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The Inscriptions of the Four Main Phoenician Cities
ОглавлениеSidonian inscriptions are the most numerous, about 100. The longest (22 lines) is the funeral inscription carved on the sarcophagus of King Eshmunazor II, an important historical inscription, dated about 550–525 BCE (Elayi 1989: pp. 37–79). The funeral inscription of his father, King Tabnit, is slightly earlier. More than 25 foundation inscriptions of King Bodashtart were discovered in the Eshmun temple near Sidon, dated about 525–500 BCE (Bonnet and Xella 2000: pp. 93–104). Bodashtart also made an inscription for inaugurating the Saltani channel (Xella and Zamora 2004: pp. 273–300). Among several votive inscriptions, the inscription of King Baalshillem II gives his royal genealogy: Baalshillem I, Abdamon, Baana, and Baalshillem II (Stucky 2005: pp. 273–318). Monetary inscriptions must not be neglected because they are very useful for history and chronology. They give the kings' abbreviated names and their yearly dating between 401 and 333 provides the dates of the reigns: Baalshillem II (401–366), Abdashtart I (365–352), Tennes (351–347), Evagoras (?) (346–343), and Abdashtart II (342–333) (Elayi and Elayi 2004: pp. 437–470; Elayi 2006: pp. 14–21). Other Sidonian inscriptions are ostraca, magical squares, workshop marks, and graffiti.
There are approximately 50 Tyrian inscriptions, but almost all of them are very short. Among the votive and funeral inscriptions, one dated about 532 BCE possibly gives the names of the kings Hiram III and Ittobaal IV, another mentions the “chief of the hundred,” and two written in Punic on stelae are related to Carthago's sons (Sader 2005: pp. 80–84). The monetary inscriptions give the abbreviated names of some kings such as Ozmilk, who reigned from about 349 to 333 BCE (Elayi and Elayi 2009: pp. 221–252; Elayi 2006: pp. 21–25). Other Tyrian inscriptions are inscribed on gold, lapis‐lazuli, and bronze amulets, tokens, bullae, fiscal, and personal seals (Lozachmeur and Pezin 1994: pp. 361–371; Bordreuil 1986: pp. 82–86; Sader 1990: pp. 318–321).
For Byblos, about 30 inscriptions have been published. Three are funeral inscriptions for King Shipitbaal III's son dated about 500 BCE, for an anonymous king dated about 400 BCE, and for Batnoam, King Ozbaal's mother, in about 400 BCE. The most important one is the votive inscription of King Yehawmilk dated about 450 BCE (Elayi 2009: pp. 14–23). The monetary inscriptions provide the names of four kings: Elpaal, Ozbaal, Urimilk, and Aynel. A magic inscription on a silver amulet possibly gives the name of King Shipitbaal III (Lemaire 2003: pp. 155–174). Other Byblian inscriptions are carved on statues, pottery, and seals.
The inscriptions of Arwad, Amrit, and Tartous opposite the island are still less numerous. Some inscriptions from the sanctuary of Amrit (Maabed) are devoted to the healing god (Puech 1986: pp. 327–342). The monetary inscriptions give the abbreviated names of some kings such as Gerashtart, who reigned from 339 to at least 333 BCE (Elayi 2007: pp. 99–104). Lead weights from Arwad, Amrit, and Tartous bear some short inscriptions of values, useful for metrology (Elayi and Elayi 1997: pp. 155–181).