al-ʿĀdī 21
By kind permission of M. al-Ḥāj
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic | ||
| Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Writing technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 8-9 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
TEXT
1 ʾrymn ḥwr S²kʿm s¹qnyw Ḥwkm Nbṭ w-ʾlh-s¹ww ṣlm ḏhbn
2 mṯbm ṯwbw l-Ḥwkm b-hgrn S²kʿm b-ʾrḍ Yhnṭl-rṯdw Ḥwk—
3 m w-ʾlh-s¹ww mqmhy-s¹m w-ʾʾḏn-s¹m w-ḏ-l-s¹m w-ṣlm-s¹m bn ms¹nkrm
4 bn brṯ-s¹ b-ʿm w-b-Ḥwkm w-b Ḥbr ʾl S²kʿm w-b mrʾ-s¹m S²hr Y—
5 gl Yhrgb mlk Qtbn w-b ʾqwl-s¹m w-s²ʿb-s¹m Bklm[ ḏ-Mrymtm]
| 4 | ḥbr ʾl S²kʿm, the first word being a common noun (al-Hajj). |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 (Those from the tribe of) Rymn, inhabitants of S²kʿm, dedicated to Ḥwkm Nbṭ and His gods the statue in bronze, 2 as an offering they offered to Ḥwkm in the city of S²kʿm in the land of Yhnṭl; they entrusted to Ḥwkm 3 and His gods their material resources, their faculties, what belongs to them, and their statue, against everyone who may damage (it) 4 from its place; by ʿm, Ḥwkm and Ḥbr, god of S²kʿm, and by their lord S²hr 5 Ygl Yhrgb king of Qatabān, and by their ʾqwl and their tribe Bklm ḏ-Mrymtm. |
| 4 | According to al-Hajj, Ḥbr ʾl S²kʿm must be interpreted as "priest of the town ʾl S²kʿm". |
| al-Hajj 2013: 123 | al-Hajj, Mohammed 2013. Madīna Šukuʿ wa-ʾarḍ Yuhanṭil fi ḍawʾ naqš qitbānī ǧadīd muʾrraḫ bi-ʿahd al-malik Šhr Ygl Yhrḥb (al-ʿĀdī 21). Silsilat mudāwalāt ʿilmiyya muḥakama li-l-liqāʾ al-sanawī li-l-ǧamʿiyyah (al-Ǧamʿiyya al-Saʿūdīya li-l-Dirāsāt al-Aṯariyya), al-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya al-Saʿūdiyya ʿabr al-ʿuṣūr, 3: 119-144. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Support type | Artefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription |
| Material | Stone |
| Measures | h.21, w. 53, th. 8-13 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Hajar al-ʿĀdī |
| Ancient site | Mrymtm |
| Geographical area | Wādī Ḥarīb |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context |
| Notes | The inscription was found in situ by an inhabitant of al-ʿĀdī and was brought to his house. |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
Members of the family of Mrymtm are living in a region near Aden. The probable involvement of Qatabanians in the sea-trade could be proved by this text.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| al-Hajj 2013: 143 | al-Hajj, Mohammed 2013. Madīna Šukuʿ wa-ʾarḍ Yuhanṭil fi ḍawʾ naqš qitbānī ǧadīd muʾrraḫ bi-ʿahd al-malik Šhr Ygl Yhrḥb (al-ʿĀdī 21). Silsilat mudāwalāt ʿilmiyya muḥakama li-l-liqāʾ al-sanawī li-l-ǧamʿiyyah (al-Ǧamʿiyya al-Saʿūdīya li-l-Dirāsāt al-Aṯariyya), al-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya al-Saʿūdiyya ʿabr al-ʿuṣūr, 3: 119-144. |