LP 4

Siglum: LP 4
Transliteration: l ʾnʿm bn ʾnf bn grmʾl w wgd s¹fr ʾnʿm f ngʿ w rʿy h- ʾbl s¹nt mrq nbṭ gw ḏ
Translation: By ʾnʿm son of ʾnf son of Grmʾl and he found the inscription of ʾnʿm, so he grieved in pain [for him] and he pastured the camels the year in which the Nabataeans passed by this watering place

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: LP 4: gw ḏ "this valley" for "this watering place" CSNS pp. 93, 192: s¹nt mr(d) nbṭ ʿwḏ " the year ʿwḏ rebelled against the Nabataeans" for s¹nt mrq nbṭ gw ḏ "the year in which the Nabataeans passed by this valley"
Commentary: It is tempting to make the emendation suggested by CSNS, but mrd in the sense of "he rebelled" requires ʿl- "against", and the supposed ʿ of ʿwḏ is very large compared to the other examples in the text. On the other hand, the use of a postposed demonstrative ḏ with a noun which is not preceded by the article is very rare. See the discussion in Al-Jallad 2015: 81–82. For the interpretation of gw see Groom 1983: 128. It is appropriate to Al-Ḥifnah, the location of this inscription, which is place where water is retained just below the surface.

Provenance: According to Littmann (1943: 1) this inscription was found about half an hour's ride [that is approximately 2.2 km, see below] west of Al-Ḥifnah. The distance is based on the measures of distance and time for travel on horseback in the ḥarrah given by Wetzstein (1860: map) which are the same as those given by Butler, viz: "an average of two and three-quarter miles [= 4.4 km] per hour for ordinary going..." (Butler, Norris & Stoever 1930: vii). The measurement has been taken following the couree of the Wādī, assuming that the party was riding in the Wādī bed.

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.
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.
Al-Jallad, A.M. An Outline of the Grammar of the Safaitic Inscriptions. (Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics, 80). Leiden: Brill, 2015.
Wetzstein, J.G. Reisebericht über Hauran und die Trachonen nebst einem Anhange über die sabäischen Denkmäler in Ostsyrien. Berlin: Reimer, 1860.
Butler, H.C., Norris, F.A., Stoever, E.R. Geography and Itinerary. Syria: Publications of the Princeton University, Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1904-1905 (Division I, Section A: by E.R. Stoever from the notes and journal of F.A. Norris) and 1909 (Division I, Section B: by H.C. Butler). Leiden: Brill, 1930.

Date Found: 1904
Current Location: In situ
Subjects: Date (s¹nt), Domestic animals, Finding inscription(s), Genealogy, Grieving, Outside peoples, Pasturing, Topographic features
Script: Safaitic
Old OCIANA ID: #0008588
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