Marat M . Yunusov | Institute of Oriental Manuscripts RAS (original) (raw)

Papers by Marat M . Yunusov

Письменные памятники Востока. 2023. Т. 20. № 2 (вып. 53). C. 71-89., 2023

The article is the third essay on the life and scholarly activity of the outstanding French schol... more The article is the third essay on the life and scholarly activity of the outstanding French scholar Abbоt J.-J. Barthélemy as part of a series of publications on the history of the decipherment of West Semitic writing (events and people). The essay examines the circumstances of Barthélemy’s appointment in September 1753 to the post of the Keeper of the Royal Cabinet of Medals. This event, long awaited by the abbot, became possible with the help and mediation of Marquis de Gonto and Comte de Stanville, both close to Marquise de Pompadour. Some events that led to the rapprochement of the influential mistress of the king with Comte de Stanville may, in a sense, be regarded as a background to this important appointment for Barthélemy. This Barthélemy’s appointment to a new post was the occasion for his personal acquaintance with de Stanville family, with whom the abbot would associate for the rest of his life and to which, by his own admission, he would sacrifice his scholarly career and the name that he could have in scholarship

Marat M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2022. Т. 19. № 1 (вып. 48). С. 108–128).

In June 1744, Abbot Barthélemy arrived in Paris with many letters of recommendation. One of these... more In June 1744, Abbot Barthélemy arrived in Paris with many letters of recommendation.
One of these letters was given to Claude de Boze, curator of the royal Cabinet des Médailles. Soon the young abbot was recruited as an assistant to de Boze and began active work in the field of
numismatics. A few years later, with the help of patrons and friends, Barthélemy was elected as a
member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, where he made several presentations
immediately recognized by the scholarly community. One of them was the first part of the Essai
d’une Paléographie Numismatique, which proposed a new method for its time for attribution and
systematization of the most archaic coins in the Mediterranean. However, Barthélemy did not pursue
systematic work on the subject being for many years distracted, among other things, by writing his
archaeological novel, Voyage du jeune Anacharsis en Grèce. This work brought the author worldwide
fame and recognition of the general public. At the end of his life, he nevertheless continued to work
on his Paléographie and was very sorry that he would not have time to finish it. The scholar’s
contemporaries and biographers noted that this delay cost Barthélemy the honorable place of the
founder of modern numismatics.

Marat M. Yunusov (Христианское чтение. 2022. № 2. С. 245–267)., 2022

The collection of N. P. Likhachev in the archives of the St. Petersburg Institute of History of t... more The collection of N. P. Likhachev in the archives of the St. Petersburg Institute of History
of the Russian Academy of Sciences includes five letters from the Italian historian and bibliographer
of the 18th century P. M. Paciaudi. Of particular interest are two letters, dated January 18, 1781,
and July 20, 1782, addressed to the French bibliographer, historian of literature and printing, B. Mercier,
Abbot of Saint-Leger. The content of these letters, in addition to some interesting details about
the scientific and cultural life in Italy at the end of the 18th century, shows the other side of the life
and work of scholars, their relationship with the authorities, everyday difficulties and plans for the future,
some of which remained unfulfilled.

Marat M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока, 2020, том 17, № 2 (вып. 41), с. 18–40)

In the mid-18th century, Barthélemy made two outstanding discoveries — he deciphered the Palmyren... more In the mid-18th century, Barthélemy made two outstanding discoveries — he deciphered the Palmyrene
and Phoenician alphabets. A few days, sometimes months, of work on ancient writings—and a
decade of debates, conflict and justification. Long-term studies of antique numismatics—and wide
recognition of the colleagues. Thirty years of work on the archaeological novel Voyage du jeune
Anacharsis en Grèce—and the rapture of contemporaries, the universal adoration of the general public.
Did Barthélemy’s dreams of his days of study in Marseilles come true when the young seminarist
Jean-Jacques began to learn the basics of Oriental languages on his own?

Key words: Barthélemy, Reynaud, Cary, Thomassin, Boze.

