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.
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

  1. The zodiac-houses activate the life-powers.
  2. The coastal-region's (sky-shell) life-powers can make that ineffective.
  3. The gossamer-fabric (night sky) is driving nature 
  4. Emotions can make ineffective that activity.
  5. Replace the nourishments of the Reed-boat (Ayu)
  6. The divine-irrigation-network can replace the gate-keepers (eagle-vultures).
  7. Activate the gate-keepers with revelations of guidance (planetary fate powers)
  8. 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
Phoenician and Greek Colony Map
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:

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

In English

  1. The zodiac-houses activate the life-powers.
  2. 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.
  1. BāṢu  ReDu  NaTu (Med 2.3)
  2. Imu  E  A  Ṣu (Med 2.4)

In English

  1. The gossamer-fabric (night sky) is driving nature 
  2. 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.
  1. MaZu  Bu  AMu (Med 2.5)
  2. IKu  TeNu  BiBu (Med 2.6)

In English

  1. Replace the nourishments of the Reed-boat (Ayu)
  2. 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.
  1. Ṣu  BiBu  Nu  GeRu
  2. IGi  Nu  Pu

In English

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

Comparison with Hebrew Translations

Nora Stele on display at Italian National Archaeological Museum at Cagliari, Sardinia.

Olmsted's Akkadian Translation

(Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. BeTu  RāṢu  Ṣu 
  2. NaGu  RaṢu  E  A 
  3. BāṢu  ReDu  NaTu 
  4. Imu  E  A  Ṣu
  5. MaZu  Bu  AMu
  6. IKu  TeNu  BiBu
  7. Ṣu  BiBu  Nu  GeRu
  8. IGi  Nu  Pu

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

Peckham’s (1972) Failed Hebrew Translation

Letter assignment errors in red

  1. B TRSS
  2. WGRS H'
  3. B SRDN S
  4. IM H' SL
  5. M SB' M
  6. iKTN BN
  7. SBN NGD
  8. Y PMY

  1. From Tarsis
  2. he was driven
  3. in Sardinia he
  4. found refuge
  5. his forces found refuge
  6. Milkaton, son of
  7. Subon, the commander
  8. To [the god] Pmy 

Comment

  1. B is a preposition in Hebrew meaning "in" or "with"
  2.  grs = garas = to drive. Hebrew conflates the letter ayin (') with "A." Letter "he" is dual use being either H or E.
  3. the ending /s/ is ignored. It does not mean "he"
  4. Error, even with 20 Hebrew word varieties for “refuge” it does not match the letter.
  5. Error, even with 20 Hebrew word varieties for “refuge” it does not match here
  6. Error, "Milkaton" is split between lines
  7. “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

  1. Ba-TaRSiS
  2. Wa-GaRiSo  HU
  3. Ba-SaRDiNa  Sa 
  4. LiM Hu' SaL
  5. iM SaBa'o Mi
  6. IKaToN BiN
  7. SuBNa NaGiD
  8. La PuMmY

  1. At Tarsis
  2. and he drove them out
  3. among the Sardinians
  4. peace he is [now] at peace
  5. (and) his army is at peace
  6. Milkaton son of
  7. Subna, general
  8. of (king) Pummay

Comment

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