6.1.3 The king also endowed land and priests specifically for his
cult. In Coptos G, for example, the king gives land for the support
of priests connected with his own statue cult.^2616.1.4 The mortuary endowments may be considered a special type
of property, in that the person endowing the property places special
stipulations upon it so as to avoid the division and loss which might
adversely affect his cult offerings.^262 One was generally “endowed”
(fim3¢) by the king, but also occasionally by private individuals, i.e.,
the tomb owners.^263 Mortuary priests could be “paid” by means of
land grants.^264 The rights and limitations of the mortuary service are
clearly specified in contracts:^265The servants (fisw.w) of my funerary estate^266 —It was in order that they
make for me invocation-offerings consisting of bread and beer in the
necropolis that I hired them, (the transaction) being registered in a
sealed contract.^2676.1.4.1 Priests disobeying the stipulations of the mortuary endowment
could be threatened with a charge of breaking the contract before
the king.^268 The will of Kaemnofret (Urk. 1, 12, 9–12), dealing with
the restrictions on a mortuary endowment, forbids any ̇m-k3(mor-
tuary priest) from “giving a field, a person, [or anything which I
have made over to him for invocation-offerings for me therefrom]
for compensation to any person.”^269 The same document forbids a
mortuary priest from giving “through a fimy.t-prto any person” other
than his own son “his share.” The mortuary priest who attempts to
sell (“give away for compensation [r fisw]) his share, shall have his
property confiscated and given to the (other) mortuary priests of his
phyle.”^270 The same penalty applies to the mortuary priest who would(^261) Goedicke, Königliche Dokumente.. ., 130.
(^262) See Théodoridès, “Concept of Law.. .,” 294; Allam, “Rolle.. .,” 107–8; Edel,
“Inschriften.. .,” 97–98; Goedicke,Rechtsinschriften.. ., 197–99, and “Bilateral.. .,” 90.
(^263) Eyre, “Work.. .,” 22.
(^264) Goedicke, Rechtsinschriften.. ., 71.
(^265) E.g., ibid., 72.
(^266) On the fisw.w n pr-≈.t, see Boochs, “Niessbrauchs.. .,” 77. The pr-≈.tis poten-
tially, but not necessarily inheritable. Eichler, Untersuchungen.. ., 316; Eyre, “Work.. .,”
23, 32.
(^267) Inscription of fit.f-¢ 3 .wy, ll. 1–3 (after Doret, Verbal System.. ., 79).
(^268) Boochs, Strafrechtliche Aspekte.. ., 70.
(^269) Goedicke, Rechtsinschriften.. ., 54. See also Théodoridès, “Contrat.. .,” 370–71.
(^270) So too, Urk. 1, 15.
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