Egyptian Texts : Sale of Liturgies (original) (raw)

BILINGUAL SALE OF LITURGIES

Text: P. Berlin 5507 + P. Berlin 3098 + P. Leiden 413 [ TM 43627 ]
Date: 136 B.C.
Language: Demotic
Translated by: R.Mairs & C.J.Martin
Format: see key to translations

Although these documents use the language of a sale, no payment is mentioned, and they were probably intended to be the formal record of a transfer of choachyte rights within the family, from Taesis to Sachperis, the wife of her uncle. The transaction, which took place in Djeme in the month of January 136 B.C., was recorded in three surviving documents - a demotic sale-document (A), a demotic quitclaim-document (B), and a Greek translation of the sale-document (C).

The translation is taken from R. Mairs & C. J. Martin, "A Bilingual 'Sale' of Liturgies from the Archive of the Theban Choachytes" ( academia.edu ).

Regnal-year 34, first month of winter, day 7, under Ptolemy, the Beneficent god, son of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, the Manifest gods, and Queen Cleopatra his sister, and Queen Cleopatra, his wife, the Beneficent gods, and under the Priest of Alexander,� and the Saviour gods, the Brother-and-Sister gods, the Beneficent gods, the Father-loving gods, the Manifest� gods, the Mother-loving gods, the god Exalting-his-Father { Eupator }, the Beneficent gods; and [the Bearer]-of-the-Trophy-of-Victory {athlophoros} of Berenice, the Beneficent; and the Bearer-of-the-Golden-Basket {kanephoros} before Arsinoe, the Brother-loving; and the Priestess of Arsinoe, the Father-loving; and those who are established in Alexandria and Ptolemais, which is in the district of Thebes.

Said the woman Taesis, daughter of Psenamounis, her mother Taesis, she being 33 years old, of average height for a woman, honey-coloured complexion and ... to the woman Sachperis, daughter of Amenothes, her mother Thathas: "You have caused my heart to be satisfied with the money for the revenues and the tombs of the people, which have come to me in the name of the woman Taesis, daughter of Horos, my mother, together with Onnophris, son of Horos, my husband.

"Their inventory:

• the tomb of Herieus, the builder;
• the tomb of Psenchonsis, son of Panas;�
• the tomb of Horos, son of Abykis;
• the tomb of Kephalon, the smith;
• the tomb of Horos, son of Sminis, and of the exalted one Petechonsis, the blessed;
• the tomb of Panouphis, the blessed;�
• the tomb [of] Amenothes, son of Thotortaios;
• the half of the tomb of Phibis, [son of Nechtnibis];
• the half of the tomb of Snibais, the man from Apis;
• the half of the tomb of Herieus, the carpenter;
• the one-third of the tomb of Ammonios;�
• the half of the tomb of the land-measurers;
• the half of the tomb of Psenminis, son of Pharates;
• the half of the tomb of Chaiapis;
• the half of the tomb of [Pa]huris, the pastophoros of Amun;
• the one-third of the tomb of [the] people of Philae ;
• the half of the tomb of Hetpheubastis, the blessed;
• the half of the people of Amenothes, the builder;
• the half of the people of Phomos;
• the half of the people of Patemis, son of Psenchonsis;
• the half of the people of Pemaus, the fisherman, together with his blessed one;
• together with the half of the people of Petenoupis, the dyer;
• the half of the people of Pet[osiris, son of] Phmous, and his children;
• the half of Pachnoumis, son of Amenothes, and of Tsenamounis, his sister;
• the half of the people of Amenothes, the smith;
• the half of Pasas;
• the half of Oseptais, the bee-keeper;
• the half of Lysimachos;
• the half of Paieus, the isionomos;
• the half of the children of Oserinis;
• the half of Hones, the smith from Qus ;
• the half of Apollonios, the man from Thebes;
• the half of Petemounis, the man from Pei;
• the half of Maienouris, the fisherman;
• the half of the exalted one [Pai]eus, the blessed, and those who rest with him;
• the one-third of Psenamounis, the doctor.

