Saite Oracle Papyrus

Saite Oracle Papyrus, October 4, 651 B.C.E., 47.218.3a-j, Brooklyn Museum

History

This papyrus was from the Late Period of ancient Egypt and records the petition of a man named Pemou on behalf of his father, Harsiese. Harsiese was an ordinary priest in the service of the god Amun-Re at Karnak, but he wished to leave that god's service and join the priesthood of the neighboring temple of Montu-Re-Horakhty. Because temple personnel were seen as the property of the divinity, the god had to be consulted about any change in staff. Pemou asked for the god's advice on behalf of his father, and the god responded favorably. To record the verdict, Pemou had this papyrus drawn up and decorated.

After the papyrus was drawn up, fifty priests who had witnessed the events signed it. The fragment here contains the signatures, titles, and genealogies of six of those officials, including those of Montuemhat and Nespeqashuty. Each of the officials penned his own entry, as the variety of handwriting in this section of the papyrus attests.^[1]

About the Papyrus

The papyrus shows the procession of an image of Amun-Re, the fragments of whose shrine can be seen above the carrying poles borne by the priests. Above the shrine appear two ostrich-feather fans shading the god from the sun. In front of the priestly file stand the highest-ranking members of the Theban priesthood, all dressed in leopard-skin costumes with their respective names and titles written on their shoulder sashes.

The figure closest to and facing the shrine is Montuemhat, Fourth Prophet of Amun-Re. Although Montuemhat did not hold the highest title of the Theban priesthood, he was Mayor of Thebes, thus serving in one of the highest positions of power in southern Egypt. He had many exceptionally fine sculptures of himself made and built one of the largest tombs in the Theban necropolis. Some of the reliefs from Montuemhat's tomb are shown at the Brooklyn Museum.

The figure with the ostrich plumes on his head is the chief lector priest, reading aloud the processional ritual written on the papyrus roll he holds before him. The next-to-last figure on the right is the vizier Nespeqashuty, the highest official in the land, wearing the costume of his office, a high skirt with halter straps. Many reliefs from his tomb can also be seen at the Brooklyn Museum. The figure behind him is most likely the petitioner Pemou or his father Harsiese.^[2]

The Vignette

Although most of the illustration is gone, you can still get a sense of the papyrus. The vignette is framed above by hieroglyphs of the sky with a row of stars, the earth below and scepters on either side of which only one is left preserved. Its length was originally at least one meter and in width it took up about 25.5 cm

To the left of the vignette is a shrine of Amon-Re with twenty priests. All have shaved heads and clothed in stiff white skirts. From other sources, we have found out that they are "pure"-priests. The artists of this papyrus deliberately portrayed the priests as a phalanx.

The shrine itself is only partly preserved but there is enough to be able to identify it as, not the Amon shrine of Psamtik I which was to be expected, but rather as the Amon shrine of Taharqa, whose prenomen

Nfrtm-ḫw-R, preceded by

("Beautiful God, Lord of the Two Lands"), is to be found in the vertical inscription on its left. It is within a baldachin, the left hand pole of which is banded in yellow-red-yellow-blue sequence and is held by a small royal figure with single uraeus, kneeling on the base which projects slightly beyond the pole. A fragment of the right end of the base is preserved and this, with the fragment of the shrine, attests the original width of shrine and baldachin together. Just enough of the top of the baldachin is preserved to demonstrate that, as usual, its front is higher than its back. The shrine also has a frieze of uraei across the top and registers between vertical columns of hieroglyphs which name the king. Under a sky with stars the upper reister has figures of Ma'at with outstretched protective wings guarding the ram-headed figure of Amon. Between the wings od Ma'at and on either side of Amon two royal figures offer the wadjet-eye. Herihor's shrine has a central register lacking in Taharqa's. The lower in both has hawk-headed Souls of Pe making jubilation. Herihor's shrine has four, flanked by the Singers of Upper and Lower Egypt. How many were on Taharqua's shrine is uncertain.

When looking at the eight figures which dace the shrine from the right, you are able to identify the priest offering incense as Mentuemhat, Fourth Prophet of Amon-Re, King of Gods. The fifth figure in the procession holds an opened papyrus roll and wears two ostrich plumes. He must be a Lector-priest, with no doubt the Chief Lector-priest, and a Scribe of the Sacred Books.

The sixth figure, like the fourth, is almost all missing and might be doubted. There is no evidence for the relative order of the fifth and sixth figures other than that the Lector-priest should be ahead of the procession so that his recitation would be audible to the god. The fragment of the foot and skirt, however, attests that it belongs in this area at the same time it has a flesh tint which is darker than the other three figures.

The seventh figure has no name or title preserved but as he wears the distinctive garb of a vizier, a high skirt with halters tied around his neck, he must be Nespekashuty, current vizier.

The last figure is almost certainly either the petitioner Pemou or his father Harsiese. Half a head smaller than the others, as befits his humbler status, he inclines slightly forward. If we take him as Pemou the likelier choice, then we might see Harsiese as one of the "pure" priests carrying the shrine. This would put him on the scene, where he must be as we learn from the text of the oracle.^[3]

The Oracle Text

1.Year 14, first month of Shomu (Pachons) [day 5 of Pharaoh Psamtik, may he live, be prosperous, be healthy every day] forever.

2. On this day a procession of this august god, lord of all the [gods], Amon-Re, King of Gods, the great god since the beginning. Advancing out (3) on the Floor of Silver in order to go around the temple. Reaching the Hall of Review. Thereupon petitioning by Pemou son of Harsiese (4) son of Peftjau in speech before the great god,"Come to me, O Amon-Re, King of Gods, great gods since the beginning, great god, eldest who began (5) existence! May your very great august name live and your name endure forever and ever. That man is my father, a W'b-priest of your temple. Should (6) Harsiese son Peftjau, my father, serve Montu-Re-Harakhti?" Drawing toward him and coming at his voice by the great god.

