I am the author of Pharoahs of the Bible, and I
have a free pdf of my dates for pharaohs’ reigns at www.pharaohsofthebible.com
“. . . armed with the information there, plus a Hebrew lexicon and a handful of grammatical principles, anyone with a limited background in biblical Hebrew has the opportunity to translate virtually any inscription within this amazing corpus of texts, a number of which are not even treated in this volume.”
Though I may complete my own book on Paleo-Hebrew
inscriptions, I wanted to publish a blog of my translations which are very
different from those of Mr. Petrovich. I
agree with Petrovich’s use of /s/ for hair (sear)
and /sh/ for breasts (shadayim).
I list the phonemes of the Paleo-Hebrew glyphs left to
right for ease of English transliteration to Hebrew.
The order of the inscriptions here are the same as in his book.
Sinai 115
Petrovich and others have
agreed the eastern face of Sinai 115 was written by Hebeded since he signed his
name to it. I view all the glyphs as
Middle Egyptian. In the second line of
glyphs the birds face right, but Petrovich read it from the left. Egyptians may
have called the Sinai Bedouin descendants of Eber, Apiru. Not all Hebrews are descendants of Abraham,
Isaac, or Jacob. Abraham’s son with
Hagar, the Egyptian, was named Ishmael.
Ishmael’s descendants lived in the Sinai up to the wall (shur) of Egypt on the Nile’s eastern
delta (the wall was on the way to Assyria from southern Sinai). Ishmael’s 12 sons lived in walled encampments
[tiyrah] between Egypt and Edom
(Psalm 83:6). During Israel’s period of
judges, the Ishmaelites became moon-worshippers who wore gold crescent moons in
their noses or ears (Judges 8:24).
“Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles [tiyrah]; twelve princes according to their nations. And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered to his people. And they dwelled from Havilah to Shur, that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brothers.” (Genesis 25:12-18)
Sinai 115 contains Middle Egyptian (ME) glyphs and one
Canaanite symbol according to Petrovich.
I regard the ME water wave below the walking rope-tether as the first
glyph of the sentence; whereas Petrovich regards it as the second glyph. Petrovich regards the third glyph of an
hour-glass shape to be the Canaanite symbol for copper (wiru) producing the /wi/ sound (page 17). Petrovich notes the fourth glyph of the
pintail duck as a ME determinative, but does not state that it’s a
determinative for “where”. The fifth
glyph is a ME determinative for persons.
The /mr/-hoe which Petrovich places as the last glyph, I place between
his 12th (which I see as an arrowhead) and 13th glyphs.
Phonemes and (determinatives) of first row: /n/,
/itch/, /wi/, (where), (persons), six strokes, /y/, /p/, /r/, /n/;
second row:
/gb/, /sn/, /t/, /w/
My translation of Sinai 115 is "To Itjtawy: six
Apiru for Geb, his servants."
Itjtawy was the capital
of the twelfth dynasty. Among the other
contemporary dynasties, Itjtawy was known as the “Great House” and “Residence”
or capitol, much as the White House is the capitol among the 50 States.
Sinai 377
Mr. Petrovich makes a case that the four Paleo-Hebrew glyphs
of Sinai 377 were originally inscribed in the same year right next to the
hieroglyphs of stele Sinai 46. Sinai 46
records its engraving date as the 20th regnal year of Ni-maat-re,
the prenomen of Amenemhat III. Petrovich,
using a modification of Thiele’s chronology, declares the year to be 1840 BC;
with the inscribing of Sinai 115 only two years later (p. 31).
The steliform upon which Sinai 377 was written was
cracked and rendered unusable. An eroded
area effected the vertical columns of Sinai 46 and the middle portion of Sinai
377. The four Paleo-Hebrew glyphs were
inscribed below the large crack, and above an area of erosion; hence I surmise
they were written after the erosion occurred, and not during the 20th
regnal year of Amenemhat III.
The four Paleo-Hebrew letters are ox-head /a/, mouth
/p/, water /m/, and shepherd’s crook /l/.
The ox-head is facing left, so it begins the first column. Strong’s #639 ‘aph = nose (flared) and
anger; and #4135 muwl = cut off, destroy, or circumcise. A translation of anger at being cut off seems
more reasonable.
Wadi el-Hol #1
1) The ox and other heads face left, so I’m reading
the glyphs left to right.
