November 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM
#Incredible ! There is good evidence that Greek literacy was relatively widespread among the ancient Arabs east of Ḥawrān. Here, our #Safaitic author partially writes out the Safaitic letters in the Greek order, omitting vowels!
Find more on #OCIANA: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more on #OCIANA: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
November 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
#Incredible ! There is good evidence that Greek literacy was relatively widespread among the ancient Arabs east of Ḥawrān. Here, our #Safaitic author partially writes out the Safaitic letters in the Greek order, omitting vowels!
Find more on #OCIANA: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more on #OCIANA: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Pre-Islamic Arabic and Greek! The #Safaitic abecedary we posted earlier this week was far more interesting than originally thought. A close re-reading of the stone revealed the entire Safaitic alphabet in the Greek letter order!
See the study here: www.academia.edu/144853577/Al...
See the study here: www.academia.edu/144853577/Al...
November 8, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Pre-Islamic Arabic and Greek! The #Safaitic abecedary we posted earlier this week was far more interesting than originally thought. A close re-reading of the stone revealed the entire Safaitic alphabet in the Greek letter order!
See the study here: www.academia.edu/144853577/Al...
See the study here: www.academia.edu/144853577/Al...
#New on #OCIANA - a large panel of Variant 1 #Safaitic inscriptions from site MG1 is now online.
Among these is an invocation of the initial prayer type. This formula is an important lnk btw Thamudic B and Safaitic.
it reads:
*hā roṣ́aw(a) sāʿed qoṣayyata ben ʿaleyy wa salema
Among these is an invocation of the initial prayer type. This formula is an important lnk btw Thamudic B and Safaitic.
it reads:
*hā roṣ́aw(a) sāʿed qoṣayyata ben ʿaleyy wa salema
September 20, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Who was Allah before Islam? The first glimpses of Allah's mythological profile based on a newly discovered Safaitic inscription and archaeological site. Complimentary download here: academic.oup.com/jss/advance-...
May 16, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Who was Allah before Islam? The first glimpses of Allah's mythological profile based on a newly discovered Safaitic inscription and archaeological site. Complimentary download here: academic.oup.com/jss/advance-...
Safaitic Stele found in New Jersey, USA
October 1, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Safaitic Stele found in New Jersey, USA
Why is this interesting? The ancient Arabs east of Ḥawrān were well acquainted with Greek. Their own Safaitic script did not have a fixed letter order. This biliteral writer decided to map Safaitic on the Greek order he learned from somewhere.
November 8, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Why is this interesting? The ancient Arabs east of Ḥawrān were well acquainted with Greek. Their own Safaitic script did not have a fixed letter order. This biliteral writer decided to map Safaitic on the Greek order he learned from somewhere.
if you think this is interesting (and it extremely extremely is), thank Ahmad Al-Jallad, who is responsible for keeping this archive of Safaitic inscriptions updated, translating them, and finding a lot of them himself
legitimately so incredible there were pre-islamic Arabian scripts found on the walls of Pompeii
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Inscription Results
| OCIANA
ociana.osu.edu
February 23, 2026 at 3:52 AM
if you think this is interesting (and it extremely extremely is), thank Ahmad Al-Jallad, who is responsible for keeping this archive of Safaitic inscriptions updated, translating them, and finding a lot of them himself
#New on #OCIANA: A #Safaitic invocation calling upon a new deity - ḏgn /ḏū genn/ 'master of the Jinn'! This along with other circumstantial evidence suggests that a belief in ginn spirits was current among the Safaitic writers some 2k ago.
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
April 7, 2025 at 12:29 PM
#New on #OCIANA: A #Safaitic invocation calling upon a new deity - ḏgn /ḏū genn/ 'master of the Jinn'! This along with other circumstantial evidence suggests that a belief in ginn spirits was current among the Safaitic writers some 2k ago.
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
#New on #OCIANA - a fascinating collection of #Safaitic inscriptions associated with the burial of a man called Ẓʿn, edited by students of the Safaitic summer school.
