After describing the terms of a loan, these documents continue with a standard contract for the sale of the debtor's land, written in full; so that if the debtor defaulted on repayment, his land would automatically become the property of the lender. For a discussion of these and other similar types of demotic contract, see J.L. Alonso, "Ōnē en pistei, guarantee sales, and title-transfer security in the papyri", pp.126-130 ( PDF ).
The translations are adapted from W. Spiegelberg, "Demotische Kaufpfandverträge", in "Recueil de travaux ...", no. 31 ( archive.org ). When calculating sums of money, the documents use the standard conversion rates : 1 deben = 5 staters = 20 drachmas; 1 talent = 6,000 drachmas.
[A] On the 2nd day of Paophi, in the 20th year of King Ptolemy and Cleopatra his sister, the children of Ptolemy and Cleopatra the Manifest Gods, and under the priest of Alexander and the Saviour Gods, and the Brother Gods, and the Beneficent Gods, and the Father-Loving Gods, and the Manifest Gods, and the Mother-Loving Gods; and under the prize-bearer of Berenice the Beneficent, and the basket-bearer of Arsinoe Philadelphos, and the priestess of Arsinoe Philopator, as established at Rakoti and as the King shall appoint in the Thebaid, as priests of Ptolemy the Saviour, and of Ptolemy Philometor, and of Ptolemy Philadelphos, and of Queen Cleopatra, and of Cleopatra the Mother, the Manifest Goddess, and the basket-bearer of Arsinoe Philadelphos.
The herdsman (?), servant of Mont, Lord of Hermonthis, Harsiesis, son of Kerkasis and Taysiris, says this to the woman Ata, daughter of [Portis] and Sentheutes:
You have a claim against me for 690 silver deben, which equals 3450 staters, calculated at ⅕ of a deben for 24 copper obols, including interest, in respect of the silver you gave me. I shall return to you your aforementioned 690 silver deben by the last day of Pachons of Year 20, making 8 months, which equals ⅔ of a year, which equals 8 months again. If I do not return to you your aforementioned 690 silver deben, which equals 3450 staters, calculated at ⅕ of a deben for 24 copper obols, by the last day of Pachons of year 20, the date specified above, then you shall have thereby satisfied me regarding the purchase price of my high-lying field, measuring 10 arouras, which equals 9 + ¾ (?) + ⅛ + ⅛, which equals 10 arouras again, including its additional boundary strip . The said field lies within the temple estate of the god Mont in the territory of Tarkytis {Tȝ-ʿrkt}, in the northern district, in the west of the Pathyrite nome.
The neighbours of the entire field are: to the south: the field of Pesuris, son of Psenamunis; to the north: the field of Amenophis, son of Psemmonthis, which belongs to his children; to the east: the field of Harp....; to the west: the field of Pachrates, son of Pỉ-..., which belongs to his children, with the King's Road lying between them.
These are the neighbours of the entire aforementioned field. I give it to you. It belongs to you: it is your high-lying field, amounting to 10 arouras, which equals 9 + ¾ (?) + ⅛ + ⅛, which equals 10 arouras again, including its additional boundary strip mentioned above. I have received its silver price from you in full, without any outstanding balance. My heart is satisfied with this. I have no claim whatsoever to raise against you regarding it. No person in the world, myself included, shall have any authority over it other than you, from the aforementioned day onwards. Should anyone proceed against you in my name or in the name of any person in the world, I shall move them away from you. I shall guarantee the field to you by means of any document, any legal ruling, and any declaration whatsoever, at any time. Its documents and legal rulings belong to you, wherever they may be. Any document drawn up regarding it in general, any document drawn up regarding it for me personally, and any document protecting my rights concerning it; they all belong to you, along with the rights and protections they confer. If any oath or proof is required of you in court based on the aforementioned document I issued to you, I shall perform them myself, without raising any objection or dispute with you.
Written by Harsiesis, son of Chestephnachtes, writing on behalf of Osoroeris the Elder, also known as Amenophis, son of Espmethis, the prophet of Djeme.
