Pap. Torino, Museo Egizio Cat. 1972

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Metadata

Collection

Inventory Number	Pap. Torino, Museo Egizio Cat. 1972
Publication Number	LRL 04
Publication Status	published

Origin / Provenance

Ancient Provenance Site	Elephantine (Ꜣbw; Yb; YbꜢ; YbꜤ; Ἐλεφαντίνη, יב , ⲉⲓⲏⲃ) [Trismegistos] Certainty:
Ancient Provenance District	Upper Egypt, 1st nome (Ombites) [Trismegistos]
Finder (= First Purchaser)	Rifaud, Jean-Jacques Certainty:
Location of Find / Purchase in Egypt	Thebes-West, Memnoneia
District of Find / Purchase in Egypt	Upper Egypt, 1st nome (Ombites) [Trismegistos]
Date of Acquisition for the Intitution	between 1823 and 1823
Buyer (Currently Housing Institution)	Belzoni heirs Certainty:

Object

Object Type	papyrus
Rotation	around horizontal axis (top to bottom)
Range of Preservation	incomplete
State of Preservation	The object is almost complete. Only the left upper corner is missing. The papyrus also has some gaps. The papyrus is broken into several strips of which the bottom strip measures 12 mm and the top strip 20 mm in height. (Černý, Letters (1939), VIII)
Comments on Object	Based on the measurement, this object is a halved papyrus sheet. The papyrus was folded from bottom to top. (Černý, Letters (1939), XVIII)

Text Basic Information

Localization of Text on Object	recto/verso
Script-Fiber-Relation (for Payri)	perpendicular and parallel
Inks and Pigments	carbon ink monochrome black
State of Preservation (Text)	The text is almost complete. Only the ends of lines one and two on the recto as well as the upper part of the last signs in line three are lost. Writing is lost in some places, mainly in the last two lines on the recto / first two lines on the verso.
Script, Primary	New Kingdom Hieratic
Language, Primary	Late Egyptian
Comments on Handwriting	The two letters are written by two different scribes. The hands differ for example in the writing of sign Y3. Some signs of the first handwriting are very expansive (e. g. the sign of the running legs).
Comments on Text Layout	There are blank spaces in the fourth line on the verso as well as at the end of the last line on the recto and the verso. The text takes up the entire height of the sheet on the recto and shows small margins. The papyrus probably is a palimpsest. Under the last line of the verso (line six), a further line is visible which is washed off and belongs most likely to the old text. Furthermore the papyrus color points to a palimpsest. (Černý, Letters (1939), VIII)
	recto	verso
Quantity of Lines	14	6+1(washed off)
Height of Line / Letter

Text Content

Modern Title	Letter
Ancient Scribe(s) of Text	Qenikhnum Thutmose; alias: Tjari
Text Types	documentary \| letter
Summary of Content	A letter from the Necropolis scribe Thotmose who informs Boutehamun and Shedemduat on the recto that he has met his general at Elephantine, after he has been picked up at Edfou. He states that his superior is treating him well and reports on the intention of the general to go up to Nubia to attack Panehesi. Then, Thotmose urges them to pray to Amun to bring him back safely. Further, he gives some instructions to take care of specific persons and addresses other named persons in a separate note on the verso. He asks them repeatedly to pray for his safe return. A message of the scribe Qenikhnum to Boutehamun and other individuals is added to Thotmose's letter. After the typical introductory formula, Qenikhnum asks for information about an obscure happening. The rest of the note is washed off and not readable.
Multilingualism	Monolingual
Gender	Man Woman Child
Comment on Gender	Recto Letter to a woman and a man: - Identifier of woman: title + Name Caring for children is expressed: - Identifier of the children: no name; boys and a girl; boys/ daughter of + name of three women Verso Letter to different men and women - Identifier of woman: name only
Religion	Polytheism (Egyptian)

Text

Transcription

Translation

Pictures

1	sẖꜣ.w Ḏḥw.tj-ms .w n pꜣ ḫr n sẖꜣ.w Bw-th-Jmn šmꜥ.y t - n-Jmn Šd.w-m-dwꜣ.t

2	m ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ snb m ḥs w .t Jmn-Rꜥ nswt-nṯr.w tw=j ḏd n nꜣ nṯr.w n pꜣ tꜣ jmı͗ n=tn ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ snb ꜥḥꜥ.w qꜣı͗