"Total of the tombs and their grave-shafts and those who rest in them; together with the blessed ones, their s.t-tombs and their people; together with the people who are above and their children; together with their revenues, their income, their services and their offerings; together with [everything] which comes from them; together with that which will be added to them from field, temple, town or any place; together with the remaining tomb_s_ and revenue that will come to me in their name. I gave them to you. They are yours. They are your tombs and their grave-shafts and those who rest in them; the blessed ones and their s.t-tombs, and those who rest along with them; together with every person who is above; and every person who has been taken to them; together with their revenues, their income, their services and their offerings; together with everything which comes from them; together with that which will be added to them from field, temple, town or any place which is above. I have received their value in money from your hand. It is complete without any remainder. My heart is satisfied [with it]. I do not have any claim on earth against you in their name. No person on earth, myself or my family, will have authority over them except you from today onwards. The one who will come to you on account of them in my name or in the name of any person on earth, I will cause him to be far from you; and I will cause them to be clear for you from any document, any title deed and any claim on earth at any time. They are yours, namely their documents and their title deeds in any place which they are in. Every document which was made concerning them, together with every document which was made for me concerning them, together with [every] document in respect of [which] I have title in their name, they belong to you, together with their right_s_. You are the one who has title in respect of them in their name. The oath or the giving of proof which will be placed upon you in the law-court in the name of the right of the document [which] is above, which I made for you, to cause me to make it, I will make it, without citing any title deed or anything on earth with you."

In the writing of Paes, [son of Pete]esis, who writes in the name of the endowed woman, daughter of the priest of Amun, Senchonsis, daughter of the divine-father Spoteus, the prophetess of Djeme.

In the writing of Memnon, son of Pyrrhos, who is the eyes for the document which is above.

[B] � Demotic P. Berlin 3098

Regnal-year 34, first month of winter, day 7, under King Ptolemy, the Beneficent god, son of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, the Manifest gods, and Queen Cleopatra, his sister, and Queen Cleopatra, his wife,� the Beneficent gods,� and under the Priest of Alexander, and the Saviour gods, the Brother-and-Sister gods, the Beneficent gods, the Father-loving gods, the Manifest gods, the Mother-loving gods, the god Exalting-his-Father { Eupator }, the Beneficent gods; and the Bearer-of-the-Trophy-of-Victory {athlophoros} of Berenice, the Beneficent; and the Bearer-of-the-Golden-Basket {kanephoros} before Arsinoe , the Brother-loving; and the Priestess of Arsinoe, the Father-loving; and [those] who are established in Alexandria and Ptolemais, which is in the district of Thebes.

Said the woman Taesis, daughter of Psenamounis, her mother Taesis, about 53 years old, of average height for a woman, honey-coloured complexion and ..., to the woman Sachperis, daughter of Amenothes, her mother Thathas: "I am far from you in your revenues and your tombs of the people.

"Their inventory:
{ _The list that follows is identical to the inventory in A._�}

"Total of your tombs and their grave-shafts and those who rest in them; and the blessed ones, and their s.t-tombs and their people; together with the people who are above and their children; together with the remaining tomb_s_, blessed one_s_ and revenue which will come to me in the name of the lady Taesis, daughter of Horos, my mother, together with Onnophris son of Horos, my husband; together with their revenues, their income, their services and their offerings; together with everything which comes from them; together with that which will be added to them from field, temple, town or any place; concerning which I made for you a document-of-sale in regnal-year 34, first month of winter, day 7, of Pharaoh , living forever. They are yours. They are your tombs and their grave-shafts and those who rest in them; together with the blessed ones and their s.t-tombs, and those who rest along with them; and the people and their children; together with their revenues and that which pertains to them which is above. I do not have any claim on earth against you in their name from today onwards. The one who will come to you on account of them, in my name or in the name of any person [on earth], I will cause him to be far from you. You are behind me through the right of the document-of-sale which I made for you concerning them in regnal-year 34, first month of winter, day 7, of Pharaoh , living forever, to carry out for you its right_s_, besides the document-of-being-far which is above, to complete two documents. I am to carry out for you their right_s_ at every time, without any blow."

In the writing of Paes, son of Peteesis, who [writes] in the name of the endowed woman, daughter of the priest of Amun, Senchonsis, daughter of the divine-father Spotous, the prophetess of Djeme.

