Ancient Near Eastern Texts and Studies, vol. 4, A Corpus of Ammonite Inscriptions.

• Author: Segert, Stanislav

The inventory of Ammonite inscriptions is steadily growing. In 1983 Kent P. Jackson published The Ammonite Language of the iron Age (Chico, California: Scholars Press) in which he presented the texts then available: 3 inscriptions, 7 ostraca and 60 seals, with translations and copious notes. The recent book under review contains considerably more texts, altogether 154, with photographs and/or drawings, and very rich bibliographical documentation. Professor Aufrecht made effective use of the opportunity to study the originals in Amman and Jerusalem and has also consulted with many scholars in the field (cf. preface, pp. viii-ix). He states as the purpose of his volume (pp. x-xii): to give for each inscription full bibliography, physical description and location, photographic reproduction, linguistic information, and criteria for its identification as Ammonite.

The introduction gives basic information about language, onomastics, paleography, iconography (and the Deir Alla Plaster texts, which are not included in this corpus). Short summaries of present opinions and problems are accompanied by copious bibliographical data. The relationship of the Corpus to previous collections is conveniently presented in the Text Concordance (pp. xxx-xxxvi).

The numbering of the inscriptions follows the chronological sequence of their first editions. For each inscription presented in transliteration and translation, basic information is given about color and composition, type, measurements, provenance and location, and a physical description. Bibliographic information and a discussion of dating are followed by the linguistic analysis of individual words.

The corpus consists of 147 Ammonite inscriptions, with six additional ones recognized as Ammonite by F. Israel in 1987 and one more cited as such by several authors. The number of inscriptions then becomes 154 (cf. pp. 343-46). Aufrecht excluded (p. x, note) one- or two-letter inscriptions, but he appropriately included 8 isolated letters on three double-faced statues (pp. 192-93). There are only four relatively longer inscriptions, three from Amman - "statue," theatre," "citadel" - and the bottle of Siran. Twelve ostraca are included in the corpus: six from Heshbon (I, II, IV, V, XI, XII), four from Tell el-Mazar III-V, VII) and one each from Nimrud. and from Amman. On two stamps and 129 seals there are personal names, seven seals exhibit letters in alphabetic sequence.

The appendices deal with...