Memphis 1

MEMPHIS – Mennoefer

 

The old town is situated close to nowadays Caïro. There are 6 Phoenician inscriptions in which there are 18 persons named. I follow the survey of Magnanini as an entry.

 

CIS I 97 Neo-Punic on a sphinx KAI 138

‘zrb‘l bn mskn

‘rkrḥ wzybq[t]

 

Mskn = Misken (poor fellow) (Benz p.142, Krahmalkov p.298)

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‘zrb’l = ‘Azrubaal (Baal is his help). Exceedingly common. (p.Benz 167-170, 376 and Krahmalkov p. 364). Other historical persons are named Hasdrubal.

Another solution can be: ‘Azorbaal (Baal help!). Historical person: Ozerbaal (DCPP 338).

 

’rkrḥ = ’erk-ruh (patience) (Benz p.63, Krahmalkov p.73) Pu.

 

Zybq[t] = Ziboq (Benz p.188-189, Krahmalkov p.171) Pu. Ph

 

So we encounter four names, of which we only know the relation of the father Misken and the son Azrubaal. It is not clear in what relation they stand with Erk-ruh and Ziboq.

We see by the way the name Zybqt (Zyboqot) also in an inscription (RES 360, KAI 70) from Avignon from the 3^rd century BC as a priestess, daughter of Abdešmun, son of ---- etc (Amadasi p.183) and in an inscription (CIS I 132, KAI 62) from the 2^nd century BC at Malta by the people of Gaulus (gwl) at the sanctuaries of Sadambaal and Astarte as Zybqm (Zyboqom). See: Amadasi p.33.

 

ncfps