“overseer of prophets,” the king forbids the removal of any prophet
or serf for corvée or construction work in the nome (administrative
district), as well as the seizing of temple lands or equipment, which
are protected for the “extent of eternity.” No “written document”
(') can give any right over them. Two penalty clauses follow, cover-
ing infringements of these stipulations by “any man of the nome.”
The punishment in both cases seems to be identical: “He is brought
to the workhouse (?) of the temple, having been taken himself for
corvée work or cultivation.” Any magistrate disobeying the decree
is taken to the “great house,” ̇.t-wr.t, “after his house, people, and
property, are taken from him,” and he is set to corvée work.
The phraseology already seems well developed in the oldest exam-
ple (Shespeskaf, last ruler of the Fourth Dynasty), a consistency of
wording indicating an established chancery style.^16 Nevertheless, the
genre cannot be traced earlier than the end of the Fourth Dynasty.^17
Several of the surviving decrees were issued on the same day, sug-
gesting that only a small percentage of such decrees has been pre-
served.^18 One fragmentary Coptos decree has been interpreted as an
exemption of temple priesthood issued by the overseer of priests and
not the king.^19
Such decrees may be copies of texts written on papyrus, trans-
ferred to stone for the purpose of publicity and security.^20 The royal
seal applied in the presence of the king gives the decrees legal valid-
ity.^21 The dating is also an important element of a royal decree, but
is not always present in our copies.^22128–29. See also Gundlach, Pharao, 252–54; Boochs, Strafrechtliche Aspekte, 70; Lorton,
“Treatment.. .,” 6–7.(^16) Goedicke, Königliche Dokumente.. ., 8–9. On the phraseology of Old Kingdom
through New Kingdom legal documents, see Helck, Akten, 117–34.
(^17) Goedicke, Königliche Dokumente.. ., 2.
(^18) Ibid., 4.
(^19) Fischer, “Notes.. .,” 269.
(^20) Goedicke, Königliche Dokumente.. ., 6. On the inscriptions as copies of papyrus
originals, Helck, Akten, 4 and on format, *10–38. For an actual fragment on papyrus
of a royal decree, sealed before Pharaoh Isesi, see Posener-Krieger, “Décrets...”
On the subject of publicity, see Allam, “Publizität...”
(^21) Goedicke, Königliche Dokumente.. ., 12.
(^22) Ibid., 13.
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