2) I won’t be using the [H3] later glyph. I think /q/ is a better fit for [H4].
My translation of Wadi el-Hol #1:
Hebrew transliteration: Rechem, pa-ah, meginnah, na, ma’on, qabar.
English: Mercy,
blow away the bad covering (of sand/sorrow), I pray; respond lest (I’m) buried.
Wadi el-Hol #2
Douglas Petrovich wrote, “By the reign of Amenemhat
III, Theban troops established a garrison at Wadi el-Hol . . .” (p. 36).
Reading this inscription top to bottom, and numbering the Hebrew glyphs beginning with the top:
Reading this inscription top to bottom, and numbering the Hebrew glyphs beginning with the top:
1) I agree the [H5] glyph here represents the word
“the”. I also agree a yod shape [H9] comes after the second /t/.
2) I think the [H7] glyph of a support with a diamond
or arrowhead shape represents /v/ here; whereas the support topped by a rounded
shape represents /w/.
My translation of Wadi el-Hol #2:
Paleo-Hebrew phonetic letters transliteration (reading
top to bottom, and right to left):
/m/, /k/, /t/, /r/, /h/, /a/, /v/, /t/, /y/, /g/, /k/,
/e/, /l/
Ma kether, /h/+‘avah ta’, ge’h, kalah is my transliteration of the Hebrew words with the following Strong's concordance numbers:
(3964) Ma =
that/what
(3804) Kether = circlet, crown, (enclosure); from
kathar to enclose/besiege
(184) h+‘avah = “the” mark(ed) out
(8372) ta’ = (circumscribed) room, guard room (1 Kings 14:28) {ta’ah is little room}
(1343) ge’h = lofty, proud
(3615) kalah = accomplish, finish, end, complete
English translation: “That enclosure, the mark(ed) out guard room, (is a)
proud accomplishment.”
Wadi el-Hol #3 (not in his book, just for completeness)
The three symbols in the cartouche, top to bottom, are
Ra, /mn/, maat (goddess with feather in her hair, but without holding her
ankh). These are the symbols Seti I uses
for his name Menmaatre. Typically,
Amenemhat III spells out all the sounds with glyphs, and uses Maat as a
determinative; thus Seti I may have overwritten portions.
My translation of Middle Egyptian on Wadi el-Hol #3:
“Regnal year 26, 3rd month of summer, day
1: bee and sedge (lower and upper Egypt) Nimaatre live forever.”
Lahun Bilingual Ostracon
The first line is in Middle Egyptian: “Regnal year 29,
month 1 of summer.”
The second line is mostly Paleo-Hebrew: /ch/, /g/, ME
/q/, /n/, /y/, /l/, /b/, /w/, /b/.
The first two letters of the third line are /z/ and
/b/, followed by the ME nsw symbol for king.
Hebrew transliteration: “Chagag qanan ya’al/yaal
bow babah zeb [ME nsw]”
English translation: “March as in festival built
valuable/pleased enter something hallowed, yellow king.”
I surmise this dedication was in celebration of the
completion of the Lahun wall entrance to a temple. Egyptians painted Asiatics yellow. The Asiatic king may be of the 15th
dynasty (like Khayan who served under Amenemhat III) or even of the pre-15th
dynasty (like Seth II who served under Amenemhat II). Both Amenemhat II and III reigned more than 29
years.
Sinai 376
As I have searched for Wadi Nasb and Bir Nasb, I have
received locations on the east and west coasts of the Sinai, as well as one in
the middle. Though on today’s maps Wadi
Nasb may only cover a short distance, I propose it may have been the name for
the continuous wadi journey across the Sinai in antiquity, and thus very
lucrative for its property owners to supply miners from the two ports on the
Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Or
maybe it was called Wadi Bahrain in antiquity.
Both of my translation possibilities assume the third
letter of the fourth column to be ayin
(an eye), not peh (a mouth).
My primary translation: “House purchased from Asenath (on) wadi
(between) two seas; assemble brotherhood.”
(1004) Beyith = house
(3739) karah = to purchase
/m/ = from
(621) asnath = Asenath
Wadi = dry riverbed or ravine
Bahrain = two seas
(7035) qalah = assemble (come together)
(264) achavah = brotherhood
Yod not used
A possible second translation: “Daughters dance from Asenath and Deborah:
see life.”
