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MuB 680+748 CSAI I, 90
By kind permission of Mission Qatabān
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic | ||
| Script | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Text direction | Boustrophedon | ||
| Text appearance | Recessed | ||
| Execution technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 5.5 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
GENERAL NOTES
| In the lower part of face B the inscription ʾn can be read, the beginning of the divine name ʾnby, completed on MuB 746=CSAI I, 92. However, the two inscription are not contemporary: the kings are different as is the text's palaeography. The god's name ʾnby was therefore written on the altars later than the writing of the main text. |
TEXT
1 Rʾbn bn R→ʾbm [Ẓwr](t) ʿ→[bd Wrwʾl]
2 hq(n)[y ʾn]b→y ʿmydʿ w-k→(l) wld-hw b-
3 (ʿ)[m w-b] ʾnb→y w-b ḏt-Ṣntm→[ w-b Wr]wʾl
| 1 | integrations according to MuB 747. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 Rʾbn son of Rʾbm Ẓwrt servant of Wrwʾl 2 dedicated to ʾnby (the person of) ʿmydʿ and all his sons; by 3 ʿm and by ʾnby and by ḏt Ṣntm and by Wrwʾl. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Deposit | Bayḥān, Museum, 680 748 |
| Support type | Artefact » Altar |
| Shape | With truncated pyramidal base |
| Material | Stone |
| Dimensions | h. of the altar 42.5; h. 22.5, w. 34.5 (face B) |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Hajar Kuḥlān |
| Ancient site | Tmnʿ |
| Geographical area | Wādī Bayḥān |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context: Temple |
| Notes | The inscription was found near the northern gate. |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
This text belongs to a group of three short dedicatory inscriptions of "persons and their children" (see also CSAI I, 89=MuB 36 and CSAI I, 93=MuB 747).
Dedications of "persons" is a pan-South-Arabian cultural characteristic of the archaic period.
It has been maintained that this was a general kind of request for protection by a god over someone and his descendents. However, this formula probably meant someone being consecrated
to the god in order to carry out a certain function in the temple. The relationship between the author of the text and the person dedicated is not at all clear;
the latter would appear to enjoy some kind of special status because he is only mentioned by his individual name, while the dedicant has an onomastic formula complete with his individual name
followed by his patronymic and in some cases his family name. In all the three texts, the dedicant is an official of the same king Wtrʾl. We don't know if this is
historically important, or purely coincidental. Nevertheless, it seems that the establishment of the state of Qataban needed the investiture by the king's officials of persons
who carry out a role connected to the religion.
Dedications of "persons" is a pan-South-Arabian cultural characteristic of the archaic period.
It has been maintained that this was a general kind of request for protection by a god over someone and his descendents. However, this formula probably meant someone being consecrated
to the god in order to carry out a certain function in the temple. The relationship between the author of the text and the person dedicated is not at all clear;
the latter would appear to enjoy some kind of special status because he is only mentioned by his individual name, while the dedicant has an onomastic formula complete with his individual name
followed by his patronymic and in some cases his family name. In all the three texts, the dedicant is an official of the same king Wtrʾl. We don't know if this is
historically important, or purely coincidental. Nevertheless, it seems that the establishment of the state of Qataban needed the investiture by the king's officials of persons
who carry out a role connected to the religion.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Arbach et al. 2001: 55-57, pl. 14, 16-19 | Arbach, Mounir, Avanzini, Alessandra, Bāṭāyiʿ, Aḥmed and Robin, Christian J. 2001. Matériaux pour le corpus des inscriptions qatabānites (II). Raydān, 7: 43-101. |