The Zebed Inscription was discovered in N. Syria by Wetzstein. The Christian trilingual (Greek, Syriac and Arabic) text covers a lintel over the door to the martyrion of St. Serge. It is dated to 512 CE. 
One noteworthy feature is the use of الاله, phonetically spelling Allāh with an alif for the ā.
Arab Christians gradually contracted الإله al-Ilāh ('the god') to ﷲ without the alif, although this underwent transitional stages, like in this الاله Zebed example.
Arab Christians gradually contracted الإله al-Ilāh ('the god') to ﷲ without the alif, although this underwent transitional stages, like in this الاله Zebed example.
Arabic al-Ilāh is similar to the Aramaic ˀlh ˀě/ălāh, and may reflect Ghassanid Christian affinity with their Aramaic Christian & Jewish neighbours in the Levant.
ˀlh was the typical generic term for a god or God in the Christian and Jewish Levant for this period.
ˀlh was the typical generic term for a god or God in the Christian and Jewish Levant for this period.
The Ghassanid Arabs (3rd to 7th c CE) were the result of Christian tribes emigrating from Yemen to the Aramaic Levant to escape religious persecution. Others Christianized via neighborly contact.
Ghassanid Arab Kings were baptized by Byzantium & given military administrations.
Ghassanid Arab Kings were baptized by Byzantium & given military administrations.
The Zebed inscription is valuable for understanding the gradual transition Arabs (and Arabic!) underwent in Late Antiquity.
