Semitic Inscriptions” Pp
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Littman, E. 1913 “Semitic Inscriptions” Pp. IX-93 in Syria. Publications of the Princeton Archaeological Expeditions to Syria (Div. IV, Sect. A, Leyden) 1-93. ! Publications of the Princeton University Arch aeological Expeditions to Syria in 1904-1905 and 1909 DIVISION IV SElVIITIC INSCI{IPTIONS BY ENNO LITTMANN SECTiON A NABATAEAN INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE SOUTHERN HAURAN __ 1 __ J5:0�ER IL-I:IALLABAT ( I ) $ABJ.:!AH (18-22) UMlIJ Jl)]-DJI�1AL (38-68) UMM IS-SURAB (2-3) SALKHAD (23-26) BO$RA (69-91) IL-BEZA VIZ (4) J)};R IL-MESHl�(rI� (27) IL-MU'ARRIBEH (92) SEBSEBEH (5) $A1IMEH (28-29) -KHARABA (93) IS-SUM�L'\I�IYAT (6-10) t:MM IR-R\JMMAN (30) DJMERRIN (94) SIlvID] (1l-I2) IL-GHARIYEH (31) J:!EBRAN (95) KOM IR-RUFF (13-15) DER IVvlAIYAS (32) SAHWIT IL-KHIPrz (96-97) I�_�sIL (16) UMM IL-I�UTTf:N (33-36) !VIELAH I$-$ARRAR (98-99) TELL I�O'E$ (37) (100-1°7)_ I $UBI:I!VEIl (17) sic _L____ ______ ___ _ LATE E. 1- BRILL PUBLISHERS AND PRINTERS LEYDEN - 1914- . lI I �, I 11 I l',inleu by E. J. BRILL, - LEYDE' (Holland). Preface to Division IV, Section A. On the following pages I have endeavoured first to give a short idea of the country and of the dates of the Nabataean inscriptions published in this volume; to define their character, their contents and their palaeographic features; and to study the origin and the forms of the Nabataean names and some important points of grammar. This is to be found in the Introductory Chapter. Secondly it has been my aim to publish the documents which I collected as accurately as possible and to comment upon them from different points of view. Since these inscriptions furnish a great many interesting Arabic names, I have devoted much attention to their explanation and interpretation. Wherever a name in these inscriptions is found for the first time, I have given all parallel forms from other languages and scripts known to me at the time. Later on, references have always been given to this first passage. The number of inscriptions being rather small, it was always possible to give references to parallels quite fully. In a larger publication I would have sifted and condensed the material a little more. The commentary was written at Princeton University, in 191 I, the Introduction at Strassburg, in 19 [3, after the commentary had been printed. Certain repetitions could not be avoided; I hope they will not embarrass the reader, but will rather serve to bring out some facts more plainly. Also some Addenda had to be appended. The reader is requested to use them before the study of the commentary, or at least not to overlook them. I thought it advisable to reprint the list of Nabataean kings and their dates from an article by M. Rene Dussauc\ in the Journal Asiatique 1904. This list will be of constant use to the reader. My thanks are due to my colleagues of the Expedition who with me shared hardships, work and enjoyment in a spirit of common enthusiasm for the East and for Eastern studies, especially to my friend H. C. Butler. Furthermore I wish to thank my Princeton friends who helped me with their advice during the preparation of the Commentary, to 'vV. K. Prentice and David Magie. ENNo LITTMANN. Strassburg- z. E. I A bbreviations of Periodicals and Publications Frequently Mentioned. A. E. or A. A. E. S. PublicatioJls of an American Archaeological I\.f. N. D. P.-V. Mittlll!ilungen. und IVIlc!lricllten des Deztt Expedition. to Syria in 1899-1900, I, II, III, IV. selun Palastina- Vereins. A. J. A. American Journal of Arc/wea/ag) ' . M. S. M. Dussaud et Macler; Mission dans les rigions Ann. Ep. L'A7111ec .ipigrapllique. disertiques dt !a �)rie mo),etl1te. B. C. H. Bufletin de Corrcspondanl"e Hellillt"que. N. E. Lidzbarski; Hatzdbuclt der 7lordsemitischen Epigrapllik. C. 1. G. Corpus fttscriptionu1lt Graccaru1Jl. P. A. Briinnow; Die Provincia Arabia. C. 1. L. Corpus Illscriptio1tum Latinarum. P. E. Pn:naton Expeditions. C. 1. S. Corpus inscriptiol1U1ll Semiticarum. P. E. F. Quarterly Statnnent of tlte Palestine Exploration E. A. O. Clermont-Ganneau; Etudes d1Archioiogic Orientalc. Fund. Ephem. Lidzbarski; EplxemcriJ jiir semitische Epigraphik. P. M. Guy le Strange; Palestine under tlte fil0,r;/cms. G. G. A. Gdttingischc Gelehrte Anze(t;ell . P. R. G. S. P1'occedings of the Royal Geograpltical Sodet)'. H. Hermes. P. W. Pauly-\Vissawa; Real-Encyclopiidie del' class£.sc/tel1 Alter- I. G. R. Insr.:riptiont?S Gt'aceat ad Res R01llanGs pertinc1ztes. tums'Wissenschaft. 