CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


CIAS: i, 127

INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueIncision
Chronology
PeriodC
Textual typologyDedicatory text

TEXT


   1  Rṯdʾl bn Mtʿm bn S²ḥ—
   2  z s¹qny w-frʿ l-ʿm ḏ-Rbḥ—
   3  w w-Nʿmyn s²mry mwgln
   4  ywm qẓr b-mrʾ-s¹ S²hr

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  Rṯdʾl, son of Mtʿm, of the family S²ḥ-
   2  z dedicated and offered to ʿm ḏ-Rbḥ-
   3  w and to Nʿmyn this two alabaster cultual items
   4  when he was Collector; by his lord S²hr.
3s²mry is a dual substantive with the ending -y, regular at the accusative case.

OBJECT INFORMATION

DepositParis, Louvre Museum, AO 21124
Support typeArtefact » Slab
MaterialAlabaster
Measuresh. 43, w. 29, th. 5
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin
Modern siteHajar Kuḥlān
Ancient siteTmnʿ
Geographical areaWādī Bayḥān
CountryYemen
Archaeological contextReligious context: Temple of ʿm ḏ-Rbḥw
Link to site record

CULTURAL NOTES

From this text we may deduce that religious offices were often the heritage of prominent, rich families, and could be held by both men and women of the family group. The dedicant who has left this slab of finely engraved alabaster was the husband of the famous "Lady Brʾt" who commissioned the splendid statuette in bronze CIAS 47.11/o 1=CSAI I, 124.
The couple lived during the reign of S²hr Ygl Yhrgb and his son Wrwʾl Ġyln Yhnʿm, and both of them held the post of "Collector" of the god.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CIAS: i, 125-129, photoBeeston, 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]
Lundin 1979: 107-119, photoLundin (=Loundine), Avraam G. 1979. L'inscription qatabanite du Louvre AO 21.124. Raydān, 2: 107-119.
Jamme 1982: 59-62Jamme, Albert W.F. 1982. Miscellanées d'ancient arabe XII. Washington. 2019/07/23; https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A204548#page/1/mode/1up. [Privately printed]
Calvet and Robin 1997: 187-188, photoCalvet, Yves and Robin, Christian J. 1997. Arabie heureuse. Arabie déserte. Les antiquités arabiques du Musée du Louvre. Avec la collaboration de Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet and Marielle Pic. Paris: Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux.