KJC 442

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: King (1990: 397–398) commented: "The rock is chipped at the beginning of the text. There is a chip after the m of the second name. There are three equally possibly ways of restoring the name. Either the chip covers a r and the name mrʾktb should be read where ktb is an alternative orthography to the more usual ktby (cf. TIJ 28 in Appendix 2) or the name should be interpreted as a compound of mrʾ + ʾktb with the second ʾ assimilated (cf. mrʾl in Saf. (Harding 1971: 537) which is most likely to be a compound of mrʾ + ʾl and see Ch.3.A.5). Alternatively, the chip might obscure a n and the name read m[n]ʾktb, mn + ʾktb (cf. mnʾl in Saf. (Harding 1971: 567)). If the reading of ʾktb is correct, it would be the first occurrence of the deity in compound names in the dialect. ʿbdʾktb occurs in Saf., Naveh TSB A, and, with the article, in Lihyn. Compound names zdhnʾktb, JS L 78, 358 and grmhnʾktb, JS L 290".

[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.
[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 [Unpublished]. 1990.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