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BynM 421
By kind permission of GOAM
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Qatabanic » Central Qatabanic | ||
| Script | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Text direction | Right-to-left | ||
| Text appearance | Recessed | ||
| Execution technique | Incision | ||
| Measure of letters | 1 | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text - fragmentary |
TEXT
1 Brʾt ʾṣdq bn Ḏrḥn ḏ-Ws²ḥt w-bn-s¹ww Mrṯ(d)[m ... ...]—
2 m w-ʾnby S²ymn (w)-(ʿ)m-Ryʿn w-Ḥwkm w-ʾlhy ʿm w-ʾnb[y ... ...]—
3 by mbrʾ ḏtn m(wq)ntn ḥg-n tkrb-s¹m ḥg-n ḥrg[... ... b-ms¹]—
4 ʾl-s¹m l-wfy Brʾt (w)-bn-s¹(ww) (w)-kl ḏn qny(w) (w)-b-qny(w)n (w)-l[... ...]
5 bn ʿl-s¹m kl bʾs¹m w-rṯd Brʾt ʿm (w)-ʾnby w-ʾlhy-s¹m[ ... ...]
| 1 | Another Qatabanic inscription housed in the museum of Baynūn, BynM 8, is also commissioned by a member of the family Ws²ḥt. |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 Brʾt ʾṣdq, of the family Ḏrḥn ḏ-Ws²ḥt and his sons Mrṯdm [... ...] 2 and ʾnby S²ymn, ʿm Ryʿn, Ḥwkm and the gods of ʿm and ʾnby [... ...] 3 the construction of these mwqntn (?), as he asked Them, according to that which They ordered [ ... ...] in their 4 oracle for the safety of Brʾt, his sons and everything they possess and will ever possess, and in order that [... ...] 5 from upon them any harm; Brʾt committed to ʿm, ʾnby and their gods [... ...] |
| 1 | the gender of the author indicates that the name Brʾt could be used by both men and women since the other attestation of Brʾt is the well-known female name of the statue in bronze, the so-called “Lady Barat”. |
| 3 | the substantive mwqnt is attested in the SAB inscription Gl 1537 of the second half of the third Century AD from Baynūn itself. SD translated mwqnt in Gl. 1537 as “votive object, relief carving”. Shaffer translated in Gl 1537: "cistern". |
| 5 | the inscription contains a number of “Sabaeisms” in its formulary and lexicon. The invocation to the gods to deliver the dedicator from evil in lines 4 and 5 is typical of Sabaic (SAB) inscriptions, not of QAT ones. bʾs¹m is never elsewhere attested in QAT. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Deposit | Baynūn, Museum, BynM 421 |
| Support type | Stone piece |
| Material | Stone |
| Dimensions | h. 29, w. 59, th. 16 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | Baynūn |
| Ancient site | Bynn |
| Geographical area | Khawlân |
| Country | Yemen |
| Notes | The inscription could originate from Baynūn. Mwqnt, attested in the l. 3, seems closely related to something (a construction or votive object) that is located in or is characteristic of the cult of Baynūn (see Gl 1537). |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
The inscription has several interesting elements. Firstly, it seems to be a dedication to different divinities, which is quite unusual.
On the other hand, for the first time "the gods of ʿm and ʾnby" are invoked (l.2). This confirms that the expression ʾlhy-s¹m "their god" (l.5), which in invocations follows the main Qatabanian gods, is referred to the deities themselves and not to the dedicant.
It also testifies the existence of clear hierarchic relations among the pantheon divinities.
On the other hand, for the first time "the gods of ʿm and ʾnby" are invoked (l.2). This confirms that the expression ʾlhy-s¹m "their god" (l.5), which in invocations follows the main Qatabanian gods, is referred to the deities themselves and not to the dedicant.
It also testifies the existence of clear hierarchic relations among the pantheon divinities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Avanzini 2013: 28-32, fig. 1 | Avanzini, Alessandra 2013. Inscriptions from museums in the region of Dhamār: Qatabanians in Baynūn and the goddess Athirat (ʾṯrtn). Pages 27-36 in Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet, Catherine Fauveaud and Iwona Gajda (eds). Entre Carthage et l’Arabie heureuse. Mélanges offerts à François Bron. (Orient & Méditerranée, 12). Paris: de Boccard. |
| Prioletta 2013 a: 121-124, fig. 31 | Prioletta, Alessia 2013. Inscriptions from the southern highlands of Yemen. The epigraphic collections of the museums of Baynūn and Dhamār. (Arabia Antica, 8). Roma: L'«Erma» di Bretschneider. |