3	jꜣw.t ꜥꜣ.t nfr.t jmı͗ n=ttn ḥs w .t qn.w jmı͗ jwı͗=j mtw=j mḥ qnj

4	j:m=tn rꜥ-nb hnꜥ-ḏd r-n.tj tw=j spr.k wj r pꜣy=j ḥr.j [y]ꜣ j:jrı͗=j gmı͗

5	jw ḏı͗=f jwı͗ wꜥ tsm r ṯꜣy=j jw=w gmı͗=j m tꜣ mtr n

6	Ḏbꜣ jw=j pḥ=f r dmj ꜣbw jw=f ḏd n=j r-ḏd ky sp bn jw=k r jy .t

7	j.n=f n=j jw=f ḏı͗.t n=j ꜥq.w ḥ n q.t m pꜣy=j sḫr.w ẖr.j-ḥꜣ.t jw=f ḏd n=j ḥsı͗

8	tw Mnṯw ḫr tw=n ḥr mjnı͗.t r ꜣbw ḫr sw ḏd jw=j r ṯsy r-ḥr.j

9	r pḥ Pꜣ-nḥs.j r pꜣ n.tj sw j:m=f ḫr=f jḫ ḏd=k n Jmn-ns.wt-tꜣ.wj Jmn-&lt;nb>-ns.wt-tꜣ.wj pꜣy=j nb=j

jnı͗ wj jw=j wḏꜣ.k wj mtw=k ḏı͗.t ḥr=k n nꜣ ꜥḏd.w šrj.w ¹Suggestion according to: Wente, Letters (1967), 25 n. h. The name would have been written abbreviated. Ḥm.t-šrj.t ²According to Wente, Ramesside Letters (1990), 186. Spiegelberg, correspondances (1895), 34, Černý, Letters (1939), 8 and 8a, 3a-b, Wente, Letters (1967), 24, and Vittmann, Hieratic Texts (1996), 61 read aḏd šrjw ḥm.w “small children and servants" Šd.w-m-dwꜣ.t

¹ Suggestion according to: Wente, Letters (1967), 25 n. h. The name would have been written abbreviated.
² According to Wente, Ramesside Letters (1990), 186. Spiegelberg, correspondances (1895), 34, Černý, Letters (1939), 8 and 8a, 3a-b, Wente, Letters (1967), 24, and Vittmann, Hieratic Texts (1996), 61 read aḏd šrjw ḥm.w “small children and servants"

11	mtw=k ḏı͗.t nkt n sgnn r ḏı͗.t wnm.t st nꜣ ꜥḏd.w šry ¹Suggestion of Wente, Ramesside Letters (1990), 186. The word looks different than in line 10. Černý, Letters (1939), 8 and 8a, 4a-b transcribes with uncertainty n ꜥ rsj "of the Southern Province". m-dj ꜣtj=w

¹ Suggestion of Wente, Ramesside Letters (1990), 186. The word looks different than in line 10. Černý, Letters (1939), 8 and 8a, 4a-b transcribes with uncertainty n ꜥ rsj "of the Southern Province".

12	mtw=k ḏı͗.t ḥr=k tꜣj šrj n Ḫnsw-ms .w n m-jrı͗ nnı͗ n=s m-mj.tt ḫr
13	m-dj ḥꜣ.tj=k m-sꜥ=j jrı͗ n=j pꜣy=j ḥr.j nfr nb mtw=k ḏı͗.t

14	ḥr=k nꜣ r m ṯ.w-mšꜥ m-dj wꜥr=w ḫr m-dj ḥqr=w ¹The rest of this line is blank.

¹ The rest of this line is blank.

1	ky ḏd n r m ṯ.w-js.t Jmn-Ḥtp.w Ḥr-n-Jmn-pnꜥ=f Pꜣ-by Pꜣ-n-tꜣ-wmt

2	Sḏꜥ Šdi-sw-Jmn Jri.j-mw.t ꜣs.t Bꜣk .t -Jmn Jḫ-tꜣj ḥr.j-šnꜥ.w

3	Pꜣ-n-pꜣ-wn-ḥr r-ḏd jḫ ḏd=tn n Jmn nꜣ nṯr.w n tꜣ ḥw.t jnı͗ wj jw=j ꜥnḫ.k wj

4	m pꜣ ky ḫrw.wy sẖꜣ.w Qn(j)-ẖnm.w n sẖꜣ.w Bw-th-Jmn Jmn-pꜣ-nfr

5	tw=j ḏd n Jmn jmı͗ n=ttn ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ snb rꜥ-nb sp-2 ḥnꜥ ḏd j:ḏd n Jmn-pꜣ-nfr hꜣb

6	šꜥ.t n j:jr.t r-ḏd jmı͗ ḥr=k ¹According to: Hafemann, pTurin 1972 (September 2016).pꜣ r m ṯ j:šsp st n=f ²The rest of this line is blank.
7	ky ḏd n sẖꜣ.w Bw-th-Jmn Ḥr-n-Jmn-pnꜥ=f

¹ According to: Hafemann, pTurin 1972 (September 2016).
² The rest of this line is blank.

