A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

how to handle the cases.^37 In the late Middle Kingdom a “scribe of

the King’s documents of the Presence” was possibly responsible for

recording the royal orders in the presence of the king himself.^38

2.1.2 The Legislature

There is no evidence for an active legislature operating indepen-

dently of the king in the Middle Kingdom.^39

2.1.3 The Administration

2.1.3.1 Central Administration

The central administration was enlarged in the Middle Kingdom,

the nomes becoming correspondingly less important.^40 In their place

were two basic divisions into Upper and Lower Egypt.^41 The country

seems to be divided into separate departments (w'r.wt) from the second

half of the 12th Dynasty onwards.^42 These are the Department of

the North, the Department of the South, and the Department of the

Head of the South.^43 Such documents as P. Brooklyn 35.1446, the

Kahun papyri, P. Bulaq 18, and Cairo Stela J.52453, suggest a com-

plex, highly centralized governmental system.^44 The distinction between

the civil and the religious government can become quite blurred;

high officials like Djefa-Hapi apparently operate in both spheres.^45

Scholars discern a very significant level of administrative continuity

into the Thirteenth Dynasty and thus include this dynasty within the

Middle Kingdom.^46 Naturally, titles still play an unavoidably promi-

nent role in reconstructing the administration.^47 Quirke has charac-

terized the Middle Kingdom as a time when “greater precision and

(^37) Hayes, Papyrus.. ., 135–36.
(^38) Cf. Ward, “Old Kingdom.. .,” 384–89; Quirke, “Regular Titles.. .,” 123.
(^39) Hayes, Papyrus.. ., 135.
(^40) See still Helck, Zur Verwaltung.. ., and Wirtschaftsgeschichte.. ., 174.
(^41) Gestermann, Kontinuität.. ., 136, 243. See also Franke, “Career of Khnumhotep
III,” 53.
(^42) On the w'r.t, see Leprohon, “Remarks...”
(^43) Hayes, Papyrus.. ., 138; Helck, Wirtschaftsgeschichte.. ., 201; Quirke, Administration...,
4.
(^44) Hayes, Papyrus.. ., 144; Bleiberg, Official Gift.. ., 76.
(^45) But cf. the late Middle Kingdom stela Ny Carlsberg 1539, Quirke, “Regular
Titles.. .,” 109.
(^46) Trigger et al., Social History.. ., 149; Quirke, Administration.. ., 7.
(^47) Trigger et al., Social History.. ., 80.
      259
WESTBROOK_F8_252-288 8/27/03 1:43 PM Page 259