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| '''Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions''' |
'''Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions''' refer to ]<nowiki/>s inscribed on stone (]) from ], or the ] prior to the origins of ] in the early seventh century AD. These inscriptions are a major source for learning about the history and culture of this region and period. Such inscriptions can be categorized into one of two types of inscriptions: namely, ], which are "self-authored personal expressions written in a public space",{{Sfn|Al-Jallad|2022|p=7}} and monumental inscriptions, which are inscriptions whose creation would have been commissioned to serve an official role.{{Sfn|Lindstedt|2023|p=12}} | ||
| Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions were all written in one of three scripts: ] (ASA), ] (ANA), and ]. Overall, tens of thousands of these inscriptions have been discovered. Despite the prevalence of their use in various time periods, only the tradition of the Nabataean script survived into the sixth century. Based on recent discoveries of Nabataean inscriptions documenting the evolution of this script, it is now widely accepted that the ] ultimately descents from a Nabataean predecessor, through a ] transitional phase.{{Sfn|Donner|2022|p=1–7}} | |||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 01:42, 23 December 2024
Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions refer to writings inscribed on stone (inscriptions) from pre-Islamic Arabia, or the Arabian Peninsula prior to the origins of Islam in the early seventh century AD. These inscriptions are a major source for learning about the history and culture of this region and period. Such inscriptions can be categorized into one of two types of inscriptions: namely, graffiti, which are "self-authored personal expressions written in a public space", and monumental inscriptions, which are inscriptions whose creation would have been commissioned to serve an official role.
Pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions were all written in one of three scripts: Ancient South Arabian (ASA), Ancient North Arabian (ANA), and Nabataean. Overall, tens of thousands of these inscriptions have been discovered. Despite the prevalence of their use in various time periods, only the tradition of the Nabataean script survived into the sixth century. Based on recent discoveries of Nabataean inscriptions documenting the evolution of this script, it is now widely accepted that the Arabic script ultimately descents from a Nabataean predecessor, through a Nabataean Arabic transitional phase.
See also
References
Citations
- Al-Jallad 2022, p. 7.
- Lindstedt 2023, p. 12.
- Donner 2022, p. 1–7.
Sources
- Al-Jallad, Ahmad (2022). The Religion and Rituals of the Nomads of Pre-Islamic Arabia: A Reconstruction Based on the Safaitic Inscriptions. Brill.
- Donner, Fred (2022). "Scripts and Scripture in Late Antique Arabia: An Overview". In Donner, Fred; Hasselbach-Andee, Rebecca (eds.). Scripts and Scripture: Writing and Religion in Arabia circa 500–700 CE. Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. pp. 1–15.
- Lindstedt, Ilkka (2023). Muhammad and His Followers in Context: The Religious Map of Late Antique Arabia. Brill.
- MacDonald, Michael C.A. (2015). "On the Uses of Writing in Ancient Arabia and the Role of Palaeography in Studying Them". Arabian Epigraphic Notes. 1: 1–50.
External links
- DASI (Digital Archive for the Study of pre-Islamic Arabian Inscriptions)
- DiCoNab (The Digital Corpus of the Nabataean and Developing Arabic Inscriptions)
- OCIANA (Online Corpus of the Inscriptions of Ancient North Arabia)