Porten, Bezalel, and Ada Yardeni. Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt. 4 vols. Jerusalem: Hebrew University, 1986.
Ashmolean Aram. O.1
TAD D.12.02
Metadata
- Collection
- Ashmolean Museum | Ashmo (Public)
- Language
- Aramaic
- Script
- Aramaic
- Find Type
- Excavation
- Locus
- Palace of Apries
- Material
- Stone | Limestone
- Updated by
- James D. Moore, 2026-06-21
- Date (Composition)
- Gregorian -403 [Persian]
- Date (Composition)
- Gregorian -463 [Persian]
- Date (Composition in text)
- Babylonian Art 2
General Notes
Lemaire dates the inscription to the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 4th century BCE based on his paleographic assessment (citing Naveh's dubious study). The historically viable options are 2 Arta I = 463 BCE or 2 Arta III = 403 BCE, and Lemaire favors the latter. Given that Naveh's paleographic assessments are erroneous, either date is viable (Moore).
Below the inscription are a bird and a boat. From my inexperienced view they seem to be of the Egyptian type, the boat in particular resembles the model barges found throughout Egypt.
It is noteworthy that a Persian sealing, fragments of Persian scale armour (iron and bronze), and a Persian period figure of Tahuti were also found at the site along with objects of Persian style such as terra-cotta heads and a silver ring of a galloping bull with an otherwise mixed assemblage.
External Viewer
Textual Notes
Lemaire discussed the paleographic infelicities of the inscribed text as errors poor copying by the engraver. That the pictoral elements are also ingraved suggests that the ink might have been written to correct the inscription. Lemaire's reading of the inscribed text is superior to TAD's, which corrects the text (Moore).
Text and Translation
Choose alternative texts and translations from the filter. Click individual words in a text for more details.
André Last updated 07 April, 2026 by James D. Moore
André Last updated 07 April, 2026 by James D. Moore
En 24 d'Ab, an 2 d'Artaxerxes.
En 24 d'Ab (sic), an (sic) 2 d'Artaxerxes.
Moore, James D.. 'Ashmolean Aram. O.1.' DEAPS. 29 Dec, 2025. https://deaps.osu.edu/text_objects/15437. Accessed: 28 Jun, 2026.