MQ-dhū Nāʿim 1
Robin and Arbach 2013: 121, fig. 1
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Marginal Qatabanic | ||
| Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Writing technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 4 | ||
| Chronology |
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GENERAL NOTES
| The editors note that the only linguistic feature suggesting that the text is Qatabanic rather than Southern Sabaic is bytw as a construct dual. Some letters are rotated 180° (h, ḥ) and some are dextrograde (m, n). The f is characterized by a vertical trait. |
TEXT
1 (Ḥ)[.](ṭ)[...]m ḥwr Bṣ[.]m (ʿ)[... ... ... ...]—
2 tym (ʿ)d Rs²ʾ w-hrg ʾrbʿt ʾs¹dm bn Mḍ—
3 ḥym w-Yfʿm b-S¹lmn((s¹lmn)) w-ḍrm ʾywm tḍr ʾb—
4 ʾns¹ w-ḏ-Rydn w-bytw Bṣrm tḥt-n Ḥs³gbm b-ʾ—
5 [... ... ... ...]rkm ys¹mm w
6 [... ...]yn
| 1 | The first letter might also be a Ṣ, according to the editors. They read Bṣ(m)m, but do not exclude the reading Bṣrm (cf. l.4). |
| 3 | The editors note that b-s¹lmn w-ḍrm might be interpreted as the well-known phrase "in peace and in war". However, for the different state of the two nouns and the mention of "peace" just after mentioning a massacre, they prefer to consider S¹lmn a toponym. |
| 5-6 | The editors note that traces of letters belonging to a different text can be seen under the left part of l.5. The right part of ll.5-6 has been hammered. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 [... ...] inhabitant of Bṣ[.]m [... ...] 2 [... ...] in Rs²ʾ, and he killed four men of Mḍḥm 3 and of Yfʿm in S¹lmn and (this was) in the occasion of a war (or, in peace and in war), when ʾbʾns¹ 4 and dhu-Raydān were at war; and the two houses of Bṣrm, under Ḥs³gbm 5 [... ...] 6 [... ...] |
| 3 | See the edition of the text for the alternative translations. |
| Robin and Arbach 2013: 120 | Robin, Christian J. and Arbach, Mounir 2013. Premières mentions de dhū-Raydān (vers la fin du Ier s. av. è. chr.). Raydān, 8: 119-134. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Support type | Rock inscription |
| Material | Stone |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | dhū-Naʿīm (The inscribed rock is located at Ḥankat Danbūs, some kilometres south of dhū Nāʿim.) |
| Ancient site | Unknown |
| Geographical area | al-Hadīm |
| Country | Yemen |
| Found | In situ |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
Notwithstanding the fragmentary text, the subject seems to be the commemoration of a victory on Maḍḥī and Yāfiʿum, at the time of the wars between ʾbʾns¹ and ḏu-Raydān (cf. RES 4336), by a man probably belonging to Radmān and Khawlān, which in the 1st century AD and probably also before included territories NW and SE of dhū Naʿīm (Robin and Arbach 2013). The editors date the text to 50-20 BC.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Robin and Arbach 2013: 120-124 | Robin, Christian J. and Arbach, Mounir 2013. Premières mentions de dhū-Raydān (vers la fin du Ier s. av. è. chr.). Raydān, 8: 119-134. |