CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Minaic » Marginal Minaic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueIncision
Chronology
PeriodB
Textual typologyDedicatory text - fragmentary (conjectural)

GENERAL NOTES

M 464 and M 465 are engraved on the opposite sides of the same stone. According to Jamme, they are part of the same text whose missing sections were probably "engraved on two other stones flanking the long side of the present block" (Jamme). Thus, he restores lacunae at the extremities of the lines.
On the contrary, for Beeston they are independent texts: he considers M 464 complete at each side, perhaps broken only at top and bottom, although l.1 is probably the beginning of the text. According to this interpretation, this text contains the otherwise unattested words wts¹ and mtyhn.

TEXT


   1  Y(h)ṯwb (S¹)ʿyd ḏ-Qb[t]( w)—
   2  ts¹ kl hn mhm w-mty—
   3  hn ys¹ṣʿq-s¹ ḏ-ʾḏnh-s¹
   4  s¹brr w-s¹mtʿ w-s¹[r]s³
   5  [... ... ](s¹nk)r ryt(m) w-(y)m

Apparatus
We have followed Beeston's edition.
1Qb[t] is a plausible restoration (see M 350A and other Minaic texts); Beeston suggests Qb[l].
4w-s¹rs³ k-(W)d[ ...; l.5, end: w-(h)m[... (Jamme).
5The text probably continued in further missed lines.

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  Yhṯwb S¹ʿyd of the clan Qbt has
   2  placed under the divine protection all (property) whatsoever that at any time
   3  he may claim as belonging to him.
   4  He has consecrated and offered and dedicated
   5  [against] damage of the offering (?) and when [... ...]
1note that Beeston restored Qbl. For the otherwise unattested wts¹ root, Beeston suggests the sense of "place under divine protection".
2"mtyhn: otherwise unattested, but apparently an expansion of mty with indefinite sense, 'whenever', 'at any time'" (Beeston).
4the subject of the verb s¹brr in the Minaic inscriptions is the god. A possible translation suiting this observation could be "(that the god) released and saved ..."
5Beeston did not translate rytm, which probably stands for a kind of offering or tithe, and ym, in doubt whether to consider it a second object of the consecration or w+ym "and when".
Beeston 1972 c: 53Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1972. The Minaean texts from al-ʿUla. Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology, 10: 52-54.
English

   1  ...]hṯawab Suʿayd, he [him?] of (the group) Qubbat and [...
   2  ...]. everything whatsoever. And when [...
   3  ...] if his clientele informs him [...
   4  ...] he has truly executed and carried through and titied up for Wa[dd ...
   5  ... who would remove or] change any obligatory offering. And if .. not ..
Jamme 1974 b: 67Jamme, Albert W.F. 1974. Miscellanées d'ancient arabe VII. Washington. 2019/07/22; https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A205580#page/1/mode/1up. [Privately printed]

OBJECT INFORMATION

Support typeStone inscription
MaterialStone
Measuresh. 19.5, w. 26, th. 72
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin and provenance
Modern siteal-ʿUlā
Ancient siteDdn
Geographical areaḤijāz
CountrySaudi Arabia
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beeston 1972 c: 52-53, pl. 24Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1972. The Minaean texts from al-ʿUla. Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology, 10: 52-54.
Jamme 1974 b: 66-67, pl. 17Jamme, Albert W.F. 1974. Miscellanées d'ancient arabe VII. Washington. 2019/07/22; https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A205580#page/1/mode/1up. [Privately printed]