• Dan Stele Translation in Alphabetic Akkadian (840 BCE)

    Author(s):
    David Olmsted (see profile)
    Date:
    2021
    Group(s):
    Alphabetic Akkadian, Biblical archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Pagan Studies, Phoenician Studies
    Subject(s):
    Religions, Mediterranean Region, History, Ancient
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Alphabetic Akkkadian, dan, anceint drought, Yah, stele, Ancient Israelite religion, Ancient Mediterranean religions
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/9hze-zn93
    Abstract:
    This fragmentary text is a debate about the cause of a drought between a Phoenician magic crafter devoted to the motion power class of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm and an Israelite life priest devoted to the life-growth powers. Each side blames the drought on the ineffectiveness of the other. Because the stele fragments were used as fill for or in a pavement dating to 800 BCE, it must have been composed at the start of the 840 BCE drought associated with Elijah as mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures. Deities mentioned are the moon god Su, the life source god Alu, and the life form manifestation god Yahu in several linguistic variants. Also referred to the epithet “Opener” is the manifestation gate goddess Utu. All large alphabetic steles so far examined around the Mediterranean are debates of this type including texts like the earlier Moabite stele (Olmsted May 28, 2021), the Sidonian Penptah (Tabnit) Sarcophagus (Olmsted June, 24 2021), the contemporaneous Jerusalem tablet (Olmsted June 13, 2021). Not surprisingly, the letter style of the Dan Stele is most similar to that of the Jerusalem tablet. Alphabetic Akkadian was the common trading and empire language of the Mediterranean and Middle East prior to the rise of Greek and Latin.
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    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    2 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-ShareAlike
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