7.3 Hire
If none of one’s own children were suitable as mortuary priests, or
other persons from the household were not available, one could hire
people to perform this function.^319- C D
8.1 Homicide
There is scarcely any information regarding homicide in the Old
Kingdom.^3208.2 Theft and Related Offenses
Theft is mentioned in non-legal documents such as letters and biogra-
phies. Thus, in P. Berlin 8869, the writer declares: “If you have
written to me in order that you might expose the robbery ('w3) com-
mitted against me, well and good.”^321
Abundant, too, are such autobiographical statements as the fol-
lowing, wherein the speaker claims to have acted so: “that no one
did any harm to his fellow, so that no one seized the loaf or the
sandals of a traveler, so that no one took a bolt of cloth from any
town, so that no one took any goat from anyone.”^322
There is little information regarding the punishment of theft,
although there is evidence for cases dealing with theft of tomb
property.^3238.3 False Accusation
The Inscription of Pepiankhheriyeb implies that false accusation may
have had consequences for the accuser.^324(^319) Helck, Wirtschaftsgeschichte.. ., 88, 116–17.
(^320) Boochs, Strafrechtliche Aspekte.. ., 106, 118; Hoch and Orel, “Murder...”
(^321) P. Berlin 8869 (Old Kingdom), Doret, Verbal System.. ., 43.
(^322) Urk. 1, 102, 9–16, translated in Doret, Verbal System.. ., 53.
(^323) Eichler, Untersuchungen.. ., 319–20.
(^324) Urk. 1, 223, 12–16. See also Lorton, “Treatment.. .,” 24; Goedicke, Rechts-
inschriften.. ., 59–60.
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