Analytical study of four Arabic inscriptions from Jordanian Badeyā

Abstract EN

This paper is an analytical study of four Arabic inscriptions inscribed on a basalt stone uncovered in Wādī Al-ṣ beḥ iAlġarbi (the west Al-ṣ beḥ i valley), in the Jordanian Ḥarrah (black desert), in northeastern Jordan.

The earliest one was written by Jumāʿ ah bin Rajab in 749 AH = AD 1348), the second undated text was inscribed by Salim Bin Shafiʿ , the third was written by a certain Suleimān in 801 AH = AD 1398 and the last one was written by Zakarīyya bin Rifʿ at and is dated to 14th of Rajab in 1346 AH=AD 6th January 1928.

The inscriptions contain beside personal names, wisdom phrases, Islamic prayers, and the name of two important towns: Damascus and Taymāʾ .

The paper discusses the reason behind the consequence of the inscriptions on the same stone, and sheds light on the valley where they were discovered, which seemingly was a major way linking Syria with northwest Arabia