The Banobal stele is a Horus on the Crocodiles stele with a Phoenician graffiti inscription on a block of marble which served as a base for an Egyptian stele, found near the Pyramid of Unas in

Memphis, Egypt , alternate_name = , image = , alt = , caption = Ruins of the pillared hall of Ramesses IIat Mit Rahina , map_type = Egypt#Africa , map_alt = , map_size = , relief = , coordinates = ...

in 1900. The inscription is known as KAI 48 or RES 1. It was first mentioned in 1900 by

Melchior de Vogüe Melchior is the name traditionally given to one of the biblical Magi appearing in the Gospel of Matthew. There are many notable people with this name, or close variations. As a first name * Melchior Anderegg (1828–1914), Swiss mountain guide * ...

, who had been sent a copy of the stele by Gaston Maspero, who was excavating

. It is currently at the Egyptian Museum, with ID CG 9402 (JE 33264+34081).

Phoenician inscription

The inscription is the front of the plinth of the stele, which measures 55 x 64 x 32 cm. The text of the inscription is damaged; it has been dated to the 2nd-1st centuries BCE. The inscription reads: :: Charles Clermont-Ganneau suggested the name Binba‘al might be better restored ''Banoba'al'' or ''Hanobal''.Clermont-Ganneau, Charles
Le nom phénicien Banobal et l’inscription de Memphis
Recueil d'archéologie orientale, Volume IV, 1901, section 41, page 216-217 Scholars have connected this name to Banobali or Bariobali, a Phoenician temple slave described by Cicero in '' In Verrem''.

Gallery

File:Banobal inscription zoomed in.jpg, Inscription zoomed in File:Banobal stele at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (front).jpg, Front File:Banobal stele at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (back).jpg, Back

Bibliography

* Daressy, Georges, 1903
Textes et dessins magiques, 9402
pages 3-11 Egypt. Maslahat al-Athar
Vol 13: Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte (1930-1931)
page 79
Vol 21: Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte (1938-1939)
page 261

References

{{reflist Phoenician inscriptions Archaeological artifacts KAI inscriptions