Theonyms in Safaite inscriptions: preliminary remarks

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Abstract

The present article reviews the theonyms mentioned in the corpus of Safaite epigraphic inscriptions. For the first time in the history of Russian Oriental Studies, the author conducts a comparative analysis of Safaite, Hismaite and Samudi texts and acquaints the Russian reader with the major deities of the North-Arabian pantheon. On the basis of this analysis, the work marks the two levels of Safaite “Olympus”: the cosmic one, represented by common Arab deities (al-Lat, Belshmin and Radw), and the tribal one, which includes the mythical characters of Salam, Yath‘, Dath and gadd-deities. In addition, the author observes the use of the reviewed theonyms by the denizens of pre-Islamic Arabia for the purposes of nomination.

About the authors

Faris O. Nofal

Institute of Philosophy of Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: faresnofal@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3163-4722
SPIN-code: 9054-3224
Scopus Author ID: 57196042458
https://independent.academia.edu/FarisNofal

Master of Philosophy, Research Fellow, Institute of Philosophy of Russian Academy of Sciences

Russian Federation, Bld. 1, 12, Goncharnaya Str., Moscow, 109240

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