In these six lines is to be found the whole reason of our document and the witness who follow with their hand-written testimony do little more than name themselves and quote some relevant sentences from lines 4-6. The omissions and substitutes that occur in theses quotations will, however, be found to be of great value in correctly translating and interpreting the brief and inexplicit statement of the oracle.

Year 14, first month of Shomu (Pachons) [day 5 of Pharaoh Psamtik, may he live, be prosperous, be healthy every day] forever.: This can only refer to Psamtik I as the others had no 14th year. Of the dates preserved in the witness copies 11 are day 5 while 22 are day 15. There is no order and the last witness of all, Harkhebi, gives day 5. The explanation must be that procession and the oracle took place on day 5 and the papyrus was written then days later. Some witnesses dated the event and others the day of writing about it. As we now know that Psamtik's reign began in 664 B.C., Pachons 5 fell on October 4, 651 B.C.- the restoration, except for "day five" and the name of "Psamtik" is rather uncertain in its details.^[4]

The Witnesses

In the catalogue which follows the witnesses appear and are numbered in the order in which they appear in the papyrus. Of the fifty priests who are the witnesses there are twenty who are Prophets and two probably Prophets, nineteen who are God's Fathers and five who are probably God's Fathers. Four are too doubtful to classify. Of the certain Prophets, eight, including the scribe of the document, are of Montu, either as Lord of Thebes, Lord of Southern Heliopolis, or Lord of Thebes, Residing in Southern Heliopolis. There are no certain God's Fathers of Montu, unless there be one among the three of the four unclassified witnesses whose allegiance is not given. All the other priests, at least thirty-seven in number, are of Amon, usually Amon-Re, King of Gods, less frequently, Amon in Ipet-sut.

The style of writing which these various witnesses use is interesting and has as well a possible bearing onto the correct restoration of the missing title. Of the fifty priests, seventeen write in normal hieratic, twenty-seven write abnormal hieratic, and six write a mixture of the two. Thirteen of the twenty-two certain or probable Prophets write normal hieratic but only four of the twenty-four certain or probable God's Fathers write in that fashion. Of the eight Prophets of Montu, all certain, only two write normal hieratic-one of these is the scribe of the document. This means that all but two of the twelve certain Prophets of Amon write normal hieratic. It would appear that the high office of Prophet of Amon entailed a somewhat conservative attitude to writing and that the cursive form, even though it had been in use for accounts and business documents for two centuries, was still not acceptable in the highest circles.^[5]

Catalogue of the Witnesses

The father of a witness has the same nymber followed by a, the grandfather the same number followed by b, and so on. This list only shows the first 13 witnesses/families out of the 50.

1. Amenemhet- Prophet of Montu, Lord of Thebes, Residing in Southern Heliopolis, Scribe of Oracles of the House of Amon. Wrote in normal hieratic

1a. Neskhonswennekh- [Prophet] of Aomn-Re, King of Gods, Scribe of Oracles of the House of Amon, Overseer of the School of the House of Amon for the First Phyle, [Ritual Assistant of the]Great and Pure Offering-Table of the House of Amon, the Witness, for the [..... Phyle] .... of the House of Amon, Scribe of the Sacred Book(s) of the House of Mut, of Montu, Lord of Southern Heliopolis. He wrote abnormal hieratic.

2.Montemhet- Fourth Prophet of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Overseer of Upper Egypt. He wrote in normal hieratic.

3. Pediamennebnesuttawy- Prophet of Amon-Re, King of Gods. He wrote in normal hieratic.

3a. Hor

3b. Het

4. Nespekashuty- Prophet of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Chamberlain, Hsk-preistm Bearer of the flame, Overseer of Cities, Vizier. Wrote in both normal and abnormal hieratic.

4a. Nespemedu- Vizier

5. Peiuiu- Prophet of Montu, Lord of Thebes. He wrote abnormal hieratic.

5a. Nothing preserved.

6.Pekiry- Prophet of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Chief of Scribes of the Mat. He wrote in normal hieratic.

6a. Bakenptah- Prophet of Amon, Chief of Scribes of the Mat.

7. Pestjenef- God's Father of Amon-Re, Kinf Gods. Wrote in abnormal hiertic

7a. Harsiese

8. Onkhpekhrod- God's Father of Amon-Re, King Of Gods,...Mut, The Scribe of the Divine. Wrote in abnormal hieratic.

8a. Nekhtefmut

8b. Onkhpekhrod

9. Iret- God's Father of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Deputy of the House of Amon. Wrote in abnormal hieratic.

9a. Nothing preserved

10. Iry- God's Father of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Deputy of the House of Amon. Wrote in abnormal hieratic.

10a. Amenemope- Deputy of the House of Amon

11. Ipi- God's Father of Amon in Ipet-sut, The Lesonis of the House of Amon, First Phyle. Write in abnormal hieratic.

11a. Harkhebi

12. Djedamenefonkh- God's Father of Amon-Re King of Gods, Lesonis of the House of Amon for the Second Phyle. Wrote in abnormal hieratic.

12a. Onkh- Prophet of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Lesonis of the House of Amon for the Second Phyle.

13. Djed- God's father of Amon-Re, King of Gods, Lesonis of the House of Amon for the Third Phyle. Wrote in abnormal hieratic.

13a. Name not preserved- Lesonis of the House of Amon for the Third Phyle^[6]

References