TheDumaitic script constitutes a discrete and highly specialized variety of theAncient North Arabian (ANA) alphabetic family, the local writing tradition of theoasis and ancient city ofDūmat al-Jandal in theal-JawfProvince of northernSaudi Arabia.
Dumaitic was used in the first millennium BCE and provides evidence for sedentary literacy in the northern oases before thelate antique transition to the use of theArabic script. Historically, only three Dumaitic inscriptions were known: WTI 21, WTI 22, and WTI 23 (or WDum 1–3). A new survey in the region led to the identification and publication of another sixteen Dumaitic inscriptions in 2018.[1]
Dumaitic was first discovered and documented by Frederick V. Winnett and William L. Reed during a 1962 expedition, with the findings published in 1970. Originally, they named the script "Jawfian".[2] In 2000,Michael C. A. Macdonald re-analyzed the script, and re-named it "Dumaitic" to reflect its connection to the Duma oasis.[3]
Located roughly 50 km southwest ofSakākā, the expansive oasis of Dūmat al-Jandal sits within a prominent depression known as a jawf. Identified asAdummatu in ancient Akkadian records, this site marks the southern-most point of theWādī Sirḥān corridor. Its natural boundaries consist of thelimestoneplateau of theḥamād to the north and the vastNafūddesert to the south. Beyond its reliable water resources, the primary significance of the location is its position at a major geographical crossroads. By serving as an intersection for multiple caravan routes, the oasis functioned as a vital link between theArabian Peninsula,Mesopotamia, and theLevant. This strategic placement explains why it remained a major power center for various groups including theQedarite Arabs, theNabataeans, and theRomans.[4]
The three core inscriptions of the Dumaitic script (WDI 21–23 or WDum 1–3), representing all known Dumaitic inscriptions until 2018, read:[5]
WTI 21 (WDum 1): h rḍw s¹ʾlt klb bz / 'O Rḍw, the petition of Klb is here'
WTI 22 (WDum 2): h rḍw wdd ʿw{ṣ} ʿw{ḏ} ʿh / 'O Rḍw, let there be love, ʿw{ṣ} ʿw{ḏ} ʿh (?)'
WTI 23 (WDum 3): h rḍw w nhy / w ʿtrs¹m / s¹ʿd-n ʿl-wdd-y / 'O Rḍw, and Nhy / and ʿtrs¹m / help me in the matter of my love
All three inscriptions begin include a short petition to the godRuday. The first, WTI 21, was authored byKlb (Kalb), a common Semitic personal name, literally meaning "dog". The scripts reflect standardized formula for personal prayer within the oasis culture. WTI 22 represents a different genre of graffito, focusing on social or personal relationships, using the common verbwdd ("to love" or "to have affection for") from the broader North Arabian epigraphic tradition. The third inscription, WTI 23, is the most linguistically linguistically and religiously significant of the three texts, as it invokes a triad of deities: "ORuḍay andNuhay andAtarsamain, help me in the matter of my love". The three deities are also known from a larger list of six deities of a list collected by theAssyrian kingSennacherib of the same region; the other three, Daya, Abirillu, and Atarqurama, are not attested in any Arabian inscriptions.[6]