Translation of Mining Texts at Serabit el-Khadim in Sinai During Great Drought (1200-1150 BCE)

These texts are a mix of Minoan and Aegean traditions. At this time Israel was not a political entity but was a group of people devoted to the life powers represented by the god Alu. Hence the name "Israel" which is Akkadian meaning "the righteous of Alu" from išaru.alu.  For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts

Expedition to Serabit el-Khadim

This is a brief description of the 1930 Harvard Expedition of Kirsopp Lake and Robert Blake to Serabit el Khadim, a remote site in the Sinai Desert of Egypt. The difficult adventure resulted in the recovery of several examples of an the earliest complete alphabetic script which came to be known as Proto-Sinaitic. Prior to this time alphabetic letters were mixed in with phonetic signs as exemplified by the Minoan texts.

http://www.semiticmuseum.fas.harvard.edu

Valleys of Serabit el-Khadim Mining Complex

Valleys of Serabit Mining Complex


The temple to Hathor and Sopdu is located in the upper center. Image from: Petrie, W.M.F. (1906) Researches in the Sinai. New York. E.P Dutton and Company

Turquoise Mines at Serabit el-Khadim

(November 10, 2023) Along with re-opening the mines, Pharaoh Hatshepsut turned two natural side-by-side cave grottos into a temple. One side and grotto was dedicated to the goddess Hathor (equivalent to Mediterranean Ayu) and the other to the god Sopdu. 

Egyptian Hathor (Druid crescent moon goddess Ayu) had a grotto there because she was associated with the blue sky which brought the manifested fertility fluids like rain, sun light, and heat. Turquoise was blue like the sky. This was the primary deity of the Minoans.

Sopdu seems to have been a god representing the local people, that is, the Israelites who would have done most of the mining under the organization of the Minoans. It is an  Akkadian compound word meaning "Community of the Life-Powers" from Sâpu.Du. From their ancient texts, the Israelites were devoted to the life power class of divine powers more than any other culture.  When female Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BCE.) converted the grottos into temples she had one of the columns show her hugging Sopdu.  

The pharaohs who came after her kept expanding the walkway to the Hathor temple as shown in figure 2. The steles at the farthest entrance are dedicated to Pharaoh Sethnakht (reigned 1186-1184) and Ramesses II (reigned 1279-1213). The end of building indicates that the mine ceased major organized operations around 1180 BCE during the economic collapse brought about by the great drought which ended the Bronze Age. Yet the last offering tokens to these deities found in the grottos date to the time of Pharaoh Ramesses VI (1143-1136 BCE.) (Petrie 1906: p 149). 

The walkway leading to the grottos was mostly lined with numerous stone monuments dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Yet, some of these had other images including those of Egyptian ships and one even had a giraffe. A few of these monuments even had the date of their dedication inscribed on them. One of the earliest such inscriptions predates the temple dating to the 40th year of pharaoh Amenemhat III (1831-1786 BCE) and it reads:

A royal offering to Hathor, Lady of Turquoise, for the ka (life-power) of the chief chamberlain Sebek-her-beh, for the ka of the seal bearer, deputy of the overseer of the seal-bearers, Kemnaa, born of Kahotep (Petrie 1906: p 66).

References

Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67 
Butin, Romain F. (1932) The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 25 No. 2 pp. 130-203
Petrie, W.M.F. (1906) Researches in the Sinai. New York. E.P Dutton and Company
Overview Map by Petrie Showing Location of Serabit el-Khadim

Overview Map by William Petrie Showing Location of Serabit el-Khadim 


William Petrie started out his career as an electrical engineer and because of this background he was the first person to introduce a methodological standards to archeology (As an engineer you learn you can't fool mother nature so you have to be mentally disciplined). Consequently, he was the one who made archaeology a profession instead of an antiquarian hobby.  A similar adoption of standards still needs to be done in the field of ancient linguistics.
Image from: Petrie, W.M.F. (1906) Researches in the Sinai. New York. E.P Dutton and Company
Close-up Map by Petrie Showing Location of Serabit el-Khadim

Close-up Map by William Petrie Showing Location of Serabit el-Khadim 

Image from: Petrie, W.M.F. (1906) Researches in the Sinai. New York. E.P Dutton and Company
Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim Mining Complex

Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim Mining Complex

Image from: Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67 
Serabit el-Kahdim Temple Entrance Path Showing it as a Switchback up a Hill

Serabit el-Kahdim Temple Entrance Path Showing it as a Switchback up a Hill

Temple is up the hill on the right path
Image from: Petrie, W.M.F. (1906) Researches in the Sinai. New York. E.P Dutton and Company
Model of the Serabit el-Khadim temple on the top of the hill

Model of the Serabit el-Khadim temple on the top of the hill. The temple ends on the upper left where it has small passages into two small natural caves which were the most sacred spaces of the place.

