A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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2.2.4.1 Naturally “scribes” of various descriptions remain an essen-

tial element of the administration.^121 A “chief scribe of the docu-

ments (or the ‘mat?’)” occurs in P. Louvre 3228c in association with

the qenbetcourt^122 There is also, for example, a “scribe of commis-

sions, leases” (s“s ̇n.w) and a mention of the “leases, commissions,”

(s ̇n.w) of the House of Amun,” in theStèle de l’apanage.^123

2.2.4.2 The archaic title firy-', “door-keeper,” which plays such an

important role in New Kingdom texts, especially from Deir el-Medina,

still appears in Third Intermediate period.^124 Similarly, the smsw h3y.t,

“elder of the gate,” another possibly judicial title dating back to the

Old Kingdom, occurs in a few Third Intermediate period texts.^125

2.2.4.3 Little can be said concerning an organized police force,

although the ancient term for “police, marshal,” fimy-r “n', is men-

tioned in the Nitokris Stela (Saite period).^126

2.3 The Courts^127

There are almost no records of actual court cases in the Third Inter-

mediate period.^128 The title, “official/member of the Great Qenbet[court]

of the capital,” appears five times from the end of the New Kingdom

through ca. 600.^129 This court may no longer be under the control

of a vizier,^130 an office poorly documented in the Third Intermediate

period. Allam believes that the “chief scribe” was now responsible

for the functioning of the court.^131 He emphasizes, however, that

(^121) See Graefe, Gottesgemahlin.. ., vol. 2, 79–80: cf. Breasted, Ancient Records...,
vol. 4, 393.
(^122) Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 164. Compare also Vittmann, “Genealogische
Inschrift.. .,” 330.
(^123) Eyre, “Feudal Tenure.. .,” 129–30.
(^124) Meeks, “Donations.. .,” 647–48. See Graefe and Wassef, “Eine fromme
Stiftung.. .,” 114.
(^125) Meeks, “Donations.. .,” 648.
(^126) Andreu, “Polizei,” col. 1069.
(^127) Allam discusses in some detail the judicial apparatus of the Late Dynastic
period, but concentrates on the Saite period (“Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 115–19).
(^128) Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 157.
(^129) sr n t3 qnb.t ' 3 .t n.t nfiw.t(Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 115). The ancient
title “chief of the 6 courts” still appears in Libyan period biographies; see Jansen-
Winkeln, Ägyptische Biographien.. ., 85, and cf. 212, 269.
(^130) See also Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 175.
(^131) Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 115.
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