Epigraphische Forschungen auf der Arabischen Halbinsel - 8: The Ancient South Arabian Royal Edicts from the Southern Gate of Timna and the Gabal Labah

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The kingdom of Qataban thrived in ancient South Arabia during the latter half of the first millennium BC, leaving behind around two thousand inscriptions in Qatabanic, a variant of ancient South Arabian. These inscriptions provide valuable insights into the society, language, and history of Qataban and ancient South Arabia as a whole. This new edition focuses on significant royal edicts from the Qatabanic corpus, inscribed on a grand stone city gate in Timna, the kingdom's capital, and on the sacred Gabal Labah mountain. These texts illuminate the workings of the Qatabanian legal system and enhance our understanding of its complex legal language. An in-depth analysis reveals the law's pivotal role in ancient South Arabian society. Additionally, many elements of ancient South Arabian law show intriguing parallels with regions of the ancient Near East, suggesting a cultural and linguistic continuity between these areas. The work includes thorough philological and historical commentary, providing a comprehensive examination of Qataban's legal framework and its significance in the broader context of pre-Islamic South Arabian societies.