A royal campaign record

1–3

ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and his brother Yʾzl Byn, the two kings of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, sons of Frʿm Ynhb, king of Sabaʾ, dedicated to ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, Lord of ʾwm, nine (or seven) statues in silver, in praise because He favoured and helped His servant ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb in defeating all the armies and the tribes which waged war against them, from the tribes of the north and of the south, and of the coast and within the land, and because ʾlmqh favoured them in claiming from Mlkm, king of Kdt, and from the tribe of Kdt, that Mlkm did a reparation, to ʾlmqh and the two kings, for Mrʾlqs¹, son of ʿwfm, king of Ḫṣṣtn. And they kept as a prisoner that Mlkm and the leaders of Kdt in the city of Mrb until they delivered that young Mrʾlqs¹; they gave as hostages from the tribe of Kdt his son and the sons of leaders and they did as (other) reparation, to ʾlmqh and the two kings, horses, riding camels and camels. And in praise because ʾlmqh granted favour to His servant ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb in throwing into panic, defeating, taking reprisals on the armed bands of Abyssinians and those of S¹hrtm and on S²mr ḏu-Raydān and the tribes of Ḥmyrm because of the alliance which they concluded after a period of peace and the oaths they swore. And they went up from the city of Mryb to the city of Ṣnʿw for making war, and embarking on a campaign against S²mr du-Raydān and the tribes of Ḥmyrm, Rdmn, and Mḍḥym.

4–6

And the king ʾls²rḥ and some of his ʾqwln, his army, his cavalry went to the land of Ḥymrm and they destroyed, seized, overthrew, forced to capitulate the palace of S²mt, the city Dll, the palace Yhr, the city ʾẓwr on the border of the land of Qs²mm, when they conducted a raid and got from those cities numerous killings, prisoners, booty. And from there they arrived to the region between the two cities and ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and with him some of his ʾqwl, his army, his cavalry made an incursion and they made an incursion up to the territory of the city Bʾs¹n and the soldiers sent by S²mr du-Raydān among the tribes of Ḥmrym confronted them to protect the area up the border, and then they confronted with them in the region of that city Bʾs¹n. And ʾlmqh granted them to rout those soldiers, those of Ḥmyrm, and they killed numerous killings and got prisoners and goods of that city Bʾs¹n. And then they marched until they reached the plain of Rgʿn, but the army of him of Raydān run away and they did not confront them. Then they waged war up the land of Mhʾnfm and sent in incursion some of their army up to the lands of Mhʿnfm and there they got killings, prisoners, booty that pleased them. And from there they went up to the pass of Ylrn and invested the city Tʿrmn and ʾlmqh granted them to seize that city Tʾrmn and they get in that (city) killing and

7–9

took prisoners all the sons and its women, and they took as booty all its citizens. And from there, they returned towards the city Nʿḍ and some of their army stationed there and the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and the soldiers who were at his side among their army and their cavalry marched so to march up the eastern part of the land of Qs²mm and they capitulated and sacked the city ʾyḍmm and made an incursion in the whole of the eastern part of Qs²mm and they got there numerous killings and prisoners. And from there they went back to the city Nʿḍ and from there the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and some of his army and his cavalry marched up the land of Mhʾnfm and they overthrew and seized the two cities ʿṯy and ʿṯy and they got there numerous killings, prisoners, loot, booty. From there they went back to the city Ḍfw and there they found he of Mḏrḥm and the tribe Mhʾnfm and the tribe Mhʾnfm came into the open against their vanguard, but their vanguard routed them until they repelled them within the city Ḍfw and they killed among them numerous killing and from there they went back to the territory of the city Yklʾ and made contact there with the ʾqwl of Raydān and the army of Ḥmyrm and they came into the open and did battle with them and routed them from the open space (or, from Mrḥḍn) until they repelled them into the cultivated area (?) of Yklʾ and they got from them numerous killings. And from there they went back to the city

