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Cebelireis Dağı Inscription

The stone block appears to be a part of a prism shaped monument. It was found in 1980 by James Russell and Mustafa Gürdal on Mt. Cebelireis (aka Cebel Ires) in a secondary context within the ruins of the Roman era city Laertes. The inscription is the only pre-Roman era item found at the site. On the preserved section of the block there are a total of 12 lines of Phoenician inscription, 9 on the two sides and 3 on the top side. It appears to be a judicial text that describes the exchange and settlement of ownership of certain lands between several individuals. Text also mentions the intervention of a King Warika (WRYK) in the dispute. A king named Warika (albeit with the Phoenician spelling WRK) is also known from Çineköy and İncirli inscriptions, although paleographically Cebelireis inscription dates to the second half of the 7th century, thus about a century after the Çineköy and İncirli. However, king Warika of this inscription may still be a namesake descendant. Furthermore, several of the names mentioned in the text are recognized as Luwian in origin testifying to the continuity of this culture. The limestone block is about 54 cm in width, 31 cm in height, and 17 cm in depth, and it is on display in the Alanya Museum.


Click on the pictures for larger images.

Cebelireis Inscription - T. Bilgin, 2019 Cebelireis, side A - T. Bilgin, 2019 Cebelireis, side B - T. Bilgin, 2019 Cebelireis, sice C - T. Bilgin, 2019


Literature:
Giusfredi, F. "The Cebelireis Dağı Inscription from an Anatolian Perspective," Studi classici e orientali 70, 2024: 31–42.
Lemaire, A. "Une inscription phénicienne découverte récemment et le mariage de Ruth la Moabite," Eretz-Israel 20, 1989: 124*–29*.
Lipiński, E. Itineraria Phoenicia, Leuven, 2004 (128-30).
Long, G. A. "A Kinsman-Redeemer in the Phoenician Inscription from Cebel Ires Dağı," ZAW 103, 1991: 421–24.
Long, G. A. and D. Pardee. "Who Exiled whom? Another Interpretation of the Phoenician Inscription of Cebel Ires Dağı," Aula Orientalis 7, 1989: 207–14
Margalit, B. "Philological Notes on a Recently Published Phoenician Inscription from Southern Anatolia," in Dort ziehen Schiffe dahin... ed. by M. Augustin, K.-D. Schunk, 1996: 119–29.
Mosca, P. G. and J. Russell. "A Phoenician Inscription from Cebel Ires Dağı in Rough Cilicia," Epigraphica Anatolica 9, 1987: 1–28.
Röllig, W. "Zur phönizischen Inschrift von Cebelireis Dağı," in D'Ougarit à Jérusalem, ed. by C. Roche, 2008: 51–56.
Simon, Z. "Awarikus und Warikas: Zwei Könige von Hiyawa," ZA 104: 91-103.
(List of Abbreviations)


Image sources:
Tayfun Bilgin, 2019.