CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


CIAS: i, 89

INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueIncision
Measure of letters1.5
Textual typologyDedicatory text

TEXT


   1  ʾḥmdt w-Ḥkmt h(q)ny(t)—
   2  w ʾlmq<h> bʿl ʾwm ṣl—
   3  mtn l-hʿnn-hmw bn rġ—
   4  m lb-hw w-rġm ʾḫ-hw
   5  w-l-ḫmr-hw ḏ-yḫtmrn-h—
   6  w w-ḏt ṣlmtn b-qbly
   7  ḏ-s²ftt-hw b-ḏ-bhʾt m—
   8  ḥrm-hw w-ʾlbs¹-hw ʾ—
   9  (l) ẓy b-ʾlmqhw bʿl
  10  ʾwm

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  ʾḥmdt and Ḥkmt dedicated
   2  to ʾlmqh, Lord of ʾwm, the female
   3  statuette, in order that He protects them against the illwill
   4  of her heart and the illwill of her brother;
   5  may He grant her whatever He is asked to grant
   6  her. This statuette is in respect of
   7  that which she had promised Him, because she entered
   8  His sanctuary while her clothes were
   9  not pure; by ʾlmqh, Lord of
  10  ʾwm.
4Beeston translates bn rġm lb-hw w-rġm ʾḫ-hw "from the illwill of His heart and the illwill of her brother".
The pronouns in this text are somewhat puzzling. At the line 8 -hw after mḥrm is surely referred to the God, but -hw after ʾlbs¹ in the same line is referred to one of the women who had committed the offence.
CIAS: i, 87-88Beeston, 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

DepositṢanʿāʾ, The National Museum, YM 441
Support typeArtefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription
MaterialStone
Measuresh. 21, w. 16, th. 4
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

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

CULTURAL NOTES

In the text two dedicants are mentioned, but only one committed the offence.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CIAS: i, 87-89 (photo)Beeston, 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]
Jamme 1985: 261-262Jamme, Albert W.F. 1985. Miscellanées d'ancient arabe XIV. Washington. 2019/07/23; https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A203545#page/1/mode/1up. [Privately printed]