LP 357

Siglum: LP 357
Alternative Sigla: Is.Mu 381
Transliteration: l ʾḫ bn s¹ʿd bn ʿbd{h}m bn s¹ʿd bn ḥnnʾl bn ns²ʿʾl w w{l}d h- mrbʿt b- h- ʿrḍ f ʾm{r}ṣ {-h} f {h} {l}t s¹lm w ʿwr l- ḏ yʿwr h- s¹{f}{r}
Translation: By ʾḫ son of S¹ʿd son of {ʿbdhm} son of S¹ʿd son of Ḥnnʾl son of Ns²ʿʾl and he helped the animals bring forth young in a time of abundant pasture in this valley and {he milked} {them} so O {Lt} [grant] security and [inflict] blindness on whoever scratches out {the inscription}

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: LP: w wld h- mrbʿt b- h- ʿrḍ f ʾmrṣ -h "and the spring camels brought forth young in this valley [?] and he pressed milk out of their teats" for w{l}d h- mrbʿt b- h- ʿrḍ f ʾm{r}ṣ {-h} "and he helped the animals bring forth young in a time of abundant pasture in this valley and {he milked} {them}"
Commentary: Although the term rabīʿ among the settled peoples is used of the Spring, among the nomads it means any period in which there is ample pasture resulting from rain(Musil 1928: 13–16). The mrbʿt are the animals giving birth, or born, at such a period (Macdonald 1992: 3–4). In Arabic the verb maraṣa means "to press (the teat) with the fingers" (Hava 716), and so "to milk", a meaning that would be appropriate here..

Provenance: Al-ʿĪsāwī is the name of a probably ancient well between two headlands on the eastern side of the Wādī Shām as it runs northwards from the modern Al-Namārah dam to the Ruḥbah. The well is large, stone lined and with stone water-channels running from it. The main concentration of published inscriptions is on the top of the northern headland, but there also many inscriptions on its south-west slopes, coming down to the well and on the southern headland, on the crest of which is a stone tower.

Associated Inscriptions

Macdonald, M.C.A. The Seasons and Transhumance in the Safaitic Inscriptions. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 3rd. series, 2, 1992: 1-11.
Littmann, E. Safaïtic Inscriptions. Syria. Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1904–1905 and 1909. Division IV. Section C. Leiden: Brill, 1943.
Musil, A. The Manners and Customs of the Rwala Bedouins. (Oriental Explorations and Studies, 6). New York: American Geographical Society, 1928.
Inscriptions recorded at al-ʿĪsāwī by Muna Al-Muʾazzin, on the Safaitic Epigraphic Survey Programme, 1995–2002, and published here.

Date Found: 1904–1905, 1996–2002
Current Location: In situ
Subjects: Curse, Deity, Domestic animals, Genealogy, Isolated Prayer, Season, Topographic features
Script: Safaitic
Old OCIANA ID: #0028455
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