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Egyptian Texts:  6.8


LETTERS TO AND ABOUT PEWENHOR


Text:   Saq. H5-DP 200 ,   458 ,   370 ,   264 ,   280 ,   192+ ,   275
Date:   364-345 B.C. 
Translated by:   H.S. Smith & S. Davies
Format:   see key to translations

Pewenhor was an official in charge of some aspects of the organisation of the sacred animal necropolis in Saqqara, but his official title is unknown; see S. Davies, in "Acts of the Seventh International Conference of Demotic Studies", pp.82-84 ( Google Books ). The translations are taken from H.S.Smith & S. Davies, "The 'Pewenhor' Documents from the Sacred Animal Necropolis at North Saqqara" (2012).  



[A]   To Pewenhor, O may he live. Ankhhap son of Hornefer and Ankhhap son of Pediise have complained, saying: 'We are the owners of the month, we being in all 3 men, and they are throwing one of us out'. As to the people, namely the 3 men, if they wish to stay in the temple namely the 3 men, let them stay. If it is wished to throw one of them out, let it be caused that his heart agrees. Do not cause any man of them to come to complain. It is written.

[B]   To Pewenhor. I have spoken to Pikhaes, the pastophoros who speaks to/for the pastophoroi who will come up on the last day, together with those to whom we have said 'Come here on month 2 of Peret {Mekhir}, day 20' concerning the remuneration (?). Speak to them at one time {i.e. altogether}. Let them come here together with the pastophoroi who are in the temple, except for the one whom he has left in the town. Do not fail in causing that they come on month 2 of Peret {Mekhir}, day 20. It is written.

[C]   To Pewenhor, O may he live. Let Horemakhy,  Hapmen, and (?) Pediosir the steward (?) come down (?) tomorrow in order to ask me about the words which were said about Minhotep son of Minhotep. If he is with you he shall come down with them. Do not cause/ allow that they are far from him {i.e. do not release him}. Do not let it fail. Written on day 22 (?).

[D]   To Pewenhor, O may he live. I . . . hornedjitef, saying: 'Do . . . . . . [in] your hand. Furthermore, you have not written . . . As to? the foolish/deceitful . . . of today, I have placed it/them before . . . because everything which belongs to the Mother of Apis is in his hand. I shall cause that they are taken, when they are recorded, to Imhotep together with that which is written above, for I know there is not spoken a false word among them. . . . They have said to me: 'They are misappropriating his income'. Give emmer in respect of the incomes. Do not cause his income to be misappropriated. Let them bring me the answer today. As Apis lives, if you are speaking duplicitously, I shall cause that you suffer for it! These things are written.

[E]   To Ptahhotep, O may Pre prolong his life. Benpuwekhaf has come about his ration, saying: 'They have been continually stopping it without giving it to me. I asked at the temple. They said to me: "The ration, Ptahhotep is the one who is stopping it for Pwahmu" and saying: "It is the place {responsibility?} of Pewenhor." Order them, saying: do not let them give a ration to Pwahmu. The ration, please assign it to me. Send/write to the town to Pewenhor and those who make a case against? Ptahhotep before the steward. Please let them speak to him about it.' I have sent/written to the steward at his instruction/request. Until I cause there to be made . . . It is written.

[F]   Voice of the servant . . . son of (?) Ahmose before the prophet of Osiris, O [may Pre (?) prolong his] life. You wrote to me saying: 'Meet with me'. When/lf I find that you are coming, I will come. Furthermore, I am pressing (?) . . . I have reached/in order that I reach the necropolis. Yet another matter, Pedihornedjitef and Herhap are troubled and I cannot be far from them {i.e. release them?}. They were robbed upon the road. You wrote to me saying: 'Please give a nemset-jar to Psherenise'. I gave it to him and he gave it to Pewenhor, but no work has resulted from the giving of it which I did, so we are not worshipping with it in the sanctuary of Amen, and another ṯȝi ʿwi is not being made/done with it. The steward spoke to me [saying (?)]: 'Go to the place [where (?)] Psherenise [is this (?)] month'. He said to me that he gave it as a god's offering/to the temple domain. Is it/does Hepnebes . . . the temples (?) . . . the sanctuary of Amen are the ones who will give an income and stipend. Is every edict of Pre that which is in Hepnebes? . . . who are giving their cups and their jars in order to give an income. When/lf they have written to you, let them hear the things which I . . . they have given the two rations and/but there are eight which are not . . . Hepnebes and ? Pergeregise . . . work to happen on this nemset-jar and put 6½ kite on the former weight, in order to make it of 3 deben and 9 kite of silver. When/lf they have written to you, let saying: . . . the ones who will again not do it today, they will lose income  . . . Nobody knows what will happen [to (?)] Pkhaes . . .   I went within . . . they continually caused to change (?) . . .  to me about them . . . which he will do/make and those which I will send to Imhotep. Let them send them . . . do not let them send the nemset-jar, it being . . . ill. Let it be given in order to make the offerings of the Mother of Apis with it. Written by the servant . . . year 1, month 4 of Peret {Pharmoutht}, day 17.

[G]   To Nakhthoremhy. Please deliver 2 . . . to Pediosir, the steward. Written by Imhotep.  
  8 rations.    Specification:  
  the priest:   4;   
  the pastophoroii:   2;   
  the ibises and the cats:   1;  
  Pewenhor:   1.


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