BES20 1620

Siglum: BES20 1620
Transliteration: l ḥrb bn nġft bn s¹ʿd [----] {h-} {f}{r}s¹ h- {ṣ}{n}y s¹nt ġzy {b-} ḥ{r}{m} {w}[----]
Josef Bloomfield
Translation: By Ḥrb son of Nġft son of S¹ʿd ---- is {this} horse [or horseman] at this {ravine} in the year that he raided {with} {Ḥrm} {and} [----]
Josef Bloomfield

Interpretation

Commentary: This reading is presented very tentatively due to damage to the stone and a lack of photographs of the final part of the inscription. The inscription begins at the top of the stone, above the horseman holding a lance, and runs vertically. Following the r of ḥrb, the author skipped over the horse's body and carved the b between the upper horse and the lower horse's tail. The inscription then continues below the tail and again skips over the horse's leg. The reading here assumes that the inscription continues across the area of stone that has broken away in the bottom right. The inscription then runs vertically upwards. The first letters of the portion following the damage are difficult to make sense of. A short line is visible to the left of the damage, which has been read as the top of a h. The following letter resembles a f, but is only partially visible. The next letter looks like a capital gamma shape, but from the context is probably a r. The letter read as ṣ in ṣny looks like a ʾ, but could potentially be enclosed on one side. Following ġzy, the author skips over the upper horse's tail and seems to continue the inscription, which runs onto another face of the stone. Unfortunately, there are no photos of this face of the stone. Josef Bloomfield

Associated Drawings

Drawing of two mounted horsemen holding spears. A third animal (probably another horse) is carved on a part of the stone that has broken away.

Associated Inscriptions

[BES20] Inscriptions recorded during the Badia Epigraphic Survey 2020 and published here

Updated 02 Jul, 2025 by OCIANA

Bloomfield, Josef. 'BES20 1620.' OCIANA. 02 Jul, 2025. https://ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions/45552. Accessed: 25 Feb, 2026.