1	The scribe of the necropolis Thutmose to the scribe Butehamun (and) the chantress of Amun Shed[emduat:]

2	In life, prosperity, (and) health (and) &lt;in> the favor of Amun-Ra, King of the gods. I pray to the gods of the country to give y[ou] [life, prosperity, and health, a long lifetime]

3	(and) a long, good old age; to give you much favor; to let [me] return [and fill] (my) [embra]ce

4	with you daily. Further the following: I have reached my superior. [O]h, I found out

5	that he had sent a tsm-boat to take me, after they had found me &lt;in> the midst of
6	Edfu; (and) that I met him at the town of Elephantine; (and) that he said to me: "Another time you shall not come" ¹Hafemann, pTurin 1972 (September 2016), translates: "Kein anderes (späteres?) Mal hättest du zu mir kommen dürfen.",
7	(so) he said to me; (and) that he gave me bread and beer according to my previous custom; (and) that he said to me: "May
8	Montu favor &lt;you>." Now we moored at Elephantine and he has been saying: "I shall go up
9	to meet Panehesi at the place where he is.", (so) he has been saying. Oh please, pray to Amun-of-the-Thrones-of-the-Two-Lands Amun, <lord>-of-the-Thrones-of-the-Two-Lands , my lord,
10	to bring me back safe; and give your attention to the little boys of Hemet-sherit and Shedem[duat];
11	and <give> some oil to let the little boys consume it; do not let them suffer!
12	And give your attention to this daughter of Khonsumose; do not be weary of her either.
13	And further, do not be worry about me ²Lit.: "Do not put your heart behind me.". [My] superior has done every good for me. And further,
14	give [your] attention to the conscripts; do not let them run off; do not let them be hungry.

¹ Hafemann, pTurin 1972 (September 2016), translates: "Kein anderes (späteres?) Mal hättest du zu mir kommen dürfen."
² Lit.: "Do not put your heart behind me."

1	Another [matter] for the workmen Amenhotep, Herenamenpenaf, Pabi, Pantawemet,
2	Sedja, Shedsuamun, Irimut, Isis, Bak(et)amun, Ikhtai and the supervisor of the storehouse
3	Panpawenher with the words: "Oh please, pray to Amun and the gods of the temple to bring me back alive
4	from the next war." [_] The scribe Qenikhnum to the scribe Butehamun and Amenpanefer:
5	I pray to Amun daily to give you life, prosperity, and health - twice. Further the following: Tell Amenpanefer to s[e]nd

6	a letter about what has been done with the words: "Give your attention to the man who will receive it from him." ¹According to: Hafemann, pTurin 1972 (September 2016). See the comment by Peust, Indirekte Rede (1996), 96 n. 340.
7	Another matter for the scribe Butehamun and Herenamenpenaf: [///]

¹ According to: Hafemann, pTurin 1972 (September 2016). See the comment by Peust, Indirekte Rede (1996), 96 n. 340.

Turin_ME_Cat_1972_R_00

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Turin_ME_Cat_1972_V_00

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Places (read out from edition)

Ḏbꜣ (places.xml#s4)

ꜣbw (places.xml#s3)

People mentioned in Text

ID	gender	en normiert	original	Language	Functions	in Texts
10100	man	Amenhotep	Jmn-ḥtp	(none)

Dates

RulerID	Regnal Year	MonthID	Day Date of the Text	Gregorian Date	dating_comment
Ramesses XI					year 10 of Ramesses XI.: based on the comparison with other letters from the correspondences between Thotmose and different people (see Wente, Letters (1967), 1-17);

Pictures

Turin_ME_Cat_1972_R_00

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Turin_ME_Cat_1972_V_00

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Literature

Černý, Jaroslav, Late Ramesside Letters (1939). (VII-VIII, 7-8, no. 4)
Hafemann, Ingelore, pTurin 1972, Brief des Djehuti-mesu an Bu-tech-Imen und die Sched-em-duat (2016). ()
Janssen, Jac J., Late Ramesside Letters and Communications (1991). (pl. 94)
Porten, Bezalel, The Elephantine Papyri in English: Three Millennia of Cross-Cultural Continuity and Change (1996). (A7)
Rossi, Francesco, Papyrus de Turin. (1869). (146-147, pls. CXVI-CXVII)
Roveri, Anna Maria Donadoni, Egyptian Civilization. (1988). (30, pl. 18)
Spiegelberg, M. W., Correspondances du temps des rois-prêtres: publiées avec autres fragments épistolaires de la Bibliothèque Nationale (1895). (33-37)
Vittmann, Günter, Hieratic Texts (1996). (60-63)
Wente, Edward Frank, Late Ramesside Letters (1967). (24-27, no. 4)
Wente, Edward Frank, Letters from Ancient Egypt (1990). (185-186, no. 308)

DatasetID	310583
last Change	29.07.2022
Author	Martina Grünhagen; Verena Lepper; Daniela C. Härtel
Dataset License	Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA)
Data set citation	Data set 310583 (= Pap. Torino, Museo Egizio Cat. 1972), ERC-Project ELEPHANTINE: Martina Grünhagen; Verena Lepper; Daniela C. Härtel.