Image from: Petrie, W.M.F. (1906) Researches in the Sinai. New York. E.P Dutton and Company
Map of temple at Serabit el-Khadim
Map of temple at Serabit el-Khadim but in a reversed direction from image above it. The original grottos are on the right with the larger one devoted to Hathor (Ayu) and the smaller one being devoted to a god representing the local people called Sopdu.  Sopdu seems to have been a god representing the local people, that is, the Israelites who would have done most of the mining under the organization of the Minoans. It is an  Akkadian compound word meaning "Community of the Life-Powers" from Sâpu.Du. From their ancient texts, the ancient Pagan Israelites were devoted to the life power class of divine powers more than any other Druid culture.  The word "Israel" derives from the Akkadian phrase meaning "The righteous of Alu IŠR.AL)" in which Alu is the source of life powers. When female Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BCE.) built the first rooms of the processional path to the temple grottos she had one of its columns show her hugging Sopdu.  (Butin 1928).

Image from: Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67  

Minoan Texts from Serabit el-Khadim at the Start of the Great Drought (1177 BCE)

Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67 

Wall Relief from Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim Blames Developing Drought on Magic Crafters (Sinai Text 2)

(November 6, 2023) This tablet carved in bas-relief on the wall near the entrance to mine L contains an image of a supervisor holding a long staff inside a building. It seems to reference the beginning of the Great Drought which ended the Bronze Age. This anti-magic-crafter theme indicates it was written by the Israelite culture.

Text In Akkadian 

(starts at top, goes down along the relief, then curves to the left. Capital letters on tablet, verbs in italic bold)
  1. ETû  Di’u  Nu  Ma  Ṣu (Sinai 2.1)
  2. Zu  DuQu  TuDu  Qu  Ṣi (Sinai 2.2)     (The Ṣi is Minoan Linear A)

(Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)

In English

  1. The boundary of the divine-powers can reveal the fertility-fluid's activity-level
  2. The emanations are confirming the emotion-cursing of the thread's activity-powers
Photo of alphabetic inscription from Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim
Photo and drawing of Butin’s inscription 353 (text 3) from Mine L (Butin 1928). It is now at the Cairo Museum were it was deposited by Petrie. Red letter assignments by Olmsted

Wall Relief from Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim Blames Human Emotion Magic for Causing the Great Drought (Sinai Text 3)

(November 6, 2023) This text blames human emotion magic for causing chaos in the network. It absolves from blame the astrological motion powers. This anti-magic-crafter theme indicates it was written by the Israelite culture.

Text In Akkadian

(starts at top right. Capital letters on tablet, verbs in italic bold)

Right Column (Sinai Text 3.1)

  1. ETû  DâṢu  Nu  Mû
  2. ṢaMȗ  Ḫu  Bā’u  LeTû

Middle Column (Sinai Text 3.2)

  1. INu  EŠû  NâṢu
  2. A  Gȗ  U  Tu (Gu is Linear A)

Left Column (Sinai Text 3.3)

  1. E  ITtu  ŠâMu
  2. A  Tu  Lu  Dȗ  LâŠu  Nu

In English

Right Column - agreement on the problem

  1. The boundary is disrespecting the revealer of fertility-fluids (Yahu)
  2. The dehydration of Hu is nesting the splitters (eagle-vultures who trim life network)

Middle Column - magic motion powers are the cause

  1. The moon-eyed-ones (astrological magic crafters) are confusing the currents
  2. That energizing is being done by astrology-magic

Left Column - life powers are the cause

  1. Nothing is obligated by the omens
  2. These magic-powers are lacking the life-manifestations which can influence the Revealer

The right column is blaming the life power's middle layer of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm (boundary) for a drought. The network is not allowing fertility fluids to flow through it. These fertility fluids are needed to trigger the life form manifestations by the Revealer (god Yahu). The drying-out (dehydration) of fertility fluids  causes the network (nest) represented by the sun god Hu to split-off from the Revealer.

