This limestone altar originates from the village of Arak, located northeast of Palmyra, and preserves a significant Aramaic dedicatory inscription despite the heavy loss of its top and base. The surviving text provides valuable information about local religious practices and the cultic role of Yarḥibol, one of Palmyra’s most venerated deities.

The inscription opens by naming the dedicator, Malkū son of Marbanā, who crafted the altar as an offering to Yarḥibol, described here with two key epithets. The first—“the giver of water to the village of Arak”—emphasizes his role as a provider of life-sustaining resources, reflecting the dependence of oasis communities on divine protection of springs and irrigation channels. The second title—“protector of the village”—confirms the god’s status as a guardian of local settlements. A further epithet, “the provider”, enhances the impression of Yarḥibol as a beneficent deity associated with sustenance, guardianship, and natural abundance.

The inscription is dated vaguely to an unspecified year, followed by the clear notation “in the month of Nisan,” indicating a springtime act of dedication. Although the altar is structurally incomplete, the text contributes significantly to our understanding of Palmyrene rural cults and the relationship between village communities and regional deities.

The altar was found at Arak, approximately 28 km northeast of Palmyra. No details survive regarding the archaeological mission responsible for its discovery. The object was last documented at the Palmyra Museum in January 2015 under inventory number A 1192, with its inscription published in PAT 1622 and various modern studies.

Text reading

1 ‘It’ dy ‘bd

2 mlkw br

3 mrbn’

4 lyrḥbwl

5 Išq’ I’rq’

6 lgd’ dy qrt[‘]

7 l’lh’ škr[‘]

8 šnt 5.100+20+[.]

9 byrḥ nysn

Translation

1- This altar, made by
2- Malkw bin
3- Marbana
4- For (the god) Yarh-Bul
5- The giver of water to the village of Ark,
6- For (the god) the protector of the village.
7- For the god the provider.
8- Year?
9- In the month of Nisan.