Marat M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока, 2020, том 17, № 1 (вып. 40), с. 21–45), 2020

In the middle of the 18th century, Barthélemy and Swinton almost simultaneously deciphered Phoeni... more In the middle of the 18th century, Barthélemy and Swinton almost simultaneously deciphered
Phoenician writing. This outstanding event in the history of the West Semitic epigraphy has once
again led to a dispute between two scholars for the primacy in this discovery. Would Barthelemy’s
dechipherment have been so quick and successful without the work that had been done by his
predecessors, including Swinton?

Key words: Barthélemy, Swinton, Phoenician alphabet, Melitensis prima, Cippi Melqarti, Citiensis
secunda.

Marat M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока, 2019, том 16, № 2 (вып. 37), с. 85–105)

Marat M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока, 2019, том 16, № 1 (вып. 36), с. 90–113) In the mi... more Marat M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока, 2019, том 16, № 1 (вып. 36), с. 90–113) In the mid-18th century, Barthélemy and Swinton almost simultaneously deciphered Palmyrene writing.
Previously well-disposed to one another, the two scholars later turned into bitter opponents because
of the controversy over the priority in that discovery. High society and, partly, the scientific
community took Barthélemy’s side while Swinton got a reputation of a dilettante and a tactless person.
Key words: Barthélemy, Swinton, Roma I, Roma II, Palmyrene alphabet.

Marat M. Yunusov // Труды Государственного Эрмитажа : [Т.] 95 : Материалы Международной конференц... more Marat M. Yunusov // Труды Государственного Эрмитажа : [Т.] 95 : Материалы Международной конференции, посвященной 100-летию со дня рождения Игоря Михайловича Дьяконова (1915–1999) / Государственный Эрмитаж. – СПб. : Изд-во Гос. Эрмитажа, 2018. C. 264-284.
J. Euting and the collection of Punic stelae in the State Hermitage Museum.

The collection of Punic stelae in the State Hermitage Museum is closely connected with the famous German orientalist and traveller Julius Euting (1839-1913). In 1871 J. Euting published “Punische Steine. St. Pétersbourg, 1871 // Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg. Tome XVII, № 3» in Russia. This book is a collection of drawings of the stelae from Carthage and Hadrumet (modern Sousse) including 27 inscribed objects of Euting’s private collection. There he provided some information on the provenance of these stelae (Vorbemerkurgen/ I. Ineditae). It is still the only complete research of the Punic inscribed stelae in the State Hermitage Museum (accurate drawings of the stelae’s images, analysis of proper names) though some considerations of the German scholar need to be correlated with modern data and the large amount of the Punic stelae published after 1871. In 1879, J. Euting presented all Punic stelae from his collection (except the two presented earlier to W. Wright) as a gift to the Asiatic Museum of Saint Petersburg expressing his gratitude to the Russian Academy of Sciences for the publication of “Punische Steine”. Until 1938, this collection was kept in the Leningrad Institute of History, and was later transferred to the State Hermitage Museum. This collection of Punic stelae comprises 34 decorated and/or inscribed objects in different preservation conditions. The stelae date back to the 4th-2nd centuries BC and vary in style. 26 stelae have engraved dedication inscriptions naming the goddess Tanit, “face of Baal”, and the god Baal-Hammon, and also naming the person who made the dedication, in fulfillment of a vow. There are religious symbols and images above and below the inscriptions: a raised hand, a crescent and a disc together, the caduceus, and the so-called “Tanit” symbol. One stela (Hermitage №18741/Euting’s C. 234) is half-finished: it is inscribed only with a dedication formula without the dedicator’s name and obviously did not find a purchaser for some reason. Five unpublished stelae bear no inscriptions; they are decorated with a raised hand and a flower in the center, and the goddess Tanit symbol in the apex (Hermitage №18756// Asiatic museum №30), the goddess Tanit symbol flanked by caducei (18757// 29), the one under the shining sun disc (18761//28), images of a sacrificial animal – sheep (18738//31, 18749//32). Three other objects are fragments of stelae with some letters and symbols (18738//Euting’s Neop.121; 4991//–; 5329//–). For the first three unpublished stelae (courtesy of the State Hermitage Museum), see Plates I-III. Key words: Euting, State Hermitage, Punic stelae.

