INSCRIBED ARROWHEAD

MS 715
MS Short Title INSCRIBED ARROWHEAD
Text ARROW OF PEGAHAN MAN OF 'OZIBA'AL
Description MS in Canaanite West Semitic on bronze, Byblos, Lebanon, 11th c. BC, 1 arrowhead, 7,2x1,5 cm, inscribed on both sides with Proto-Canaanite script/early Phoenician script.
Context

A MS with Proto-Sinaitic/Proto-Canaanite script is MS 5180.

Provenance 1. Found in Southern Lebanon; 2. Frank Sternberg, Zürich, Auktion XXIV, 19.11.1990:431.
Commentary The about 50 known arrowheads are the most important link between the West Semitic early Proto-Canaanite and the Phoenician-Hebrew scripts, being critical for the study of the development of the alphabet. The owners of most of the known arrowheads were warriors, possibly under the command of the King of Amurru. Oziba'al is a new king of Byblos, hitherto unknown.
Published André Lamaire: 'Oziba'al de Byblos?, in: Ritual, religion and reason: Studies in the ancient world in honour of Paolo Xella, ed. Oswald Loretz,..(et al), Münster, Ugarit-Verlag, 2013, pp. 289-296.
Exhibited The Norwegian Institute of Palaeography and Historical Philology (PHI), Oslo, 13.10.2003-06.2005.
Place of origin Byblos, Lebanon
Dates 11c BC