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Egyptian Texts:  7.13


DEMOTIC CONTRACTS FOR SALE OF WHEAT


Date:   108 B.C.
Language:   Demotic
Translated by:   R.H. Pierce
Format:   see key to translations

  These three documents from Saqqara clearly form a set; they all have dates in the same month (equivalent to February 108 B.C.), and with the same creditor providing money in advance for the later delivery of wheat. The translation is taken from R.H. Pierce, "Three Demotic Papyri in the Brooklyn Museum" ( PDF ).


[A]   Demotic Papyrus Brooklyn 37.1796E   [ TM 45998 ]

[Regnal-year nine, first month of winter] {Tybi}, last [day] of the kings, Kleopatra and Ptolemaios, [the mother-loving gods who cause sorrow to cease] {Philometores Soteres}, and of the priest of Alexander and the gods [who cause] sorrow [to cease] { Soteres } and [the brother and sister gods { Philadelphoi } and the] beneficent [gods] { Euergetai } and the father-loving gods { Philopatores } and the gods who are come forth { Epiphaneis } and the god [who honoured his father { Eupator }, and the] mother-loving [god] { Philometor }and the young father-loving god { Neos Philopator} [and the beneficent god] { Euergetes II } and the 5 [mother]-loving goddess and [the mother-loving gods who] cause sorrow to cease, who is Ptolemaios, son of king Ptolemaios, [and of the priestess of] the [queen], Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and [who causes sorrow to cease] { Euergetis - Philometor Soteira }, the lover of justice, [the mistress of] victory, [and of the 'sacred] foal' {hieros pōlos}  of Isis, the great . . .  mother of god, and of the priestess [ of Arsinoe ], the lover of her father, and of [the] bearer [of the crown {stephanephoros} of the] queen, Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease , the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the bearer of fire {phosphoros} of the queen, Kleopatra, the 10 beneficent goddess [who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease], the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the bearer of the golden basket {kanephoros} before [ Arsinoe, the brother-loving ], and of the bearer of the prize of victory {athlophoros} before Berenike, the beneficent, [who] are in Rakote. 

The farmer and resident of Per-… in the district of Wen-…  . Teosphib, the son of Harmais and whose mother is Tawe, has said to the merchant and resident of Perhenanup which is under the supervision of the oikonomoi of Memphis - Harmakhis, the son of Herienupis and whose mother is Tagombes, "You have given to me the price of 15 six and three quarters . . . of . . . , their half being three and three eighths . . .  of . . . making six and three quarters . . . of . . . again, subject to claim. I have received them from you. My heart is satisfied [with them, there being no] remainder at all. I shall pay to you the seed grain which is specified above in full, all the seed grain being pure, unadulterated, measured by the oipe-measure of the dromos of Perhenanup which is sound together with its 'striker' which is sound, measured, transported, and delivered to you, to your house which is in Perhenanup, by regnal-year nine, first month of summer or second month of summer, making [two] months [of the year] which is specified above, without receiving 20 any credit or anything in the world. As for the seed-grain thereof which I shall not [deliver] to you in its term for delivery which is specified above, I shall deliver it to you increased by one half in the month after it, necessarily and without delay, or on one day within two days of any day of discussing with me about it which you will do after its term for delivery which is specified above. I shall not be able to set for you another term with respect to them. I shall not be able to say, I have given you seed grain thereof, without a receipt. All that is mine together with that which I shall acquire is the security of the right 25 of the instrument which is above. I shall not be able to say, I have performed for you in accordance with everything which is specified above, while the instrument which is above is in your hand. Your representative is the one who is to be believed with regard to everything which he will say to me in the name of everything which is specified above; and I shall perform them at his bidding, necessarily and without delay." 

The servant of the falcon and [resident of] the town . . . of the district which is specified above,  Harmakhis, the son of Onnophris and whose mother is Tsherenhap, has also said, "Do everything which is specified above. My heart is satisfied [therewith]. You have a claim against me to perform for you in accordance with everything which is specified above and in accordance with what is written above, necessarily and without delay."

30 They [both] have said, "You have a claim against whomever of the two of us you desire, to perform for you the right of the instrument [which is above. If you] desire to lay claim against both of us, then you will lay claim." 

Written by Petosiris the son of Nakhtu. 

  {Greek Docket}    In year nine, [on the thirtieth of] Tybi, [it was registered in the Anubieion] by Herakleides.

  {Witnesses}    [. . .   . . .]

  

[B]   Demotic Papyrus Brooklyn 37.1802E   [ TM 3526 ]

Regnal-year [nine, first month of] winter, day 29 of the kings, Kleopatra and Ptolemaios, the [mother-loving] gods [who] cause sorrow to cease, and of the priest of Alexander, the gods who cause sorrow to cease, and the [brother and sister] gods, [and] the beneficent gods, and the father-loving gods {the father-loving gods} and the gods [who are come forth], and the god who honoured his father, and the mother-loving god, and the young father-loving god, 5 and the [beneficent] god, and the mother-loving goddess, and the mother-loving gods who cause sorrow to cease, and of the priestess of the queen, Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease, the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the 'sacred foal' {hieros pōlos} of Isis, the great . . . mother of god, and of the priestess of Arsinoe, the lover of her father, and of the bearer of the crown {stephanephoros} of the queen, Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease, the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the bearer of 10 fire {phosphoros} of the queen, Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease, the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the bearer of the golden basket {kanephoros} before Arsinoe, the brother-loving, and of the bearer of the prize of victory {athlophoros} before Berenike, the beneficent, who are in Rakote.