{ Witnesses for A and B: }

�

• Harsiesis son of Paorsis �
• Pamonthes son of Chensthotes� �
• Psenminis son of Leytchy �
• Horos son of Psenthotes �
• Snachomneus son of Ones �
• Teos son of Teos �
• Nechoutes son of Phagonis� �
• Snachomneus son of Imouthes� �
• Panechates son of Harpaesis �
• Apathes son of Snachomneus� �
• Psenmonthes son of Phagonis �
• Nechoutes son of Herieus �
• Herieus, the elder, son of Psenamenophis� �
• Thotsuthmis son of Phagonis �
• Pasemis son of Heripmois son of Pages� �
• Pa... son of Harthotes

[C] � Greek P. Leiden 413

[Copy of an Egyptian document] translated [into Greek] as far as possible.

[Year 34, Tybi 7, the usual formulae follow : thus speaks] Taesis, daughter of Psen[amounis, her] mother Taesis, [being] 33 years old, of average [height , honey-coloured] complexion and . . ., to Sachperis, daughter of Amenothes, her mother [Thatha]s: "You have satisfied me [with the price of the income and of the] tombs of the people belonging [to me] in the [name of Taesis], daughter of Horos, my mother, and Onnophris, son of Horos, [my husband].�

[They are]:

• the tomb of Herieus, builder;�
• another of Psenchonsis, [son of Panas];
• [another of Horos, son of Aby]kis;�
• another of K[ephal]on, smith;
• another of Horos, son of [Sminis, and of Petechonsis], drowned;�
• another of [Pano]uphis, likewise;
• another of Amenothes, [son of Thotortaios];
• [a half of Phibi]s, son of Necht[nibi]s;�
• another of Snibais, [the man from Apis];
• [another of Herie]us, carpenter;
• [a one]-third part of another of Ammonios;
• [a half share of another of the land]-measurers;
• a half of another of Psenminis, son of Ph[arates];
• [a half of another of Chaiapis];�
• [a half of] another of Pahuris, pastophoros of Amun ;�
• a one-third part [ of another of the men of Philae ];�
• a half of another of Hetpheubastis;�
• a half of those [with] Amenothes, builder;
• another half of the people [with] Phomos;
• a half of those with Patemis, [son of] Psenchonsis;
• a half of those with Pemaus, fisherman, and of the drowned one;�
• a half of those [with] Petenoupis, dyer;
• a half of those with Petos[iris, son of] Phmous;
• [a half of] those with Pachnoumis, son of Amenothes, and of Tsenam[ounis], his sister;
• [a half of those] with Amenothes, ferryman;
• a half of Pas[as];
• a half of Osep[tais], bee-keeper;
• a half of Lysimachos;
• a half of Paieus, isionomos;
• a half of [the children] of Oserinis;�
• [a half] of Hones, smith from Apollonopolis Parva ;
• a half of Apollo[nios, the man from] Thebes ;
• a half of Petem[ounis], the man from Pei;
• [a half of Maien]ouris, fisherman;�
• a half of Paieus, drowned, and of those with [him];
• [a one-third] part of Psenamounis, embalmer.

So that [yours are the] tombs and their [grave-shafts and] those in them, and drowned [and the] priestly [chambers and their . . .] and the income of these and the revenue [and the] services [and the. . .], the . . . and the things which will come from both the [fields] and the temples and [any] other person [I] may have in addition to the [names] of these. I have given them to you. [Yours are] both the tombs and their grave-shafts and those in them and the drowned [and the priestly chambers] and [those] in these and those mentioned above and those that have [come to them and their] income and the revenue and the services [and the . . .] and the things which will come from both the fields and the temples, and [you are the owner of everything] mentioned above, [and I have] received from you the [price] of these [in full] without any remainder. You have satisfied me. On no account [may I summons you regarding] these things. Neither I nor another person from my family will have ownership of them [from this very] day. And if someone should come against you regarding them in either my name [or that of another person, I will] prevent him and I will secure these things for you from the documents." Plus all the other [usual clauses] . . .

Written by Paes [son of Petee]si[s] . . .�

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