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Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions

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Jabal Riyām 2006-15


By kind permission of J. Schiettecatte

INSCRIPTION INFORMATION

LanguageAncient South Arabian » Sabaic » Early Sabaic
ScriptAncient South Arabian
Script typologyMonumental writing
Text directionBoustrophedon
Text appearanceRecessed
Execution techniqueIncision
Measure of letters5
Chronology
PeriodA
Textual typologyDedicatory text

GENERAL NOTES

The inscription could be dated between the end of 7th c. – the beginning of 6th c. BC.

TEXT

marker


   1  Ṣyḥn bn Ḏhbm hqny Tʾlb m—
   2  s³ndn ywm tfdy bn ʿm ʾlkrb
   3  bn Ḥrn w-bn ʿm S²bmhmw bn B—
   4  ws²ʿm w-yflṭw ʾlkrb w-S²bmhm—
   5  w l-Tʾlb w-l-S¹mʿy b-s²lṯ mʾm r—
   6  bm /300/ w-ṣdq Ṣyḥn fdy-hw l-ʾl—
   7  krb w-l-S²bmhmw w-kwnt ḏt flṭ—
   8  tn ywm wḍʾ Krbʾl ʿd ʿrn ʾlw
   9  w-kwn s¹mʿ flṭt ʾlkrb Qyḥm b—
  10  n Tbʿkrb w-Mʿds¹mʿ bn Hḍrr ḏ-
  11  Ḥs²dm w-s¹mʿ flṭt S²bmhmw Ḏr—
  12  ʾn bn ʾlkrb w-ʾlʿz bn Hmdn

Apparatus
2The t-prefix form of tfdy is attested for the first time. The meaning of the verb could be "to purchase for himself".
8There is a reference to mountain ʾlw. We know a temple consecrated to the god ʾAlmaqah placed on the mountain ʾlw, identifiable with the modern Jabal al-Lāw.

TRANSLATIONS

English

   1  Ṣyḥn, son of Ḏhbm, dedicated to Tʾlb the
   2  inscription, when he made an acquisition from ʾlkrb,
   3  son of Ḥrn, and S²bmhmw, son of B–
   4  ws²ʿm, and so ʾlkrb and S²bmhmw assigned
   5  to Tʾlb and S¹mʿy three hundred
   6  units (300), and Ṣyḥn fulfilled his payment to ʾl–
   7  krb and S²bmhmw. This concession took place
   8  when Krbʾl went out to the mountain ʾlw.
   9  Guarantors of ʾlkrb's concession were: Qyḥm, son
  10  of Tbʿkrb and Mʿds¹mʿ, son of Ḥdrr he of
  11  Ḥs²dm. Guarantors of S²bmhmw's concession: Ḏr–
  12  ʾn, son of ʾlkrb and ʾlʿz, son of Hmdn.
8the editors translate: "au jour où Karibʾīl s'est acquitté sur le mont".

OBJECT INFORMATION

Support typeArtefact » Stela » Stela with framework
MaterialStone
Dimensionsh. 100, w. 72
Link to object record

ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE

Origin and provenance
Modern siteJabal Riyām
Ancient siteTrʿt
Geographical areaArḥab
CountryYemen
FoundReemployed. In modern times
NotesThe stela is placed in a courtyard of a modern house in Riyām village.
Link to site record

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arbach and Schiettecatte 2012: 51-53, fig. 18Arbach, Mounir and Schiettecatte, Jérémie 2012. Inscriptions inédites du Jabal Riyām des VIIe-VIe siècles av. J.-C.. Pages 37-68 in Alexander V. Sedov (ed.). New research in archaeology and epigraphy of South Arabia and its neighbors. Proceedings of the "Rencontres Sabéennes 15" held in Moscow, May 25th –27th, 2011. Moscow: The State Museum of Oriental Art.