"Beloved of the Lady Are Those Who …": A Recurring Memorial Formula in the Sinaitic Inscriptions

This paper proposes a revised interpretation of the recurring sequence ḏ t b ṯ n m ṯ found in the early alphabetic inscriptions from Serabit el-Khadem, an Egyptian turquoise mining facility located in the Sinai Peninsula. I argue that this sequence combines with the well-known phrase m(ʾ)hb(b)ʿlt &q...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wilson-Wright, Aren M. 1988- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: The University of Chicago Press 2020
In: Bulletin of ASOR
Year: 2020, Volume: 384, Pages: 133-158
Further subjects:B Northwest Semitic epigraphy
B Sinaitic inscriptions
B reflectance transformation imaging
B early alphabetic inscriptions
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This paper proposes a revised interpretation of the recurring sequence ḏ t b ṯ n m ṯ found in the early alphabetic inscriptions from Serabit el-Khadem, an Egyptian turquoise mining facility located in the Sinai Peninsula. I argue that this sequence combines with the well-known phrase m(ʾ)hb(b)ʿlt "beloved of the Lady" in Sinai 351, 353, 360, and 361 to form a memorial formula meaning "Beloved of the Lady are those who tell people about Māṯ." It thus expresses a sentiment similar to contemporaneous Egyptian inscriptions from Serabit el-Khadem: the author of the inscriptions—in this case Māṯ—asks the reader to perform some action on his behalf. In return, he assures the reader that they will be beloved of the Lady (i.e., Hathor, the patron goddess of the mining district).
ISSN:2161-8062
Contains:Enthalten in: American Schools of Oriental Research, Bulletin of ASOR
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1086/709746