10–13

Nʿḍ. And then he (or, they) challenged them, those of Ḥmyrm, to advance towards a deadly battle in the valley Ngrrm and the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and some of his ʾqwl, his army, and his cavalry marched so they arrived into the cultivated area (?) of Yklʾ but those of Ḥmyrm did not come into open for a deadly battle. And they retired and came back to the city Ṣnʿw with numerous animals, killings, prisoners of war, prisoners, booty. After that S²mr ḏu-Raydān sent (ambassadors) for an alliance, but at same time he sent (ambassadors) to ʿḏbh, king of ʾks¹mn for help against the kings of Sabaʾ, and the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb, his ʾqwl, his army, and his cavalry marched from the city Ṣnʿw, for the second time, against S²mr ḏu-Raydān and the tribes of Ḥmyrm, Rdmn, and Mḍḥym. Then the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and some of his ʾqwl, his army, and his cavalry made an incursion in the plain of Ḥrwr, ʿrs¹m, and Drgʿn and they got there numerous killings, prisoners, booty, and prizes of war. Their main contingent reached them in Qrb and Qrs¹ and they destroyed all the wells of these two, and they overthrew the city Qrs¹. From there the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and some of his ʾqwl, his army, his cavalry made an incursion in the lands of Yhbs²r, Mqrʾm, and S²ddm and they got there numerous killings, prisoners, and booty. They seized the palace Rʾs¹ and all its towers, which were signal-stations, and their main contingent confronted them in the region [... ...] and they forced that city Rʾs¹w and the palace of S¹nfrm to capitulate so that all the garrison, placed there by him of Raydān, sent (ambassadors). From there they marched towards the territory of the city

14–17

Ẓlm and they found there mqtt, fantry army, and the garrison that S²mr ḏu-Raydān had sent there to defend it. They invited to come over the Sabaean side, but they returned a negative answer, so they resumed military operations and stormed that city and ʾlmqh granted them to destroy that city [... ...]. They got in that city numerous killings, prisoners, and booty. And from there they marched towards (the territory) between the two city of Hrn and Ḏmr and the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and with him some of his ʾqwl and the army of one thousand and five hundred soldiers and forty horsemen went up and made contact with S²mr ḏu-Raydān and with him sixteen thousand soldiers and the tribe of Ḥmyrm, Rdmn, and Mḍḥym [... ...] and then he of Raydān and the army of Ḥmyrm within the city Ḏmr; and they went up from their encampment Mhs¹knm and their horsemen on trained charges and swift horses. And then those of Ḥmyrm were in difficulty so they reached the territory of the city and he of Raydān and the army of Ḥmyrm went into the open against them [... ...] S²mr ḏu-Raydān and the army of Ḥmyrm, sons of ʿm, and they routed them until they drove them to the gates of the city Ḏmr. Regarding S²mr ḏu-Raydān, his horse was killed and regarding them (those of Ḥmyrm), they fell back to the city badly wounted. They killed from the army of Ḥmyrm, Rdmn, and Mḍḥym numerous killings. And the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and the appointed soldiers among his army and his cavalry came back towards [...] ḏt-Rznn in safety, glory, with numerous killings[...]

18

after the injustice that S²mr ḏu-Raydān and the tribes of Ḥmyrm, the sons of ʿm, had committed against them. And they (the Sabaeans) challenged S²mr ḏu-Raydān and his army to come to a confrontation throught these days and they fortified themselves within the city Ḏmr. They resumed operations and came back to the city Nʿḍ and from the city Nʿḍ resumed operations and came back towards the territory between the two cities and they got there numerous killings, prisoners, and booty.

19–22

From there they came back to the city Ṣnʿw in safety, in glory, with numerous spoils of battle, prisoners, booty, and prizes of war. After that Grmt, son of the Negus and with him armed bands of Abyssinians and of S¹hrtm committed hostilities against the kings of Sabaʾ, since S²mr ḏu-Raydān had asked them for help. And ʾlmqh granted them to inflict decisive defeat over them all. [... ...] ḏu-Raydān. After that the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and with him some of his ʾqwl and one thousand soldiers from their army, and twenty six horsemen pursued them in order to take reprisals for the war waged and the assistance afforded to S²mr ḏu-Raydān at the time when there was a peace treaty between the kings of Sabaʿ and the Abyssinians.And they waged war against five settlements [... ...] and they got from them numerous killings, prisoners, prizes of war, booty. And then some of Abyssinians and of S¹hrtm mounted an offensive against them and they caught the contingent of those Abyssinians on the hill of ʾḥdqm, and the fantry confronted against them. And ʾlmqh granted them to rout and destroy the contingent of those Abyssinians. And the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and his ʾqwl and his army came back to the city Ṣnʿw in safety, in glory and with numerous spoils of war, prisoners, loot, and booty. And in praise because ʾlmqh granted them to defeat and take reprisals on Grmt, the son of Negus, the king of ʾks¹mn for (his ill-treatment of) the diplomatic delegation whom the kings of Sabaʾ had sent to him. And in praise because ʾlmqh granted them to defeat the officer Ṣḥbm, of the family [Gys²m ... ...]

