Votive offerings, graffiti, or scribal exercises? A note on the grmlqr[t] inscription from Sarepta and the “Blessings” from Kuntillet ʿAjrud

Journal article


Wearne, Gareth J.. (2023). Votive offerings, graffiti, or scribal exercises? A note on the grmlqr[t] inscription from Sarepta and the “Blessings” from Kuntillet ʿAjrud. Vetus Testamentum. 73(1), pp. 139-154. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10080
AuthorsWearne, Gareth J.
Abstract

This short article revisits the question whether a class of inscriptions from the Phoenician city of Sarepta and the Israelite settlement at Kuntillet ʿAjrud should be understood as votive offerings, graffiti, or scribal exercises. It argues that differences in the manner of execution mean the Sarepta and Kuntillet ʿAjrud inscriptions resist attempts to impose a single unifying explanation. By doing so, it yields insights into the nature of sacrificial terminology in the world of the Hebrew Bible and offers a more nuanced understanding of the mlkʾmr sacrifices that are named in some Punic inscriptions.

KeywordsSarepta; Kuntillet ʿAjrud; mulk sacrifice; blessing; votive offering
Year2023
JournalVetus Testamentum
Journal citation73 (1), pp. 139-154
PublisherBrill
ISSN0042-4935
1568-5330
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10080
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85123836497
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range139-154
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online18 Jan 2022
Publication process dates
Deposited09 Jun 2022
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