CSAI

Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions


By kind permission of GOAM
photo of NAM 2407

INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic
AlphabetAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Writing techniqueIncision
Measure of letters3.5
Chronology
PeriodB2
Textual typologyDedicatory text
Royal inscriptionYes

GENERAL NOTES

The bottom of the object is in Wien, Kunsthistorisches Museum (SE 60).

TEXT


   1  S²hr Hl[l Yhnʿm bn Ydʿʾ](b)( mkr)[b]
   2  [Q](tb)n bkr ʾnby w-Ḥwkm ḏ-ʾ(mr) (w)-[S²m]—
   3  ±r qẓr qyn rs²w ʿmm((ʿmm)) ṯ—
   4  ntm s³ḥr w-rby ʿm Ryʿ—
   5  n bʿl ẓrbt ltk b-ḏbḥ—
   6  tm w-b-ʿm ʾḍfrm b-byt
   7  Qny Hwrn s¹qny ʾnb—
   8  y bʿl Ḥgn qny-hw bn g—
   9  lbm

Apparatus
1-2we keep the reading by CIAS as nowadays the stone is much more eroded.

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  S²hr Hll Yhnʿm, son of Ydʿʾb, mukarrib
   2  of Qatabān (first-born) of ʾnby and Ḥwkm ḏ-ʾmr and S²m-
   3  r, Collector, qyn, Priest of ʿmm (or, great Priest ) for the second
   4  time, Wizard and Priest of ʿm Ryʿ-
   5  n, Lord of land properties, in charge of sacri-
   6  fices and of animals (for sacrifices) in the temple
   7  of Qny Hwrn, dedicated to ʾnb-
   8  y Master of Ḥgn his properties (obtained) from
   9  trade.
9glb is a hapax, the translation is hypothetical, based on Arabic galūba "goods, merchandise".

OBJECT INFORMATION

DepositAden, The National Museum, NAM 2407
DepositWien, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Sem 715
Support typeArtefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription
MaterialStone
Measurestop: h. 19, w. 35.5; bottom: h. 38, w. 23.5, th. 13.2
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin
Modern siteSaylān
Ancient siteUnknown
Geographical areawādī Bayḥān
CountryYemen
Archaeological contextReligious context: Temple of ʾnby bʿl Ḥgn
Link to site record

CULTURAL NOTES

Even though the translation proposed is hypothetical, the king dedicates "his possessions deriving from trade profits".
Qatabanic dedicatory inscriptions were commissioned by private citizen while the king usually commissioned construction texts.
This is the only one written by a king. Here, the king S²hr Hll Yhnʿm (probably the same as MuB 8=CSAI I, 39) takes the title of mukarrib with all the political and religious ramifications it involves.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CIAS: ii, 135-139, 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]