Milestone From Golan From The Time Of ʿAbd al-Malik - 1, 85 AH / 704 CE
Islamic Awareness
© Islamic Awareness, All Rights Reserved.
First Composed: 7th February 2007
Last Modified: 10th February 2007
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Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure (a) original inscription, (b) its trace and (c) its contents.
[
] encloses letters supplied to fill a lacuna
Date
85 AH / 704 CE.
Size Of The Slab
Basalt slab, chiselled and cut on all sides to create a square building stone. Length = 28.5 cm.; width = 28.5 cm.; depth = 24.5 cm.; average height of letters = 2.5 cm.
Script
Kufic.
Contents
The translation of the inscription is:
- [There is no god but God alone] no partner h[as He, Muḥammad is the messenge]
- r of God. Has ordered the manufacture of th[ese milestones the servant of]
- God ʿAbd al-Malik, the Commander of the Fa[ithful; (this was carried out) by]
- Musāwir, the mawlā of the Commander of the [Faithful, in the month....
- ...] In the year five and eig[hty; from Damascus to]
- this (mile) two and fifty m[iles].
Comments
Another milestone at 53 miles from Damascus found in Golan can be seen here. Four milestones, i.e., from Bāb al-Wād, Abū Ghōsh, Khān al-Hathrūra and Deir al-Qalt, bearing ʿAbd al-Malik's name also exist. But these are undated. The milestones from Golan are the only ones where a date appears. The milestones at Deir al-Qalt and Khān al-Hathrūra were at 107 and 109 miles, respectively, from Damascus.
However, unlike the Golan milestones, the undated milestones contain the phrase raḥmat Allāh ʿalayhi, suggesting in all probability that ʿAbd al-Malik was deceased by that time. In other words, the four undated inscriptions were probably planned during the reign of the caliph but were completed after his death.
Location
This inscription was found in the village of Fīq (or Afīq) in Golan and were transferred to Qazrin Museum, Golan, Occupied Syria.
References
[1] A. Elad, "The Southern Golan In The Early Muslim Period; The Significance Of Two Newly Discovered Millstones Of ‘Abd al-Malik", Der Islam, 1999, Volume 76, pp. 33-88, esp. pp. 33-35.
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