peeters. [Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres]