New dated inscriptions (Nabataean and pre-Islamic Arabic) from a site near al-Jawf, ancient Dūmah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This article publishes eighteen inscriptions: seventeen in the Nabataean\nscript and one in the pre-Islamic Arabic script, all from the area of al-Jawf,\nancient Dūmat al-Jandal, in north-west Arabia. It includes the edition of\nthe texts as well as a discussion of their significance. The pre-Islamic Arabic\ntext, DaJ144PAr1, is dated to the mid-sixth century ad. It is important\nbecause it is the first text firmly dated to the sixth century ad from north-west Arabia.\nThe Nabataean texts are interesting because they are dated to\nthe beginning of the second century ad and they mention both cavalrymen\n(Nabataean pršyʾ) and a centurion (Nabataean qnṭrywnʾ).