OCIANA
Online Corpus of the Inscriptions of Ancient North Arabia

RMr 2

Siglum
RMr 2

Interpretation

Commentary
A name "Ushban" and the bismillah written in a mixture of upper and lower case Roman letters

Provenance
Leaving Shaykh Serāq in the Ruḥbah, follow the eastern edge of the Ṣafā passing a tomb known as Qabr al-Rāshid (cf. Dussaud & Macler 1901: 40). After about 25 km, leave the track (which continues north) and go to the north-east for 2 km towards Riǧm al-Marʾà. This is high structure on top of a small hill with extensive views in all directions (though we could not see the Antilebanon and Jabal al-Shaykh, as described by Dussaud & Macler 1901: 32). To the east the harra stretches for some 10-20 km with several qīʿān before giving way to the ḥamād. The tower as described by Wetzstein (1860: 34) and de Vogüé (1868–1877: 143), appears to have been in ruins by the time Dussaud & Macler visited it (1901: 33, fig. 4) and has probably not altered greatly since. It is very ruined, though some courses of masonry can be seen behind the tumble of rocks in the west, east and (less clearly) the north sides. What may be the remains of the staircase mentioned by Wetzstein are visible on the west side. On the south there is a very large grave (c. 5 x 2.5 m.) and three small tombs, plus a cave. On the east side there is another large grave with “wings”. Some of these may be the "two or three Bedouin tombs" seen by Waddington (Chabot 1939: 365). Along the west and north-west side of the main outcrop is a line of small structures, all very ruined, forming a continuous wall. To the north, east and south there are smaller outcrops. The inscriptions are mainly at the north-west corner of the tower, with a few on the rocks to the north, east, and south-east, and few, if any, in the outcrops. Most of the rock is unsuitable for inscribing and much is covered by lichen, particularly on the west side. Many of the inscriptions say w nẓr (“and he kept watch”) suggesting that this was a look-out post (as described by Wetzstein) even in antiquity.

  • Chabot, J.-P. Le voyage en Syrie de W.R. [sic] Waddington. Pages 351-366 in [no ed], Mélanges Syriens offerts à Monsieur René Dussaud par ses amis et ses élèves. . Haut-Commissariat de la République Française en Syrie et au Liban, Service des Antiquités. (Bibliothèque archéologique et historique, 30.1). Paris: Geuthner, 1939.
  • Dussaud, R. & Macler, F. Voyage archéologique au Ṣafâ et dans le Djebel ed-Drûz. Paris: Leroux, 1901.
  • de Vogüé, M. Syrie Centrale. Inscriptions sémitiques. Paris: Baudry, 1868-1877.
  • Wetzstein, J.G. Reisebericht über Hauran und die Trachonen nebst einem Anhange über die sabäischen Denkmäler in Ostsyrien. Berlin: Reimer, 1860.
Site
Ruǧm al-Marʾā, Rif Dimašq Governorate, Syria
Date Found
1995
Current Location
In situ
Old OCIANA ID
#0036147
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