{ In Greek: }
Year 20, 26th day of Mesore. Tax payment to the state bank at Hermonthis, managed by Apollonios. Nature of payment: five-percent tax on the value of the transaction. Collection is based on the payment order issued by the tax-farming company of Ploutiades and Hermodoros, countersigned by Zminis, who works for Pakoibis, who is the subordinate of the royal scribe Dionysios. Payer: Etēs, daughter of Portis. Purpose: mortgage pledge of a plot of arable land measuring 10 arouras, situated at Tarkytis, the boundaries of which are specified in the preceding contract document. This land was pledged to her by Harsiesis, son of Kerkaris, in exchange for a loan of 2 talents and 1800 drachmas. The tax paid amounts to two hundred and seventy-six drachmas in silver currency = 276. Apollonios, manager of the state bank.
{ Names of 16 witnesses on the back: }
[B] On the 10th day of Tybi, in the 22nd year of King Ptolemy and Cleopatra his sister, the children of Ptolemy and Cleopatra the Manifest Gods; [and under the priest] of Alexander and the Saviour Gods, and the Brother-loving Gods, and the Beneficent Gods, and the Father-loving Gods, and the Manifest Gods, and the Mother-loving Gods; and [under] the prize-bearer of Berenice the Beneficent, and the basket-bearer of Arsinoe the Brother-loving, [and under the priestess] of Arsinoe the Father-loving, and under the priest . . . . . . [Ptolemy] the Manifest God, and under the priest of Ptolemy the Mother-loving, and under the priest of Ptolemy the Brother-loving, and under the priest of Ptolemy the . . .-loving (?), and under the priest of Ptolemy the Father-loving, and under the priestess of Queen Cleopatra and the priestess of Cleopatra the Mother, the Manifest Goddess, [and under the] basket-bearer of Arsinoe the Brother-loving.
The herdsman (?), servant of Mont, Lord of Hermonthis, Harsiesis, son of Kerkaris and Taysiris, says this to the pastophoros of Amun of 1Karnak in Western Thebes, Panas, son of Espmethis and Senyris:
You have a claim against me for [592 silver deben, which is] 2960 staters, which is 592 silver deben [again], calculated at ⅕ of a deben for 24 copper obols, in respect of the silver you gave me, inclusive of interest. I shall return your aforementioned 592 silver deben to you by the last day of Choiak in year 23. If I do not return the aforementioned 592 silver deben to you by the last day of Choiak of year 23 - the deadline specified above - then you shall have satisfied my heart with the silver for my high-lying field, which is situated in [the temple estate of the god Mont] in the territory [of Tarkytis] in the northern district, which field measures 10 arouras, which equals 9 + ¾ (?) + ⅛ + ⅛, including the additional boundary strip.
Its neighbours are: to the south, the field of Pesuris, son of Psenamunis; to the north, the field of Amenophis, [son of] Psemmonthis, belonging to his children; to the east, the field of Harp... (?); to the west, the field of Pachrates, son of Pa-tjof, belonging to his children, with the King's Road lying between them . . .
These are the neighbours of the entire field mentioned above. I hereby give it to you. It belongs to you, as your high-lying field, measuring 10 arouras, including the additional boundary strip mentioned above. I have received its full price in silver from you; the payment is complete, with no outstanding balance. I am fully satisfied with this arrangement. I have no further claim whatsoever regarding this field. From this day forward, no one in the world - neither I nor any member of my family - shall have any authority over it, other than you. Should anyone challenge you regarding this matter, whether acting in my name or on behalf of anyone else, I will move that person away from you. I shall guarantee your title to this field against any challenge, backed by any document, legal ruling, or verbal assertion, at any time. You hold the rights to all documents and rulings concerning it, wherever they may be located. Any document drawn up regarding this property, whether issued generally or specifically to me, and any document securing my rights to it, now belongs to you, along with all associated rights; you are fully protected regarding this property. Should you require me to take an oath or provide proof in court, based on the rights established by the document I issued to you, I will do so immediately, without raising any objection or dispute.
Written by Paes, son of Petisis, who writes on behalf of the sʿnḫ-woman and daughter of a priest of Amun, Senchonsis, daughter of the god's father Spotus, the prophetess of Djeme.
