BES20 243

Siglum: BES20 243
Transliteration: l ʿm bn ʾʿly bn s¹lm w wgm w {k}lʾ -h bgl m- ḥrn
OCIANA
Translation: By ʿm son of ʾʿly son of S¹lm and he grieved and {he came} here from the Ḥawrān {and stopped} having an abundance of herbage
OCIANA
Language and Script: Safaitic

Interpretation

Commentary: The inscription is difficult to make sense of and there is not a close up photo to clarify details. The reading is suggested tentatively, particularly due to an apparent ḥ below bgl. This could possibly mean that the author had forgotten to include the letter and then added it later. However, it is difficult to interpret and reading which includes it. {k}lʾ: The first letter cannot be seen clearly, nevertheless looks most like a k. The verb may be a parallel to the Classical Arabic kallaʾa, "to come to [a place] and stop [there]" (Lane 634c). bgl: In Classical Arabic, bāgil can mean "being in a good state or having abundance of herbage" (Lane 154b).

[BES20] Inscriptions recorded during the Badia Epigraphic Survey 2020 and published here
[Lane] Lane, E.W. An Arabic-English Lexicon, Derived from the Best and Most Copious Eastern Sources. (Volume 1 in 8 parts [all published]). London: Williams & Norgate, 1863-1893.

Updated 16 Sep, 2024 by OCIANA

OCIANA. 'BES20 243.' OCIANA. 16 Sep, 2024. https://ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions/26879. Accessed: 18 Jun, 2025.