Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
PROFESSOR Nikolsky has been kind enough to send me a photographand copy of a new and important Vannic inscription which he has published, with translation and commentary, in the Reports of the Imperial (Russian) Archaeological Commission, 37. The inscription was found at Armavir. Its importance for the study of Vannic philology, as well as the fact that I believe I can improve upon Professor Nikolsky's translation, induces me to reproduce it here. In continuance of my previous notation its number will be XCI.
1 The same root is found in the adverb ali-Ki, which does not signify “partly”, as we have hithertosupposed, but “in multitudes”. It is also the second element in the verb khasi-al-me in the formula khutia-di An Khaldi-di EN-di AN IM-di AN UT-di AN-MES-as-te Mat Bianas-te alu-śi-nini alśui-si-ni alia-ba-di khasi-al-me, for which I should now propose the translation “under the leadership of (or under the leaders) Khaldis the lord, Teisbas and Ardinis, the gods of Biaina, the company of the great ones who dwell (there), may the gods continuevictory” or possibly “O gods, continue victory (to me)”. We have the same construction in xxiv, 6–8, ase askhu-me AN UT ITU AN Khaldiei AN-ris nus, “to the temple may Saris the queen grant food (or O queen Saris, grant food) daily during the month of Khaldis.” “Khaldis the lord” is parallel to the Babylonian Bel-Merodach.