{ In Greek: }
Year 22, 3rd day of Mecheir. Tax payment to the state bank at Hermonthis, managed by Apollonios. Nature of payment: five-percent tax on the value of the transaction. Collection is based on the payment order issued by the tax-farmer Apollonios, countersigned by Zminis, who works for Pakoibis, who is the subordinate of the royal scribe Dionysios. Payer: Panas, son of Espmethis. Purpose: mortgage pledge of a plot of arable land measuring 10 arouras, situated at Tarkytis, the boundaries of which are specified in the preceding Egyptian contract document. This land was pledged to her by Harsiesis, son of Kerkaris, on the 10th day of Tybi in year 22, in exchange for a loan of 1 talent and 5840 drachmas. The tax paid amounts to two hundred and forty drachmas in silver currency, = 240. Apollonios, manager of the state bank.
{ Names of 16 witnesses on the back: }
[C] On the 26th day of Mechir, In the 20th year of king Ptolemy, surnamed Alexander, and of [queen Berenice. . .], the Mother-Loving Saviour Gods, [under the priest of Alexander and the Saviour Gods], the Brother-loving Gods, the Beneficent Gods, the Father-Loving Gods, the Manifest Gods, the Mother-Loving God, the God of Noble-Father, the Young_Father-Loving God, and the Beneficent Gods; under the prize-bearer of Berenice the Beneficent, and the priests appointed in Rakoti and in Psoi, which is in the Thebaid.
The herdsman (?), servant of the god Harsemtheus, Pete-harsemtheus, son of Panobchunis and Kobaetesis, says this to the woman Tasuchos, daughter of Petenophris and Tinuthis:
You have a claim against me for 22 ½ ⅓ artabas of wheat, half of which amounts to 11 ⅜ artabas, making again a total of 22 ½ ⅓ artabas of wheat, in respect of the grain you gave me. I shall return this amount to you by the last day of Tybi of Year 21, measured by your standard. If I fail to return it by the aforementioned deadline, then you shall have satisfied my heart with the silver value of my 1/32 share of the farmland in the ȝri (?) territory.
Its boundaries are: south: the field of Kales (?); north: the land (?) of the goddess Nut (?); east: the south side (?) of the temple of the god Harsemtheus, belonging to the temple lands of Pathyris ; west: the desert hills.
These are the boundaries of the [entire share] and of the ¼ share of the vineyard and the field, measuring ⅛ + .. arouras, situated in front of it, lying within the field of Telon and the temple estate of Pathyris, the boundaries of which are: south: The field of Thibis, daughter of Phibis; north: The remainder of the field of Telon; east: The vineyard of Kanopos; west: The field of Anup-er-tais (?), including its [additional boundary strip], and the house of Tathotis, daughter of Phibis, built of stone and roofed, located in the western quarter of Pathyris.
The neighbours of the entire house are: to the south: The King's Street; [to the north:] The house of Nechutes, son of Sminis; to the east: The {burial ground} of the cats ; to the west: The remaining undeveloped plots of Tathotis.
These are the neighbours of the aforementioned fields and of the aforementioned house. I grant them to you. To you belongs . . . the quarter-share of the fields and of the houses, the ¼ of what is described above. Therefore, if anyone takes action against you in my name or in the name of any person in the world, I shall move him away from you, starting from the aforementioned [day]. I have received its price in silver from you, in full, without any remainder. My heart is [satisfied] with this. I have no claim whatsoever to raise against you regarding the fields and house. No [person in the world], myself included, shall have authority over them, except for you. I will guarantee them to you with any document, any ruling (?), and any word whatsoever at [any] time. The fields' documents and rulings (?) belong to you, wherever they may be. Any document that has been drawn up regarding them in general, and any document that has been drawn up for me personally regarding them, and any document [by which I am] protected [with regard to] the fields - they belong to you [with their] rights, and yours is the protection I hold regarding them. The oath and the proof (?) that anyone may require of you in court, based on the validity of the [aforementioned] documents I have drawn up for you, so that I may swear or provide them - I shall do so without raising any objection (?) or uttering a single word against you.
Written by Nechthminis, son of Nechthminis, who writes [on behalf of] the 5 [ classes of priests of Hathor ].
{ Names of 16 witnesses on the back: }
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