(1323) bath = daughters
(3769) karar = dance
/m/ = from
(621) asnath = Asenath
/v/ = and
(1683) debrah = Deborah
Ayin logogram = see
(2416) chay = life
Sinai 345a and 345b
Sinai 345 is a sphinx which was found in the temple of
Hathor in Serabit el-Khadim.
Sinai 345a has Middle Egyptian hieroglyphs on its
right shoulder with Paleo-Hebrew letters on the base below it. Both texts have animals facing to the right,
and so should be read right to left.
ME transliterates to Hathor, mafkat mry = Hathor,
turquoise beloved OR Turquoise beloved (of) Hathor.
Hebrew phonemes are /t/, /l/, /ay/, /b/, /h/,
/ah/, /m/; which I translate to English as “A chamber to mock Ham.”
(8372) ta = a chamber
(3931) la’ab = to deride, to mock
(2526) ham = Ham (the land of Africa, or Noah’s son
who founded Africa)
Sinai 345b has Paleo-Hebrew letters on the base below
the sphinx’s left shoulder (which may contain one glyph).
Hebrew phonemes are /t/, /l/, /ay/, /b/, /l/,
(silence for yod), /ah/, /z/, /n/; which I translate to English as“A chamber to mock; surely to prove/weigh.”
(8372) ta = a chamber
(3931) la’ab = to deride, to mock
(3808) lo = no, not, otherwise, surely
(239) ‘azan = to test, prove, ponder, weigh
Sinai 346a and 346b
Sinai 346 is a cuboid statuette of the chief sculptor Nam found in the temple of Hathor in
the hall of Sopdu built by Hatshepsut.
Sinai inscription 346a is written on the front of the statue; whereas
346b is inscribed on the statue’s right side.
I place Hatshpesut’s reign from 1672 to 1651 BC, with
the end of her reign concurrent with the eruption of Thera/Santorini in 1651
BC. Thus the hall of Sopdu was built
during her reign (1672-1651 BC). Based
upon my translation of Sinai 346b, I suggest those glyphs were inscribed after
Hatshepsut’s reign by a workman involved with the temple’s reconstruction.
My translation of Sinai 346b assumes that the glyphs
are read top to bottom and left to right (even though the face is looking right). Thus the phonemes are in the order of /ay/,
/l/, /n/, /ay/, /m/, /b/, /n/, /r/, /ts/, /b/, /n/. Petrovich chose three separate columns;
whereas I chose three separate rows at the end of the ayin in the first
column. The Hebrew words which make sense
to me are yaal Nam banah, ratsah benah;
translating to “Be pleased, Nam, (with) builders;
accept reconstructing.” It is
written in Hebraic verb-subject-object form; whereas English is written in
subject-verb-object form and would read, “Nam, be pleased (with) builders.”
(2974) yaal = to show willingness, be pleased, determine,
undertake
(1129) banah = builders
(7521) ratsah = be pleased, satisfy a debt, received
favorably, accept
(1124) bena = reconstructing, rebuilding
Sinai 346a: The front of the statuette has top-down
glyphs beginning on the right shoulder (three of which are too faint to be read)
which curve to the left on the lower part of the body. The left shoulder has top-down glyphs in
which the last three are crammed together to avoid the glyphs begun on the
right shoulder. I assume all the glyphs were written by the same person with no
pupils in the eyes. Since 346b and the
right shoulder begin with ayin, lamed, nahash; I determined the right
shoulder glyphs to be the first column, and the left shoulder glyphs to be the
second column. Because the right
shoulder had questionable letters, I began with the left.
Phonemes of column I: /ay/, /l/, /n/, ?, ?, /t/, ?,
/m/, /t/, /l/, /b/, /ay/, /l/, /t/
Phonemes of column II: /z/, /l/, /s/, /g/, /m/, /r/,
/ay/, /t/, [/v/] [Petrovich is only one who suggests the /v/; I choose not to use it.]
Possible translation of column II in Hebrew: Zu lu
sug morah ta.
English: “. . . who, I pray, turns away terror (from)
chamber.”
Possible Hebrew words for column II:
(2098) zu = this, which, who
(3863) lu = if, if haply, peradventure, I pray thee,
though, I would, would God that
(5432) Sese = to drive away,
banish; measure
(7735) sug = to hedge in -- make to grow.
