Enrico Marcato

Abstract: Hatra, the famous Northern Mesopotamian ‘city of the Sun-god’ that thrived between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD, is a remarkable source of information on Parthian Mesopotamia. This book offers a comprehensive linguistic evaluation of the 376 personal names attested in the roughly 600 Aramaic inscriptions of Hatra, the famous Northern Mesopotamian city that flourished in the Parthian age, between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD. This study benefits from the publication of many Hatran inscriptions during recent decades, which have yielded rich onomastic data, and some fresh readings of these epigraphic sources. This work is subdivided into three main parts: an “Onomastic Catalogue”, a “Linguistic Analysis”, and a “Concordances Section”. The “Catalogue” is organized as a list of entries, in which every name is transliterated, translated (whenever possible), discussed from an etymological perspective, provided with onomastic parallels, and accompanied by its attestations in the Hatran Aramaic corpus. The “Catalogue” is followed by a “Linguistic Analysis” which describes, firstly, the principal orthographic, phonological, morphological, and syntactical features of Hatran names. The linguistic discussion proper is followed by a semantic taxonomy of the names which make up the corpus and an overview of the religious significance of the theophoric names. “Charts of Concordances” end the book.

Abstract: Abstract The present paper offers an analysis of certain Northern Mesopotamian demons attested on an Aramaic incantation bowl in square script. This object displays at its centre a list of evil entities drawn from a Mandaic forerunner, some of which are paralleled in the epigraphic corpus of Hatra and nearby sites. The analysis explores whether this may provide new evidence regarding the fate of Hatra’s inhabitants and cults in the aftermath of the fall of the city in 240/1 AD; the suggested scenario is that some Hatrenes could have been deported to Babylonia, where they encountered the Mandaean culture in its early phases and acquainted it with a part of their pantheon.

Abstract: The massive Temenos of Assor and Serū (Assyrian Aššur and Šerūʾa) in Arsacid Ashur testifies to the cult of ancient Assyrian deities in this venerable, albeit peripheric, city in Northern Mesopotamia between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. It is also well known that the temple of Assor and Serū proper, built exactly above the Neo-Assyrian temple of Aššur, has yielded several Aramaic inscriptions that provide substantial evidence for the continuity of some Assyrian cults, onomastic, and religious calendar. Thanks to the joint analysis of epigraphic and archaeological data from the temple, the present paper aims at highlighting some aspects of cultic practice, namely the regular presence of some individuals during solemn festivities.

Abstract: Hatra, the famous Northern Mesopotamian ‘city of the Sun-god’ that thrived between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD, is a remarkable source of information on Parthian Mesopotamia. This book offers a comprehensive linguistic evaluation of the 376 personal names attested in the roughly 600 Aramaic inscriptions of Hatra, the famous Northern Mesopotamian city that flourished in the Parthian age, between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD. This study benefits from the publication of many Hatran inscriptions during recent decades, which have yielded rich onomastic data, and some fresh readings of these epigraphic sources. This work is subdivided into three main parts: an “Onomastic Catalogue”, a “Linguistic Analysis”, and a “Concordances Section”. The “Catalogue” is organized as a list of entries, in which every name is transliterated, translated (whenever possible), discussed from an etymological perspective, provided with onomastic parallels, and accompanied by its attestations in the Hatran Aramaic corpus. The “Catalogue” is followed by a “Linguistic Analysis” which describes, firstly, the principal orthographic, phonological, morphological, and syntactical features of Hatran names. The linguistic discussion proper is followed by a semantic taxonomy of the names which make up the corpus and an overview of the religious significance of the theophoric names. “Charts of Concordances” end the book.

Abstract: The first volume of the first «Semitic Etymological Dictionary» (SED) is devoted to «Anatomy of Man and Animals». The authors, two Russian semiticists, Alexander Militarev and Leonid Kogan, were able to realize the initial project of the team originally headed by their teacher. Professor Igor M. Diakonoff, who died only one year before the publication of the first volume of the prepared series. With respect to the project «Dictionnaire des racines semitiques» started by David Cohen and organized according to semantical fields. In contrast to Cohen's dictionary, SED contains a detailed introduction into comparative-historical Semitic phonology and nominal morphology, in which the authors operate with vocalized reconstructions of the nominal stems. Their choice of language material is comprehensive, from the ancient languages including Eblaite to the modern varieties of Aramaic, Arabic, Modern South Arabian or Gurage. Occasionally quoted parallels from other Afroasiatic branches bring valuable additional information

Abstract: Le nom du roi Abdissares serait aujourd'hui totalement inconnu s'il ne figurait sur quelques monnaies de cuivre heureusement parvenues jusqu'a nous (ΒΑΣΙLEΩΣ/ΑΒΔΙΣΣΑΚΟΥ). Quoique extremement rares, ces monnaies sont connues depuis longtemps. E. Q. Visconti, F. de Saulcy, V. Langlois, O. Blau, E. Babelon et P. Bedoukian sont les numismates qui ont le plus contribue, par leurs vues ou leurs informations originales, a developper les connaissances a propos de ce roi. Ernest Babelon a donne la meilleure liste, sans doute, des types monetaires d'Abdissares tandis que Paul Bedoukian en a fait connaitre le plus grand nombre d'exemplaires. Cette liste, quelque peu amendee en fonction de meilleures lectures, est la suivante: Dr.: Buste d'Abdissares a dr., barbu et coiffe d'une “tiare” ouverte sur le cote et ceinte du diademe royal. Grenetis au pourtour. Rv.: ΒΑΣΙΛEΩΣ (a dr., de haut en bas) ֊ ΑΒΔΙΣΣΑΚΟΥ (a g., de haut en bas). Aigle debout a dr. sur une ligne de terre. a -Paris, BN, coll. de Luynes, n° 3433 (7,40g-23O-12h: F. de Saulcy, 1855, 101; V. Langlois, 1859, Pl. I, n° 8; E. Babelon, 1890, Pl. XXIX, n° 3; J. de Morgan, Manuel de numismatique orientale de l'Antiquite et du Haut Moyen Age , Paris 1923–36, 192, Fig. 213 et J. Babelon, Catalogue de la collection du duc de Luynes. Monnaies grecques IV, Paris 1936, Pl. CXXVII, n° 3433).