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CIH 73
Jändl 2009: 223, pl. IV
INSCRIPTION INFORMATION
| Language | Ancient South Arabian » Sabaic » Central Middle Sabaic | ||
| Script | Ancient South Arabian | ||
| Script typology | Monumental writing | ||
| Text direction | Right-to-left | ||
| Text appearance | Raised | ||
| Execution technique | Casting | ||
| Chronology |
| ||
| Textual typology | Dedicatory text |
GENERAL NOTES
| For a general hypothesis of a date for the bronze tablets from ʿAmrān, cf. Avanzini 2008 b. The palaeography of certain diagnostic letters (s², m), and the defective writing of ʾḫ in line 1 suggest that the inscription may be dated to period B. |
TEXT
1 Rybm w-ʾḫ-hw bnw Mr—
2 ṯdm w-s²ʿb-hmw ḏ-ʿmrn
3 | hqnyw s²ym-hmw ʾlmq—
4 h ḏ-Hrn ms³ndn ḥg ḏt
5 | wqh-hmw b-ms¹ʾlm b-ḏ—
6 t hwfy-hmw ʾlmqh |
7 ṣrb s²ft-hmw ḏ-b-hw kw—
8 n myrn ṯmn brm (b)-ḏhb—
9 n b-blṭm rḍym b-ḫrf
10 | ʿmkrb bn S¹mhkrb |
11 bn Ḥẓfrm ḏ-Tṯwrm
| 8-9 | (ḏ)-ḏhbn (CIH). |
TRANSLATIONS
| English | |
1 Rybm and his brothers of the family Mr- 2 ṯdm and their tribe ḏ-ʿmrn 3 dedicated to their Patron ʾlmq- 4 h ḏ-Hrn the tablet, as He 5 bade them in His oracle, because 6 ʾlmqh granted them 7 the harvest which He promised them; of which was (conceded) 8 the sale: eight (measures) of wheat in ḏbḥ, 9 in current coin; in the year of 10 ʿmkrb, son of S¹mhkrb, 11 of the family Ḥzfrm ḏ-Tṯwrm. |
| 8-9 | In FB as-Sawdāʾ1, 11-12 (Bron 2010 a: 168-169) we find the parallel text: ṯny ʾʾlfm s²ʿrm b-ḏbhn. s²ʿrm is "barely", substantive at the indeterminate state in parallel with brm "wheat". The phrase therefore reflects a standard form for indicating a quantity of grain. Bron believes that in this context ḏhb represents a unit of measure and should not be translated as "bronze" or "oasis". |
| 7-9 | Stein 2010 b: 304 'in which the (price of) food was eight (units of) wheat, according to the ḏhb (=unit of measure) for one blṭt(-coin of) good quality. |
| Bron 2010 a | Bron, François 2010. Nouvelles inscriptions sudarabiques. Semitica et Classica, 3: 163-175. |
| Stein 2010 b: 304 | Stein, Peter 2010. The monetary terminology in Ancient South Arabia in light of new epigraphic evidence. Pages 303-343 in Martin Huth and Peter G. van Alfen (eds). Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms. Studies in Ancient Arabian Monetization. New York: American Numismatic Society / New York: Oxford: Oxbow. |
OBJECT INFORMATION
| Deposit | London, The British Museum, BM 48456=1862,1028.4 |
| Support type | Artefact » Plaque » With framework |
| Material | Bronze |
| Dimensions | h. 44.5, w. 27 |
| Link to object record |
ORIGIN AND PROVENANCE
| Modern site | ʿAmrān |
| Ancient site | ʿmrn |
| Geographical area | ʿAmrān |
| Country | Yemen |
| Archaeological context | Religious context: Temple of ʾlmqh ḏ-Hrn |
| Link to site record |
CULTURAL NOTES
The god in his oracle grants harvest and allows the dedicant to sell a part of the crops.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Beeston 1937 a: 11-12 | Beeston, Alfred F.L. 1937. Sabaean inscriptions. Oxford. |
| Jändl 2009: 81-82, pl. IV | Jändl, Barbara 2009. Altsüdarabische Inschriften auf Metall. (Epigraphische Forschungen auf der Arabischen Halbinsel, 4). Tübingen: Wasmuth / Berlin: Wasmuth. |
| Avanzini 2008 b | Avanzini, Alessandra 2008. Criteri editoriali per la pubblicazione dello CSAI. Egitto e Vicino Oriente, 31: 145-157. |