Baalshamem inscription
| Baalshamem inscription | |
|---|---|
The inscription in the Louvre | |
| Material | Alabaster |
| Height | 29 cm |
| Width | 32 cm |
| Created | c. 132 BC |
| Discovered | 1860–1861 Umm al-Amad, Lebanon, South, Lebanon |
| Present location | Paris, Ile-de-France, France |
| Part of a series on |
| Canaanite and Aramaic inscriptions |
|---|
The Baalshamem inscription is a Phoenician inscription discovered in 1860–61 at Umm al-Amad, Lebanon, the longest of three inscriptions found there during Ernest Renan's Mission de Phénicie. All three inscriptions were found on the north side of the hill; this inscription was found in the foundation of one of the ruined houses covering the hill.
The inscription is on an alabaster slab about 32 x 29cm. The writing is not deeply engraved and is not considered to be of monumental character; it was found almost intact except for the beginning, consisting of eight letters, which scholars were able to reconstruct partly from the traces present and partly from the content of the inscription.
The inscription is known as KAI 18 or CIS I 7. Today it is on display at the Louvre, with ID number AO 4831.