DASI: Digital Archive for the Study of pre-islamic arabian Inscriptions: Epigraph details

Beeston 1971: photos
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INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Language

Ancient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic

Alphabet

Ancient South Arabian

Script typology

Monumental writing

Writing technique

Incision

Chronology

Period

Textual typology

Legal text

Royal inscription

Yes

TEXT

Apparatus

5-6

For lfym/ylfy see Mazzini 2008.

TRANSLATIONS

Mazzini 2020

English

   1  S²hr Ġyln, son of ʾbs²m, king of Qataban, granted and dedicated to ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ and His Priests the legal document of autho-
   2  rity on the Kḥd of Dtnt tribe, through the kabīr-official who acts as the kabīr-official and who is in charge of wielding authority over the Kḥd tribe and let this legal document take effect and
   3  wield authority as a convenant which makes a covenant with ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ - each individual (is) for two years, from when he starts until he completes the two
   4  years and his equal succeeds (in the administration) to this authority to the one who starts it - and the one who wields authority over this legal
   5  document through the kabīr-official who is in charge of wielding authority over Kḥd let acquire and obtain (as a due share) the tithe of all the crops and yield and goods and harvest and all the exactions that
   6  the kabīr-official of Kḥd of Dtnt exacts; and let (this) covenant take effect and wield authority from the first day of the month ḏ-Tmnʿ, the last year of Mwhbm he of Ḏ-
   7  rḥn, onwards; and this legal document was constituted as a dedication to ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ and His Priests for eternity;
   8  and thus, let this legal document take effect and wield authority and replace (cyclically) and rotate (in the administration) the Priests whom ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ ordains Priests; and S²hr proclaimed the oracular decision
   9  for the Priests of ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ (concerning) the covenant of ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ under the protection of ʿm ḏ-Dwnm and ʾnby S²ymn and S²ms¹ and Rbʿ
  10  S²hr to their benefit according to this legal document and its written records; and S²hr ordered to the Priests of ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ to inscribe
  11  and to write these written records in the temple of Wrfw and ʿm ḏ-Lbḫ in ḏ-Ġylm and in the temple of ʿm in the valley of Lbḫ;
  12  its month the former ḏ-Brm the first year of Mwhbm he of Ḏrḥn; and the signature (was made by) the hand of S²hr
  13  and Nbṭʿm, son of ʾls¹mʿ, he of Hybr
  14  was in charge of these written records.

Mazzini 2020: 87-89	Mazzini, Giovanni 2020. The Ancient South Arabian royal edicts from the Southern Gate of Timnaʿ and the Ǧabal Labaḫ. (Epigraphische Forschungen auf der Arabischen Halbinsel, 8).

OBJECT INFORMATION

Support type	Rock inscription
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin

Modern site	Unknown
Ancient site	Unknown
Geographical area	wādī Labaḫ
Country	Yemen
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beeston 1971: 12-15, photo	Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1971. The Labakh texts. Qahtan. Studies in Old Arabian Epigraphy. 2. London: Luzac and Co..
Pirenne 1991: 159-160, 164, photo	Pirenne, Jacqueline 1991. Les ʾArbay du Dieu ʿAmm de Labakh et leur sanctuaire rupestre. Pages 153-166 in Études sud-arabes. Recueil offert à Jacques Ryckmans. (Publications de l'Institut Orientaliste de Louvain, 39). Louvain-La-Neuve: Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut Orientaliste.
Mazzini 2008	Mazzini, Giovanni 2008. Further notes on Qatabanic lexicography. Egitto e Vicino Oriente, 31: 157-164.
Mazzini 2020: 87-158; fig. 40	Mazzini, Giovanni 2020. The Ancient South Arabian royal edicts from the Southern Gate of Timnaʿ and the Ǧabal Labaḫ. (Epigraphische Forschungen auf der Arabischen Halbinsel, 8).

CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions

RES 3688 Q 66; CSAI I, 197