Malichus’ Battle with Herod
(0133) Text: l mlk bn ġyr’l bn nhb w nẓr s¹nt ngy mlk s¹lṭn
Translation: By Malichus son of Gyr’l son of Nhb and he kept watch the year that Malichus retained power.
Commentary: Though not certain, Macdonald (in OCIANA) suggests that it may refer to the war between Herod and Malichus I in 32/31 BCE (Josephus, A.J. 5.1). The inscription is in Safaitic and so the text is rendered here in transliteration instead of transcription, given difficulties in reproducing the latter (e.g., use of boustrephedon, non-standard characters).
Provenience: stateless Syrian desert (Al‐‘Īsāwī, Rif Dimašq, Syria) 31 BCE
Bibliography: OCIANA #0026876*