This letter was first published by K.Vandorpe & M. Depauw, "A Ptolemaic Letter on Looters. The Demotic Papyrus Gieben", in Chronique d'Égypte 144 (1997), pp. 229-241. The letter described the trouble caused by looters in a village in the Panopolite nome. Unfortunately, although the style of writing suggests a Ptolemaic date, the year number has not been preserved on the back of the letter, and so these events cannot be placed in the context of any wider issues.
You have written: "Come to the north . . ." I sent for the men. I read the letter to them. Some men who are here plunder the people. Too numerous are the things in which they are (involved), to write a letter about . . . the room today. They have caused that it was not possible to come to the north in order to meet you.
The names of the men in question are listed below:
The men in question, they plunder the town out of our hands. It should be possible for you to come southwards to the town; then you must see to lay hands on the houses of the men in question (and) you must inspire them with fear for the district of Akhmim. When you come to the surroundings of the town, make sure I am escorted together with Pauris son of Horos to the chief of the mšʿ (?) to go to the south to see to it that there comes a (?) verdict . . . while they plunder the people out of our hands. The things Psenchonsis son of Horos has done for us, not has a father of a man done something greater for his son than these things. The plunderers cause that it does not come in his {Psenchonsis'} hand . . . (?) court saying: "Not is there for [(?) the ] district of Akhmim . . . . . . son of Horos, . . .
{Verso :}
. . . the Akhet season, day 20.
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