Petra Tour: Bab as-Siq
In the necropolis along the path from the Visitor Centre to the deep gorge of the Siq, one can see remarkably unusual burial sites, including some of Petra's oldest.
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The dedicatory inscription of Aslah is located high up on the back wall of the triclinium, just below the ceiling. It is considered the oldest dated inscription of the Nabataeans in Petra. On the basis of the wording and complex analyses, researchers were able to determine 96/95 BC as the time of origin.
The inscription consists of two separate parts. The first line was probably added a little later to confirm that Aslah is not only the donor of the triclinium, but also of the other chambers and a cistern.
The text is written from right to left and reads as follows:
These are the chambers and the cistern which Aslah son of Aslah has made
This is the chamber which Aslah son of Aslah has made
for Dushara, the God of Manbatu, for the life of Obodas, king
of the Nabataeans, son of Aretas, king of the Nabataeans. Year one.
(Quote from: Robert Wenning, p. 853)
There are several hypotheses as to who or what might be meant by the Manbatu only mentioned here. Possibly it is the founder or the name of the tribe to which Aslah belonged and who had placed himself under the protection of the local main deity Dushara.
(Information from: International Aslah Project; und Gorgerat & Wenning)
© Photo, summary: Haupt & Binder
In the necropolis along the path from the Visitor Centre to the deep gorge of the Siq, one can see remarkably unusual burial sites, including some of Petra's oldest.
The Aslah Triclinium Complex At Petra: 100 Years Of Research
In: Department of Antiquities of Jordan
Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan 11, Amman, 2013
pp. 847 - 859
A project study by Prof. Dr. Robert Wenning (Münster University) and Laurent Gorgerat (Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig) in collaboration with the Association for the Understanding of Ancient Cultures (AUAC) and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA).
Website
Initiated and organized by Prof. Dr Stephan G. Schmid, Co-director of the French-German research project "Early Petra", sponsored by the German Research Association (DFG), the Excellence Cluster TOPOI at the Humboldt University Berlin, the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel (FAG), the Association for the Understanding of Ancient Cultures (AUAC) and the Stiftung für das Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig.
The International Aslah Project (2010-2012): its contribution to "Early Petra"
In: Men on the Rocks. The Formation of Nabataean Petra
Proceedings of a conference held in Berlin, 2-4 December 2011
Michel Mouton, Stephan G. Schmid (ed.)
Logos Verlag Berlin, 2013
ISBN 978-3-8325-3313-7
pp. 223-236
The International Aslah Project, Petra: new research and new questions
R. Wenning in cooperation with L. Gorgerat
In: Supplement to Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 42 (2012), pp. 127-145