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Last Updated on 14 Jan 2019

Author: Cassandre Hartenstein

CAPInv. 1689: The association of the temple of Horus-Behedet

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Arsinoites (00)
iii. Site Pisais

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) ẖny.t n pȝ ỉrpy n Ḥr-Bḥd.t (P. Assoc.: pp. 3-38)
ii. Full name (transliterated) The association of the temple of Horus-Behedet

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 223 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Theophoric:temple of Horus-Behedet
Topographical:temple of Horus-Behedet
iii. Descriptive terms ẖny.t
ʿ.wy
Note ẖne.t: ll. 2, 24, 24.
ʿ.wy: ll. 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 29.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) P. Assoc.: pp. 3-38 = P. Lille dem. 29 (month Mecheir of year 24 of Ptolemy III = 17 March-15 April 223 BC).
Online Resources TM 2784
i.a. Source type(s) Papyrological source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script This Demotic papyrus contains the rules of an association of the temple of Horus Behedet.
i.c. Physical format(s) The papyrus is composed of eight pieces. The whole is 33 x 39 cm.
ii. Source(s) provenance The papyrus was found in Ghoran.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects The association will meet in the temple of Pisais (l. 3: ỉw=n ḥms n pȝ ỉrpy nty ḥry n pȝ dmy "We will meet in the temple in the village").

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership The association had only a leader: a general-supervisor of the falcon (1. 13, 14: pȝ wr bỉk wr n pȝ ʿ.wy).
iii. Members Referred as nȝy⸗w n tȝ ẖny.t l. 1 ("Those from the association") and nȝy⸗w pȝ ʿ.wy ("Those from the association") l. 4, 7, 8, 12, 24, 29.
iv. Officials The association had a representative, the rwḏ, in charge of the accounts and secretarial duties (l. 16, 17, 19, 21). He is to be chosen by the members of the association (l. 7).
vii. Judicial system The association had its own internal judicial system and members had to comply to it, and were not allowed to complain to official courts. If members were not happy with the judgment, they had the right to complain to another association (l. 23-25).
viii. Obligations The members had to give salt, crowns, beer, wine, incense, ointment and thyme to the association (l. 3 yš, ḥmȝ, ḳlm, ḫw, ỉng, ḥnḳ, ỉrp, gȝ). They had to pay a fee of 1 kite every month (l. 6 [mtw=n] dy.t ḥḏ ḳt 1 "We will give one kite" ). They will be present during the meeting (l. 9 [pȝ] rmṯ n-ỉm=n nty ỉw=w thm=f r tȝ ẖne.t pȝ ʿ [mtw=f tm ỉy ỉw=f rḫ ỉy] ỉw=s ʿḥʿ r rd.wy r.r=f pȝy=f ḳns ḥḏ ḳt ½).

X. ACTIVITIES

i. Assemblies The association will meet in the temple of the village when they will decide (l. 3-4 ỉw⸗n ḥms n pȝ ỉrpy nay ḥry ne pȝ dmy nay ḥry nȝ how.w nay ỉ-ỉr nȝṯ⸗w pȝ ʿ r may r-r⸗w r ḥms n-ỉm⸗n "we will gather in the temple of the village mentioned above, the days chosen by those from the association").
ii. Meetings and events The association will bury falcons during events (l. 11-13). The members will accomplish procession (l. 7 pȝ stȝ nṯr).
iii. Worship The association will make burnt offerings to the kings (l.5 mtw⸗n ỉr nȝ kll.w nȝ wtn.w n pr-ʿȝ ʿws Ptylwmys [ʿws n Ptylwmys] ʿws ỉrm Brnygȝ tȝ pr-ʿȝ.t ʿws ỉrm ȝrsynȝ nȝ nṯr.w sn.w nȝ nṯr.w mnḫ.[w…..] n nȝ nṯr.w Kmy tr.w nty ẖn tȝ ẖne.t "we will make burnt offerings and offerings to the king Ptolemy son of Ptolemy and to Berenice, the queen, and Arsinoe, and the gods Philadelphoi, the gods Euergetai, the gods of the whole Egypt in the association").
Deities worshipped King
Queen
Royal House
Ruler Cult
Royal Cult
gods of Egypt

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The rules show that the association was linked to feasts of the temple.

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Monson, A. (2007), 'Religious Associations and Temples in Ptolemaic Tebtunis', dans J. Fräen, T. Purola et E. Salmenkivi (ed.), Proceedings of the 24th International Congress of Papyrology, 1-7 August 2004, Helsinki: II 769-778.
Monson, A. (2006), 'The Ethics and Economics of Ptolemaic Religious Associations', AncSoc 36, 2006: 231-238.
De Cenival, Fr. (1972), Les associations religieuses en Égypte d’après les documents démotiques, Le Caire.
De Cenival, Fr., (1969) 'Les associations dans les temples égyptiens d'après les données fournies par les papyrus démotiques', in P. Derchain (ed.), Religions en Égypte hellénistique et romaine : colloque de Strasbourg, 16-18 mai 1967, Paris: 5-19.

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.