MG 1 (Marabb al-Ghuṣayn 1), Al-Mafraq Governorate, Jordan

Documented by The Badia Epigraphic Survey (BES25, Dir. Ahmad Al-Jallad and Ali al-Manaser) (2025)

Marabb al-Ghuṣayn is a broad basin where seasonal rains gather, fostering lush vegetation and making it an ideal area of pasturing. Situated on a small, nearby hill accessible by three footpaths, the site of MG 1 was previously known and visited during BES19. However, it was not fully defined and documented until the BES25 season, under the direction of Ahmad Al-Jallad and Ali al-Manaser.

The site boasts a number of archaeological features, including a large, cleared-out area perhaps used for temporary habitations like tents. A large cairn of uncertain antiquity marks the hill. The inscriptions of the site tell us that it was used for both pasturing and funerary activity, implying the presence of a grave. The main anthropogenic structure located on the hill seems to be a collection of nfs-monuments (see Al-Jallad 2022a), a type of funerary memorial. It is possible that these structures were dismantled to build the cairn that now sits at the location.

  • Al-Jallad, A. The religion and rituals of the nomads of pre-Islamic Arabia: A reconstruction based on the Safaitic inscriptions. (Ancient Languages and Civilizations, 1). Leiden: Brill, 2022a.
Image of BES25_MG1 7.1

BES25_MG1 7.2

Safaitic 3
l ʾṣḥm bn ẓʿn bn krzn w bny ʿl- ʾb -h
Image of BES25_MG1 7.1

BES25_MG1 7.1

Safaitic 3
l nṣr bn bnʿtm bn ʿḏr bn ḏl bn ʾs¹ w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 15.1

BES25_MG1 15.2

Safaitic 3
l bnʿtm bn ʿḏr bn ḏl bn ʾs¹ bn ns²l bn ḏl w wgm ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 15.1

BES25_MG1 15.1

Safaitic 3
l hnʾ bn bnʿtm bn ʿḏr bn ḏl bn ʾs¹ bn ns²l bn ḏl bn ḥyr w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 19.3

BES25_MG1 19.3

Safaitic 2
l zd
Image of BES25_MG1 19.2

BES25_MG1 19.2

Safaitic 3
l ʾlbʾ bn ms¹k bn wʾl w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 19.1

BES25_MG1 19.1

Safaitic 3
l ms¹k bn wʾl bn ḥnn w wgm ʿl- ẓʿn w bny
Image of BES25_MG1 16.1

BES25_MG1 16.3

Safaitic 2
l ʾḥr bn ḫlṣ bn tm w wgm ʿl- ḥb
Image of BES25_MG1 16.1

BES25_MG1 16.2

Safaitic 3
l s²ll bn bnmrh bn ʿbd bn ymlk bn ʾrs² w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 16.1

BES25_MG1 16.1

Safaitic 3
l ḫlṣ bn bnmrh bn ʿbd bn ymlk bn ʾrs² w ḥḍr ʿl- fnt w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 21

BES25_MG1 21

Safaitic 3
l ʾṣḥm bn ẓʿn bn krzn w wgm ʿl- ʾb -h
Image of BES25_MG1 2

BES25_MG1 2

Mixed Safaitic/Hismaic
l rww bn ʿtm bn ʿḏrw
Image of BES25_MG1 1

BES25_MG1 17

Safaitic 3
l ṭmṭn bn ẓʿn bn ṭmṭn bn ʾs¹mnt bn ʿs¹n bn mlṭ w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 18.2

BES25_MG1 18.2

Safaitic 3
l ġṯ bn ḥnn bn ġṯ bn mqm bn ʿrb bn mlgn w ḥḍr ʿl- fnt s¹nt qtl grm nqṣ w bny ʿl- ẓʿn
Image of BES25_MG1 18

BES25_MG1 18.1

Safaitic 2
l s¹krn bn s²ḥl bn s¹krn ḏ- ʾl ḍf w qnṭ f h gdḍf s¹lm
Image of BES25_MG1 23.1

BES25_MG1 23.1

Safaitic 3
l ẓʿn bn krzn bn whblh w l- -h h- ʾnfs¹
Image of BES25_MG1 23.2

BES25_MG1 23.2

Safaitic 4
l yġṯ bn tm bn kmd ḏ- ʾl ʿmrt w wgm ʿl- ṣʿd w ʿl- ḫld ʾḫt -h trḥt
Image of BES25_MG1 23.3

BES25_MG1 23.3

Safaitic 2
l mgd bn zd bn qdm ḏ- ʾl ḍf
Image of BES25_MG1 1

BES25_MG1 1

Safaitic 3
l ġṯ bn nṣr bn ʾṣbḥ bn rhn w wgm ʿl- ẓʿn w ʿl- s¹ʿd w ḥḍr ʿl- klʾ fnt f h lt s¹lm
Image of BES25_MG1 5.1

BES25_MG1 5.2

Safaitic 3
l ʾs¹d ---- s²whdwlrwgḥs²n
Image of BES25_MG1 5.1

BES25_MG1 5.1

Safaitic 3
l s²ʿṯm bn s¹r bn ʿwḏ bn ʾs¹lm bn ʿwḏ w bny ʿl- ẓʿn w wgm ʿl- ʾḫt -h w ʿl- ʾb -h
Image of BES25_MG1 11

BES25_MG1 11

Safaitic 3
l s¹ny bn ḥṭṭ bn fhr bn tʾm w wgm ʿl- grmʾl w ʿl- ʾb -h w ʿl- tʾm w ʿl- zdt w ʿl- mʿṣ w ʿl- ---- lt nqm
Image of BES25_MG1 25.1

BES25_MG1 25.2

Safaitic 2
l ġyr bn ḥn----
Image of BES25_MG1 25.1

BES25_MG1 25.1

Safaitic 2
l ġyr bn ḥnʾl bn ġyr bn tʾm w wgm ʿl- grmʾl