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Written In Stone: Pre-Islamic Period Inscriptions
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Pre-Islamic Exhibit

• Origin & Develpment
  of Writing in Arabia
  - Aramaic
  - Comparative Chart
    Of Scripts
  - Greek
  - Sabaean
• Thamudic
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
• Lihyanite
  (1) (2) (3)
• Safaitic
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
  (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
• Musnad al Janubi
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)  

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Islamic Exhibit
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Thamudic (6)

Written from left to right.

Transliteration
L h b r b n

Transcription
L'habarban
(The name of a person)

Thamudic (Musnad al Shamali) inscriptions constitute the oldest scripts found in Arabia. They can be dated as early as the latter half of the second millenium BC. These inscriptions are mostly from northern Saudi Arabia, but they can be found throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
fig10 color
fig10 b&w fig10 drawing
20cm x 17cm x 3cm
NMSA Object #865
Click for larger images
 
Pre-Islamic Exhibit: Origin & Develpment | Thamudic | Lihyanite | Safaitic | Musnad al Janubi
Islamic Exhibit: Islamic Period | Kufi 1 | Kufi 2 | Naskh
Written In Stone: Home