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7.3 Pledge
An early example of the common word for “pledge, security,” fiwy.t,
is possibly found in the still-unpublished P. Berlin 3048, verso B.^275
Within the context of marriage arrangements, Johnson believes that
the groom pledges his property to his father-in-law, as a guarantee
for the “gift of a woman,” given to the bride’s father on her behalf.^276
Some sale documents may refer to a creditor still having a claim on
an object sold, which had served as a guarantee or pledge for the
loan to the seller made by the creditor.^2777.4 Debt and Social Justice
Later traditions credit the Twenty-fourth Dynasty pharaoh Bocchoris
with the abolishment of debt imprisonment.^2787.5 Suretyship
Menu emphasizes that no real surety appears in P. Berlin 3048 or
Metropolitan Museum Tablet 35.3.318 and that true sureties only
appear from the time of Apries in the Saite period.^2797.6 Hire
According to Menu, the still unpublished P. Berlin 3048 verso B
(9th century), may deal with the hiring of services between individuals.^280
The Twenty-first through Twenty-third Dynasties do not preserve
any explicit short-term leases of land,^281 but sharecropping leases are
attested in the Twenty-fifth Dynasty.^282 The lessee of fields generally
paid the lessor a rent of about 25 percent of the harvest.^283 The
term w≈ 3 .tseems to mean the amount of “corn the lessees expect
to receive after the subtraction of the lessor’s share (usually between
a quarter and a third of the harvest) and the harvest tax of the(^275) Menu, “Les Rapports.. .,” 194.
(^276) “The Persians.. .,” 156.
(^277) Pestman, Tsenhor.. ., 62.
(^278) Oldfather, Diodorus.. ., 271–73; Théodoridès, “Concept of Law.. .,” 319.
(^279) Menu, “Prêt.. .,” 127.
(^280) Menu, “Les Rapports.. .,” 194.
(^281) Menu, “Questions.. .,” 139. This is in contrast to the rather numerous leases
preserved from the Saite period.
(^282) Donker van Heel, “Land Leases....”
(^283) Ibid., 341.
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