Books by Cary Martin
The Elephantine papyri in English, Jan 1, 1996
Papers by Cary Martin
The papyri that I would like to present in this paper carry the inventory numbers P. BM EA 10385 ... more The papyri that I would like to present in this paper carry the inventory numbers P. BM EA 10385 and 10393. 1 They were part of the collection of Egyptian antiquities assembled by Henry Salt and auctioned in 1835 at Sotheby's, where they were acquired by the British Museum (Bierbrier 2012, 484-85). Neither papyrus has been published, but Revillout translated the Greek part of 10393 in 1880 (Revillout 1880, xx). 2 This was subsequently amended by Wilcken, who found it difficult to understand and suggested that it contained two registration statements (Wilcken 1927, 618 no. 129, cited as P. Forshall 41). His concerns are well-founded and he was correct in his assessment that there are two separate Greek texts. The reason for this is not because it was registered twice, but because the Greek belongs to two different, albeit related, papyri. The fragments must have been mixed together and because of the similarity in the hand of the demotic text (see below) they were assumed to all belong to the same papyrus. An attempt was made at some point, presumably on the basis of the colour, texture and fibres, to put them together. It was not just the fragments of these two related documents that were placed in the one frame, however, because there is also a small additional piece that belongs to an unrelated text. This is in a slightly different hand, but to the untrained eye this would not have been apparent. As this fragment has a right-hand margin it was assumed to be the beginning of the text and was mounted on the right-hand side of the frame accordingly. That it did not belong with the rest was pointed out by Herbert Thompson in his manuscript catalogue of the demotic papyri. Thompson drew attention to the fact that the hands were different and that it only contained the beginning of five lines of text, whereas there were six lines on one of the other fragments. 3 Thompson also noted that the Greek subscriptions had to belong to two different texts and suggested that one of these could be P. BM EA 10385. The reason for this proposal, which is certainly correct, was that 10385 has the same date as the Greek subscriptions on 10393 and the demotic was written by the same scribe. 1 I would like to thank Neal Spencer, Keeper of the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan of the British Museum, for permission to publish these papyri, and Ilona Regulski for her constant help and assistance on my visits to the Museum and for providing new digital images. Bridget herself and Helen Sharp examined the papyri in their frames and kindly discussed with me what could currently be gleaned from the state of the fibres. Thanks are also due to Francisca Hoogendijk (Leiden), who examined the Greek dockets and provided revised readings and apparatus criticus, and to Maren Goecke-Bauer (Munich) for the mark-up of the images. I am also most grateful to Brian Muhs (Chicago) for bringing to my attention and sending me photographs and bibliographic details of a hitherto rather neglected Memphite papyrus in Trinity College Dublin (IE TCD MS 1658). 2 The papyrus is there referred to under its original inventory number of P. Forshall 41.
John Tait is a scholar with very wide interests, both within and outside Egyptology, as students ... more John Tait is a scholar with very wide interests, both within and outside Egyptology, as students with the wit and wisdom to question him on abstruse and arcane matters know. John's major research contributions, however, have been in the study of papyri, both Greek and Demotic Egyptian, and of Egyptian literature. These interests were aroused in him while studying Classics and Egyptology at Oxford when he was introduced to the Papyrology Rooms, where he made himself expert in the specialist techniques evolved there for use on the Oxyrhynchus papyri. The large finds of crumpled, tattered and fragmentary Demotic and Hieratic Egyptian, Aramaic, and Greek papyri made at the Sacred Animal Necropolis, North Saqqara, between 1964 and 1973 gave John an opportunity to employ these skills. 1 In two short seasons in 1972 and 1973, he worked upon the whole collection of over 950 registered pieces, cleaning, identifying, joining, and mounting them. To observe his dexterity, precision, accuracy, and enthusiasm in all this work was a revelation to his colleagues, and the learned world owes it mainly to his skill that a fair proportion of substantial documents emerged from the mass of fragments. John also proved himself a brilliant decipherer of the difficult demotic cursive hands, and a fine identifier and interpreter of texts. Since 1993, his conscientious fulfilment of his manifold teaching and learned commitments as Professor of Egyptology at University College London have restricted his time, so that he has not been able to participate in publishing all the documents he worked on. For this reason, we present two of these here in his honour, and in admiration, friendship, and gratitude. 2 To all three of us, John Tait has been not only an excellent and selfless collaborator, but also an ever-helpful mentor, adviser, and friend.
While working on the collection of fifty-four Ptolemaic papyri known collectively as 'P. Count ',... more While working on the collection of fifty-four Ptolemaic papyri known collectively as 'P. Count ', 1 Clarysse and Thompson were fortunate in being able to call upon the expertise of Professor W.J. Tait in deciphering the relevant demotic papyri housed in the Petrie Museum at University College London. As P. Count was nearing completion, additional related texts were found, but too late to be included. We would like to present one of these to John in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Egyptology and Papyrology and in the hope that he may be able to elucidate some of the problems that we have left unsolved.
Egitto e Vicino Oriente, Jan 1, 1994
The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Jan 1, 1986
Book Reviews by Cary Martin
Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Jan 1, 2009
Uploads
Books by Cary Martin
Papers by Cary Martin
Book Reviews by Cary Martin