The middle column blames the magic crafters for making the flow of the fertility fluids chaotic. These fluids are pushed through the channels by repulsion.

The last column absolves the motion powers from the astrological night sky. The drought is not due to fate but due to magic crafters.

Aegean Sea People Raided Serabit el-Khadim (1150 BCE)

The Aegean Sea Peoples involved in the Battle of the Nile also raided Serabit el-Khadim and apparently did some mining there initially. This is supported by their mixed divine power graffiti and the different letter styles of their texts when compared to the Israelite texts. These texts can be compared using the Iron Age Letter Chart. The Philistines who settled on the coast of the Levant were one of the Sea Peoples.

Image from Champollion's 1832 notes of the peoples named on the base of the Fortified East Gate at the temple of Medinet Habu

Collection of Egyptian Illustrations of the Sea Peoples who Attacked Them

This image is from Champollion's 1832 notes of the peoples named on the base of the Fortified East Gate at the temple of Medinet Habu. He was a main person who cracked the code of  hieroglyphics. 
Image in public domain. Acquired from Wikimedia Commons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Champollion%27s_notes_of_the_peoples_named_on_the_base_of_the_Fortified_East_Gate_at_Medinet_Habu.png
Egyptians Battle the Sea Peoples c1150 BCE. Image from temple of Medinet Habu

Egyptians Battle the Sea Peoples c1150 BCE

Wall scene at the temple of Medinet Habu. Image in public domain. Acquired from Wikimedia Commons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seev%C3%B6lker.jpg
This drawing of the text was found in Butin (1932) who reproduced it from Blake. Butin said this about it:
This inscription cut on the wall of Mine L was discovered by Rev. A. W. Johnson, of the Harvard Mission; it could not be removed and the writer has had no opportunity to study the original. It was photographed by Professor Lake and copied by Professor Blake. Most of the signs, we are told, are clearly visible, but a few do not show on the photograph. In every case we have given preference to Blake's hand-copy in view (Butin 1932).
Israelite Graffito Inside Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim
Photos of the text. Composite Photo involving image 61 from Prof. I. Beit-Arieh, Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University. Image 62 from Butin 1936, plate 16). In Sass B. (1988)
Sass B. (1988) The Genesis of the Alphabet and its Development in the Second Millennium B. C. Otto Harrassowitz· Wiesbaden

Aegean Graffito Inside Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim Blames Astrological Motion Powers (Sinai Text 4) 1150 BCE

(May 31, 2023) This graffito blames the astrological motion power and full moon god Su for the drought.

Text in Akkadian

Vertical Column (top to bottom, Text 4.1)

  1. ANnu  TaṢû  INu
  2. ZiKu  MūTu  ABu
  3. Du  Mu  Nu
  4. (lines illustrating the flowing fertility-fluids)

Horizontal Row (right to left, Text 4.2)

  1. Le’ȗ  QaRȗ  ARû
  2. Mu  A’û.
  3. Mu  Dû.

Text in English

Vertical Text (top to bottom)

  1. Considerations (focused feelings) are being fooled by the moon-eye (Su) 
  2. Purify the sacrificial-place of the Life-Priests (fathers)
  3. Life-Manifestations are revealed by fertility fluids
  4. (lines in the lower left corner are an illustration of the fertility fluids coming down to earth)

Horizontal Text (right to left) 

  1. Astrological-powers control the divine-queries
  2. Fertility-fluids are being motion-empowered.
  3. Fertility-fluids are being manifested

 Previously Attempted Hebrew Translations

The two following Hebrew translations by Butin and Rainey fail. Additionally, they are completely different from each other.

