Nora Stele in Southern Sardinia 750 BCE

Phoenician texts are always supportive of magical motion powers and so blame droughts on the life powers. This is in contrast to the Israelites who were anti-magic and instead supportive of the life powers. The middle of the road position was that of the Aegeans who supported both but were against mixing them inappropriately.

For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts

Nora Stele on display at Italian National Archaeological Museum at Cagliari, Sardinia.
Nora Stele on display at Italian National Archaeological Museum at Cagliari, Sardinia.
Photo by Olaf Tausch via Wikimedia Commons at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stele_von_Nora_07.jpg

Translation of Nora Stele from Sardinia (800-700 BCE)

(August 28, 2022) This text is promoting the Phoenician viewpoint about the importance of the motion powers, specifically those sourced from the astrological night sky. It minimalizes the influences of the life powers and the magical emotion powers.

Translation in Akkadian (Med Text 2)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels)
  1. BeTu RāṢu Ṣu 
  2. Na GeRu. Ṣu E A 
  3. BāṢu ReDu NaTu
  4. Imu E A Ṣu
  5. Mu Zu Bu AMu
  6. Iku TeNu BiBu
  7. Ṣu BiBu Nu GeRu
  8. Ya Gi Nu Pu

In English

  1. The house (night sky) activates the upper-regions.
  2. The Revealer (Yahu) is being guided. The activity (of life priests) is not doing that. 
  3. The transparency (astrological night sky) is driving the manifestation (of life forms).
  4. Emotions are not bringing that activity.
  5. Emitted fertility-fluids are are from nourishing the Reed-boat (Ayu).
  6. The irrigating (by Ayu) gates the replacements.
  7. The gating activity guides the Revealer.
  8. Does not energy open-up the Revealer?
Google map showing location of Nora on the coast of southern Sardinia.

Archaeology of Nora

(August 27, 2022) The native civilization of Sardinia is known as Nuragic. Around 900 BCE the Phoenicians arrived and set up trading posts on the southern coast which eventually grew into large towns. One of these towns was Nora. Based on the existence of the Nora Stele it apparently had a temple. The Nora Stele (Stone) was in Nora in 1773.  Consequently, its contextual information is missing.  

As a trading port, Nora would have been similar but smaller in scale to the Aegean trading site on the island of Delos. Consequently, it would have contained a mix of temples and warehouses. 

References

Cross, Frank (1972) An Interpretation of the Nora Stone. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research No. 208 (Dec., 1972), pp. 13-19
Nijboar, A.J. (2008) Italy and the Levant during the late Bronze and Iron Ages (1200-750/700 BCE)
Peckham, Brian (1972) The Nora Inscription, Orientalia 41 (1972). Online with purchase at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43079209?seq=1 Pilkington, N. (2012) A Note on Nora and the Nora Stone. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research  Online at: https://www.academia.edu/3103158/A_Note_on_Nora_and_the_Nora_Stone
Phoenician and Greek Colony Map
Mediterranean Colony Map (650 BCE) showing Sardinia off the coast of Italy with its Phoenician Colonies.

Translation of Nora Stele in Akkadian

Rows 1 and 2 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. BeTu RāṢu Ṣu (Med 2.1)
  2. Na GeRu. Ṣu E A (Med 2.2)

In English

  1. The house (night sky) activates the upper-regions 
  2. The Revealer is being guided. Activity (from life priests) is not doing that

Rows 3 and 4 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. (3) BāṢu ReDu NaTu (Med 2.3)
  2. (4) Imu E A Ṣu (Med 2.4)

In English

  1. (3) The transparency (astrological night sky) is driving the manifestations (of life forms)
  2. (4) Emotions are not bringing that activity

Rows 5 and 6 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. (5) Mu Zu Bu AMu (Med 2.5)
  2. (6) Iku TeNu BiBu (Med 2.6)

In English

  1. (5) Eliminated fertility-fluids are are from nourishing the Reed-boat (Ayu)
  2. (6) The irrigating (by Ayu) gates the replacements

Rows 7 and 8 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. (7) Ṣu BiBu Nu GeRu
  2. (8) Ya Gi Nu Pu

In English

  1. (7) The gating activity guides the Revealer
  2. (8) Does not energy open-up the Revealer?

Comparison with Hebrew Translations

Nora Stele on display at Italian National Archaeological Museum at Cagliari, Sardinia.

Olmsted's Akkadian Translation

(Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. BeTu RāṢu Ṣu 
  2. Na GeRu Ṣu E A
  3. BāṢu ReDu AṢu
  4. Imu E A Ṣu
  5. Mu Zu Bu AMu
  6. Iku TeNu BiBu
  7. Ṣu BiBu Nu GeRu
  8. Ya Gi Nu Pu

  1. The house (night sky) activates the upper-regions
  2. The Revealer is energized. Activity is not bringing that
  3. The transparency (astrological night sky) is driving the expulsion (of fertility fluids)
  4. Emotions are not bringing that activity
  5. Eliminated fertility-fluids are are from nourishing the Reed-boat (Ayu)
  6. The irrigating (by Ayu) gates the replacements
  7. The gating activity assaults the Revealer
  8. Does not energy open-up the Revealer?

Peckham’s (1972) Failed Hebrew Translation

Letter assignment errors in red

  1. B TRSS
  2. WGRS H'
  3. B SRDN S
  4. IM H' SL
  5. M SB' M
  6. iKTN BN
  7. SBN NGD
  8. Y PMY

  1. From Tarsis
  2. he was driven
  3. in Sardinia he
  4. found refuge
  5. his forces found refuge
  6. Milkaton, son of
  7. Subon, the commander
  8. To [the god] Pmy 

Comment

  1. B is a preposition in Hebrew meaning "in" or "with"
  2.  grs = garas = to drive. Hebrew conflates the letter ayin (') with "A." Letter "he" is dual use being either H or E.
  3. the ending /s/ is ignored. It does not mean "he"
  4. Error, even with 20 Hebrew word varieties for “refuge” it does not match the letter.
  5. Error, even with 20 Hebrew word varieties for “refuge” it does not match here
  6. Error, "Milkaton" is split between lines
  7. “nagid” means “general” or “noble

Cross’s (1972) Failed Hebrew Translation

Letter assignment errors in red

  1. Ba-TaRSiS
  2. Wa-GaRiSo  HU
  3. Ba-SaRDiNa  Sa 
  4. LiM Hu' SaL
  5. iM SaBa'o Mi
  6. IKaToN BiN
  7. SuBNa NaGiD
  8. La PuMmY

  1. At Tarsis
  2. and he drove them out
  3. among the Sardinians
  4. peace he is [now] at peace
  5. (and) his army is at peace
  6. Milkaton son of
  7. Subna, general
  8. of (king) Pummay

Comment

  1. B is a preposition in Hebrew meaning "in" or "with"
  2.  W = “and,” grs = garas = to drive, HU” = “He. Fraudulent letter change to make a word!
  3. Error: split word at end to make salim (peace)
  4. Fraud: adds letter L to make "salim." Error: split word at end to make salim (peace) again.
  5. saba” means “army.
  6. Error, "Milkaton" is split between lines
  7. “nagid” means “general” or “noble