A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

New Kingdom there is a basic change in the police bureaucracy.

The Medjay,^129 Nubians organized in quasi-military troops, assume

police functions in both towns and in the desert.^130 In O. DeM 558

a policeman is apparently charged with bringing a reluctant defen-

dant to court.^131 The s3-pris no longer attested in the New Kingdom,

his place being taken by the “gatekeeper” (firy-' 3 ) and Medjay.^132 The

“superiors” ( ̇ry.w), already mentioned above, also play a role as

police^133 and judges in Deir el-Medina.^134

2.4 Courts

2.4.1 In the New Kingdom there were great courts (qnb.wt ' 3 .wt)

in the national capitals and chief cities (such as Memphis, Thebes,^135

and Heliopolis), the members of which are drawn from the highest

levels of the temple or state.^136 They could issue orders to lesser local

courts,^137 and also apparently had administrative functions.^138 In the

Horemheb Decree, a qenbet is said to comprise prophets, mayors,

and priests ( ̇m-ntr, ̇3ty-',w'b).^139 The common term for a court in

the Old and Middle Kingdoms, djadjat, appears infrequently in the

New Kingdom.^140 The designation “Thirty” (M'b.t) is occasionally

employed for a type of court.^141

2.4.2 The composition of the court in the legal case of Messuia is

priestly. The members of that court are referred to in the text as

(^129) See McDowell, Jurisdiction.. ., 51; ’ernÿ, Community.. ., 261–84. Cf. Wente,
Letters.. ., 183; Jansen-Winkeln, “Plünderung.. .,” 72–73.
(^130) Andreu, “Polizei,” col. 1070.
(^131) Allam, Hieratische Ostraka.. ., 131.
(^132) Andreu, “Sobek.. .,” 4.
(^133) Allam, “La vie municipale.. .,” 14.
(^134) Ibid., 15.
(^135) See Allam, “Gerichtsbarkeit,” col. 550. The “Great Court of Thebes” is last
attested in the Twenty-fifth Dynasty; see Malinine, “Un jugement.. .,” 175.
(^136) Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 111. On the qnb.t ' 3 .t, see Allam, “Papyrus
Turin 2021,” 24, 32–33.
(^137) Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 111.
(^138) Allam, “Quenebete.. .,” 35, and “L’administration.. .”; Eyre, “Strike.. .,” 80;
Toivari, “Man versus Woman.. .,” 160–62. But cf. McDowell, Jurisdiction.. ., 143.
(^139) Allam, “Zur Tempelgerichtbarkeit.. .,” 1. For the Horemheb Decree and the
qenbet courts, see Allam, “Quenebete.. .,” 50–51.
(^140) Lurje, Studien.. ., 63.
(^141) Wente, Letters.. ., 46.
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