23–26

from the dominions of ʾlmqh. And then they sent their mwtwy Nwfm, of the family Hmdn and Ġymn and with him some of their mqtyt and some of the two tribes of Ḥs²dm and Ġymn, and ʾlmqh granted them that their mqtwy Nwfm should come back in safety and also the appointed soldiers with him; and he defeated that officer Ṣbḥm, of the family Gys²m, and they brought back his head and his hands [... ...] the tribe Ḫwln Gddm. And in praise because ʾlmqh granted the favour to subjugate the tribe of Ngrn when the latter had revolted and withdrawn the hand (the alliance) from their lords, the kings of Sabaʾ, in favour of Abyssinians. And the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and some of his ʾqwl, his army, and his cavalry waged war and they invested the city Ẓrbn for two months and they challenged [... ...] they answered that they should inform their lords, the kings of Sabaʾ, that they were making the offense graver by having received a promise of protection by the king of Ḥaḍramawt against their lords, the kings of Sabaʾ and they promised to the tribe of Ngrn, for two months, to give protection against their lords, the kings of Sabaʾ. And the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and his ʾqwl, his army came back to the city [... ...] and they heard that those of Ngrn had sent (ambassadors) to the armed bands of Abyssinians for helping the viceroy of the Negus in the city Ngrn and the tribe of Ngrn. They (the Sabaeans) had taken note of the promise given (by the Abyssinians) to those of Ngrn of protection against their lords, the kings of Sabaʾ, but made it unnecessary by their own committment to oversee the column of Abyssinians. After that, they sent two of their mqtwyy Nwfm, of the family Hmdn and of Ġymn and [... ...]

27–30

and they watched over them and some of the two tribes Ḥs²dm and Ġymn and fourteen of the cavalry, so they waged war to them in the two valleys of Ngrn. And they came back to their two lords, the two kings, in safety, in glory and with numerous killings, prisoners, and booty. After that the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb gave battle to them [... ...] they made raids upon them from their bases in the valley Rkbtn and all the principal men and freemen of the tribe Ngrn approached them with the offer of peace, in fact (the Sabaeans) killed among those of Ngrn scores of killing. In the third day, those of Ngrn tendered submission to their lord ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb, king of Sabaʾand ḏu-Raydān; and as for the Abyssinian viceroy S¹bqlm [... ...] those who had culpably initiated the revolt sent (ambassadors) to him, and they offered their sons and daughters as hostages, and they accepted into the city Ẓrbn the viceroy, whom his lord, the king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb ordered as viceroy in that city Ẓrbn and its valleys. The total of all those who had made submission from the city Ẓrbn and its valleys was [... ...] kings of Sabaʾ in the operations conducted against them by king ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and the contingents and raiding colums which he had sent to conduct operations against them. They killed from the tribe Ngrn nine hundred and twenty-four soldiers and five hundred and sixty-two prisoners, and they subjugated in the two valleys of Ngrn sixty-eight cities and ravaged [... ...]

31–34

sixty thousand fields, and he destroyed ninety-seven wells. And in praise because ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, Lord of ʾwm, granted favour to His servant ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, to return he himself and his ʾqwl, his army, his cavalry, his mounted soldiers, and their baggage-trains from all those [ campaigns... ...] which they conducted against the kings, the army, and the tribes who had waged war against them. They returned from those wars and campaigns in safety and glory, with killings, prisoners, and booty which satistied His servant ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb, king of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān. And he praise because He granted them [... ...] (to return to) the royal palaces S¹lḥn and Ġndn, the two temples, the city Mryb and Ṣnʿw and Ns²qm and all the castels of their ʾqwl in safetyfrom all the wars which had been waged against them. Might ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, Lord of ʾwm, continue to grant favour to His two servants ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and his brother Yʾzl Byn, the two kings of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, and their army [... ...] (He granted) His two servants ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and his brother Yʾzl Byn, the two kings of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān,to humiliate, destroy, crush, and routed in all the wars which will be waged from the north, the south, the coast, within the land. And in praise because He grant favours to them with a complete triumph. And in praise because ʾlmqh granted His servant ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb with the prosperity of hearts and his army, the army of Sabaʾ [... ...]

35

ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb in which was and will be favourable to them and to palace S¹lḥn and Ġndn in destroying, humiliating, defeating, crushing, and routing all the war enemies and enemies of ʾls²rḥ Yḥḍb and his brother Yʾzl Byn, the two kings of Sabaʾ and ḏu-Raydān, sons of Frʿm Ynhb, king of Sabaʾ. By ʿṯtr, Hbs¹, ʾlmqh Ṯhwn, Lord of ʾwm, ḏt Ḥmym [... ...]