M. M. Yunusov Who Were the First Europeans in Palmyra? The article considers several excerpts fro... more M. M. Yunusov Who Were the First Europeans in Palmyra?
The article considers several excerpts from the travelers’ notes and letters of the
XIIth and the first part of the XVIIth centuries that gave rise to some modern
statements that Benjamin of Tudela, Pietro della Valle and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
had visited Palmyra. In the given revision of their texts it seems more evident that
none of them had ever seen Palmyra in person. Thus the credit for the discovery of
Palmyra for the modern Europe belongs to the English merchants headed by Rev.
R. Huntington, chaplain of the Levantine Company in Aleppo, who paved the way
to the legendary Tadmor for all the following travelers and researchers in 1678.
Key words: Palmyra; Tadmor; Benjamin of Tudela; Pietro della Valle; Jean-Baptiste
Tavernier; Robert Huntington; Aleppo; Taiba; el Her; Baalbek.

M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2016. Т. 1. № 1 (24). С. 78-96). This is the fourth ... more M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2016. Т. 1. № 1 (24). С. 78-96).

This is the fourth article of a series of essays on some major stages of early West Semitic epigraphy in Europe. At the end of the 17th century, English travellers undertook two trips to Palmyra for the purpose of studying the ruins of the ancient city and in search of classical and Palmyrene epigraphic monuments. The first trip of R. Huntington (1678) turned out to be unsuccessful. But that trip paved the way for the next one, more successful, by W. Halifax (1691). In the appendix, an annotated translation of R. Huntington’s travel diary written by his companions is given.

M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2015. № 1 (22). С. 75-97). This is the third article... more M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2015. № 1 (22). С. 75-97).

This is the third article of a series of essays on some major stages of early Europe’s West Semitic
epigraphy. During the first third of the 17th century, a Greek-Palmyrene bilingua carved on a marble bas-relief and published in the collection of J. Lipsius and M. Smetius Inscriptionum antiquarum in 1588 (PL. XXXII) attracted the attention of S. Petit. He tried to translate the palmyrene part of the bilingua but failed. We know about it from J. Spon’s information (1679) who presented an excerpt with translation from one of S. Petit’s private letter to N.-C. de Peiresc (1632). But this translation had been taken out of context of the author’s arguments on the subject. So it is unfair to consider this text as a translation in the full sense of the word. More likely, it is a tentative reconstruction of an oral sacred ritual during the sacrifice ceremony in front of the relief.

M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2014. № 2 (21). С. 125-152). This article is a conti... more M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2014. № 2 (21). С. 125-152).

This article is a continuation of a series of essays on some major stages of early West Semitic epigraphy in Europe. At the very end of the 16th century, a Greek-Palmyrene bilingua, carved on a marble bas-relief and published in the collection of J. Lipsius and M. Smetius Inscriptionum antiquarum in 1588 (PL. XXXII), attracted the attention of J.J. Scaliger. He used the Greek version of the bilingual in his book De emendatione temporum, which appeared in its third edition in 1598. The work on the book proceeded under difficult conditions: civil (religious) wars, enemies, enviers. However, at the same time, the brilliant French scholar was surrounded by friends and admirers.

M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2013. № 2 (19). С. 100-125.) – (The Written Monuments... more M.M. Yunusov (Письменные памятники Востока. 2013. № 2 (19). С. 100-125.) – (The Written Monuments of the Orient /WMO; in Russian)

This essay examines the earliest history of one Palmyrene (of the two) text on a marble relief published in Gruter’s Inscriptionum Romanarum in 1616 (Pl. LXXXVI). In the middle of the 16th century that relief was preserved in the private collection of cardinal di Carpi and attracted much attention of some famous scholars and antiquarians. We present here several instances of visiting Carpi’s collection by foreign scholars in order to highlight the first stages, the “pre-History”, of deciphering Semitic writing in Europe.