(5473) sug = to fence about, to hem in; bind
(5472) sug = turned, to move away, turn away, backslide, to
flinch
(4177a) morah = a razor
(4172) morah = a fear, a terror
(4787) Morrah = trouble
(8372) Ta = a chamber; guardroom
Possible words for column I in Hebrew: /ay/, /l/, /n/,
?, ?, /t/, ?, /m/, /t/, /l/, /b/, /ay/, /l/, /t/
{Working backwards}
(1173) the last four glyphs spell “Baalat”, the female
“mistress” of Baal
The phonemes of the three glyphs prior to Baalat are
/m/, /t/, /l/
(4972)
mattlaah = what a trouble! -- what a weariness. A compound word from . . .
(4100) mah = what, how long,
oft, what end, good, purpose, thing,
AND
(8513) tlaah = weariness, hardship
(8513) tlaah = weariness, hardship
(4191) muwth = to die, to kill
(3964) mah = that, what, whatever, how, why
(3971) muwm = a stain, blemish, defect
(3972) muwmah = a speck, fault
(8372) ta = a chamber
(2894) Tu = to sweep
(2904) tul = to hurl, carry away, utterly cast down, forth,
out, send out; overthrow, rejection
(8510) tel = a mound
(8518) talah = to suspend
-(8522) tliy = a quiver (hung/suspended from shoulder)
(8524) talal = to pile up, to elevate, to exalt; to
mock, deceive, trifle with
Since 346b is a petition to be pleased with the
reconstructing; it is likely 346a is also a petition.
First two phonemes are /ay/, /l/
(2973)
yaal = to be foolish, to show wicked folly
(2974)
yaal =
to show willingness, be pleased, determine, undertake (to do
anything)
(3276) yaal = to confer or gain profit or benefit
The next three phonemes are /n/ and two that are too
difficult to determine. For the first
mystery letter, Petrovich suggested a /ch/ enclosure, which could be a sideways
/ah/ ox-head. For the second mystery
letter, Petrovich suggested an /l/ shepherd’s crook. I suggest it is a curved-arm /h/ (as in Sinai
362) with a short body (as in Sinai 374).
So I suggest the next three phonemes are /n/, /ah/, /h/. Or that there is only one large mystery
letter which is an ox-head facing right like the fish in the other column.
(4994) na = I pray, I beseech, pray
thee you, go to, now, oh
(4998) naah = be at home, be pleasant, be befitting
(4999) naah = habitations, pastures
The next three phonemes are /t/ and another mystery
letter and /m/.
(8641) terumah = a sacrifice, gift,
heave offering, oblation, offering, contribution
(8649) tormah = fraud, deceit, treachery
Possible translation of Sinai 346a column I in Hebrew: yaal naah terumah talal Baalat
English: “Be pleased to be at home; an offering to
exalt Baalat.”
My complete translation of Sinai 346a in Hebrew: Yaal naah; terumah talal Baalat, zu, lu, sug
morah ta.
English: “Be pleased to be at home; an offering to
exalt Baalat, who, I pray, turns away terror (from) chamber.”
My translation of Sinai 346b in Hebrew: yaal Nam banah ratsah benah.
English: “Be pleased, Nam, (with) builders; accept reconstructing.”
English: “Be pleased, Nam, (with) builders; accept reconstructing.”
Sinai 349
Sinai 349 is a steliform (in shape of a stele) on a
boulder near mine L and Wadi Tleha. The
steliform was written sinistrograde (right to left) as in Biblical Hebrew,
regardless of the fact the animals and humans face left; thus providing
evidence that Biblical Hebrew existed prior to Egyptian hieroglyphs which face
the direction from which they are to be read.
Phonemes of row I: /ah/, /n/, /t/, /z/, /sh/, /p/
Possible Hebrew words for row I: Antah zu shaaph
(607) antah = Thee, Thou, or you (singular)
(2098) zu = this, which, who
(7602) shaaph = desire earnestly or pant (Job
7:2), devour, hasten (Ec. 1:5), trample (Ps. 56:2, 57:3), snuff up (Jer. 2:24),
swallow up
Row I could be: “Thou/You who hastens/desire or
bruises/overwhelms . . .”
