HDNS 2

Harahsheh 2022: grb as 'mange', 'scab' and ṣhy as 'one inflicted by an illness'.

b-ḏnb ḏkr: Authors frequently reference specific temporal periods when anticipating rain during a drought. The term ḏkr can signify the constellation Aries or the month corresponding to it (Al-Jallad 2014, 2016). Here, the use of ḏnb—literally "the tail"—could be a direct reference to the constellation's physical shape. This could refer to a period corresponding to its "tail" portion rising or setting or, alternatively, it could be a metaphorical temporal term for the final period of Aries, similar to ks¹ʾ.

grb: This term, often found in curses against those who would efface an inscription, typically refers to a bodily affliction (SafDict, 73). However, in this specific context, a meteorological interpretation is more fitting. It may be related to the Classical Arabic term ǧarbāʾu, which means "dry" when applied to land (Hava, 80). Another possibility is a connection to the verb ǧarraba ("to try, test"), which would produce a reading such as "O Yṯʿ, deliver from trials this year."

l-ḏ ṣhy: The word ṣhy has been previously attested only as an abstract noun meaning 'thirst' or 'drought' (SafDict, 129), but here it must be understood as a suffix-conjugated verb. The photograph is out of focus before this section, making it impossible to produce a reading, though context suggests it contained some kind of benediction.