Mar.6] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.
A MIN/EAN INSCRIPTION OF THEPTOLEMAIC
PERIOD.By Prof. Dr.Fritz Hommel.In the " Sapiski " of The ImperialRussianArchaeologicalSociety,
1893,pp. 219-221, Prof.W. Golenisheff publisheda very interest
ing Minaean inscription,writtenon an Egyptian sarcophagusin the
GizehMuseum. Prof.Golenisheffgavebesidesthe facsimile of
the original characters,alsothe Hebrew transcriptionof this curious
textand the translation of some of the most importantphrasesand
names,viz.,Zaid-ilson of Zaid, of Zairan (\ _iJa) to
the temples of the deities of Misr (Egypt),in the days of Talmith
son of Talmith (line1) ; " Zaid-il in the month of Hat-hur" i.e., the
goddessHathor(line2) ; "house (or temple) of the god. Athar-hap,
(i.e.,Serapis) in the month Kihak(Khoyak,Arab. cJ.£a£),m tne
twenty-second year of Talmith the king Athar-hap
(Serapis)anddeitieswithhimin his sanctuary " (line 3).
Accordingto these undoubtedly correctexplanations of Prof.
Golenisheff, the above inscriptionmentions not only a certain
Zaid-ilsonof Zaid of Zairan as dedicator, but alsothe Egyptian
deitiesAthar-hap (= Osiris-Apis, Serapis) and Hat-hor(houseof
Horus,i.e., Hathor), the Egyptian month Khoyak (writtenTjrTi),
and above all the Egyptian king Ptolemaeos son of Ptolemaeos
(i»i-u»lj j ci-o-lj); withthe latter name,Prof.Golenisheff
compares the Aramaic transcription D^QTTID (Germ. Ganneau,
Recueil d'Arch. Orient., p. 81). The inscription was therefore
writtenabout 250 b.C.,since Ptolemaeosson of Ptolemaeos is pro
bably Ptolemaeos II. Philadelphus (286-247 b.C.). The most
remarkablecircumstanceconcerningthis is, that the language of the
inscriptionis not of the Sabaean dialect,but is the Minaean, which
Dr. Edward Glaserandmyselfregardedas the oldest representative
of the South Arabianliterarydialects,andin general olderthanthe
oldestSabaeanof the inscriptions of the so-called Mukarribs(priest
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