The core goal of this paper is to bring to light and study the significance of a recently discovered Islamic inscription, found in the northeastern desert region of Jordan. This inscription has... Show moreThe core goal of this paper is to bring to light and study the significance of a recently discovered Islamic inscription, found in the northeastern desert region of Jordan. This inscription has subsequently been placed in the care of the Al-Mafraq Antiquities Office and Museum for its own safety and in order to protect its historic authenticity. The inscription itself has proved to be incredibly valuable as it provides further information on the climatic and environmental conditions during the 14th century AD. Show less
The present article re-edits three early Islamic inscriptions that exhibit an orthographic feature believed to represent the glottal stop (hamz). Overall, this orthographic device (referred to as ... Show moreThe present article re-edits three early Islamic inscriptions that exhibit an orthographic feature believed to represent the glottal stop (hamz). Overall, this orthographic device (referred to as ‘proto-hamza’) is employed four times in the three inscriptions, bringing the number of its known attestations to a grand total of nine. The article concludes by making some broad observations on the multifarious nature of the early Arabic writing tradition(s). Show less
