KJB 179

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: King (1990: 293) commented: "The first part of the text is written underneath from left to right and the second part above, right to left. The words wʾl bn s¹ʿdlh are written in a different technique to that of the beginning and it is quite possible they should be read separately although the larger letters of this part of the text might have been used to emphasize the name of the man who was the object of qrfz’s passion or the name could have been added later by someone less discreet than qrfz. If they are to be read separately then there are two possible interpretations of wʾl bn s¹ʿdlh (a) the text has no introductory particle, see Ch.4.A.4, and should be translated “wʾl son of s¹ʿdlh” or (b) the w is an introductory particle, see Ch.4.A.3, and the author’s name is ʾl, in which case the text would read w ʾl bn s¹ʿdlh “And ʾl son of s¹ʿdlh”. The name qrfz is not listed in Harding 1971 although it is attested in several Tham.C texts published by Jaussen and Savignac 1909, see the Index of names. For love texts using nk, see Ch.4.E.2".

[HIn] Harding, G.L. An Index and Concordance of Pre-Islamic Arabian Names and Inscriptions. (Near and Middle East Series, 8). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1971.
[JSLih] Jaussen, A. & Savignac, M.R. Mission archéologique en Arabie. I. (Mars-Mai 1907) De Jérusalem au Hedjaz, Médain Saleh. II. El-ʿEla, d'Hégra à Teima Harrah de Tebouk. Texte et Atlas. III. Les châteaux arabes de Quṣeir ʿAmra, Ḫarâneh, et Tûba. (5 volumes). (Publications de la Société Française des Fouilles Archéologiques, 2). [Reprinted Cairo: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, 1997]. Paris: Leroux/Geuthner, 1909–1920.
[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 [Unpublished]. 1990.

Updated 16 Sep, 2024 by OCIANA