DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45611#0005
SIC (SEEIA).
766. Fragments. Found in the debris in the fore-court in front of the “Temple
of Dushara”. Twelve fragments were found and copied by the Expedition of 1904-05,
some of these were recopied and four more found by the Expedition of 1909. Unfor-
tunately, there was neither time nor a sufficient number of workmen to search the debris
thoroughly for further fragments, and inasmuch as Sic is being used as a stone-
quarry for neighboring villages, especially Suweda, some of the blocks have perhaps
been carried away. The position of the fragments when found points to the belief that
the blocks on which the inscription was carved formed part of the front wall of the
“Temple of Dushara”. This belief is confirmed by the evidence of the stones themselves,
since frg. 4 contains at the left a portion of a pilaster, and frgs. 3, 8 and 9 contain
at the right portions of a half-column, and the ruins of the front wall of the temple
show a pilaster at the corner, and a half-column at a distance of 2.62 m. from it.
It seems clear, accordingly, that the inscription extended across this space, and covered
at least two, and probably many more, courses of blocks. The letters are beautifully
carved, and their ornamental character seems quite in keeping with the conspicuousness
of their position.
The dimensions of the fragments and the letters are as follows :
1. Height 54^2 cm.; width 26 cm.; thickness 37 cm. Height of letters 5 cm.;
height of spaces between lines 2^—3 cm.; space below 1.6 6 cm. The block had
been broken into nine fragments, some very small, but these had not been scattered,
and it was possible to piece them together.
2. Height at left end 261/2 cm., at right 25 cm.; width at top 43 cm., at-bottom
44 cm.; thickness 33 cm. Height of letters 51/z—6 cm.; height of spaces between lines
27s-3 cm·
3. Height 55 cm.; width of the inscribed space, at the top 22 cm., at the bottom
15 cm.; thickness 36 cm. Height of letters cm.; height of spaces between lines
2‘/2-3 cm·; space below 1. 5 14^ cm· At the right of the letters is a section of a
half-column.
4. Height 5272 cm.; width 73^ cm.; width of inscribed portion cm. Height
of letters 51/2—6 cm.; height of spaces between lines 21/SJ—3 cm. At the left of the
letters is a section of a pilaster, the surface of which is 3^ cm. higher than the face
of the inscribed portion.
5. Height 14 cm.; width at top 23 cm., at bottom 32^3cm.; thickness 35 cm.
Height of letters 5T/2 cm.; height of space between the lines 2^ cm.
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria, Div. Ill, Sec. A, Pt. 6.
47
766. Fragments. Found in the debris in the fore-court in front of the “Temple
of Dushara”. Twelve fragments were found and copied by the Expedition of 1904-05,
some of these were recopied and four more found by the Expedition of 1909. Unfor-
tunately, there was neither time nor a sufficient number of workmen to search the debris
thoroughly for further fragments, and inasmuch as Sic is being used as a stone-
quarry for neighboring villages, especially Suweda, some of the blocks have perhaps
been carried away. The position of the fragments when found points to the belief that
the blocks on which the inscription was carved formed part of the front wall of the
“Temple of Dushara”. This belief is confirmed by the evidence of the stones themselves,
since frg. 4 contains at the left a portion of a pilaster, and frgs. 3, 8 and 9 contain
at the right portions of a half-column, and the ruins of the front wall of the temple
show a pilaster at the corner, and a half-column at a distance of 2.62 m. from it.
It seems clear, accordingly, that the inscription extended across this space, and covered
at least two, and probably many more, courses of blocks. The letters are beautifully
carved, and their ornamental character seems quite in keeping with the conspicuousness
of their position.
The dimensions of the fragments and the letters are as follows :
1. Height 54^2 cm.; width 26 cm.; thickness 37 cm. Height of letters 5 cm.;
height of spaces between lines 2^—3 cm.; space below 1.6 6 cm. The block had
been broken into nine fragments, some very small, but these had not been scattered,
and it was possible to piece them together.
2. Height at left end 261/2 cm., at right 25 cm.; width at top 43 cm., at-bottom
44 cm.; thickness 33 cm. Height of letters 51/z—6 cm.; height of spaces between lines
27s-3 cm·
3. Height 55 cm.; width of the inscribed space, at the top 22 cm., at the bottom
15 cm.; thickness 36 cm. Height of letters cm.; height of spaces between lines
2‘/2-3 cm·; space below 1. 5 14^ cm· At the right of the letters is a section of a
half-column.
4. Height 5272 cm.; width 73^ cm.; width of inscribed portion cm. Height
of letters 51/2—6 cm.; height of spaces between lines 21/SJ—3 cm. At the left of the
letters is a section of a pilaster, the surface of which is 3^ cm. higher than the face
of the inscribed portion.
5. Height 14 cm.; width at top 23 cm., at bottom 32^3cm.; thickness 35 cm.
Height of letters 5T/2 cm.; height of space between the lines 2^ cm.
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria, Div. Ill, Sec. A, Pt. 6.
47