The Contracts of Hapydjefa

Hapydjefa was the Nomarch of Asyut during the Twelfth Dynasty. These contracts, which were inscribed on the wall of his tomb in Asyut, were intended to ensure that the local priesthood of Wepwawet provided offerings and rituals in support of his mortuary cult.

(Translated from Ägyptische Lesestücke zum Gebrauch by Kurt Sethe)

 

Hereditary noble and count, overseer of priests, High priest, Hapydjefa, he says to his mortuary priest: Behold, all these things, which I have contracted from these priests, are under your supervision. Now behold, it is the mortuary priest of a man who maintains his offerings. Behold, I have let you know; (as for) these things, which I have given as compensation for these things which they have given to me, take car in case anything among them be reversed, then all the words of my lists which I have given to them, you will let your son hear it, your heir, who shall act for me as my mortuary priest.

 

Behold, I have endowed you with fields, with serfs, with cattle, with gardens and with everything, like every noble of Asyut, in order that you will make offerings for me with your heart being beneficial. You stand up for all my possessions, which I have placed under your hand. Behold, it is before you in writing. These things shall belong to your particular son who you love, who shall act for me as my mortuary priest from amongst your children, as one who enjoys it, and he does not alienate it without allowing him to divide them to his children according to this word, which I have commanded you.

 

Contract which the count, overseer, the High-Priest, Hapydjefa, justified, has made with the priests of the temple of Wepwawet, Lord of Asyut, that there be given to him a white loaf by every one among them for his statue in the charge of his mortuary priest in the first month of Akhet, day one, New Years Day, as the house gives to its lord, after the fire is kindled in the temple and they shall go forth following his mortuary priest upon his glorification until they reach the northern corner of the temple like they do when they glorify their very own noble ones on the day of kindling the fire.

 

That which he has given to them for it;

A hekat of Lower Egyptian grain from every field of the estate, from the first of the harvest of the counts estate as every citizen of Asyut does from the first of his harvest. Now, indeed, it is he who begins by having all his peasants give it to this temple from the first of his field. Then he said; Behold, you have known that, as for everything which any official or any commoner gives to the temple from the first of his harvest, it is not pleasing to him that there should be a lack therein. Now no count or his duty-priest can annul the contract of another count in the charge of the priests or the duty priests. Now this Lower Egyptian grain shall belong to the priests of the temple, for each man himself, and to the priest who shall give to me this white bread, he shall not divide it to the priests [those who are in their month] because they give this white bread for each man himself.

Then they were pleased with it.

 

Contract which the count and High priest Hapydjefa, justified, made with the council of the temple in respect of giving to him bread and beer on the first month of Akhet, and the 18th day, and the day of the Wag-festival.

List of what they shall give to him.

Register of Names

Jars of Beer

Flat Loaves

White Loaves

High-Priest

4

400

10

Master of Secrets

2

200

5

Dresser of the Body

2

200

5

Overseer of the Storehouse

2

200

5

Keeper of the Portal

2

200

5

Overseer of the House of the Ka

2

200

5

Scribe of the Temple

2

200

5

Scribe of the Altar

2

200

5

Lector Priest

2

200

5

 

That which he has given to them for it:

22 days of the temple from his property of his father’s house, but not from the property of the house of the count: 4 days for the high priest, and 2 days for each one among them. Then he said to them: Behold, as for a temple day it is 1/360th part out of the year. Furthermore, you shall divide everything that enters into this temple, of bread, of beer, of meat for each day, which makes 1/360th part of bread, of beer, of everything that enters into this temple upon one of these days of the temple that I have given to you. Behold, it is the property of the house of my father, it is not the property of the house of the count, because I am the son of a priest like every one of you. Behold, these days will devolve upon all the councils of the temple which will come into being because it is they who shall prepare for me this bread and been which they will give to me.

Then they were pleased with it.

 

Contract which the count and high priest Hapydjefa, justified, made with the priests of the temple of Wepwawet, Lord of Asyut, in respect of giving to him a white loaf by everyone among them for his statue that is in the temple on the first month of Akhet, on the 18th day, the day of the Wag festival, and they shall go forth following his mortuary priest at his glorification, when the fire is kindled for him as they do when they glorify their own noble ones on the day of the kindling of the fire in the temple. Now this bread shall be in the charge of his mortuary priest.

 

He has given to them for it:

Charcoal, one sack, for every bull and charcoal, a cauldron, for every goat which they give into the storehouse of the count when every bull and every goat is being offered to the temple as ancient (dues) which they give to the storehouse of the count. Then he has given it to them, not drawing it from them.

 

And there was given to them:

Beer, 22 jars, and 2,200 flat loaves, which the council of the temple give to him on the first of Akhet and on the 18th day as payment for their giving white bread for each one among them from that which comes to them from the temple and (as payment for) his glorification.

 

Then he said to them, saying:

If this charcoal is exacted from you by a count who is in his time, behold, this bread and beer shall not be diminished which the council of the temple deliver to me, which I have given to you. Behold, I have contracted it from them.

Then they were pleased with it.

 

Contract which the count and overseer of priests Hapydjefa, justified, made with the overseers of the necropolis [stonemasons] and those who are upon the mountain [necropolis guard], in respect of causing that they should go to the house of Anubis on the fifth of the epagomenal days, New Years Eve and on New Years Day to receive 2 candles which the great wab of Anubis gives to the count, Hapydjefa, and that they go engaged in his glorification until they reach his tomb, and that they give this one candle to his mortuary priest after they glorify him just as they glorify their own noble ones.

 

That which he has given to them for it:

Fields, 22 arourai, in the agricultural area from his property of the paternal estate, but not of the property of the counts estate.

Register of Names

Fields

Overseers of the necropolis

4 arourai

Chief of the Desert

2 arourai

8 of those who are upon the mountain

16 arourai

 

Together with giving them the shank of the leg of every bull that shall be slaughtered upon this hill country in all it’s temples.

 

That which they gave to him:

Overseer of the necropolis; 2 jars of beer, 100 flat loaves, 10 white loaves. Chief of the Desert; 1 jar of beer, 50 flat loaves, 5 white loaves. 8 of those who are upon the mountain; 8 jars of beer, 400 flat loaves, 40 white loaves, for his statue in the charge of his mortuary priest in the first month of Akhet, day one, New Years Day, when they glorify him.

 

Then he said to them:

Behold, this land, which I have given to him, shall belong to every overseer of the necropolis, to every chief of the desert, to every one of those who are on the mountain who shall come because it is they who shall deliver to me this bread and beer. And you shall be behind the statue that is in my tomb garden following it when it proceeds to the house of Anubis, at every first of the season festival that is made in this temple.

Then they were pleased with it.

 

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