The woman Tetfenis, daughter of Pasais, and whose mother is Herieus, has said to the merchant and resident of Perhenanup, which is under the supervision of the oikonomoi of Memphis, Harmakhis, of Herienupis, and whose mother is 15 Tagombēs, "You have given to me the price of three and one half artabas of fresh wheat, their half being one and three quarters artabas of wheat, making a total of three and one half artabas of fresh wheat again, subject to claim. I have received them from you. My heart is satisfied with them, there being no remainder at all. I shall pay to you the seed grain which is specified above in full, all the seed being pure, unadulterated, measured, transported, and delivered to you, to your house which is in Perhenanup, measured by the oipe-measureof the dromos of Anubis which is sound together with its 'striker' which is sound, without cost or transportation charge, and without 20 receiving any credit or anything in the world, by regnal-year nine, first month of summer or second month of summer, making two months in the year which is specified above. As for the seed grain thereof which I shall not deliver to you by its term for delivery which is specified above in accordance with what is written above, I shall deliver it to you increased by one half, within two days of any day of discussing with me about it which you will do after its term for delivery which is specified above, in accordance with what is written above, necessarily and without delay. I shall not be able to say, 'I have given to you seed grain thereof, without a receipt. I shall not be able to set for you another term for the delivery of it. All that is mine together with all that I shall 25 acquire is the security of the right of the instrument which is above. Your representative is the one who is to be believed with regard to everything which he will say [to] me in the name of everything which is specified above; and I shall perform it at his bidding, necessarily and without delay." 

Written by Pairy, son of Khemsu.

  {Greek Docket}    In year nine, on the twenty-ninth of Tybi, it was registered in the Anubieion by Herakleides.

  {Witnesses:

  

[C]   Demotic Papyrus Brooklyn 37.1803E   [ TM 3524 ]

Regnal-year nine, [first month of winter, day 29 of the] kings, Kleopatra and Ptolemaios, [the] mother-loving gods who cause sorrow to cease, and of the priest of [ Alexander ], the gods who cause [sorrow] to cease, and the brother and sister gods, and the beneficent gods, and the father-loving gods, and the gods who are come forth, and the god who honoured his father, and the mother-[loving] god, and the young father-loving god, and the beneficent god, and the mother-loving goddess, and the mother- loving gods who cause sorrow to cease, and of the priestess of the queen, Kleopatra, 5 the beneficent goddess who loves her mother, and who causes sorrow to cease, the lover of justice, the mistress of [victory], and of the 'sacred foal' {hieros pōlos} of Isis, the great . . . mother of god, and of the priestess of Arsinoe, the lover of her father, and of the bearer of the crown {stephanephoros} of the queen, Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease, the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the bearer of fire {phosphoros} of the queen, Kleopatra, the beneficent goddess who loves her mother and who causes sorrow to cease, the lover of justice, the mistress of victory, and of the bearer of the golden basket {kanephoros} before Arsinoe, the brother-loving, and of the bearer of the prize of victory {athlophoros} before Berenike, the beneficent, who are in Rakote. 

The servant of 10 the falcon and resident of Per-… in the district of Wen… Harmakhis, the son of Onnophris and whose mother is Tsherenhap has said to the merchant and resident of Perhenanup, which is under the supervision of the oikonomoi of Memphis, Harmakhis, son of Herienupis, and whose mother is Tagombes, "You have given to me the price of fourteen artabas of fresh wheat, their half being seven artabas of wheat, making a total of fourteen artabas of fresh wheat again, subject to claim. I have received them from you. My heart is satisfied with them, there being no remainder at all. I shall pay to you the seed grain which is specified above in full, all the seed grain being pure, unadulterated, measured, transported, and delivered to you, to your house which is in Perhenanup, measured by the oipe-measure of the dromos of Anubis 15 which is sound together with its 'striker' which is sound, without cost or transportation charge, and without receiving any credit or anything in the world, by regnal-year nine, first month of summer [or second month of summer, making two months in the year which is specified above.] As for the seed grain thereof which I shall not deliver to you by its term for delivery which is specified above, in accordance with what is written above, I shall deliver it to you increased by one half, within two days of any day of discussing with me about it which you will do after its term for delivery which is specified above, in accordance with what is written above, necessarily and without delay. I shall not be able to say, 'I have given to you seed grain thereof,' without a receipt. I shall not be able to set for you another term for the delivery of it. If I do not perform for you in accordance with everything [which is specified above] and in accordance with what is written above, I shall give two deben of refined silver, being ten staters, being two deben of refined silver again, for the burnt offerings and the libations 20 of the kings, who live forever, within five days of the month in question, necessarily and without delay, I having no claim against you with respect to them, and you still having a claim against me to pay you in full the seed grain which is specified above, necessarily and without delay. All that is mine together with what I shall acquire is the security of the right of the instrument which is above. Your representative is the one who is to be believed with regard to everything which he will say to me in the name of everything which is specified above; and I shall perform it at his bidding, necessarily and without delay."

The woman Tasherenhap, the daughter of Harmakhis, and whose mother is Ta…, his mother, has also said, "Do everything which is specified above. My heart is satisfied therewith. You have a claim against me to perform for you in accordance with everything which is specified above and in accordance with what is written above, necessarily and without delay." 

They both have said, "You have a claim against whomever 25 of the two of us you desire to perform for you the right of the instrument which is above. If you desire to lay claim against both of us, then you will lay claim." 

Written by Pairy the son of Khemsu.

  {Greek Docket}    In year nine, on the twenty-ninth of Tybi it was registered in the Anubieion by Herakleides.

  {Witnesses}    [. . .   . . .]


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