I picked this stone up in 1959/60 in Timna(h)in the Yemen among the ruins of the city ruled by the kings of Qataban. Timna seems to have been razed about the time of Jesus Christ. I love to think of the man who carved the letters. I found some details in the book by Wendell Phllips'Qataban and Sheba'. I love to think I was in the lands or very close to the lands of the Queen of Sheba and to think what bits of history were going on at the same time as the stonecarver made his marks in the alabster. I believe it may have come from the cemetery area, near the bronze lions of Timna made 75-50 BC. We all love this stone which has long been a member of the family! It has a mate which is made of a common sandstone (?) but is definitely not alabaster.
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