The inscription has frequently been published. The first copy of which we have any record was one made by a Frenchman of the name of Thomas d’Arcos in 1631, which he delivered to the learned scholar Isaac Peirese; afterwards it was entirely forgotten until Camillo Borgia copied it again in the year 1815. This copy became known to the world through Münter, Humbert and Hamaker. Two other copies were made by Sir Grenville Temple[213] and Honegger, and published by Gesenius.[214] The last facsimile was taken by order of the Duc Albert de Luynes, from an impression of the stone then in the British Museum, and published in M. Guérin’s work.[215]
The mausoleum appears to have been erected in honour of a Numidian, and not of a Carthaginian, which is supposed to be the reason why the Lybian version of the inscription is more carefully executed than the Punic one, and the place of honour, the right side, assigned to it. The Punic text appears to be the translation of the Lybian one.[216]
The following translation of it is given by Gesenius:—[217]
Cippus Ma-olami, filii Jophi-sch’at
filii regis
Harb-Schema, filii Schoter-Aram,
filii Abd-Mokarthi
principis, filii Aam, filii Jophi-
sch’at filii regis
Schalgi, filii Carsachal