The Nabataean religion was distinguished by the diversity of its deities. Among the most important is the god Shia al-Qawm. He was also mentioned in the Safaitic inscriptions (currently southern Syria –  Northern Jordan), which shows the spread of his worship among the Arab tribes who practiced the shepherding and then caravan trade. His mention was linked to the designation of the god who does not drink wine as the watchful and protective god.

On this altar, the inscription mentions a person by the name (Ubaido bin Anmu) who made a votive offering to the god (Shia al-Qawm). Ubaido bin Almu bin Saad al-Lat the Nabataean was a knight in al-Hirah and in the camp of the city of Ana. In the month of September of the year 443 according to the Seleucid calendar and 132 according to the Gregorian calendar, he made two altars for the god Shia al-Qawm in Palmyra, for himself and his two brothers Maiti and Abdo and his son Saad al-Lat. His friend and neighbor Zubaydah bin Shimon celebrated with him before the god Shia al-Qawm with every visitor to the altars.

Text reading in Latin letters

1. [t]rtn ‘lwt’ ‘ln ‘bd ‘bydw br
‘nmw
2. [br] s’dlt nbry’ rwhy[‘] dy hw’
prs
3. [b]l)yrt’ wbmsryt’ dy ‘n’
4. lSy”lqwm ‘lh’ rb’ wskr’ dy l’
5. st’ hmr ‘l hywhy wl)yy m’yty
6. w’bdw ‘hwhy ws’dlt brh byrh
7. ‘lwl snt 4.100+40+3 wdkyr
zbyd’ br
8. [s]m’wn br bl’qb gyrh wrhmh
qdm
9. sy”lqwm ‘lh’ rb’ wdkyr kl
10. m’yd ‘lwt’ ‘In w’mr dkyryn
11. [h]’ ‘ln klhwn brb

Translation

These two altars
have been made [i.e. erected] by
‘BYDW son of ‘NMW son of
S’DLT, a Nabataean (NBTY’) of
the RWBY’ (tribe), who was a
horseman at HYR T’ and in the
camp of ‘N’,46 to SY”LQWM,
the good and bountiful god who
does not drink wine, for his life
and the lives of M’YTY and
‘BDW, his brothers, and S’DLT,
his son; in the month of ‘L WL,
the year 443 (September, AD
132). And remembered be
ZBYD’ son of SM’WN son of
BL’QB, his patron and friend,
before SY”LQWM, the good
god. And remembered be
everyone who will visit these
altars and say ‘May all these be
remembered for good!’