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Document Details :

Title: Nabataeans and Palmyreans
Subtitle: An Analysus of the Tell el-Shuqafiyye Inscriptions
Author(s): COLUMBO, Valentina
Journal: ARAM Periodical
Volume: 7    Issue: 1   Date: 1995   
Pages: 183-187
DOI: 10.2143/ARAM.7.1.2002238

Abstract :
In 1956 J. Starcky, discussing some archaic Palmyrene inscriptions from the first century B.C., catalogued and compared their script with the script of some Nabatean inscriptions from the same period to check whether it was likely that there was any genetic connection between the two kinds of script. As a matter of fact, in the Nabatean inscription from Tell el-Shuqafiyye which we are going to discuss, some typical Palmyrene traits are easily recognisable. The conclusion Starcky drew at the end of his article was that although they are very similar – since both stemming from the imperial Aramaic script – there could be no way of considering the Palmyrene script a derivation from the Nabatean. We cannot but agree with Starcky. What we would like to show, however, is the relevance and the peculiarity of the afore-mentioned Nabatean inscription among the ones which Starcky studied.

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