LP 161

Text Information

Siglum
LP 161
Alternative Sigla
Hf.A 2
Transliteration
l flṭt bn tm bn flṭt bn bhs² bn ʾḏnt w ḥll ʿl- h- ḥs¹y f klm -h h- ʾs¹d f h lt {s}{¹}{l}m
OCIANA
Translation
By Flṭt son of Tm son of Flṭt son of Bhs² son of ʾḏnt and he camped near a place where the water lies just below the surface then the lion injured him so O Lt [grant] security
OCIANA
Language and Script
Safaitic

Interpretation

Commentary
The text is carved in large letters over two faces of the rock. A ḥs¹y is a place where water sinks easily through the permeable soil or sand and is then stopped by an impermeable layer of rock and so is trapped relatively close to the surface and can be reached with only a small amount of digging (Lane 572c–573a, Littmann 1940: 123–124, Groom 1983: 112 under hisá). Al-Ḥifnah is a place of this sort and indeed the name, ḥifnah, means a place where water collects (see Groom 1983: 111 Ḥifnah and 113, under Ḥufnah).

Associated Inscriptions

  • Groom, N. A Dictionary of Arabic Topography and Placenames. A Transliterated Arabic-English Dictionary with an Arabic Glossary of Topographical Words and Placenames. London: Longman / Beirut: Librairie du Liban, 1983.
  • [Hf.A] Inscriptions recorded by the Safaitic Epigraphic Survey Programme in 1995 at Al-Ḥifnah, and published here
  • [Lane] Lane, E.W. An Arabic-English Lexicon, Derived from the Best and Most Copious Eastern Sources. (Volume 1 in 8 parts [all published]). London: Williams & Norgate, 1863-1893.
  • [LTS] Littmann, E. Thamūd und Ṣafā. Studien zur altnordarabischen Inschriftenkunde. (Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, 25.1). Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1940.
  • [LP] Littmann, E. Safaïtic Inscriptions. Syria. Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1904–1905 and 1909. Division IV. Section C. Leiden: Brill, 1943.
Site
Al-Ḥifnah, Al-Suwaydāʾ (al-Sweidah) Governorate, Syria
Date Found
1904–1905; 1995
Current Location
In situ
Subjects
Camping, Deity, Genealogy, Isolated Prayer, Topographic features, Wild animals
Old OCIANA ID
#0008745
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Updated 16 Sep, 2024 by OCIANA