Oxford Bodl. Aram. Inscr. 1
TAD D.07.09 Sayce-Cowley M
Metadata
- Collection
- Bodlien Library, Oxford, UK | Bodl (Public)
- Genre
-
- Missive
- Language
- Aramaic
- Script
- Aramaic
- Find Type
- Unprovenanced: Purchase
- Acquired
- A.H. Sayce [≤ 1907]
- Created by
- James D. Moore
- Material
- clay | sherd (for ostracon)
- Text Direction Side 1
- perpendicular (⟂) to the material's lines
- Updated by
- James D. Moore, 2026-01-18
- Date (Metadata)
- Gregorian -525 to -399 [Persian, 5th cent. BCE]
- References
-
- Académie des inscriptions & belles -lettres (France ) Commission du Corpus inscriptionum semiticarum, Jean-Baptiste Chabot and University of Michigan 1900. RÉS no. 492.
- Lepper, Verena M. et al. . erc 307811.
- Porten, Bezalel and Yardeni, Ada 1986. D.07.09.
- Sayce, A. H. et al. 1906. Sayce/Cowley no. M.
Académie des inscriptions & belles -lettres (France ) Commission du Corpus inscriptionum semiticarum, Jean-Baptiste Chabot. Répertoire d’épigraphie sémitique. Vol. 8. Imprimerie nationale, 1900. http://archive.org/details/rpertoiredpigra00gangoog.
“Localizing 4,000 Years of Cultural History. Texts and Scripts from Elephantine Island in Egypt. ERC Grant ID: 637692,” n.d. TBA.
Porten, Bezalel, and Ada Yardeni. Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt. 4 vols. Jerusalem: Hebrew University, 1986.
Sayce, A. H., and Arthur E. Cowley. Aramaic Papyri Discovered at Assuan. Edited by Seymour de Ricci. London: Moring, 1906.
Textual Notes
Note the highly unusual explanation in Karev, "Slavery," 101–103. If ḤNT is the same as that found in DAIK O EAS registration 1661 then it must be an inanimate object not a "woman" as Karev thinks. That said, Uryah is associated with animal products elsewhere, including the wool of sheep.
My edition follows TAD because the item is lost. Only Sayce/Cowley's photo survives.
cv 4: נחת. Presumably TAD interprets it from √ניח to rest and a deverbal noun meaning stand.
Note that in Sayce-Cowley p. 48 it is claimed "ostracon M, obtained at Elephantine, where it was disinterred by the sebbaḥin from the fubbish on the north-western side of the old city, immediately to the west of the site of the temple of Amon-hotep III and the citadel. It must have been on this spot that the Jewish residents were settled."
Text and Translation
Choose alternative texts and translations from the filter. Click individual words in a text for more details.
James Moore Last updated 06 August, 2025 by James D. Moore
James Moore Last updated 06 August, 2025 by James D. Moore
Now, look! The ḤNT, which ˀÛryah gave to me for \the/ libation,
give it to Gemaryah son of ˀAḥyô. He shall prepare (?) it from the beer.
Then bring it to ˀÛryah. Moreover, look, Teṭôsi\rî/,
who belongs to us, shall write so on her arm over the inscription,
which is (already) on her arm. Indeed, (about) thus, send (word), saying, that
they should not find his servant-woman
to be marked on (with)
his name.
No⸢w, Š⸣[... ]⸢And⸣ moreover, be aware (f.s.)!
for M[◦◦]ˀ[◦]◦RY to be written/to write. Moreover, when
you (f.s.) shall hear, saying, "we are beging to give prs-rations
in Syene," send (word) to me. Look the NḤT of the QPYR-container,
which I brought in ⸢my⸣ hand, send (back) to me and (also) the QPYR-container, which
I sent to you (m.s.) by candle-light/by means of the river,
as well as the [1] large QPYR-container, which he gave
[to you], (namely) Malkyah—send (f.s.)
them (all) to me!
Moore, James D.. 'Oxford Bodl. Aram. Inscr. 1.' DEAPS. 12 Dec, 2025. https://deaps.osu.edu/text_objects/11209. Accessed: 20 Jan, 2026.