Lilybaeum (Marsala) Stele in Sicily 750 BCE

This stele was first published in the Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum, having been supplied to Renan by Count Francesco Hernandez di Carrera. It measures 0.37 x 0.22 m  
Photo by Jamie Heath via Wikimedia Commons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carthago_exhibition_-_Stela_with_Cultic_Scene_%26_Votive_Inscription_(49340901392).jpg

Lilybaeum (Marsala) Stele in Sicily 750 BCE

(February 15, 2024) This stele was found in Marsala (Roman Lilybaeum), in an area known as il Timpone di S. Antonio. It is currently in the Antonino Salinas Regional Archeological Museum in Palermo. The name of Motya/Marsala as recorded by the Greeks was Lilýbaion (Λιλύβαιον) and in Latin as Lilybaeum. This seems to be an Akkadian phrase either meaning "lacking enemies" from L.YB or "guaranteed enemies" from LL.YB.

The text is giving a reason why the deep divinations of the city's astrological magic crafters was not working. It is blaming the withdrawal of the astrological motion powers from the earth during what seems to be a drought. Yet it still is pushing for the support of the population for such magical interventions.

The text says:

  1. Confusion cannot reveal the nest (life network).  Redirect the revelations.  Weave the revelations.  Anoint the same revelations.  Nourish the revelations.
  2. Sprout the revelations. Nourish the life-manifestations. Shouldn't we be nourishing the coast (day time sky-shell)? Shepherds (magic crafters) can catch-the-attention of the eagle-vulture's commander (Ayu).  Deep-Divination does not nest the revealed life-manifestations.
  3. The lack of astrology-magic is similar to being pushed-away.  Confusion  is emanated.  The seers are affected.

The very top image shows the sun traversing the sky shell. Below that are 3 columns representing 3 trees which represent the 3 layers of life powers of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.  

Below those life power symbols is a set of images representing the emotion/motion powers. On the right is the first known example of the astrological sign representing the constellation of Taurus. Taurus as the storm bull represented the power of the chaotic rainstorm which brought needed rain at the cost of destruction. He was the chaotic aspect of the life network god (and sun god) Su. This indicates the stele involves the interaction between the life powers and the emotion/motion powers.

Right of the Taurus sign is a figure with upraised arms. This is the motion source goddess Sela/Selene. She is the light of stars, moon, planets, and souls. (The word "celestial" probably derives from Sela).  This celestial light property of both stars and souls is why some mythologies equate stars with dead souls. The Phoenician sub-culture was devoted to the motion/emotion powers more than any other.

To the right of Selene is an incense burner being attended by a priest. Odors in the air was a ritual practice involving the motion/emotion class of divine powers.


Motya is the island in the center of Marsala harbor behind the sand bar. The island was the first part settled by the Phoenicians around 800 BCE.
Marsala/Motya is located on the far east end of Sicily. This map shows Sicily when it was dominated by the Greeks around 400 BCE. From https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7776/map-of-greek-sicily-5th-century-bce/

History of Motya and Marsala (Lilybaeum).

(February 15, 2024) Recent archaeology shows that Motya was a regular stop in the east-west sea trade already by the 2nd millennium BCE. Levantine and Mycenaean seafarers used to rest in the Marsala Lagoon before continuing on their sea journeys to Sardinia, Baleares and the Iberian Peninsula, as well as towards the Aeolian Island and central Tyrrhenian Sea. At those times, Motya hosted a prosperous indigenous village, which continued to live, with several transformations and at least four major stratigraphic phases (Motya IIA, IIB, IIIA and IIIB) until around 900 BCE. After a 100 years of no signs of occupation the Phoenicians arrived to settle around 800 BCE. 

Significantly, Motta island had fresh water as a result of impermeable clayish marl bedrock forming natural cisterns. These cisterns formed small pools of still water which could be used to record the movements of the heavenly bodies by placing down vertical sticks. At least one became the center of a large temple in later times.   

References


Lorenzo Nigro & Federica Spagnoli (2017) Landing on Motya. The earliest Phoenician settlement. Excavation report 2012-2016. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/32529068/_FULL_TEXT_Landing_on_Motya_The_earliest_Phoenician_settlement_of_the_8th_century_BC_and_the_creation_of_a_West_Phoenician_Cultural_Identity_in_the_excavations_of_Sapienza_University_of_Rome_2012_2016_QAFP_CM_04_Rome_2017

Star tracking pool at Motya. Recent excavations also found several more temples bordering the pool, alongside inscribed stone columns, altars and offerings. The basin, larger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, was rebuilt in 550 BCE along with Motya after it was destroyed in an attack by Carthage, another Phoenician colony across the sea in Tunisia. The city was then abandoned in Roman times. Photo from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/27/rewriting-history-phoenician-harbour-revealed-to-be-religious-site-that-aligns-with-the-stars

The first phase (800-750 BCE) of the Phoenician pool and temple complex at Motya. From Lorenzo Nigro & Federica Spagnoli (2017). 

Second phase (800-750 BCE) showing the addition of a second temple and a courtyard at Motya. From Lorenzo Nigro & Federica Spagnoli (2017). 

Map of the star tracking pool at Motya after it was rebuilt in 550 BCE. Image taken from: from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/27/rewriting-history-phoenician-harbour-revealed-to-be-religious-site-that-aligns-with-the-stars

(February 14, 2024)   This text is mostly Phoenician in style which is just starting its transition to Punic so this dates it to about 750 BCE.

Translation of Lines 1, 2, and 3 in Akkadian (Med Text 55)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred inner vowels. Vowels are italic bold) 
  1. IŠu  Nu  Ya  Ba'u.  IWu  Nu.  ŠaTu  Nu.  ReḪu  Nu  Šu.  Bu  Nu.  (Med 55.1)
  2. ŠeDu  Nu.  Bu  Du.  Yu  Bu  NaGu.  Re'u  TiQu  Ru  QaBu.  NiŠu  Du  Nu  Ba'u  Ya (Med 55.2)
  3. Lu  Tu  Ma'u  Šu.  IŠu  Zu.  BaRu  LaŠu (Med 55.2)
(Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)

In English

  1. Confusion cannot reveal the nest (life network).  Redirect the revelations.  Weave the revelations.  Anoint the same revelations.  Nourish the revelations.
  2. Sprout the revelations. Nourish the life-manifestations. Shouldn't we be nourishing the coast (day time sky-shell)? Shepherds (magic crafters) can catch-the-attention of the eagle-vulture's commander (Ayu).  Deep-Divination does not nest the revealed life-manifestations.
  3. The lack of astrology-magic is similar to being pushed-away.  Confusion  is emanated.  The seers are affected.