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Last Updated on 14 Jan 2019

Author: Cassandre Hartenstein

CAPInv. 1405: The great association of Harsomteus, great god, master of Chadai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Tentyrites (U06)
iii. Site Dendera (?)

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) Tȝ ẖny.t ʿȝ.t n Ḥr-smȝ-tȝ.wỉ nṯr ʿȝ nb-H̱dỉ (l.1-2).
ii. Full name (transliterated) The great association of Harsomteus, great god, master of Chadai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 10 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Geographical:Chadai
Theophoric:Harsomteus
iii. Descriptive terms ẖny.t (l. 1).
Note In the four editions of this inscription, the word ‘association’ is transliterated sn.t, but this reading was rejected by De Cenival 2006.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Short Texts I 165 (12 Choiak year 21 of Augustus = 9 December 10 BC).
Note Other editions of the inscription are: Bresciani 1960; Farid 1993: 21; Farid 1995: 272, no 8.

Online Resources TM 53808
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script This demotic inscription is probably the dedication of the meeting place of an association dedicated to Harsomteus master of Chadai, made by a strategos and a lesonis (the latter is probably the president of the association, see VII Organization), in the name of all the members of the association.
i.c. Physical format(s) Sandstone stela (46 x32 cm), with a representation of a king (probably Augustus) offering two jars to two godnesses and a god.
ii. Source(s) provenance The stele has been bought in Qena and is now in the Cairo Museum. From the contents, the editors after Bresciani guessed that it should come from Dendera. The god Harsomteus, master of Chadai is well known in the temple of Dendera (see Cauville 1991).

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership The mr šn (lesonis) cited in l. 5 is probably the president of the association. The lesonis is usually a official attached to temples. In an association, the mr šn is an administrator (De Cenival 1972: 154-9). Considering the way the title is mentioned in the inscription, it appears slightly more likely that it refers here to the function in the association.
iii. Members Referred to as nȝ rmṯ.w (n) ẖny.t (‘the people (from the) association’, l. 5).
iv. Officials The dedication is made by the mr šn and a strategos (l. 3) Ptwlms son of Pa-nȝ (Ptolemaios son of Panas, also known through other, similar dedications). We do not know if Ptolemaios had a role in the association or if he just took part in the dedication.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note Both of people named are male. We do not know about the others.
vi. Proper names and physical features -Iy-m-ḥtp (sȝ) Ḥr-msn (Imhotep son of Haremsynis)
-Ptwlms (sȝ) Pa-nȝ (Ptolemaios son of Panas)

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The association of Harsomteus had connections with official authorities, as the strategos of the nome is one of the dedicant of the inscription (see VII Organization iv Officials). The association had probably interactions too with the temple of Dendera (and maybe took part in some celebrations).

XII. NOTES

i. Comments This inscription probably marked the location where the association used to gather. It could be a building or just a space in the area of the temple of Dendera.
It is possible that this association corresponds to CAPInv. 1461 and CAPInv. 1510.
iii. Bibliography Bresciani, E. (1960), 'Due steli demotiche del Museo del Cairo', SCO 9: 119-126.
Cauville, S., (1991), 'Dieux et prêtres à Dendera au Ier siècle avant Jésus-Christ', BIFAO 91: 69-97.
De Cenival, Fr. (1972), Les associations religieuses en Égypte d’après les documents démotiques, Le Caire.
De Cenival, Fr. (2006), ‘À propos du mot désignant en démotique «l’association»’, RdE 57 : 233-234.
Farid, A. (1993), Die demotischen Inschriften der Strategen, San Antonio.
Farid, A. (1995), Fünf Stelen, Berlin.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The use of ẖny.t (l. 1) to describe this group proves that it was a private association.