Joshua Seti (Pharaoh Seti)
- Details
- Written by: Dr. Correo Andrew Hofstad
- Category: Joshua Seti (Pharaoh Seti)
“(The) King of Upper (and) Lower Egypt, Menmaatre, Son of Re,
Seti I Merenptah, says to his fathers, all the Upper Egyptian kings,
the Lower Egyptian kings, rulers of (the) people”.
“(…) it is concerning the affectation of/ while posting my staff of
mine-water transporters for gold– washers to my temple, to place
them for (the) supply to my house [in Abydos, for the delivery of
gold? To] my chapel,
Other parts of the text concern a royal threat to future successors and
officials who removed the temple personal to place them in another
foundation:
“As for any king who shall overthrow any of my plans and says: ‘The
lands are under my authority and they are mine as they were his’,
(this is) a bad thing in the opinion of the gods. See, he will be
accused in Heliopolis, they are the (divine) tribunal […] they will
defend their property. They will become red as fiery flame, they shall
burn up their flesh, those who fail to listen to me, and they will
consume whoever upsets my plans, to cast him (down) on the
slaughtering-block of the Netherworld. I have said these (things) to
you; so let him who is free of his crime take him, but indeed, as for
another who is slippery-hearted, it is the Ennead of gods who will
deal with him”
“As for any official who shall encourage this idea in his master, to
remove personnel, to place them in some other endowments,
according to the manner of an evil witness: he is destined to the fire,
hich shall burn up his body with flames and shall devour his limbs,
because his Majesty has done these (things) for their essence (lit. KA),
the gods of my temple”.23
Severe physical punishments lay ahead for disobedient kings24 and
insubordinate officials who showed no respect for the king’s
provisions. The threat offers the most remarkable description of
punitive undertakings against violators, in this decree there is no
reference to filial rejection, beating, or removal from the royal office,
but they might be taken for granted at seeing the consequences of
disobedience for the royal persona and his ka. Corporeal punishment
in both royal and non-royal cases included the total annihilation of
the individual by executing him and burning his body.
- Details
- Written by: Dr. Correo Andrew Hofstad
- Category: Joshua Seti (Pharaoh Seti)
30 His Majesty has commanded to cause that the House of Millions of Years of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Menmaatre (Seti I), "The Heart Is at Ease in Abydos," to be protected on water (and) on land throughout the nomes of Upper
31 and Lower Egypt, In order to prevent wrong being done to "any person belonging to the Foundation, who is in (the) whole land, (whether) man (or) woman, In order to prevent wrong that being done to any goods belonging to
32 this estate (pr) which are in (the) whole land. In order to prevent any person belonging to this estate (pr) [being taken] by capture from (one) district for (another) district by corvee (or) by forced labour for plowing (or) by forced labour for harvesting by any viceroy,
33 any commandant, any mayor, any agent, (or) any person [Sent on] mission [to] Kush, In order to prevent their boat (im) being detained on (the) water by any patrol. In order to prevent any wrong that being done to any fields of the
34 Foundation in rural districts [- - - - -] by any viceroy, any commandant, any agent of (the) House of Agents of the King's Estate (or any) person sent on mission to Kush. In order to prevent cattle,
35 asses, swine, goats, (or other) animals belonging to the Foundation being taken by robbery or by way of liberty by any viceroy, any commandant, any mayor,
36 [any] charioteer, any stable [-chief], any chief of Nubians, [any] agent of the King's Estate, any person sent on mission to Kush. In order to prevent wrong that being done to any catcher belonging to the Foundation
37 on his trapping marshes, on his fishing waters, (or) on fields which he has -ed. In order to prevent any fisherman belonging to the Foundation being driven
38 from"1 his fishing-pools which are in the whole land of Kush, by any viceroy, any commandant, any mayor, any agent belonging to the whole land of Kush, In order to prevent wrong being done to any personal of the
39 Foundation who are in the land of Kush, men (or) women, guardians of fields, agents, beekeepers, cultivators, gardeners, vintners,
40 bargees, packers, foreign traders, (the) staff of gold washing, carpenters', (or) anyone who carries on his occupation in the Foundation.But they shall be
41 privileged and protected while every man of them carries on his occupation that is carried on in the Foundation, without letting them be interfered by any viceroy
42 of Kush. Any commandant, any magistrates, any charioteer, any stable-chief, any standard-bearer, any soldier of the army (or) any person sent on mission to Kush”