The 1st is here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
See the collection here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
More to come soon!
The 1st is here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
See the collection here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
More to come soon!
June 27, 2026 at 10:52 AM
#New on #OCIANA - a fascinating collection of #Safaitic inscriptions associated with the burial of a man called Ẓʿn, edited by students of the Safaitic summer school.
The 1st is here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
See the collection here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
More to come soon!
The 1st is here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
See the collection here: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
More to come soon!
By special request: A Safaitic-Greek bilingual inscription, demonstrating the transcription of interdentals and all other sorts of fun things. @bnuyaminim.bsky.social @maartenkossmann.bsky.social @lameensouag.bsky.social
Find more:
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more:
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
September 12, 2025 at 1:54 PM
By special request: A Safaitic-Greek bilingual inscription, demonstrating the transcription of interdentals and all other sorts of fun things. @bnuyaminim.bsky.social @maartenkossmann.bsky.social @lameensouag.bsky.social
Find more:
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more:
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Frank Lopez: You know what a chazzer is?
Tony Montana: No, Frank, you tell me. What is a chazzer?
Frank Lopez: It's a *Safaitic* word for "pig." See, the guy, he wants more than what he needs. He don't fly straight.
New on #ociana the Safaitic pig 𝒉̮𝒛𝒓: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Tony Montana: No, Frank, you tell me. What is a chazzer?
Frank Lopez: It's a *Safaitic* word for "pig." See, the guy, he wants more than what he needs. He don't fly straight.
New on #ociana the Safaitic pig 𝒉̮𝒛𝒓: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
March 10, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Frank Lopez: You know what a chazzer is?
Tony Montana: No, Frank, you tell me. What is a chazzer?
Frank Lopez: It's a *Safaitic* word for "pig." See, the guy, he wants more than what he needs. He don't fly straight.
New on #ociana the Safaitic pig 𝒉̮𝒛𝒓: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Tony Montana: No, Frank, you tell me. What is a chazzer?
Frank Lopez: It's a *Safaitic* word for "pig." See, the guy, he wants more than what he needs. He don't fly straight.
New on #ociana the Safaitic pig 𝒉̮𝒛𝒓: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
We saw ancient Arabs writing in Greek but what about Romans using Arabic? Perhaps an example of this is a #newly uploaded #Safaitic text to #OCIANA by a man named 𝒈𝒚𝒔̣ (Gaius) 𝒅̱ ʾ𝒍 𝒓𝒎 'of the people of Rome'.
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
April 12, 2025 at 6:55 PM
We saw ancient Arabs writing in Greek but what about Romans using Arabic? Perhaps an example of this is a #newly uploaded #Safaitic text to #OCIANA by a man named 𝒈𝒚𝒔̣ (Gaius) 𝒅̱ ʾ𝒍 𝒓𝒎 'of the people of Rome'.
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
The Quran displays various arrangements of mysterious, disconnected letters. The magico-sacred aspect of the alphabet stretches far into the pre-Islamic past. This Safaitic text begins with a prayer to Allāt followed by a partial abecedary.
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
November 6, 2025 at 8:11 AM
The Quran displays various arrangements of mysterious, disconnected letters. The magico-sacred aspect of the alphabet stretches far into the pre-Islamic past. This Safaitic text begins with a prayer to Allāt followed by a partial abecedary.
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Find more: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
Petroglyphs on the landscape (cont’d), Bakhita, Jordan 2025
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some (more) of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some (more) of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
October 2, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Petroglyphs on the landscape (cont’d), Bakhita, Jordan 2025
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some (more) of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some (more) of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
Petroglyphs on the landscape, Bakhita, Jordan 2025
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
September 19, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Petroglyphs on the landscape, Bakhita, Jordan 2025
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
Nikon f100, 24-120 f4 vr, Tmax 100
Some of the many petroglyphs around the site.
