A pictorial horoscope in a late Ptolemaic papyrus (P.Kramer 17) may be assigned more precisely t... more A pictorial horoscope in a late Ptolemaic papyrus (P.Kramer 17) may be assigned more precisely to late 56 or early 55 BC based on the preserved astronomical data, making it the earliest such representation from Egypt. Instead of a copy for presentation to a client, the papyrus is rather a draft for the depiction of a zodiac, probably in a funerary monument, where it would have represented the planetary positions at the time of birth of the person commemorated. The central pictorial element can be identified as a dog, and contextualized in a complex tradition of Egyptian and Greek concepts and iconography related to Sirius-Sothis, and the beginning of the new year.
Papyrus Berlin 8345, which comes from the Roman-period Fayum (Egypt), contains a Demotic astrolog... more Papyrus Berlin 8345, which comes from the Roman-period Fayum (Egypt), contains a Demotic astrological treatise aimed at foretelling an individual's future based on the positions of the seven celestial bodies known in antiquity (Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury) in the twelve places or compartments of the zodiac known as the dodecatropos. This paper briefly outlines the contents of the text and considers the conventions of textual division demonstrated in the papyrus. Since Demotic lacks modern punctuation, the scribe employed a host of other techniques to highlight and differentiate the various parts of the text. The manual was intended as a reference work, and the copyist therefore attempted to facilitate comfortable navigation through its different sections.
In the House of Hekanakht: Text and Context in Ancient Egypt. Festschrift for James P. Allen, 2023
The paper presents an edition and discussion of a fragmentary Demotic papyrus kept by the British... more The paper presents an edition and discussion of a fragmentary Demotic papyrus kept by the British Museum, P.BM EA 10623a. The text concerns a loan of one and a half artabas of wheat. The advance is given by a priest of Soknebtutis to another individual. The document probably comes from Tebtunis and can be dated to the Ptolemaic period (2nd cent. BC). The papyrus is an addition to the relatively small corpus of Demotic grain loans from the Fayum, and thus contributes to our understanding of such legal instruments.
Known as the cradle of astrology in antiquity, Egypt has produced an astonishing amount of eviden... more Known as the cradle of astrology in antiquity, Egypt has produced an astonishing amount of evidence for its practice. The multifaceted sources at our disposal show the widespread popularity of astrology during the Graeco-Roman period. The material includes monumental zodiac depictions, astrological manuals, and horoscopes of various levels of sophistication in both Greek and Demotic. While the majority of the published horoscopes in Egyptian are regarded as so-called simple horoscopes, the Greek examples are a more varied lot. Nevertheless, elaborate horoscopes were also compiled in the native language. Here seven horoscopes on ostraca written in demotic and hieratic are presented and discussed. The texts are among the oldest sources for natal astrology from ancient Egypt, recording nativities between the years 48 BC and AD 1. They are also the most elaborate horoscopes in Egyptian known to date. The positions of the planets in the zodiac signs are given in degrees of longitude, and these are correlated to the so-called system of terms. The astrologers compiling the horoscopes, furthermore, calculated the position of the lots, such as the Lot of Daimon and the Lot of Fortune. In total, eight such points are mentioned. The date of the nativity is also connected to a year in the 25-year lunar cycle seemingly following the system laid out in P.Carlsberg 9.
In a previous issue of Journal for the History of Astronomy (53/1), Marina Escolano-Poveda publis... more In a previous issue of Journal for the History of Astronomy (53/1), Marina Escolano-Poveda published four elaborate demotic-hieratic horoscopes from Athribis. Three of the texts are new (O.Athribis 17-36-5/1741), and the fourth is reedited (ANAsh.Mus.D.O. 633). The present paper engages with two features of these texts. The first concerns the synchronization of the lunar and civil calendars. The editor of the horoscopes claims that the year count as it appears in the Greek P.Ryl. IV 589 is the basis for the correlation between the two calendars in these texts, but this paper shows that the Athribis horoscopes follow the cycle according to the scheme found in P.Carlsberg 9. The second issue is the nature of eight entities listed after the four cardinal points. Escolano-Poveda interprets them as an idiosyncratic system of arranging the places (in Greek, typically τόποι) in the Dodecatropos. Several of the readings for the names of these eight entities, however, must be revised, which leads in turn to a reconsideration of the identification as places. They are better understood as astrological lots (in Greek, typically κλῆροι), and the system partially overlaps with the one known from the canonical Hellenistic astrologers.
