Language | Ancient North Arabian » Oasis North Arabian » Dadanitic |
Alphabet | Ancient North Arabian |
Script typology | Monumental writing |
Writing technique | Relief |
Textual typology | Dedicatory text - fragmentary |
Line 3. The first letter can not be a s² (cf. the example in line 8). It seems more likely an n (cf. the fifth letter of this line). Line 4. In the theophoric name hnʾ-h-ʿzy the definite article is h- rather than the expected hn-. Line 5. Ḥggw h- nq is the equivalent of Arabic ḥajjū al-nīq "they made a pilgrimage to the top of the mountain" (see Lisān s.v. NYQ: nīq "The highest point on the mountain", "one of the summits of the mountain", "the nīq is the highest of the mountains"). This would be most appropriate given the find spot of the text. The verb is in intensive conjugation (II Form) which is not found in Arabic. Hġnyw must be a verb of the causative stem with the unusual h- preformative rather than the normal ʾ- and in the third person plural of the suffix conjugation. Based on Arabic, this would mean "and they provided sufficient in their house", possibly referring to sacrifices made in their home as distinct from the public pilgrimage to the mountain top. Unfortunately the loss of what follows makes it impossible to be sure. Line 6. H- mṣd may be a place name but the meaning, "the high (red) mountain", seems particularly appropriate here. Of course, the literal meaning may have given rise to a place name. Line 8-9. Ṭʿn: Following ẖlf the word ṭʿn can only be a noun in construct and, since the next word does not have the definite article, the following word must be a name (or title) consisting of ḏ plus the two lost letters at the beginning of line 9 and the l (ʿ) and b before tlmy, unless the iḍāfah consists of ṭʿn ḏ[..]l(ʿ)b tlmy .... Line 9. This line is incised on the bottom of the stone on the frame which surrounded the inscription. |
1 | Abū l-Ḥasan followed by Farès-Drappeau reads ʾbh for ʾlh. |
2 | Abū l-Ḥasan restores [ʿbd]. |
4 | Abū l-Ḥasan restores [ʾl/w b–] Farès-Drappeau reads w ġnyw for w hġnyw. |
6 | Abū l-Ḥasan reads ʾṭlw and ṭll for ʾẓlw and ẓll. |
9 | Abū l-Ḥasan followed by Farès-Drappeau reads mnʿn for ----l({ʿ}{b}. |
English | |
1 Zdlh and Bnwd and ʾlh[......] 2 of the lineage of Ḫ[.]br and their mother Ṯbrh daugh[ter of .......] 3 [.....]ms¹ and (N)ḫʿ and ʾws¹ and Zdl[.......S¹-] 4 (ʿ)dʾl and Hnʾhʿzy sons of Zd[.......] 5 nwd performed the pilgrimage to the top of the mountain and provided sufficient in their house [...] 6 tn for (the god) Ḫrg. And they performed the ẓll-ceremony of the [..] on the high (red) mountain 7 for ḏ-Ġbt. And so he may favour them and their descendants and he may help them. 8 Year thirteen /13/ two days after the departure of [?] Ḏ 9 [..] lʿb Tlmy son of [L]ḏn king of Lḥyn. |
5 | Ḥggw h-nq is the equivalent of Arabic ḥajjū al-nīq "they made a pilgrimage to the top of the mountain" (see Lisān s.v. NYQ : nīq "The highest point on the mountain", "one of the summits of the mountain", "the nīq is the highest of the mountains"). This would be most appropriate given the find spot of the text. The verb is in intensive conjugation (II Form) which is not found in Arabic. Hġnyw must be a verb of the causative stem with the unusual h- preformative rather than the normal ʾ- and in the third person plural of the suffix conjugation. Based on Arabic, this would mean "and they provided sufficient in their house", possibly referring to sacrifices made in their home as distinct from the public pilgrimage to the mountain top. Unfortunately the loss of what follows makes it impossible to be sure. |
6 | Hmṣd may be a place name but the meaning, "the high (red) mountain", seems particularly appropriate here. Of course, the literal meaning may have given rise to a place name. |
8-9 | For the translation of ṭʿn as 'departure', see Hidalgo-Chacón Díez (p. 52). Ṭʿn: Following ẖlf the word ṭʿn can only be a noun in construct and, since the next word does not have the definite article, the following word must be a name (or title) consisting of ḏ plus the two lost letters at the beginning of line 9 and the l (ʿ) and b before tlmy, unless the iḍāfah consists of ṭʿn ḏ[..]l(ʿ)b tlmy .... |
For other translations see the bibliography. |
Abū l-Ḥasan 1423/2002: 29-39 (AH 197) | Abū l-Ḥasan, Ḥusayn 1423/2002. Nuqūš liḥyānīya min minṭaqat al-ʿUlā. (Dirāsa taḥlīlīya muqārana). ar-Riyāḍ: Wizārat al-maʿārif, wakālat al-wizāra li-l-ʾāṯār wa-l-matāḥif. |
Farès-Drappeau 2005: 226-228 (D 160), pl. XXX | Farès-Drappeau, Saba 2005. Dédan et Liḥyân. Histoire des Arabes aux confins des pouvoirs perse et hellénistique (IVe-IIe s. avant l'ère chrétienne). (Travaux de la Maison de l'Orient et de la Mediterranée, 42). Lyon: Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée; J. Pouilloux. |
Hidalgo-Chacón Díez 2009: (HNDI) | Hidalgo-Chacón Díez, María del Carmen 2009. Neubearbeitung der dadanischen Inschrift Abū l-Ḥasan 197. Aula Orientalis, 27: 43-56. |
Support type | Stone inscription |
Link to object record |
Modern site | al-ʿUlā |
Ancient site | Ddn |
Geographical area | Ḥijāz |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Notes | The inscription was found in Ǧabal Umm Daraǧ. |
Link to site record |
Abū l-Ḥasan 1423/2002: 29-39 (AH 197) | Abū l-Ḥasan, Ḥusayn 1423/2002. Nuqūš liḥyānīya min minṭaqat al-ʿUlā. (Dirāsa taḥlīlīya muqārana). ar-Riyāḍ: Wizārat al-maʿārif, wakālat al-wizāra li-l-ʾāṯār wa-l-matāḥif. |
Farès-Drappeau 2005: 226-228 (D 160), pl. XXX | Farès-Drappeau, Saba 2005. Dédan et Liḥyân. Histoire des Arabes aux confins des pouvoirs perse et hellénistique (IVe-IIe s. avant l'ère chrétienne). (Travaux de la Maison de l'Orient et de la Mediterranée, 42). Lyon: Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée; J. Pouilloux. |
Hidalgo-Chacón Díez 2009: (HNDI) | Hidalgo-Chacón Díez, María del Carmen 2009. Neubearbeitung der dadanischen Inschrift Abū l-Ḥasan 197. Aula Orientalis, 27: 43-56. |