The Baal Lebanon inscription, known as KAI 31, is a Phoenician inscription found in Limassol, Cyprus in eight bronze fragments in the 1870s. At the time of their discovery, they were considered to be the second most important finds in Semitic palaeography after the Mesha stele.[1]
It was purchased in 1874–75 by a Limassol merchant named Laniti from a scrap metal dealer, who did not know of their previous provenance. A copy was passed to Julius Euting, and after Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau secured its acquisition by the Cabinet des Médailles,[2] the inscription was published in full by Ernest Renan in 1877.[3]
It is particularly notable for having mentioned Hiram I. It is the only Phoenician inscription to suggest a "colonial" system amongst the Phoenician domains.[4]
Ernest Renan assigned each of the eight fragments of a letter to aid him in the reconstruction of the entire inscription: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. In his opinion, the reconstructed inscription was sequenced E, F, A, B, C, D – he could not find a place for fragments G and H. The fragments are transcribed as the following:
A: [...]M MLK ṢDNM ʾZ YT[...] – "-am, king of Sidonians, has dedicat-"
B: [...]N LBʿL LBNN – "-ed to Ba'al-Lebanon"
C: ʾDNY – "his Lord"
D: BRʾŠT NḤŠT Ḥ[...] – "good brass [...]"
E: WSKN QRTḤ[...] – "And governor of Carth-"
F: [...]DŠT ʿBD ḤR[...] – "-age, servant of Hir–"
G: [...]ṬB SKN QRTḤDŠT ʾ(Z) – "[...]-tob, governor of Carthage, has [...]"
H: (B)ʿL LBNN ʾDNY – "(Ba)'al-Lebanon, his Lord"
Therefore, per Renan's reckoning (E+F+A+B+C+D), the inscription reads, "...and governor of Carthage, servant of Hiram, king of Sidonians, has dedicated to Ba'al-Lebanon, his Lord, good brass...", with fragments G and H having no certain placement within the overall structure.
GalleryEdit
The fragments as first published by Renan
Reconstruction (with two pieces which do not fit)
Transcription
NotesEdit
^Clermont Ganneau, 1880, p.181, "My own observations may, perhaps, serve to confirm the truth of the remark of M. Renan about the palaeographical rank of these fragments, "which may claim the second place, immediately after the Moabite Stone," and to show that their historical is not under their palaeographical value."
^Clermont-Ganneau, HIRAM, KING OF TYRE, the Atheneum, April 17, 1880
^E. Renan. Notice sur huit fragments de pateres de bronze portant des inscriptions pheniciennes tres-anciennes: Journal des savants, August 1877, p. 487—494: "Les huit fragments dont nous présentons la reproduction au public ont été achetés par le Cabinet des antiques de la Bibliothèque nationale à M. Laniti, négociant à Limassol, dans l'Ile de Chypre. M. Laniti les avait lui-même achetés, avec plusieurs autres sans inscriptions, chez un marchand de ferraille, qui ignorait provenance antérieure. L'esperànce de trouver quelques autres fragments du même ensemble peut n'être pas considérée comme entièrement perdue... Voici, du reste, un fait matériel, qui peut n'être pas sans intérêt pour les personnes qui ne se rendent pas compte de la sûreté de nos méthodes paléographiques. Avant que M. Laniti nous eût fait passer les fragments maintenant acquis par le Cabinet des antiques, nous en avions eu une connaissance indirecte. Il y a un peu plus d'un an, le savant M. Euting, qui est la personne d'Allemagne la plus habile en ces études, voulut bien nous, communiquer une copie qu'il avait reçue de Chypre. C'étaien nos fragments, mais cópies à la suite les uns des autres, comine une seule inscription."
^Nathan Pilkington (4 October 2019). The Carthaginian Empire: 550–202 BCE. Lexington Books. p. 126. ISBN978-1-4985-9053-2. In contrast, other scholars have argued that Phoenician colonies may have been governed by the mother city, at least during the earliest colonial period. The position is based on the interpretation of KAI 31, an 8th century BCE inscription found in Cyprus. The text records: 'סכן קרתחדשת עבד חרם מלך צדנם' 'Governor of the New City, servant of Hiram, the King of the Sidonians.' From this inscription, therefore, it is possible to argue that the Tyrian King possessed a regular system of colonial administration that centered on the presence of a designated Soken/Governor. It must be noted that KAI 31 is the only inscription of this type. No similar inscription has been found in the Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean. Because Cyprus was the most proximate colonial sphere to the Phoenicia, it is possible that Phoenician polities exercised forms of direct administration in Cyprus that were not possible in more distant colonial foundations.
