Language | Ancient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic | ||
Alphabet | Ancient South Arabian | ||
Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
Writing technique | Incision | ||
Chronology |
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Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
1-2 | Iryānī's transcription: Ns²ʾkrb[....] ḏ-Mḥltm w-bn-hw Whbʾwm[..] ʾkbrw Yḏkr[...] |
4-5 | hʾmn (Iryānī), hymn (Nāmī). The correction is proposed by Ryckmans 1974: 243 on the basis of the reading of Nāmī's photograph. |
6 | ʿbd-h (Nāmī), but Iryānī's transcription ʿbd-hw is correct. |
21-25 | The text from the end of l.21 to the beginning of l.25 is missing in Iryānī's transcription. |
34 | Ṯwrm Bʿlm (Nāmī). |
English | |
1 [... ...] 2 of the family Mḥltm, ʾkbrw of Yḏkr, dedicated to ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, 3 Lord of ʾwm, the statue in bronze with which he sought His favour and by which they praised 4 the might and the power of their Lord ʾlmqh, because He granted and make free from 5 the wrath and the affliction (when) ʾlmqh was remote, irritated and He afflicted 6 His servant Ns²ʾkrb of the family Mḥltm, and because ʾlmqh delivered and protected and 7 saved the persons of His servants Ns²ʾkrb and Whbʾwm of the 8 family Mḥltm and their house from any evil and bad event 9 and from the wars and the events that took place in the first year of Mʿdkrb son of Ns²ʾkrb 10 of the family Fḍḥm,and because ʾlmqh granted to His servant 11 Ns²ʾkrb to be safe and proceed and come home safe and sound to Mryb, 12 in that very year when their lord Whbʾl Yḥz, king 13 of Sabaʾ, became king in the palace S¹lḥn after those wars and those 14 events which took place in that year since the expedition that Ns²ʾkrb made 15 to the land of Ḥimyar and Rḥbtn in the year before that year, 16 and because ʾlmqh fulfilled, saved and protected His servants Ns²ʾkrb 17 and Whbʾwm in all the favours and the requests they sought from Him, 18 and in praise because ʾlmqh granted to fulfill them and save them in all 19 the favourable oracles, good news, promises and bestowal that ʾlmqh gave, promised, bestowed and 20 announced to His servant Ns²ʾkrb for his safety and their return to 21 Mryb from that expedition. May ʾlmqh continue to fulfill 22 and save His servant Ns²ʾkrb in the favourable oracles that He may grant them, 23 in security, oracles and divine favour that they will continue to seek and implore from Him, 24 and may ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, Lord of ʾwm, continue to grant and bestow on 25 His servant Ns²ʾkrb and the family Mḥltm and their house prosperity 26 and safety and good luck that will satisfy them (or: by which He will satisfy them), and the satisfaction and the goodwill of their lord 27 Whbʾl Yḥz, king of Sabaʾ; may ʾlmqh continue to 28 protect and deliver and save the persons of His servants Ns²ʾkrb and Whbʾwm 29 and theis house from any evil and damage and bad event 30 and from the betrayal and the malice and the maleficence of any enemy, far or near, and may ʾlmqh 31 grant and bestow on His servant Ns²ʾkrb and the family Mḥltm 32 healthy male children and good crops and harvests, and for what 33 has been and will be favourable for His servant Ns²ʾkrb and the family Mḥltm; 34 by ʿṯtr and Hbs¹ and ʾlmqh Ṯhwn and Ṯwr Bʿlm Lords of 35 ʾwm and Ḥrwnm and by ḏt Ḥmym and by ḏt Bʿdnm, and they committed 36 their dedication to ʿṯtr S²rqn and ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, Lord of ʾwm. |
4-5 | For a discussion of the meaning of hẓmn, see Ryckmans 1974: 243-244. |
Ryckmans, Jacques 1974: 243-244 | Ryckmans, Jacques 1974. Himyaritica 3. Le Muséon, 87: 237-263. |
Deposit | Ṣanʿāʾ, al-Kuhālī collection (Private collection) |
Support type | Artefact » Base » Of statue with dedicatory inscription |
Material | Stone |
Link to object record |
Modern site | Maḥram Bilqīs |
Ancient site | ʾwm |
Geographical area | Maʾrib |
Country | Yemen |
Archaeological context | Religious context: Temple of ʾlmqh Ṯhwn bʿl ʾwm |
Link to site record |
Nāmī 1961 (NAG): 1-9 (photo) | Nāmī, Khalīl Y. 1961 [1965]. Nuqūš ʿarabiyya ǧanūbiyya (5th collection). Majallat kulliyat al-ʾĀdāb bi-jāmiʿt Fuʾād al-ʾawwal (Cairo university), 23/1: 1-9. 2024/02/19; https://search.mandumah.com/Record/171022. |
al-Iryānī 1973: 54-58 | al-Iryānī, Muṭahhar 1973. Fī taʾriḫ al-Yaman. Cairo. |
Ryckmans, Jacques 1974: 243-244 | Ryckmans, Jacques 1974. Himyaritica 3. Le Muséon, 87: 237-263. |
al-Iryānī 1990: 87-92 | al-Iryānī, Muṭahhar 1990. Fī-taʾrīḫ al-Yaman. Nuquš musnadiya wa-taʿliqāt. Ṣanʿāʾ: Markaz al-dirāsāt wa-l-buḥūṯ al-Yamanī. |