A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

792 

despite apparent changes, the Great Qenbetpersisted and so did prob-

ably the smaller local qenbetcourts.^132 We know little about the so-

cial status of the judges comprising the Great Qenbetcourt.^133 Allam

tentatively suggests that these later judges are true judges with no

administrative powers, unlike the New Kingdom judges, who were

administrative officials as well.^134 Malinine suggests that the court

had become priestly in composition.^135 This Great Qenbetwas a con-

tinuation of the New Kingdom institution, which finally disappeared

during the reorganization of the country under the Saite rulers.^136

2.3.1 One of the few substantial texts referring to the court system

is P. Louvre E 3228c, written in year 6 of Taharqa (685).^137 The

abnormal hieratic document is composed at the order of the Great

Qenbet. A man has lost a case concerning some money, and must

renounce his own claim, while acknowledging that of his opponent.

He declares, for example, “(I went) with you (the opponent) to law

before the superiors of the Great Qenbetof the Town (= Thebes)

and (before) the chief scribe.”^138

2.3.2 Private contracts may contain a declaration that the agreement

reached may not be contested, presumably in a court setting.^139 Some

documents from the Nubian period (reign of Shabako, ca. 707) men-

tion a “hall of writings” (¢3 n s§) in the declaration by one party:

“His statement will not be heard in the hall of writings.”^140 This

may be an official archive or record office, although the phrase also

evokes a court room situation.

(^132) Ibid.
(^133) Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 176.
(^134) Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 119.
(^135) Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 176.
(^136) Malinine, “Une Affaire.. .,” 193; see also Seidl, Ägyptische Rechtsgeschichte...,
32; Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 119.
(^137) Malinine, “Jugement...”
(^138) Allam, “Egyptian Law Courts.. .,” 115. On the expression ≈d qnb.t firm, “to
go to court with,” which is standard in Demotic and is attested also in the abnor-
mal hieratic documents of the reign of Taharqa, see Allam, “Quenebete.. .,” 15; see
also Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 164.
(^139) E.g. Malinine, Choix.. ., 37.
(^140) Ibid. See also Malinine, “Jugement.. .,” 168; Vleeming, “Sale of a Slave.. .,” 15.
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