Butin's translation is as follows:

  • The gang, consisting of nine men, successfully protected the baskets (of turquoise?) for the superior officer (sheik?); (thereupon) R-M and his people (his compatriots [?], or clansmen [?]) made a great celebration'; or: 'The gang, consisting of nine men, successfully protected the huts (camp) of the superior officer (sheik?); (thereupon) R-M and his people (compatriots, clansmen) made a great celebration.' (Butin 1928, page 42)

Butin says this about his letter assignments showing just how tentative he thought they were (differences from my letter assignments in red):

Vertical column. Aleph, nun, waw, shin, gimel, nun, samekh; the eighth letter is a new sign, no. 28 of the alphabet. As has been explained above, this sign may be lamed or kaph, and its doubtful character should not be forgotten. Then comes mem with a point. The next sign (27 of the alphabet) is almost certainly lamed and aleph. Then follow in order: beth, beth, mem, and nun. At the end of the vertical column and slightly to the left are a certain number of lines, evidently a numeral. Blake counted seven; I see nine on the photograph. (Butin 1928, page 40)

Butin’s translation fails because of incorrect letter assignments which is not unusual from an early pioneer in the field. It also fails because of the many guessed at word assignments.  

In 1975 A.F. Rainey (Rainey 1975) attempted another Hebrew translation His letter assignments for the vertical line are shown below (our differences are in red):

ANT TPN DKM LABB MNK (top to bottom)

Anat tapanu dukkema li’ababa minka

Besides incorrect letter assignments Rainy incorrectly converts an aleph to an ayin in the word “LABB.” He also is claiming the 7 lines are the letter K at the end of the line.

His letter assignments for the Horizontal line are:

SM’A MRA RB NQ _ (left to right)

Sim’a’ mar’u rabba naq [banima(?)]

The letters “B N” do not exist in any form in the text so Rainey seems to added them just to make his translation which is translation fraud. Rainy also ignored the last letter which is an ayin.

These produced his proposed translation:

  • You, Thapan, crush (hammer out) for Ababa from you (i.e. from your ore); (signed) Sim’a’, the squire of the chief of the mi [ners?].

This is a failed translation due to:

  1. Translation fraud (adding letters not in the text) 
  2. Having incorrect letter assignments
  3. Using names with their arbitrary letter pattersn to substitute for words

References

Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67 
Butin, Romain F. (1932) The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 25 No. 2 pp. 130-203
Image from Butin 1932.

Aegean Graffiti on Serabit el-Khadim Hathor Statuette Top (Sinai Text 5.1)  1150 BCE

(November 6, 2023) This red sandstone statuette was found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai. It has graffiti inscriptions on top, front, and two sides. It now resides in the Cairo museum in Egypt.

Right Text in Akkadian

(read from head to front and continues on down the front right side. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)
  1. ELu  Zu  Gu.  Mu  Ne'u  Tu (letter T on on the front panel)

(Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)

In English

  1. The high-life-power's emanations are being energized. Fertility-fluids are being energized by astrology-magic

Left Text in Akkadian (starts at bottom for right to left reading)

(read from bottom to top in image. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)
  1. [rubbed out word] Nu Le’ȗ

In English

  1. [missing word] is revealing the astrological-powers

Image from Butin 1932.

Aegean Graffiti on Serabit el-Khadim Hathor Statuette Front (Sinai Text 5.2) 1150 BCE

(November 6, 2023)

Right Text in Akkadian (end indicated by horizontal line)

  1.  (a continuation of the top text)

Left Text in Akkadian

(read top to bottom. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)
  1. MaTu  LaBā’u  Lu  Tu

Left Text in English

  1. Murder will circle without astrology-magic

Butin’s Attempted Translation

Romain Butin’s 1928 Hebrew translation based upon incorrect letter assignments and assumes that Hebrew existed at this time despite it lack of attestation elsewhere. In contrast, cuneiform Akkadian has been found in Egypt from this same time period. It was being used to write diplomatic letters to neighboring states in a series of texts known as the Amarna Letters (1360-1332 BCE). Butin’s translation is also read in the unlikely order of side, then right column, then left column. This is his translation:

  • This (statue is set up) for the withdrawal of the raider, according to the wish of the handmaid (priestess) of Ba'alat, (and) according to the wish of the head stone-setter (engraver). (Butin 1928, page 46)
Right Side of Hathor statuette found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai
 Image from Butin 1932.
Left Side of Hathor statuette found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai
These letters are too indistinct in this left side image to properly identify. Image from Butin 1932.

Aegean Graffiti on Sinai Serabit el-Khadim Hathor Statuette Blames Goddess Selu (Sinai Text 5.3)  1150 BCE

(August 4, 2022) This red sandstone statuette was found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai. It is blaming the life-priests with their grilled meat fat (aroma) offerings to Hathor (the feminine connective life power of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm).

