SIAM 44

Interpretation

Apparatus Criticus: TEXT Macdonald 1980: {s²}ḥm qdy z qr {h}wl rather than {s¹}rq zydqm ḥs² w l. DISCUSSION Macdonald 1993: 337, n. 222. King (1990: 647–648) commented: "As Macdonald (1980: 189–190) says, this is a difficult text and, although the above reading overcomes some of the problems mentioned in the edition, the interpretation offered is somewhat uncertain insofar as this type of content is not previously attested in these inscriptions. The above reading of the text is from left to right on both lines. The letter I have read at the beginning was read by Macdonald (1980: 189–190) as a h but the 'fork' is somewhat rounded and it might well be a s¹. The letter has a vertical stance in a horizontal text as do the r and ḥ. Ar. saraqahu means 'he stole from him', here, ḥs² is the object. The name zyqdm is previously unattested, although zdqm occurs, see the Index of names. ḥs² is well-attested in Safaitic (Harding 1971: 189). The second line might be an unfinished attempt at continuing this inscription or might be the beginning of a new text".

[HIn] Harding, G.L. An Index and Concordance of Pre-Islamic Arabian Names and Inscriptions. (Near and Middle East Series, 8). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1971.
[AMJ] King, G.M.H. Early North Arabian Thamudic E. A preliminary description based on a new corpus of inscriptions from the Ḥismā desert of southern Jordan and published material. Ph.D thesis, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1990. [Unpublished]. 1990.
[SIAM II] Macdonald, M.C.A. Safaitic Inscriptions in the Amman Museum and Other Collections II. Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 24, 1980: 185-208, pls 111-133.
[MNH] Macdonald, M.C.A. Nomads and the Ḥawrān in the late Hellenistic and Roman periods: A reassessment of the epigraphic evidence. Syria 70, 1993: 303-413. [Reprinted with the same pagination, plus addenda and corrigenda as Article II in M.C.A. Macdonald, Literacy and Identity in Pre-Islamic Arabia, (Variorum Collected Studies Series no. 906), Farnham: Ashgate, 2009].

Updated 16 Sep, 2024 by OCIANA

OCIANA. 'SIAM 44.' OCIANA. 16 Sep, 2024. https://ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions/7229. Accessed: 08 Jul, 2025.