Early Sabean Funeral Steles 300 BCE

This volume, devoted to funerary stelae, is the third of a collection displaying the epigraphic and archaeological artifacts from the Jawf sites actually preserved in the National Museum of Ṣanʿāʾ. It is part of Phase 2 of the Jawf Sites and Artifacts Preservation Project, funded by the UNESCO and the Social Fund for Development (SFD) in Yemen.

Reference

Mounir ARBACH, Jérémie SCHIETTECATTE, Ibrāhīm AL-HĀD (2008) ṢANʿĀʾ NATIONAL MUSEUM - Part III Collection of Funerary Stelae from the Jawf valley. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/227512/2008_San%CA%BF%C4%81%CA%BE_National_Museum_Part_III_Collection_of_Funerary_Stelae_from_the_Jawf_Valley

Eyes of Fate Funerary Stele From Yemen YM 28033 (300 BCE)

(April 8, 2024) This is a limestone funerary stela having 2 eyes of fate. It is 25.5 cm high, 14 cm wide. Date based upon letter style is about 300 BCE.

Translation in Akkadian (East Text 5)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)

Ṭu Re'u | IPu Ya (East 5.1)
ṢaBu | BeTu Ku | Ṣu (East 5.2)
Šu PaRu GaṢu (East 5.3)

(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

Thu's shepherds (magic crafters) | are not greasing
Desires | of the zodiac-houses can be involved | in activity
The same can force death

Previous Attempted Translation

Names are not a translation because they can arbitrarily combine any number of letters. Lots of names are a sign of a failed translation. Their letter assignment are also very wrong. Also words are split between lines with is almost never done.

Transliteration

qyf ʾbʾ
mr rṯd M
tbẓlm

Translation

Memorial of Abī -
ʾamar under the protection of Mu-
tabaẓlim

Eyes of Fate Funerary Stele From Yemen YM 30047-1 (300 BCE)

(April 8, 2024) This is a limestone funerary stela having 2 eyes of fate. It is 35 cm high, 15.5 cm wide. Date based upon letter style is about 300 BCE.

Translation in Akkadian (East Text 6)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)

KiKi UBu (East 6.1)

(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

Why the patrollers (planets)?

Previous Attempted Translation

Transliteration

Ddʿhr

Translation

Dadaʿahar

Face of Yahu Funerary Stele From Yemen YM 26707 (300 BCE)

(April 8, 2024) This is a limestone funerary stela having a face. It is 40.5 cm high, 15 cm wide. Date based upon letter style is about 300 BCE.

Translation in Akkadian (East Text 7)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)

Du KiKi (East 7.1)

(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

Life-Manifestor (Yahu) Why?

Previous Attempted Translation

Transliteration

Wdd

Translation

Wadad

Double Faced Funerary Stele From Yemen YM YM 29217 (300 BCE)

(April 8, 2024) This is a limestone funerary stela having a face carved over a larger one behind it. It is 28 cm high, 16 cm wide. Date based upon letter style is about 300 BCE.

Translation in Akkadian (East Text 8)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)

''Z Lu (East 8.1)

(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

Associations (between life and motion powers) are lacking

Previous Attempted Translation

While the last letter could be an "N" it seems to have a faint left leg which makes it an "L."

Transliteration

'zn

Translation

ʿAzzan