1. S. O. G. Dittenbergerj Orientis Graed hHcriptiollCS Se- R. A. Revue Archiologique. leetac. R. A. O. Clermant-Ganneaui Recueil d1A1'elti% gie Orientale. J. A. Journal Asiatiquc. R. B. RWlle Bibliqllc. J. K. D. A. 1. 7aitrbucii des l{aiser!icll Deutschell Arcitao �ep. Ripertoire (flip(t:"rapltie semiiique. logisdull illstituts. S. C. Marq nis de VagUe; La SYrlC Ccntrale, Arc!11'teclu7'e J. K. P. K. :Jaltrbudt del' Aronig1idl Preuszisc!ten I(Ullst Ch'ile et Rdigicltse. Sa1Jlllllullgell. S. E. P. Conder; Survey of Eastern Palestine. K. A. Strzygowski; IClein-Asic1l1 ein Nett/and del' J{Ullst V., A. S. Dnssaud;. Voyage Archiologiqtu: au $a/;;. geschiclttc. Z. G. E. Zcitsc!trift del' Gesellsc!wft jii1' En/kunde zu Berlin. lYI. A. A. Janssen et Savignac; lJ!lission Al'clziologique en Z. D. M. G. Zeitsc!trift der Deutschen )}I[orgcnliindisc!lCn Arabie, 1. eese/lse/wft. I Z. D. P.-V. Zeitsc!tnft do: Dentsellen PaZastina- Vercins. I I. i NABATAEAN KINGS. I . B. ARETAS 169 C. ARETAS II. Erotimus 110- 96 B. c. OBODAS 96- 90 B. c. 90-87 B. C. II ARETAS I. Philhellen 87-62 B. c. OBODAS II . 62-47 B. c. MALICHUS I 47-30 B. c. OBODAS III 3 0-9 B. c. ARETAS IV. Philopatris . 9 B. c.-4 0 A. D. MALICHUS II 4 0-7 5 A. D. RABB'EL II . A. 75-101 D. MALICHUS III 101-1 06 A. D. ,I :'I1 iI: 1 i I" I i Ii I , INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. The Nabataean inscriptions published in this Part of the Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to S)wia in £904-£905 and £909 were all found in the country east of the Jordan river. Out of the 107 numbers 101 were copied by the author himself, in every case where it was possible after a careful study of the original; of a great many of the more important inscriptions squeezes and photographs were made. Of the remaining six inscriptions two were copied by other members of the Expedition of 1904-1905; one was copied by Miss G. L. Bell; another one by the late Professor Puchstein; and of two inscriptions squeezes and photographs were made by the Expedition of 1909 and handed to me by my friend H. C. Butler. THE COUNTRY AND THE DATES OF THE INSCRIPTIONS. The country from which these inscriptions came, was so to speak an outlying district of the Nabataean kingdom. Nabataean civilization and power may be grouped around three centers, represented by three cities, Hegra in the south, Petra in the middle, and Bosra in the north. The most important one of these was no doubt Petra, a city of which the imposing rem nan.ts have lately been brought before our eyes through the works of Brlinnow and Dalman. The country around Bosra was much fought over during the time of the kingdom of N abat. Bosra itself and the region to the south and to the east were probably always in the hands of the N abataean kings from the time in which they first established their power in the «Far North" until the fall of their might in 106 A.D. But the region to the north of Bosra was a bone of contention between the Nabataean kings and their Idumaean competitors. Those, however, who had really something to say about the matter were the Roman rulers. It is known that even Damascus was for some time Nabataean. At the time when the kings of Petra followed their first impulse to extend their sway over all of Syria, i. e. in the first half of the first century B. C., they took their way north through the cultivated lands east of the Jordan. and soon reached the most important city of Central Syria, viz. Damasclls. There must have been a peculiar restlessness and spirit of enterprise among the Arabs in the last centuries B. c. and the first centuries A. D., a spirit which may be called a fore-runner of that which in the 7th century A. D. carried the Arabs over half the world with a force unknown in history. For we observe that in Hegra, Petra, Damascus, the Lebanon, Palmyra, Emesa and even Edessa, families of the Arab nobility established themselves and gradually became the rulers; and in almost the same way in which we speak of the Arab kingdom of Petra, we may speak of an Arab kingdom of Palmyra, Emesa and Edessa, except that most of the Nabataean subjects were real Arabs, whereas the majority of the Ituraeans, Palmyrenes, the people of Emesa and Edessa were of Aramaean stock. Now Damascus was not long Nabataean: it was too important a place for the Romans who at about the same time as the Nabataeans found their way Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria, Div. IV, Sec. A. x Division IV Section A into Syria.