- Answer: Considering non-Arabic Inscriptions, Yes there’s lots of evidence. There are 3 Inscriptions discovered so far. 2 from Jordan, 1 from S Syria. None from Hegaz, Nejd, Gulf or Yemen No evidence however from Hegaz, Nejd or the Gulf. Sources: MCA Macdonald, Oxford University, as well as Dr Ahmad Al Jallad, Harvard PhD Linguist
- Oxford Historian MCA Macdonald has discovered 28 non-Arabic inscriptions where the term ‘Arab’ is used for self identification before Islam. The majority of these inscriptions are written in Greek. 26 out of 28 are from Egypt. The rest from Greece & Yemen (traveler & mercenary).
That Oxford Study was written before the discovery of these two Arabic Inscriptions from North Jordan. There is also the famous Arabic Namara Inscription (South Syria, 328 CE). The Only Three Pre-Islamic Arabic inscriptions with evidence of someone self identifying as ‘Arab’.
