Porten, Bezalel, and Ada Yardeni. Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt. 4 vols. Jerusalem: Hebrew University, 1986.
Pap. Cairo EM JdE 43465
TAD A.4.08
Metadata
- Collection
- Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt | EM (Public)
- Keywords
-
- Copy
- Letter
- Letter | Official Letter
- Language
- Aramaic
- Script
- Aramaic
- Find Type
- Excavation
- Acquired
- Otto Rubensohn and Fredriech Zucker [1906–1907]
- Material
- papyrus
- Text Direction Side 1
- perpendicular (⟂) to the material's lines
- Text Direction Side 2
- parallel (∥) to the material's lines
- Updated by
- James D. Moore, 2026-11-08
Text and Translation
Choose alternative texts and translations from the filter. Click individual words in a text for more details.
James Moore Last updated 07 April, 2026 by James D. Moore
James Moore Last updated 07 April, 2026 by James D. Moore
To [our] l[ord Bagohi, your servant Jedania]h [the] pri[est and his colleagues the priests who are in Elephantine the fortress and the Jews, all of them]
May the God of Heav[en] seek after (1) the welfare of our lord (2) at all times, g[ra]nt [you] favor [before King Da]rius [and the princes more than now, and]
give you long (2) [life], (3) and may you be happy and strong at all times. Now, your ser[va]nt Jedaniah [and his colleagues the priests and the Jews say thus: In the month of Tammuz]
year 14 of King Darius, when Arsames had departed and gone [to] the king, [then the priests of Khnub the god who are in Elephantine]
the fortress gave silver and goods to Vidranga the Chief who was here, say[ing],
“Let them remove from there (5) [the Temple of YHW the God which is in Elephantine the fortress.”] (6) ^Then^ that Vidranga, the wicked, sent a letter to Na[phai]na his son, w[ho was a garrison commander in Syene the fortress, saying,]
“Let them demolish (6) [the Temple] (7) of YHW the God which is in Elephantine the fortress.” Then, that Naphaina led the Egypt[ians with the other troops. They came to the fortress of Elephantine with]
their weapons, broke into that Temple, demolished it to the ground, and [the] s[tone] pillars [which were there—they smashed them. Moreover, it happened (that)
they demolished] five great gateways, built of hewn stone, which were in that Temple. [And their standing doors, and the]
bronze (9) [hinges of] (10) those (9) [doors], (10) and the roof of that Temple, all of its cedarwood, with the r[est of the FITTINGS and other (things) which were there—all of these]
they burned with fire. But the gold and silver basins and (other) t[h]ings wh[ich were in that Temple—all of these they took (and)]
made (11) [their own]. (12) And during the day(s) of the kings of Egypt our fathers had built that Temple in Elephantine [the] fo[rtress and when Cambyses entered Egypt]
he found that (12) [Temple] (13) built. And [they overthrew] the temples of the god[s] of the Egyptians, [all] of [them], but one [did not damage] any[thing in that Temple. And when this]
had been done (to us), we with our wives and our children were wearing sackcloth, fas[ting, and praying to YHW the Lord of Heaven who]
let us gloat over that Vidranga. The DOGS removed his fetters from his feet and a[ll goods which he had acquired were lost. And every person who]
sought evil for that Temple, all of them, were killed and we gazed upon them. Moreover, [before this—at the time that this evil was done]
to us—we sent a letter about this. We sent to our lord, ev[en] to Jehohanan [the High Priest and his colleagues the priests who are in Jerusalem],
and to Ostanes the brother of Anani and the nobles of Judah. [They did not send us] a single le[tt]er. [Moreover, from the month of Tammuz],
year 14 of King Darius and until this day we [are wearing] sackclot[h and fasting; our wives are made as
widow(s)];
(we) do not anoint (ourselves) with oil and do not drink wine. [Moreover, fr]om that t[im]e and until t[his day, year 17 of King Darius]
they do not make meal-offering, incense, and holocaust in that Temple. Now, [your servants Jedaniah and his colleagues the priests of YHW
and the Jews, all of them citizens of Elephantine, say thus: If it please our l[o]rd, take [thought of that Temple to (re)build it since they do not]
let us (re)build it. Regard your obligees and your friends who are here [in Egypt. Let a letter be sent from you to them]
about the Temple of YHW the God to re)build it in Elephantine the fortress just [as it was formerly built. And]
we shall offer (24) [the meal-offering, the incense] (25) and the holocaust on the altar of YHW the God in your name and we shall pr[ay for you at all times—we and our wives and our children]
and the Jews, all of them who are here. If you do thus until that Temple be (re)bu[ilt, you will have a merit before YHW the God]
of Heaven more than a person who offers him holocaust and sacrifices worth silver, one-thousand talents. Because [of this we have sent (and) informed our lord]. [Moreover,]
we sent in our name (27) [all] (28) the(se) words (in) one letter to Delaiah and Shelemiah s[ons of Sanballat governor of Samaria. Moreover,]
Arsames did not know (28) [about this,] (29) any (of it) which was done to us. On the 20th of Marḥeshvan, year 14 [+ 3 of King Darius].
Moore, James D.. 'Pap. Cairo EM JdE 43465.' DEAPS. 12 Dec, 2025. https://deaps.osu.edu/text_objects/12692. Accessed: 14 Nov, 2026.