Phonemes of row II:
/r/, /b/, /n/, /ts/, /b/, /n/, /m/, /sh/
Possible Hebrew words for row II: riyb naats biyn
(7378) riyb = to plead, to contend, to quarrel V
(5006) naats = to spurn, treat with contempt, despise,
blaspheme V
(995) biyn = to discern, consider, understand Verb
Row II could be: “. . . to contend to blaspheme,
consider the burden/oracle/tribute ”
Phonemes of row III:
/ay/, /r/, /k/, /m/, /l/, /b/, /ay/, /l/, /t/
Possible words for row III: yare kemo lo Baalat.
(3372) yare’ = affright, be make afraid, dreadful, put in
fearful reverence, terrible act, fear Verb
(3644) kemo = like, as, when, such; thus, so
(3808) lo = no, before, or else, ere, except,
ignorant, much, less, nay, not
Baalat, consort of Baal
Row III could be: “. . . to put (you) in fearful
reverence when before Baalat.”
Phonemes of row IV:
/v/, /t/, /l/, /ah/, /ch/, /n/, /z/, /l/, [/v/]
[Petrovich is only one who suggests a /v/ at end of this row; I choose not to
use it.]
Possible Hebrew words for row IV: uwth la chanah azal
(225) uwth = to consent, agree Verb
(3809) la/lah = not, or even, neither, none cannot,
as nothing, without
(2583) chanah = to decline, bend down, to encamp Verb
(235) azal = to go, to depart, go away, disappear Verb
Row IV could be: “. . . Agree not to encamp. Depart . . .”
Phonemes of row V:
/ay/, /sh/, /ah/, /m/, /ay/, /l/, ?
Possible Hebrew words for row V: Yeshimah al.
(3451) yeshimah = death, desolation (Psalm 55:15
“Let death seize . . .”)
(5921) al = upon, above, over, against
Row V could be: “. . . to despair feeble . . . OR . . . desolation wailing OR
Death upon (you)!
Phonemes of row VI:
?, /ah/, /sh/, /p/, /m/, /v/
Possible Hebrew words for row VI: [Hala] yaash pi-hem
If vav begins row, then [(1933) Hava = to be OR (1934) Hava = to exist]
If qoph begins row, then (6958) qo = vomit, spew out
If lamed begins row, then (1972) hala.
(1972) hala = to be removed far
off; outcast Verb
(2976) yaash = to despair, one that is desperate, be
no hope Verb
(6310) peh = mouth pim = according (I Sam. 13:21); pi-hem “by their mouth/word”
(Deut.21:5)
Row VI could be: “Outcast beyond hope by (your) word.”
Phonemes of row VII:
/ay/, /sh/, /ts/, /ay/, /q/, ?
Possible Hebrew words for row VII: yesh tsiyiy qaah.
(3426) yesh = there are, he, it, shall, there, there may,
there shall, there should be
(6728) tsiyiy = nomad, desert/wilderness dweller
(6958) qo = vomit, spew out;
qaah = spewed out (Lev. 18:28)
Row VII could be: “There, a nomad spewed out.”
Possible complete translation of Sinai 349: (Hebrew) Antah zu shaaph riyb naats biyn yare kemo lo
Baalat. Uwth la chanah; azal. Yeshimah al! [Hala] yaash pi-hem yesh tsiyiy
qaah.
(English) “You who desire to blaspheme, consider the
burden to put (you) in fearful reverence when before Baalat. Agree not to encamp; depart! Death upon (you)! [Outcast] beyond/without hope by (your) word;
there, a nomad spewed out.”
Sinai 351
Sinai 351 is a two-piece steliform (in shape of a
stele) on a rock slab which included Sinai 353, and from which Sinai boulder
349 boulder was broken off; all near mine L and Wadi Tleha. The steliform was written top to bottom with
an illustration on the right of Ptah framed/enshrined and standing on a rock
labelled ma’at. Ptah is holding a was scepter. Column I is
next to Ptah.
Phonemes of column I: /s/, /b/, /sh/, /n/, /m/, /sh/,
/n/, /ts/, /b/, /v/, /tov/ [ME /nfr/]
Hebrew: Sabib
shenayim massa shay naah tsebi bah hava tob.
Possible translation for column I: “Surrounded twice, a tribute; a gift
befitting her glory is good.”
(completion of a double wall to protect turquoise of Baalat/Hathor)
Phonemes of column II:
/m/, /ah/, /h/, /b/, /m/, /t/, /v/, /sh/, /t/
Hebrew: Mah yaah bamah hava shith.
Possible translation for column II: “Whatever befits a high place is placed.”
