The main purpose of this document is to prevent a group of embalmers at Hawara from operating in certain districts, which no doubt were already served by other groups of embalmers. The agreement does not name these other groups; but the embalmers promise that they will comply with the restrictions, by reciting the royal oath that is appended to the agreement.
This is one of many surviving documents that belonged to an extended family of embalmers at Hawara; for more information on the family, see the description of the archive.
[Regnal year 1. of] King Ptolemy the god Philopator, with the priest of Alexander, and those who are appointed to the priesthood in Rakoti.
The oath before the King which was taken by the God's Sealer, the Embalmer of the Necropolis [of the Suchos Town Hawara] which is in the outer localities of the division of Herakleides of the Arsinoite nome, Marsisuchos, son of Pakusis, and Pakusis, his eldest son, and Pakusis the Younger, his younger brother [and . . . . . . . . . .,] and Pseb....., the children of Nawōser-mesoēris, and Petesuchos, his brother, and Pakusis son of Pemeus, their brother, and Nawōser-mesoēris, their younger brother, and Mestasutmis, [their brother (?) and] Onnōphrios, their brother, they being the said eleven individuals speaking in accord, they binding themselves by oath while saying the oath before the King Ptolemy the god Philopator, Isis, Sarapis, and [all] the gods of Egypt.
[They are stating in unison: we bind (?) ourselves by oath] unto ourselves not to proceed to El-Lahun, or the Enclosure of the Syrians, or Pnūger of Suchos, or the division of Polemon, it being three localities which are in the outer districts of the division of Herakleides of] the Arsinoite [nome], to perform embalmer's functions, to anoint with unguent, not to allow another member to perform the prescribed ceremonies of any kind on earth in our name, and the function aforesaid. And we shall not take responsibility for [the burial places (?) therein. Should he (?)] comply with us (?) regarding the funerary taxes (?) which are to our charge to pay, and also the fines which are to the charge of the members, he shall report in (?) the three localities which are described above to cause us to send forth a member from amongst us [in (?) the three localities aforesaid (?) to take] responsibility for the mummies. Should he report in (?) the localities aforesaid, or should they seek to contest with him, the funerary taxes of any kind on earth are to the charge of those who caused him to be sent forth. No man on earth from amongst us shall proceed in the localities aforesaid . . . . . . on earth (?). And we shall act, it being approved of him from amongst the same eleven individuals aforesaid, to arrive in the localities aforesaid, or to cause another man on earth to arrive in his name. He shall pay (?) the funerary tax to send us forth.
They are saying the oath before King Ptolemy, the god Philopator, Isis, Sarapis, and all the gods of Egypt: We will act according to every provision aforesaid from [today onward. The member from amongst us who shall] fail to act according to these provisions, he shall pay in full the tax, even the ten deben of silver for ? the funerary tax (?), in addition to the fees of the exercise of the office, even the five deben of silver, they being the tax to the account of the burnt-offerings and libations, [to cause (?)] burial places (?) to be constructed for the deceased individuals. [ If we make the] oath before the King aforesaid truly, we are in his favour. If we make it falsely, we are in his displeasure.
Written by Pais son of Pelel.
{ Only a small part of the list of witnesses is readable. }
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