The Stele of Nora: A Phoenician gift that keeps on giving

Abstract

This article examines recent studies and contributions on the Phoenician stele of Nora, an artefact that has been the subject of great debate for over two hundred years of scholarship. The aim is to delve into the contents of the recent meticulous study by Roberto Casti, who provides a comprehensive historiography on the stele as well as his own reading and interpretation of its Phoenician inscription (La Stele di Nora. Scavo di un Testo Archeologico, 2019). The discussion further includes recent papers and highlights provided by epigraphists and archaeologists alike on the intriguing inscription, with special focus on the recent contributions by Paul G. Mosca and Émile Puech, with the aim of putting these studies into their research framework within Phoenician epigraphy and archaeology, especially at the site of Nora in Sardinia.