Possible complete translation of Sinai 351, Hebrew: Sabib shenayim massa shay naah tsebi bah
hava tob. Mah yaah bamah hava shith.
English: “Surrounded twice, a tribute; a gift
befitting her glory is good. Whatever befits a high place is placed.”
Sinai 353
Sinai 353 is a steliform (shape of a stele) on a rock
slab which included Sinai 351, and from which Sinai boulder 349 boulder was
broken off; all near mine L and Wadi Tleha.
The steliform has three vertical columns red top-down, and right to
left.
Phonemes of column I: /ay/, /t/, /ya/, /ah/, /sh/,
/ch/, /m/, /sh/, /h/, /b/, /ay/, /l/, /t/
Phonemes of column II:
/g/, /d/, /n/, /sh/, /ah/, /r/, /q/, /m/, /t/
Phonemes of column III: /ch/, /g/, /sh/, /m/, /ah/, /t/, /l/, /b/,
/l/, /m/, /n/
Possible translation for column I in Hebrew: “Eth
yaah shachah ma shaah ha Baalat.”
English “A befitting homage that delights the
(goddess) Baalat.”
Possible translation for column II in Hebrew: Gaah
din, shay raqa ma’at.
“To exalt (raise up) judgment: a gift to spread forth ma’at.”
Possible translation for column III in Hebrew: Hebrew: Chayay
geeh, shama eth. Lu Baal manon.
English: “To live proud, to understand yourself;
perhaps Baal shall have you [his] son.”
Possible complete translation of Sinai 353 in Hebrew:
“Eth yaah shachah ma shaah ha Baalat: gaah din, shay raqa ma’at; chayay geeh, shama eth. Lu Baal manon.”
English: “A befitting homage that delights the
(goddess) Baalat: to exalt (raise up) judgment: a gift to spread forth ma’at.
To live proud, to understand yourself. Perhaps Baal shall have you [his]
son.”
Sinai 357
Sinai 357 is inside mine L at Serabit el-Kahadim. It was carved into the northern wall of the
southern chamber. It consists of one
vertical column (read top to bottom) and one horizontal row (in which the
characters face right, so it is read sinistrograde). The figures in the vertical column are
slightly larger than those of the horizontal row; and therefore, were likely
carved at two different times by different scribes. The rendition of the mayim letters of the horizontal row contain three regular peaks,
whereas the mayim letters of the
vertical column contain three to four irregular peaks. The last figures of the
vertical column include a zigzag line to separate it from the last figures in
the horizontal row; thus it was written after the horizontal row.
Phonemes of horizontal row: /ay/, /b/, /r/, /ah/, /r/,
/m/, /ah/, /ay/, /m/, /n/
Hebrew: “Abar
yare. Im yaah aman.”
Possible translation for horizontal row: “Cross over, fear. If befitting, turn right.”
Phonemes of vertical column: /ah/, /n/, /th/, /sh/, /g/, /n/, /s/, /k/,
/m/, /ts/, /ah/, /b/, /b/, /m/, /l/, /k/
Hebrew “In toah shagah nasi ki mitstsab/mitstsabah
bah melek/melkah.”
Possible vertical translation: “Is it not a
wandering/error/disturbance to go astray (to the) ruler for garrison/guard
entry (to the) king/queen?”
Possible complete translation in Hebrew: “Abar
yare. Im yaah aman. In toah shagah nasi ki mitstsab/mitstsabah
bah melek/melkah.”
English: “Cross over, fear. If befitting, turn right. Is it not a wandering/error/disturbance to go
astray (to the) ruler for garrison/guard (who has) entry (to the) king/queen?”
Sinai 360
Sinai 360 was discovered in a tumulus about 150 meters
southesat of Mine K at Serabit el-Kahadim.
It has one vertical column (read top to bottom) of eleven letters.
Phonemes of vertical column: /ah/, /sh/, /b/, /ah/, /t/, /z/, /t/, /b/,
/sh/, /n/, /sh/
Possible translation in Hebrew: “Iy, shaba ‘athah zeh
tebuah shay neshi.”
Possible translation in English: “Woe, swear to bring
here revenue (as) homage debt.”
Sinai 361
Sinai 361 was discovered near the entrance of Mine N
at Serabit el-Kahadim. It consists of a
large, small and one missing fragment which contains the rest of two
glyphs. It has four vertical columns
with the heads of snakes facing right, and the head of an ox-head facing
left. Petrovich read the columns from
right to left; thus from the right I will number them column I, II, III, and IV
(being furthest left).
