WTI 13

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: WT1 14: Considered the text "Tabuki Thamdic" (= Hismaic). King (1990: 679) considered the script Mixed Safaitic-Hismaic on basis of Safaitic form of the ḏ. TEXT Winnett & Reed: s¹(ṭ)rt "wish" rather than s¹kkt. DISCUSSION King (1990: 679) commented: The third and second letters from the end are most likely to be k's. The meaning of s¹kkt is uncertain although sakkākah means 'wayfarers' in Arabic derived from sikkah with the meaning 'road' and perhaps the phrase should be translated 'every wayfarer'.
Commentary: From the forms of the letters the inscription could be Safaitic. The expression ḏkrt ʾlt (as opposed to ḏkrt lt) is found elsewhere only in one Safaitic inscription (JaS 189.2 from a similar area to the present text) and in one Hismaic (TIJ 481, fromWādī Ramm). The expression ḏkrt lt, however, is found overwhelmingly in in Hismaic. We have followed King's interpretation of s¹kkt. However, given the provenance of this text, it is tempting to speculate that s¹kkt here could refer to Sakākā. The spelling of the name today varies between Sakākā and Sakākā but it is not clear how old this name is. If s¹kkt does indeed represent S¹akākah, then the translation would have to be "all Sakākā, the whole of Sakākā".

[AMJ] King, G.M.H. Early North Arabian Thamudic E. A preliminary description based on a new corpus of inscriptions from the Ḥismā desert of southern Jordan and published material. Ph.D thesis, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1990. [Unpublished]. 1990.
[W.Dad] Winnett, F.V. & Reed, W.L. Ancient Records from North Arabia. with contributions by J.T. Milik and J. Starcky. (Near and Middle East Series, 6). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1970. pp 77 Plate 3, 11

Updated 16 Sep, 2024 by OCIANA