al-Jawf 04.15
Arbach and Schiettecatte 2006: pl. 6/16
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic | ||
| Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Writing technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 3.5 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
GENERAL NOTES
| The inscription can be dated to the second half of the 2nd century AD, under the reign of Krbʾl Wtr Yhnʿm son of Whbʾl Yḥz, king of Sabaʾ. |
TEXT
1 ʾḥḍb w-bn-(h)w W(h)[b]—
2 ʾwm bny ḏ-Ḥḍrn ʾʿq(b)—
3 t mlkn b-hgrn Ns²qm hq—
4 nyw ʾlmqh bʿl S²bʿn ṣl—
5 mn ḏ-ḏhbn ḥmdm b-ḏt hw—
6 fy-hmw ʾlmqh b-kl ʾmlʾ
7 s¹tmlʾw b-ʿm-hw w-ḥmdm b-
8 ḏt s¹ʿd-hmw ʾlmqh bʿl-S²—
9 bʿn ʾṯmr w-ʾfql ṣdqm w-l-wf—
10 y bn-hw Whbʾwm w-ḥmdm b-
11 ḏt ṣdqw bn kl mngt t—
12 ns²ʾw b-ʿbr-hmw ḏ-bn ʾ(ḫ)—
13 y-hmw b-hgrn Mryb b-s³n m[r]—
14 ʾ-hmw Krbʾl Wtr Yhnʿm
15 mlk S¹bʾ bn Whbʾl Yḥ—
16 z mlk S¹bʾ w-l s¹ʿd-hmw
17 ʾlmqh nʿmtm w-mngyt
18 ṣdqm w-ḥẓy w-rḍw mrʾ-h—
19 mw Krbʾl w-rḍw s²ʿb-hmw
20 ʾns²qn w-l-ḫrwn-hmw ʾlmq—
21 h bʿl S²bʿn bn s²ṣy (w)-(nḍʿ)
22 s²nʾm b-ʿṯtr (w)-(Hbs¹)( w)-ʾl—
23 (m)qh w-b-ḏt Ḥmym w-b-(ḏt)
24 Bʿdnm w-b-ḏt (N)s²q(m) (w)-
25 b-s²m(s¹) mlkn Tnf
| 4 | The editors read hqny. |
| 8 | The editors read w-ʾlmqh. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 ʾḥḍb and his son Wh[b]‒ 2 ʾwm, descendants of ḏ-Ḥḍrn, governors 3 of the king in the town of Ns²qm, dedicated 4 to ʾlmqh Master of S²bʿn the statue 5 in bronze, in praise because 6 ʾlmqh gratified them with all the favours 7 they sought from Him; and in praise 8 because ʾlmqh Master of S²‒ 9 bʿn granted to them good crops and harvesting; and may He protect 10 his son Whbʾwm; and in praise 11 because they were safe from all the events 12 that were brought against them, the one by their brother, 13 in the town of Mryb, at the side of their 14 lord Krbʾl Wtr Yhnʿm 15 king of Sabaʾ, son of Whbʾl Yḥ‒ 16 z king of Sabaʾ; and may ʾlmqh 17 grant favours and successful 18 events to them and goodwill and satisfaction to their 19 lord Krbʾl and satisfaction to their tribe 20 of those of Ns²qm; and may ʾlmq‒ 21 h Master of S²bʿn protect them from the malice and the harm 22 of the enemy; by ʿṯtr and Hbs¹ and ʾl‒ 23 mqh and by ḏt Ḥmym and by ḏt 24 Bʿdnm and by ḏt Ns²qm and 25 by the solar deity of the king Tnf. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Deposit | Ṣanʿāʾ, The National Museum |
| Support type | Artefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription |
| Material | Stone |
| Measures | h. 102, w. 33.5, th. 19, h. symbol 9.8 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | al-Bayḍāʾ |
| Ancient site | Ns²qm |
| Geographical area | Jawf - Wādī al-Buhayra |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context: Temple of ʾlmqh bʿl S²bʿn |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
The inscription attests the charge of ʾʿqb (governors) of the town of Nashq for the king of Sabaʾ.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Arbach and Schiettecatte 2006: 28-30, pl. 6/16 | Arbach, Mounir and Schiettecatte, Jérémie 2006. Catalogue des pièces archéologiques et épigraphiques du Jawf au Musée National de Ṣanʿâʾ. Ṣanʿâʾ National Museum. Ṣanʿāʾ: Centre français d'archéologie et de sciences sociales de Ṣanʿâʾ. [Text in French and Arabic] |