Instead of a reference to Moses and the Israelites
servitude in Egypt, I perceive Sinai 361 to be an innkeeper’s advertisement
assuring Hebrews they won’t be molested if they sleep next to Baalat’s temple.
Phonemes of vertical column I: /b/, /sh/, /ch/, /b/, /sh/, /n/, /m/, /sh/
Possible translation of column I in Hebrew: “Bow
shaa, chayay. Bow shaan; mah shaah.”
English: “Enter to look upon with delight, to be restored to health. Come in to be at ease; whatever delights
(you).”
Phonemes of vertical column II: /ah/, /z/, /t/, /m/, /h/
Possible translation of column II in Hebrew: “Azaz
tummah.”
English: “Integrity prevails.”
Phonemes of vertical column III: /sh/, /n/, /t/, /m/, /h/, /n/, /ah/, /ay/, /l/
Possible translation of column III in Hebrew: “Shaan
et/attah. Mahah henah al . . .
English: “You rest securely. Tarry here beside . . .”
Phonemes of vertical column IV: /b/, /ah/, /l/, /t/
Possible translation of column IV in Hebrew: “Baalat.”
English: “Baalat.”
Possible complete translation of Sinai 361 in Hebrew:
“Bow shaa, chayay. Bow shaan; mah
shaah. Azaz tummah. Shaan et/attah. Mahah henah al Baalat.”
English: “Enter to look upon with delight, to be
restored to health. Come in to be at
ease; whatever delights (you). Integrity
prevails. You (feminine) rest
securely. Tarry here beside Baalat.”
Sinai 375a
Sinai 375A was discovered in a dump outside of Mine M
at Serabit el-Kahadim. It has two
vertical columns with the head of an ox-head facing left in the first, and a
fish facing right in the second.
Petrovich read both vertical columns dextrograde (from left to
right).
Petrovich concluded four of the marks in the first column
were Egyptian hieroglyphs. What he saw
as Middle Egyptian glyph F20 for “overseer”, I see as the right angle mark for
PCH /g/. Petrovich saw the plus sign as
an abbreviation glyph M42 for “the office” of the “overseer”, I see it as the
PCH tayish (“goat”) for /t/. After the ox-head, Petrovich saw a PCH
enclosure of a rectangle with two smaller squares, but in his photograph, I see
no vertical bar separating the two squares.
Instead, I view an enclosure of three equal squares just like the last
letter of the vertical column. But
following the 3-square enclosure of the first horizontal column, it seems an
extra square representing bet is
present.
In the second vertical row, I suggest Petrovich’s eye
and mouth are switched, with the fullness of two smiling lips of the mouth
above the eye with its tear duct.
I suggest the graphic in the middle of Sinai 375A is a
directional arrow to the inn with a little well beside it. This is another innkeeper’s sign to direct
Hebrew traffic towards an inn.
Phonemes of vertical column I: /g/, /t/, /ah/, /ch/, /b/
Hebrew: “Gaah, attah achab, bo.”
Possible translation of column I: “Be proud, you
lovers, come in.”
Phonemes of vertical column II: /s/, /m/, /k/
Hebrew: “Samak.”
Possible translation of column II: “Rest.”
Phonemes of horizontal column: /h/, /g/, /ah/, /p/, /ay/, /sh/, /k/, /ch/
Hebrew: “Hagah peah sok che.”
Possible translation of horizontal column: “Decide
tabernacle/inn direction now.”
Possible translation of Sinai 375A in Hebrew: “Gaah,
attah achab, bo. Samak. Hagah peah sok che.”
English: “Be proud, you lovers, come in. Rest.
Decide tabernacle/inn direction now.”
Sinai 378
Sinai 378 was discovered amidst rock debris in the
southern hall of Mine L at Serabit el-Kahadim.
Sinai 378 is a piece of what was a larger engraved stone. Due to the smoothed vertical right edge and
the straight horizontal groove beneath the lamed pictograph, Sinai 378 is only
the lower right corner piece. It contains two vertical columns with the head of
the ox-head facing left. The left-most
column contains one vertical stroke, likely representing the number one. The right column contains two pictographs for
aleph and lamed, so the text ended with “-el” of someone’s name, or with “El”
meaning God.
