A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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distinguishes his own property inherited from his parents, property

acquired by himself, from the property given to him by the king.^214

Inscriptions confirm the ownership rights of two important women

of the Twenty-first Dynasty: Henuttawy and Maatkarre (daughter of

Psusennes II).^215 Amun is apparently requested to kill those attempt-

ing to dispute the ownership rights of these prominent women.^216

In the Late period, the increased number of private donations to

the temples resulted in the creation of many small sources of income

(fields and the like) which would then be given to individual priests

as prebends (“sinecures, benefices”; “Pfründen”). These sources of

income become much coveted and the cause of legal battles.^217

6.1 Tenure^218

6.1.1 As in other periods of Egyptian history, the king(s), upper classes,

temples, and private individuals of modest status all apparently pos-

sessed landholdings. Naturally, the king or some other high authority

may present fields to his officials or subordinates.^219 Temple land is

sometimes granted to high officials.^220 Determining ultimate ownership

is a complicated matter.^221 The royal land may be explicitly called “the

land of Pharaoh.”^222 The term 3 ̇-nm ̇(ca. 670), “free land,” may refer

to private ownership or the usufructary right to cultivate the field.^223

6.1.2 Purchases and sales of land appear, as, for example, in the In-

scription of Henuttawy^224 and the Inscription of Maatkare.^225 The price

of land seems to have been low in the Third Intermediate period.^226

(^214) Johnson, Legal Status.. .,” 215; Jansen-Winkeln, Ägyptische Biographien.. ., 48.
(^215) Gardiner, “Gods of Thebes...”
(^216) Ibid., 66.
(^217) Helck, “Tempelwirtschaft,” col. 419.
(^218) See also Menu, “La Détention...”
(^219) Redford, “Studies in Relations.. .,” 154.
(^220) Eyre, “Feudal Tenure.. .,” 119. The princess Karomama (reign of Takelot
II) receives a gift of land (Breasted, Ancient Records.. ., vol. 4, 375–76).
(^221) Menu, “Questions.. .,” 136. In the Stèle de l’apanage, an endowment consists
of land bought from private persons, generally in the form of small plots belong-
ing to nm ̇.w(Eyre, “Feudal Tenure.. .,” 125).
(^222) Meeks, “Donations.. .,” 641. There is some evidence for “military” colonies (of
foreign mercenaries?) in the Twenty-second Dynasty (Helck, “Militärkolonie,” col. 135).
(^223) Alternatively, it may have originally been employed for fields owned by peo-
ple of low status; see Donker van Heel, “Papyrus Louvre E 7852.. .,” 92, and
Vleeming, Papyrus Reinhardt.. ., 51–52.
(^224) Gardiner, “Gods of Thebes.. .,” 60.
(^225) Kitchen,Third Intermediate Period.. ., 284; Gardiner, “Gods of Thebes.. .,” 64–69.
(^226) Warburton, Economy.. ., 334; Parker, Saite Oracle Papyrus.. ., 49.
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