A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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1.4 Private Legal Documents

1.4.1 The corpus of texts in so-called abnormal hieratic is almost

entirely legal and economic in character.^30 These often deal with the

sale of slaves or servants, and a few seem to form true archives of

related material.^31 The recently discovered lengthy abnormal hier-

atic P. Queen’s College is dated to the Twenty-fifth dynasty (between

730–670). Apparently describing a legal case to be settled in the

Temple of Pre at Heliopolis, it may be a literary treatment of a

judicial matter in the style of P. Rylands 9 and Wenamun.^32

1.4.2 The earliest clear documentation for loans with interest comes

from the Twenty-second Dynasty (P. Berlin 3048).^33 Preserved from

this same papyrus are also (excerpts from) the earliest Egyptian mar-

riage “contracts.”^34

1.4.3 The oracular text of Djehutymose (reign of Pinudjem II,

990–970)^35 is an investigation of various accusations against an official

(“acts of fraud”) in connection with a mortuary cult.^36 The charges

were ultimately dismissed at the instigation of the god, Amun. The

text includes an oracular decision reached through divine selection

of two alternative written formulations of the matter.

1.4.4 Oracular decrees sometimes concern private judicial matters.

A fine example is P. Brooklyn 16.205 (reign of Sheshonq III?). Three

of the four memoranda in this papyrus preserve oracular judgments

(^30) On the importance of abnormal hieratic, Janssen, “Economic History.. .,”

150. There are differences in the formulation of abnormal hieratic and Demotic
     contracts (Vleeming, “Phase initiale.. .,” 40, and see 7.1.1.2 below). For the tran-
     sition from abnormal hieratic to Demotic during the Saite period, and the differences
     in legal formulae, see Johnson, “The Persians.. .,” 154–55.

(^31) Seidl, Ägyptische Rechtsgeschichte.. ., 5.
(^32) Baines, Donker van Heel, and Fischer-Elfert, “Abnormal Hieratic in Oxford...”
(^33) Möller, “Schuldschein...”
(^34) Lüddeckens, Eheverträge.. ., 184.
(^35) Elaborately reedited in Kruchten, Grand texte... See also Breasted, Ancient
Records.. ., vol. 4, 325–28. It has been dated to years 2–5 of Amenemope, Osorchor,
or Siamun, see Kitchen, “Pinodjem II,” ed. 1053; see further Kitchen, Third Intermediate
Period.. ., 277. A recent translation of this inscription is in Kuhrt, Ancient Near
East.. ., vol. 2, 626.
(^36) On the establishment or regulation of mortuary and temple endowments; see,
e.g., Vernus, “Décret de Chéchanq.. .,” 107–8; Redford, “Studies in Relations.. .,”
153; Loprieno, Egyptians.. ., 213; Menu, “La fondation cultuelle...”
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