Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

336 THE JUDICIAL PAPYKUS OF TUEIN oh. xit.

delivered have been handed down to us nearly complete
in the Judicial Papyrus of Turin, which has been trans-
lated by M. Le Page Eenouf:—

Page 2. (1) ' And the commission was given to the treasurer
Mentu-em-taui, the treasurer Paif-roui, (2) the fan-bearer Karo,
the councillor Pa-besat, the councillor Kedenden, the councillor
Baal-mahar, (3) the councillor Pa-aru-sunu, the councillor Tehuti-
rekh-nefer, the royal interpreter Pen-rennu, the scribe Mai, (4) the
scribe Pra-em-heb of the chancery, the colour-bearer Hor-a, of the
garrison ; to this effect:—

(5) 'Regarding the speeches which people have uttered, and
which are unknown, you shall institute an enquiry about them. (6)
They shall be brought to a trial to see if they deserve death. Then
they shall put themselves to death with their own hand.'

Eamses III. warns the judges to conduct the affair
conscientiously, and concludes with these words :—

Page 3. (1) ' If all that has happened was such that it was
actually done by them, (2) let their doing be upon their own heads.
(3) I am the guardian and protector for ever, and (4) bearer of the
royal insignia of justice in presence of the god-king (5) Amen-Ha,
and in presence of the prince of eternity, Osiris.'

This is followed by a second and longer section,
which enables us to understand very clearly the result
of the trial:—

Page 4. (1) 'These are the persons who were brought up on
account of their great crimes before the judgment-seat, to be judged
by the treasurer Mentu-em-taui, by the treasurer Paif-roui, by the
fan-bearer Karo, by the councillor Pa-besat, by the scribe Mai of the
chancery, and by the standard-bearer Hor-a, and who were judged
and found guilty, and to whom punishment was awarded, that their
offence might be expiated.

(2) ' The chief culprit Beka-kamen. He was house-steward.
He was brought up because of actual participation in the doings of
the wife Thi and the women of the harem. He had conspired
with them, and had carried abroad their commission given by word
of mouth to their mothers and sisters there, to stir up the people,
and to assemble the malcontents, to commit a crime against their
lord. They set him before the elders of the judgment-seat. They
judged his offence, and found him guilty of having done so, and
he was fully convicted of his crime. The judges awarded him his
punishment.