Re‐examining RAMRY/94‐az‐Zālif 1 no. 1: probable finding of a previously unknown name for a temple of S¹yn amid a plurality of scribal errors

Abstract

RAMRY/94-az-Zālif 1 no. 1 (first century BCE to second century CE) is a Hadramitic inscription from ancient az-Zālif that has eluded a full interpretation because of scribal errors and lacunae. I survey and critique Frantsouzoff's and the Digital Archive for the Study of pre-Islamic Arabian Inscriptions' previous treatments of the text. After proposing an emendation of an incompletely engraved letter and noting the presence of construction text formulary phrases, I reconstruct the lacunae and suggest that the inscription records the erection of a sanctuary for S 1 yn Bql, a previously unknown epithet for the god S 1 yn. This new reading will show that the text contains more errors than previously known and implies that Bql is the hitherto unknown name of the temple in which the inscription was found. K E Y W O R D SAncient South Arabian, az-Zālif, epigraphy, Hadramitic, scribal errors, Yemen