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Last Updated on 14 Jan 2019

Author: Cassandre Hartenstein

CAPInv. 1510: The great association of Harsomteus, the 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 (Short Texts I 170 l.1-2).
ii. Full name (transliterated) The great association of Harsomteus, the great god, master of Chadai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 2 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

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

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Short Texts I 170 (month of Choiak of year 32 of Augustus = 27 November-26 December AD 2).
Note Other edition: Farid 1999.
Online Resources TM 53811
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script This Demotic inscription is a dedication made by a strategos and the lesonis of the association.
i.c. Physical format(s) Sandstone stela (28x 23,5 x 7,5 cm) with a representation of a king (Augustus) making an offering to three deities.
ii. Source(s) provenance Dendera from the contents (both editors agree on it). The stela is now in Bremen Museum.

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership The mr šn (lesonis) cited l. 4 is probably the president of the association. The lesonis is usually an official attached to temples. In an association, the lesonis is an administrator or the president (De Cenival 1972: 154-159). 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. 4).
iv. Officials The dedication is made by the mr šn and a strategos (l. 3) Trwpni (Tryphon) also known through other, similar dedications. We do not know if Trwpni 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 -Trwphn (Tryphon)
-Pȝ-ʿẖm (sȝ) Pȝ-ʿẖm-Pa-nȝ (Pachom son of Pachompana)

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction This association has connections with official authorities, as the strategos of the nome is one of the dedicants of the inscription. The association had probably interactions with the temple of Dendera too (and maybe took part in some celebrations).

XII. NOTES

i. Comments It is possible that this association corresponds to CAPInv. 1405 and CAPInv. 1461.
iii. Bibliography De Cenival, Fr. (2006), ‘À propos du mot désignant en démotique « l’association »’, RdE 57 : 233-234.
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.
FARID, A. (1999), 'Eine demotische Stele im Übersee-Museum bremen',MDAIK 55: 7-12

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.