ReferencesEdit
E. Renan. Notice sur huit fragments de pateres de bronze portant des inscriptions pheniciennes tres-anciennes: Journal des savants, August 1877, p. 487—494 (1 PL).
baal, lebanon, inscription, known, phoenician, inscription, found, limassol, cyprus, eight, bronze, fragments, 1870s, time, their, discovery, they, were, considered, second, most, important, finds, semitic, palaeography, after, mesha, stele, inscriptionmateria. The Baal Lebanon inscription known as KAI 31 is a Phoenician inscription found in Limassol Cyprus in eight bronze fragments in the 1870s At the time of their discovery they were considered to be the second most important finds in Semitic palaeography after the Mesha stele 1 Baal Lebanon inscriptionThe inscriptionMaterialBronzeWritingPhoenicianCreated8th century BCEDiscovered1881Present locationCabinet des Medailles ParisIt was purchased in 1874 75 by a Limassol merchant named Laniti from a scrap metal dealer who did not know of their previous provenance A copy was passed to Julius Euting and after Charles Simon Clermont Ganneau secured its acquisition by the Cabinet des Medailles 2 the inscription was published in full by Ernest Renan in 1877 3 It is particularly notable for having mentioned Hiram I It is the only Phoenician inscription to suggest a colonial system amongst the Phoenician domains 4 Contents 1 Fragments 2 Gallery 3 Notes 4 ReferencesFragments EditErnest Renan assigned each of the eight fragments of a letter to aid him in the reconstruction of the entire inscription A B C D E F G H In his opinion the reconstructed inscription was sequenced E F A B C D he could not find a place for fragments G and H The fragments are transcribed as the following A M MLK ṢDNM ʾZ YT am king of Sidonians has dedicat B N LBʿL LBNN ed to Ba al Lebanon C ʾDNY his Lord D BRʾST NḤST Ḥ good brass E WSKN QRTḤ And governor of Carth F DST ʿBD ḤR age servant of Hir G ṬB SKN QRTḤDST ʾ Z tob governor of Carthage has H B ʿL LBNN ʾDNY Ba al Lebanon his Lord Therefore per Renan s reckoning E F A B C D the inscription reads and governor of Carthage servant of Hiram king of Sidonians has dedicated to Ba al Lebanon his Lord good brass with fragments G and H having no certain placement within the overall structure Gallery Edit nbsp The fragments as first published by Renan nbsp Reconstruction with two pieces which do not fit nbsp TranscriptionNotes Edit Clermont Ganneau 1880 p 181 My own observations may perhaps serve to confirm the truth of the remark of M Renan about the palaeographical rank of these fragments which may claim the second place immediately after the Moabite Stone and to show that their historical is not under their palaeographical value Clermont Ganneau HIRAM KING OF TYRE the Atheneum April 17 1880 E Renan Notice sur huit fragments de pateres de bronze portant des inscriptions pheniciennes tres anciennes Journal des savants August 1877 p 487 494 Les huit fragments dont nous presentons la reproduction au public ont ete achetes par le Cabinet des antiques de la Bibliotheque nationale a M Laniti negociant a Limassol dans l Ile de Chypre M Laniti les avait lui meme achetes avec plusieurs autres sans inscriptions chez un marchand de ferraille qui ignorait provenance anterieure L esperance de trouver quelques autres fragments du meme ensemble peut n etre pas consideree comme entierement perdue Voici du reste un fait materiel qui peut n etre pas sans interet pour les personnes qui ne se rendent pas compte de la surete de nos methodes paleographiques Avant que M Laniti nous eut fait passer les fragments maintenant acquis par le Cabinet des antiques nous en avions eu une connaissance indirecte Il y a un peu plus d un an le savant M Euting qui est la personne d Allemagne la plus habile en ces etudes voulut bien nous communiquer une copie qu il avait recue de Chypre C etaien nos fragments mais copies a la suite les uns des autres comine une seule inscription Nathan Pilkington 4 October 2019 The Carthaginian Empire 550 202 BCE Lexington Books p 126 ISBN 978 1 4985 9053 2 In contrast other scholars have argued that Phoenician colonies may have been governed by the mother city at least during the earliest colonial period The position is based on the interpretation of KAI 31 an 8th century BCE inscription found in Cyprus The text records סכן קרתחדשת עבד חרם מלך צדנם Governor of the New City servant of Hiram the King of the Sidonians From this inscription therefore it is possible to argue that the Tyrian King possessed a regular system of colonial administration that centered on the presence of a designated Soken Governor It must be noted that KAI 31 is the only inscription of this type No similar inscription has been found in the Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean Because Cyprus was the most proximate colonial sphere to the Phoenicia it is possible that Phoenician polities exercised forms of direct administration in Cyprus that were not possible in more distant colonial foundations References EditE Renan Notice sur huit fragments de pateres de bronze portant des inscriptions pheniciennes tres anciennes Journal des savants August 1877 p 487 494 1 PL Templum Baalis ad Libanum Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum volume I Isaac Taylor The Alphabet An Account of the Origin and Development of Letters 1883 pages 210 Clermont Ganneau HIRAM KING OF TYRE the Atheneum April 17 1880 nbsp This article about Phoenicia its colonies and people is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Baal Lebanon inscription amp oldid 1178911722, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
