Nora Stele in Southern Sardinia 750 BCE

For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts

Nora Stele on display at Italian National Archaeological Museum at Cagliari, Sardinia.
Photo by Olaf Tausch via Wikimedia Commons at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stele_von_Nora_07.jpg

Translation of Nora Stele from Sardinia (800-700 BCE)

(August 28, 2022, Updated December 21, 2024) This text is promoting the astrological powers of fate over the Druid life power class. This focus on the night sky might help explain the numerous stone towers of the Nuragic culture. They were good for defensive observation but also good for observing the night sky.

The letter style is half-way between Phoenician and Israelite.

In English

The zodiac-houses activate the life-powers.
The coastal-region's (sky-shell) life-powers can make that ineffective.
The gossamer-fabric (night sky) is driving nature
Emotions can make ineffective that activity.
Replace the nourishments of the Reed-boat (Ayu)
The divine-irrigation-network can replace the gate-keepers (eagle-vultures).
Activate the gate-keepers with revelations of guidance (planetary fate powers)
The eyes-of-fate (planets) will reveal the openings.

Google map showing location of Nora on the coast of southern Sardinia.

Archaeology of Nora

(August 27, 2022) The native civilization of Sardinia is known as Nuragic. Around 900 BCE the Phoenicians arrived and set up trading posts on the southern coast which eventually grew into large towns. One of these towns was Nora. Based on the existence of the Nora Stele it apparently had a temple. The Nora Stele (Stone) was in Nora in 1773. Consequently, its contextual information is missing.

As a trading port, Nora would have been similar but smaller in scale to the Aegean trading site on the island of Delos. Consequently, it would have contained a mix of temples and warehouses.

References

Cross, Frank (1972) An Interpretation of the Nora Stone. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research No. 208 (Dec., 1972), pp. 13-19
Nijboar, A.J. (2008) Italy and the Levant during the late Bronze and Iron Ages (1200-750/700 BCE)
Peckham, Brian (1972) The Nora Inscription, Orientalia 41 (1972). Online with purchase at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43079209?seq=1 Pilkington, N. (2012) A Note on Nora and the Nora Stone. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research Online at: https://www.academia.edu/3103158/A_Note_on_Nora_and_the_Nora_Stone

Mediterranean Colony Map (650 BCE) showing Sardinia off the coast of Italy with its Phoenician Colonies.

Proto- Nuraghe Albucciu near Arzachena, Province Olbia-Tempio, Sardinia, Italy. These are just platforms with internal stairways to the top.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nuraghe-albucciu-2.jpg

Bonnanaro Stone Tower (Nuragic) Culture 1800-1600 BCE

(February 24, 2024) This culture is the earliest phase of the Nuragic culture on Sardinia and it is found over the whole island. The earliest Nuraghe were built at this time. They consisted of tall stone towers with an internal stairway to a top platform. So they were only good for signaling the neighbors and a few days defense with bows. They are found along the coast and along the rivers which were the main raiding paths then just as they were during the Viking era.

Consequently, these are called proto-nuraghe.

This culture divided into 2 sub-phases:

A1 Corona Moltana - 1800–1650 BC
A2 Sant'Iroxi 1650–1600 BC

The Bonnanaro grave typologies include the domus de janas, caves, cists, and barrows (gallery grave, long dolmen) so they were a continuation of the previous culture. So only the material culture changed and not the religious culture.

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnanaro_culture

Translation Justification of Nora Stele in Akkadian

Rows 1 and 2 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred.)
Letter Chart Used: Levant Letter Lineage.

BeTu RāṢu Ṣu (Med 2.1)
NaGu RaṢu E A (Med 2.2)

In English

The zodiac-houses activate the life-powers.
The coastal-region's (sky-shell) life-powers can make that ineffective.

Rows 3 and 4 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
Letter Chart Used: Levant Letter Lineage.

BāṢu ReDu NaTu (Med 2.3)
Imu E A Ṣu (Med 2.4)

In English

The gossamer-fabric (night sky) is driving nature
Emotions can make ineffective that activity.

Rows 5 and 6 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
Letter Chart Used: Levant Letter Lineage.

MaZu Bu AMu (Med 2.5)
IKu TeNu BiBu (Med 2.6)

In English

Replace the nourishments of the Reed-boat (Ayu)
The divine-irrigation-network can replace the gate-keepers (eagle-vultures).

Rows 7 and 8 of Nora Stele (Med Text 2)

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
Letter Chart Used: Levant Letter Lineage.

Ṣu BiBu Nu GeRu
IGi Nu Pu

In English

Activate the gate-keepers with revelations of guidance (planetary fate powers)
The eyes-of-fate (planets) will reveal the openings.

Comparison with Hebrew Translations

Olmsted's Akkadian Translation

(Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)

BeTu RāṢu Ṣu
NaGu RaṢu E A
BāṢu ReDu NaTu
Imu E A Ṣu
MaZu Bu AMu
IKu TeNu BiBu
Ṣu BiBu Nu GeRu
IGi Nu Pu

The zodiac-houses activate the life-powers.
The coastal-region's (sky-shell) life-powers can make that ineffective.
The gossamer-fabric (night sky) is driving nature.
Emotions can make ineffective that activity.
Replace the nourishments of the Reed-boat (Ayu).
The divine-irrigation-network can replace the gate-keepers (eagle-vultures).
Activate the gate-keepers with revelations of guidance (planetary fate powers).
The eyes-of-fate (planets) will reveal the openings.

Peckham’s (1972) Failed Hebrew Translation

Letter assignment errors in red

B TRSS
WGRS H'
B SRDN S
IM H' SL
M SB' M
iKTN BN
SBN NGD
Y PMY

From Tarsis
he was driven
in Sardinia he
found refuge
his forces found refuge
Milkaton, son of
Subon, the commander
To [the god] Pmy

Comment

B is a preposition in Hebrew meaning "in" or "with"
grs = garas = to drive. Hebrew conflates the letter ayin (') with "A." Letter "he" is dual use being either H or E.
the ending /s/ is ignored. It does not mean "he"
Error, even with 20 Hebrew word varieties for “refuge” it does not match the letter.
Error, even with 20 Hebrew word varieties for “refuge” it does not match here
Error, "Milkaton" is split between lines
“nagid” means “general” or “noble

Finally, stone inscriptions were time consuming to make. Why would anyone write and then set up such a boring text?

Cross’s (1972) Failed Hebrew Translation

Letter assignment errors in red

Ba-TaRSiS
Wa-GaRiSo HU
Ba-SaRDiNa Sa
LiM Hu' SaL
iM SaBa'o Mi
IKaToN BiN
SuBNa NaGiD
La PuMmY

At Tarsis
and he drove them out
among the Sardinians
peace he is [now] at peace
(and) his army is at peace
Milkaton son of
Subna, general
of (king) Pummay

Comment

B is a preposition in Hebrew meaning "in" or "with"
W = “and,” grs = garas = to drive, HU” = “He. Fraudulent letter change to make a word!
Error: split word at end to make salim (peace)
Fraud: adds letter L to make "salim." Error: split word at end to make salim (peace) again.
saba” means “army.
Error, "Milkaton" is split between lines
“nagid” means “general” or “noble

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse