CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueRelief
Chronology
PeriodD. Conjectural
Textual typologyConstruction text - fragmentary

GENERAL NOTES

Nebes proposes to date back the inscription to the 3rd/4th century AD on the palaeographical basis.

TEXT


   1  [... ...] ʾkbrw s²ʿbn ḏ-Ṭrqy ʾdm ḏ-S¹ḥr b—
   2  (rʾ)w((b(ny)w)) w-hwṯrn w-hs²qrn ṣrḥt-hmw Rḥb ṣrḥt byt-hmw S²ʿbn b-wsṭ hgr-hmw Mrdʿm b-ʿṯt—
   3  r w-[... ...] w-ʾlmqh w-ḏt Ḥmym w-ḏt Bʿdnm w-b-S¹ḥr w-b mqymt ʾmrʾ-hmw Wddʾl w-Tbʿkrb bny ḏ-S¹ḥr

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  ... the ʾkbrw of the tribe Ṭrqy, the clients of the family S¹ḥr,
   2  built, founded and completed their upper storey Rḥb, the upper storey of their house S²ʿbn in the middle of their town Mrdʿm with the help of ʿṯtr
   3  and ... and (with the help of) ʾlmqh and ḏt Ḥmym and ḏt Bʿdnm and with the help of S¹ḥr and with the assistance of their lords Wddʾl and Tubʿkrb, of the family S¹ḥr.
Nebes 1992: 163Nebes, Norbert 1992. New Inscriptions from the Barʾān Temple (al-ʿAmāʾid) in the Oasis of Mārib. Pages 160-164 in Amir Harrak (ed.). West Asia and North Africa. Selected papers from the 33rd International Congress of Asian and North African Studies, Toronto, August 15-25, 1990. Contacts between Cultures. Selected papers from the 33rd International Congress of Asian and North African Studies, Toronto, August 15-25, 1990. 1. Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. / Lampeter: E. Mellen Press.

OBJECT INFORMATION

Support typeInscription on architectural structure » Wall
MaterialStone
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Provenance
Modern siteal-ʿAmāyid / ʿArsh Bilqīs
Ancient siteBrʾn
Geographical areaMaʾrib
CountryYemen
FoundReemployed
NotesThe stone bearing the inscription was re-used in a building at the Barʾān temple. However, the inscription commemorates the construction of a house named S²ʿbn in the town of Mrdʿm (ancient Hajar ar-Rayḥāni in the wādī al-Jūba). Nebes suggests two interpretations: that the inscription could have been abducted from Mrdʿm to Mārib or that the inscription was prepared in Mārib, but for whatever reasons was not delivered to the town of Mrdʿm.
It cannot be excluded that the authors simply commemorated in Mārib the construction works carried out in their town.
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nebes 1992: 163-164Nebes, Norbert 1992. New Inscriptions from the Barʾān Temple (al-ʿAmāʾid) in the Oasis of Mārib. Pages 160-164 in Amir Harrak (ed.). West Asia and North Africa. Selected papers from the 33rd International Congress of Asian and North African Studies, Toronto, August 15-25, 1990. Contacts between Cultures. Selected papers from the 33rd International Congress of Asian and North African Studies, Toronto, August 15-25, 1990. 1. Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. / Lampeter: E. Mellen Press.