DEAPS
Digital Editions of Aramaic and Phoenician Sources

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Pap. Cairo EM JdE 43477

TAD A.3.08 Cowley 42 Deaccessioned Pap. Ber. P. 13490

Metadata

Collection
Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt | EM (Public)
Genres
  • Letter
  • Letter | Private Letter
  • Letter | Business Letter
Language
Aramaic
Script
Aramaic
Find Type
Excavation
Acquired
Otto Rubensohn and Fredriech Zucker [1906–1907]
Created by
James D. Moore
Material
papyrus
Palimpsest?
true
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, 2026-01-18
Date (Composition)
Gregorian -525 to -399 [Persian, 5th cent. BCE]
References
  • Porten, Bezalel and Yardeni, Ada 1986.

Porten, Bezalel, and Ada Yardeni. Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt. 4 vols. Jerusalem: Hebrew University, 1986.
Textual Notes
r 9: It is tempting to restore the end: קטיא בקפרא "the cucumbers in the pot" but this doesn't seem quite right in context. r 11: TAD reads a numeral 1 after אנת, but this could be a N producing a plural (with a singular verb). TAD translates the number as "alone". Address: TAD has apparrently seen the papyrus and made a hand copy of it. The address is missing in the photographs and edition of Sachau. Ungnad first read it, then Cowley.

Text and Translation

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James Moore

side: recto line: 01
side: recto line: 02
side: recto line: 03
side: recto line: 04
side: recto line: 05
side: recto line: 06
side: recto line: 07
side: recto line: 08
side: recto line: 09
side: recto line: 10
side: recto line: 11
side: verso line: 01
side: verso line: 02
side: verso line: 03
side: verso line: 04

James Moore

[To my brother Ḥagg]ûs, your brother H[ôše]ˁa. I ⸢s⸣end to [you] abundant greetings and strength. [And now, ...]
[... Pî]sina the judge and to his [hand] we compensated silver, 20 karš, and 10 karš[ ...]
[...] ⸢in⸣ the hands of him whom I/you/she f[o]⸢u⸣nd th⸢us, silver, 5 karsh. Now, ◦[...]
with you in addition to that which he [will] ⸢gi⸣ve to you silver, 5 ⸢ka⸣[r]⸢š⸣. So write for them a document about the⸢m⸣. And if [he will] not [compens]⸢ate⸣ [the] silver,
with interest nor [...]BW to you, saying, “Give a pledge” (i.e. a loan on security), sell the house of Zakkûr and the house of ˀAšan. If they will not sell
them, seek a m[a]n who will buy the [b]ig house of Hôdô and ⸢g⸣ive it to him with the si⸢lver that⸣ is fixed upon it. And when
this letter [shall] ⸢r⸣each you, do not stand (still). Come down to Memphis immediately. If you find silver, [come] down immediately.
And if you do not fi⸢nd⸣ (any), still come down ⸢immed⸣iately. Go to Bêtˀeltaddin and he will give you [1] Šṭṭn-tunic, 1 Wʾsh-garment,
1 Y◦hh-tunic of w⸢oo⸣l, 1 pꜥqs, 1 ... dyed srḥls, ̣ [1] pl[....]qtʾ [...] pdr, 7 k,
worn linen/(err. tunic), 1 (measure). And when he gives them to you, send (word) to me. And if he does not given them to you, [s]end (word) to me. Now,
if you come down alone to Memphis, do not leave ˀAšan .... Give him grain ... not ...
When the Jews will bring them before ... [was] left ...
their words. Do not stand. Come down immediate--so immediately! Bring me down 1 tunic in your hand ....
to bring to me. Written on 27 Tybi.
To [my] bro[ther] Ḥaggûs [s]on of Hôdô, your brother Hô[šeˁa ...]
Moore, James D.. 'Pap. Cairo EM JdE 43477.' DEAPS. 12 Dec, 2025. https://deaps.osu.edu/text_objects/12705. Accessed: 20 Jan, 2026.