KRS 209

Siglum
KRS 209
Transliteration
t l- wṣn {ṣ}r b- rʾy gm{l} s¹nt myt wgm m- hrbt
OCIANA
Translation
This [the writing] is for {Wṣn} who {returned to a place of permanent water} during the rising of Gemini the year Wgm died of extreme old age
OCIANA
Language and Script
Safaitic

Interpretation

Commentary
There do not appear to be any letters before the first t which is written below the horseʾs head. It is possible that the text is a continuation of KRS 210 but it would be unusual as the end of that text is at the bottom of the rock and these letters are at the top end. The second ṣ is doubtful as the prong seems more lightly scratched and might not belong. It is possible the letter should be read as a y. The second l is more lightly scratched than the other letters of the text. Interpretation AA. For the translation of b- rʾy gml as “during the heliacal rising of Gemini” see Al-Jallad forthcoming. A similar phrase is found in SIJ 827: w ṣyr m- mdbr b- rʾy gml. The interpretation of hrbt is based on Arabic hariba, a dialectal form of harima, “to become extremely aged” (Lane 2889 b–c), something unusual enough in the desert to be suitable for dating.

Editio Princeps
OCIANA

Technique
Incised & scratched
Direction of Script
Curving edge

Associated Drawings
KRS 209 d/1
Associated Inscriptions

  • [KRS] Inscriptions recorded by Geraldine King on the Basalt Desert Rescue Survey in north-eastern Jordan in 1989 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.
Site
Al-Mafraq Governorate, Jordan
Date Found
1989
Current Location
In situ
Old OCIANA ID
#0020837
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Updated 16 Sep, 2024