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5.2 Children
Traditional attitudes toward children continue into the Third Inter-
mediate period. In his tomb biography, Harwa, the great High Steward
of Amenirdais, the God’s Wife, describes himself as “a shade for the
child, a helper for the widow, one who gave rank to an infant.”^206
Similarly, as in older periods, the importance of sons who might in-
herit is emphasized in the biographical inscriptions: “He (i.e., the god)
provided me with a son to take office, on my entering the land of
my permanence.”^207 An awareness of the obligations to bury one’s
parents appears in P. Louvre E 3228 d (688), wherein a brother and
sister sell a slave (?) in order to cover the funerary costs of their mother
and father.^208 While her position as a princess was certainly atypical,
it is interesting that the divine guarantee of the property ownership
of Maatkare refers to land which she acquired while yet a child.^2095.3 Adoption
There are no clear examples of legal adoption by ordinary persons.
Adoption does, however, play a significant role in the institution of
the God’s Wives, where succession to the post was through adoption.^210
The institution of adoption was apparently important in the Nubian
royal house in Napata.^211- P I
As in earlier periods, property, both “private” and “royal,” is well docu-
mented. The same ambiguity exists as to the nature and extent of
“private property” as in earlier periods.^212 But distinctions in pro-
perty ownership were certainly made. The Dakhla Stela, for example,
deals with the question of whether a well belongs to the king or to
private persons.^213 In Statue Cairo 42.208 (Osorkon II), the speaker(^206) Lichtheim, AEL3, 27.
(^207) Ibid., 19 (reign of Osorkon II).
(^208) Menu, “Cessions.. .,” 77.
(^209) Menu, “Business.. .,” 197; cf. Edwards, “Egypt.. .,” 552.
(^210) Edwards, “Egypt.. .,” 568. On this problem of the role of adoption, see
Vittmann, “Kursivhieratische.. .,” 116–17.
(^211) Allam, “Zur Adoption.. .,” 14.
(^212) In Libyan period biographies officials proclaim an abhorrence of excessive greed:
“I hated to pile up possessions” ( Jansen-Winkeln, Ägyptische Biographien.. ., 11).
(^213) Gardiner, “Dakhleh Stela...”
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