192 herbert niehr
with me any vessel (7) of silver or bronze. With my garment (only) they
placed me, so that (8) in the future my sarcophagus would not be dragged
away. Whoever you are who do wrong (9) and drag me away, may Śahr and
nikkal and nusku make his dying odious, (10) and may his posterity perish.
(Kai 226)in contrast to the previous inscription, Kai 226 particularizes biographi-
cal aspects. it is also followed by a curse against potential violators of the
grave but offers no blessings to any protectors.
the phrasing of the inscription in the first-person singular creates
the impression that the deceased spoke these words during his lifetime.
this occurs also in the phoenician grave inscriptions of the kings tabnit
(Kai 13) and ešmunazor (Kai 14) from sidon, and in the assyrian grave
inscription of adda-guppi, mother of King nabonidus.325 Furthermore,
it has been noted that the grave inscription of the priest siʾgabbar exhib-
its a structural similarity to a hieroglyphic luwian grave inscription from
sheizar near hamath.326
the image on the stele shows a dining scene (pl. xVii). on the left side
the deceased priest siʾgabbar sits on a chair with his feet resting on a
stool. he holds a drinking vessel in his right hand for receiving libations
and his left hand touches the table indicating that the food placed there
is intended for him. on the opposite side of the table stands his son with
a fan. he is responsible for the care of the dead.
Both inscriptions indicate that the stelae are an image (ṣlmʾ) of the
deceased (Kai 225: 3, 6, 12; 226: 2). however, this statement refers not to
the scene but rather to the overall representation of the deceased, indi-
cating his presence at his place of burial and his ability to receive the
care of his descendants. this set of facts is explicitly stated on the stele
of Kuttamuwa.
the two priests’ burials were part of a larger necropolis of the 7th cen-
tury B.c. it was intensively researched during the excavations of 1926
and 1927 and the burial customs of this aramaean necropolis are well
documented.327
325 cf. the text in schaudig 2001: 500–513 and also tawil 1974: 57–65.
326 cf. hawkins 1980: 215f, 219f; the hieroglyphic luwian text is now found in hawkins
2000: 416–419.
327 cf. carrière – Barrois 1927; abel – Barrois 1928; nunn 2000b: 436–439.