Material Limestone Created c. 800 BC Identification J 9000 | Writing Ammonite language Discovered 1961 | |
Present location Jordan Archaeological Museum | ||
The Amman Citadel Inscription is the oldest known inscription in the so-called Ammonite language. It was discovered in 1961 in the Amman Citadel, and first published in full in 1968 by Siegfried Horn. The inscription is now in the Jordan Archaeological Museum. It is the third longest Semitic stone inscription ever found, after the Mesha Stele and the Siloam inscription.
Contents
Description
The inscription is carved into a white limestone block of approximately 26 × 19 cm in size, with parts of the inscription lost. Most letters are clearly visible, and the stone has few traces of erosion and was therefore probably not exposed to the elements.
The inscription contains eight lines. The left and right sides of the inscription are missing parts, and the bottom line does not seem to include the end of the inscription. The top line is thought to be the beginning of the inscription since there is space above it.
In the eight lines, 93 letters are shown, which are interpreted to be spread between about 33 words. The size and shape of individual letters vary considerably, suggesting that the inscription comes from a novice scribe. Numerous letters have unusual shapes, for example the Heth has only two cross beams, compared to the usual three, similar to the Mesha stele. The Teth only a crossbar in a circle, and the Ayin is already slightly open upwards, which occurs in Phoenician inscriptions only from the 5th century.
It is understood to be a building inscription, although due to the fragmented nature of the inscription, the translation remains uncertain.