674 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



modified, and the writiug took more the character of running hand, of 

 which we find the complete development in the Arabic writing. 



23. Ancient Aramean writing in relief. Inscription of Teima, Central Arabia, dis- 



covered by Mr. Ch. Huber, assassinated at Djeilda in 1884. A pillar com- 

 memorative of the installation of the cult of the god Telem of Hagam at 

 Teima. On the left side of the pillar is the image of the god, and below, 

 the priest, which makes him an offering upon au altar with the legend 

 " Seleinsazab, Priest." Cast, gift of the Louvre Museum. 



24. An ancient Aramean inscription found by Ch. Huber at Teima. 



25. Aramean inscription of the north of Arabia by Ch. Huber. 



26. Aramean alphabet from Egypt. A funeral pillar from Vatican. Persian epoch 



500 to 300 B. C. Cast given by M. Fr. Leuormaut to the cabinet of Corpus 

 Inscriptionum Semiticarum. 



27. Nabateau writing, from 100 years B. C. to 300 A. D. In use by the populations 



of the north of Arabia before the time of Mahomet. Original, found at 

 Teina, Arabia. By Ch. Huber. 



28. Idem. 



29. Palmyrian inscription, bilingual, from the Mus<5e du Capitol, 236 years A. D. 



This is a consecration of a silver statue to the gods Aglibol and Malakbel. 

 Cast. Original the property of Marquis de Vogu6. 



30. Palmyrian inscription. A votive altar dedicated to the god Malakbel. Mus6e of 



the Capitol. Cast. Original the property of Marquis de Vogue". 



31. Hebrew Carre, about 150 B. C. Jewish inscription from Jaffa. Fifth or sixth 



century A. D. Cast. 



32. Arabiau writing. Specimens of manuscript Coufique and Neskis, from the 



mosque Kairouan, Tunis. 



2. European alphabet. 



33. Archaic-Greek, derived from the ancient Phoenician. Treaty of the Arcadians with 



the Eleens cVHera 600 to 500 B. C. Facsimile. The original is engraved on 

 a bronze plate. 



34. Archaic-Greek. The law of Gortyne, 500 B. C. An inscription boustropherlon, 



that is to say, going alternately from right to left and from left to right. 

 Cast, gift of the Louvre Museum. 



35. Etruscan inscription. Cast, gift of Louvre Museum. 



36. Archaic-Latin, derived from the Phoenician by the intermediation of the Greek. 



Bronze placque discovered in 1866-'67 near Gibraltar. Decree of Paul Emelie 

 according libeity to the slaves of the Hastenses who occupied the tower of 

 Lasceta, then the property of their town and territory. 190 B.C. Cast, gift 

 of the Louvre Museum. 



37. Trilingual inscription ; Greek, Latin, and Phoenician. Engraved on the base of 



a bronze altar of the weight of 100 pounds. This was an offering to the great 

 Doctor Escnlapins (Esmoun Merre), by Clion. " Because he heard his voice 

 and was cured." 150 to 130 B. C. Heliogravure from Sardinia. A cast of the 

 original was shown in the Phoenician section, No. 16. 



38. Au Equestrian incription of the time of the Republic. Cast from the Louvre 



Museum. 



The runic characters of Scandinavia are probably the latest manifes- 

 tation of the alphabetic writing in antiquity. It may be called the last 

 fossil alphabetic writiug. They had two grand epochs or divisions both 

 of which, however, belonged to the iron age. The characters were es- 

 sentially different, so much so that a knowledge of one does not enable 