Top Text in Akkadian (right to left reading)

  1. SeLȗ Mâ’u Mu A

In English

  1. Selu is pushing away these fertility-fluids

Bottom Text in Akkadian (right to left reading)

  1. Bu Zu Du

In English

  1. Nourishments can be emanated by life-powers
Right Side of Hathor Sphinx from Serabit el-Khadim
Right Side of Hathor Sphinx from Serabit el-Khadim. This red sandstone hand-held sphinx was found on the floor just outside the Sopdu temple at Serabit el-Khadim by Sir Flanders Petrie in 1905. It has inscriptions inscribed on the base on each side which have never been translated. Image from Butin 1932.
Image of Reed Boat from a Mesopotamian Cylinder Seal showing a close resemblance to a crescent moon
Image of Reed Boat from a Mesopotamian Cylinder Seal showing a close resemblance to a crescent moon. They were widely used on near eastern rivers.

Right Side of Serabit el-Khadim Hathor Sphinx Found at Serabit el-Khadim (Sinai Text 6)  1150 BCE

(August 5, 2022) This graffito is  pro-magic.

Text in Akkadian (Sinai  6.1)

(read right to left)
  1. Ṭu  Zu  DaḪû  AMu

In English

  1. Thu's emanations can pressure the Reed-Boat (Ayu, Hathor)

Thu is the hermaphrodite connective motion power deity. The elimination of motion power aid tends to inhibit the flow of fertility fluids through the life network thus emotionally pressuring Hathor who is the connective life goddess who edits the network connections. The "Reed-Boat" is an epithet for the crescent moon and represents these connective life goddesses.

Egyptian Hieroglyphs

A Hathor ideogram is located on the statuette’s shoulder. It consists of the falcon of Horus inside a house. The feminine power is represented by a house for a masculine power.

Below the Hathor ideogram is the Egyptian hieroglyphic phrase which reads:

  • many honors to her

(Continue Reading)

The Egyptian signs with their letters are:

  1. reed - yod (I)
  2. reed - yod (Y)
  3. plow - mem (M)
  4. 3 dots (meaning "many"),
  5.  rising and setting sun - teth (Ṭ)
  6. sling - a different teth (Ṭ)

The root Egyptian word here is IM meaning "to honor" (Faulkner 1962). The letter combination teth, teth is a feminine pronoun suffix meaning "her."

The god Horus was the Egyptian connective life-growth power of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm. As such he was represented by the falcon which moved the visible sun as it flew on wings though the region between the earth plane and the watery inner surface of the sky-shell. Spiritual powers ascended into the divine realm by hopping a ride on the sun when on the morning horizon. Horus as the visible sun motion represented good order in contrast to the hidden sun form represented by the chaotic storm bull, Seth. 

References

Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67 
Butin, Romain F. (1932) The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 25 No. 2 pp. 130-203
Faulkner, R.O. (1962) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian. Griffith Institute, Oxford
Left Side of Hathor Sphinx from Serabit el-Khadim
Left Side of Hathor Sphinx. This red sandstone hand-held sphinx was found on the floor just outside the Sopdu temple at Serabit el-Khadim by Sir Flanders Petrie in 1905. It has inscriptions inscribed on the base on each side which have never been translated. Image from Butin 1932.

Left Side of Serabit el-Khadim Hathor Sphinx Found at Serabit el-Khadim  1150 BCE

(August 5, 2022) This graffito is  pro-magic again

Text in Akkadian (Sinai 6.2)

(read right to left)
  1. Tu  Le’ȗ  DaLû
  2. Pu  ŠâKu  Nâ[Pu]

In English

  1. Astrology-Magic's astrological-powers bring-water.
  2. The Openers (life-powers) are making-narrow the fil[ter] (life-network)

Thu is the magical hermaphrodite connective motion power deity of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.

Line 1 is stating that the motion powers brought to earth by Thu are important for manifesting rain.

Line 2 is stating that some of the blame for a drought lies with the life network thread openers which are restricting the number of threads which reach earth.

References

Butin, Romain F. (1928) The Seribit Inscriptions: II. The Decipherment and Significance of the Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 21 No. 1 pp. 9-67 
Butin, Romain F. (1932) The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions. Harvard Theological Review. Vol 25 No. 2 pp. 130-203
Faulkner, R.O. (1962) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian. Griffith Institute, Oxford