#Fieldwork #Jordan #BelieveInFilm
An ancient celebration : a dancing scene with a double-reed flute in the black desert some 2000 years ago. BES19s 30: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8o-...
BES19s 30: A Safaitic dancing scene
YouTube video by OCIANA
www.youtube.com
March 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
An ancient celebration : a dancing scene with a double-reed flute in the black desert some 2000 years ago. BES19s 30: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8o-...
A fascinating new #Safaitic inscription edited and uploaded to #OCIANA. Our man here expresses his fear of the Romans, that his fear was unceasing (lam ya’lu), and calls upon Allāt for security.
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
November 30, 2024 at 1:59 PM
A fascinating new #Safaitic inscription edited and uploaded to #OCIANA. Our man here expresses his fear of the Romans, that his fear was unceasing (lam ya’lu), and calls upon Allāt for security.
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
BES summer campaign 2024. Safaitic.
June 26, 2024 at 7:27 PM
BES summer campaign 2024. Safaitic.
Arabs, Romans, and Persians, oh my!
Some 2k years ago an Arab commander named Wahballāh son of Ẓann-ʾEl led a troop with an Arab soldier called "Scorpion," a Roman called "Big Mark," and Persian called "held by Ahura Mazda." Here are their inscriptions in #Greek and #Safaitic
Some 2k years ago an Arab commander named Wahballāh son of Ẓann-ʾEl led a troop with an Arab soldier called "Scorpion," a Roman called "Big Mark," and Persian called "held by Ahura Mazda." Here are their inscriptions in #Greek and #Safaitic
April 20, 2025 at 12:29 PM
#Safaitic inscription KRS 1131 carries a unique invocation to the 'One' god, ʾḥd /ʾaḥad/. See the updated card here on #OCIANA with bibliographic references
KRS 1131: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
KRS 1131: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
November 28, 2024 at 9:41 PM
#Safaitic inscription KRS 1131 carries a unique invocation to the 'One' god, ʾḥd /ʾaḥad/. See the updated card here on #OCIANA with bibliographic references
KRS 1131: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
KRS 1131: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
#New on #OCIANA: The ancient Arabian divine world was populated by independent powers. The author of this #Safaitic inscription calls upon an assembly of 7 gods to save "from what Bʿls¹mn (the storm god) has unjustly wrought upon us" = 'drought'
Find more: shorturl.at/UyXCr
Find more: shorturl.at/UyXCr
February 25, 2026 at 6:40 PM
#New on #OCIANA: The ancient Arabian divine world was populated by independent powers. The author of this #Safaitic inscription calls upon an assembly of 7 gods to save "from what Bʿls¹mn (the storm god) has unjustly wrought upon us" = 'drought'
Find more: shorturl.at/UyXCr
Find more: shorturl.at/UyXCr
Another view of one of the most important Safaitic inscriptions I’ve published. Recognize it ?
August 26, 2024 at 6:54 PM
Another view of one of the most important Safaitic inscriptions I’ve published. Recognize it ?
A beautiful hunting scene - a knight spearing a lion with an archer in the background (notice perspective is achieved through the relative size of the figures). The drawing is surrounded by a Safaitic grieving inscription and cartouche. One wonders about the connection btw rock art and memory…
November 21, 2024 at 11:52 AM
A beautiful hunting scene - a knight spearing a lion with an archer in the background (notice perspective is achieved through the relative size of the figures). The drawing is surrounded by a Safaitic grieving inscription and cartouche. One wonders about the connection btw rock art and memory…
“From death there is no deliverance”, one of my favorite #Safaitic inscriptions. I just updated its card on the OCIANA DB with new images of the text, the site, and bibliography, along w metadata.
AMSI 41: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
AMSI 41: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
December 1, 2024 at 5:40 PM
“From death there is no deliverance”, one of my favorite #Safaitic inscriptions. I just updated its card on the OCIANA DB with new images of the text, the site, and bibliography, along w metadata.
AMSI 41: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...
AMSI 41: ociana.osu.edu/inscriptions...