Publication with detailed commentary of Ostracon DOW 113 from the collection of Sten V. Wångstedt... more Publication with detailed commentary of Ostracon DOW 113 from the collection of Sten V. Wångstedt. The current location of the ostracon is unknown, and the author has worked from a photograph. The medico-magical spell inscribed on the object, which is a rarity in demotic but paralleled thematically in earlier Egyptian, Greek, and Coptic, is dated palaeographically to the third or second century BCE.
The paper aims to collect and discuss evidence for astrologers in Egyptian temples during the Gra... more The paper aims to collect and discuss evidence for astrologers in Egyptian temples during the Graeco-Roman period from several kinds of data, including astrological and astronomical texts, inscriptions, and documentary sources. Material evidence is also considered. It attempts to answer questions of who could act as an astrologer and what knowledge was required to become one. In addition, the paper discusses the position of astrologers in the temple hierarchy and other areas of knowledge in which astrologers were involved.
Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 147, 2020
The article contains the edition and discussion of a rarely encountered form of petition (on-smy)... more The article contains the edition and discussion of a rarely encountered form of petition (on-smy) from the Ptolemaic Fayum, which today is kept by the British Museum in London. The text was submitted by a lesonis of Soknebtunis to the chief of police in Mouchis. The document concerns a dispute between two priests from two different localities, Kerkeneith and Tebtunis, over agricultural lands and a harvest. The text is not only an addition to the small corpus of such petitions but also informs about juridical, economic, and religious life in the Fayum under the Ptolemies. It furthermore sheds light on business connections among members of various crocodile priesthoods in the Fayum.
Co-authored with M. Zellmann-Rohrer
New edition of P.Mich. V 226 (P.Mich. inv. 1269). The auth... more Co-authored with M. Zellmann-Rohrer
New edition of P.Mich. V 226 (P.Mich. inv. 1269). The authors suggest some improved readings and offer the first complete edition of this bilingual (Greek/Demotic) papyrus. In the ed. princ. of 1944, only the Greek section was transcribed and translated, while in 1976 an attempt was made to read parts of the Demotic section but no transcription or commentary was offered. The text is a petition to the prefect from the priesthood of Soknebtunis/Kronos concerning a lease of a temple-owned granary. The clerics claim that the leaseholders had mismanaged the property, with the result that the priests were unable to use it to store the grains with which they were supposed to pay their taxes. Although the priesthood submitted the petition to the authorities in order to get compensation for the damage caused by the lessees, the inability to remit taxes would also have been a major concern for them, as well as possibly to the authorities. The risk of not being able to make payments in grain to the state may therefore be regarded as a second theme of the petition, perhaps even serving to place a valid excuse for potential arrears on the official record in advance. The bilingual format of the document is also discussed.
A pictorial horoscope in a late Ptolemaic papyrus (P.Kramer 17) may be assigned more precisely t... more A pictorial horoscope in a late Ptolemaic papyrus (P.Kramer 17) may be assigned more precisely to late 56 or early 55 BC based on the preserved astronomical data, making it the earliest such representation from Egypt. Instead of a copy for presentation to a client, the papyrus is rather a draft for the depiction of a zodiac, probably in a funerary monument, where it would have represented the planetary positions at the time of birth of the person commemorated. The central pictorial element can be identified as a dog, and contextualized in a complex tradition of Egyptian and Greek concepts and iconography related to Sirius-Sothis, and the beginning of the new year.
Papyrus Berlin 8345, which comes from the Roman-period Fayum (Egypt), contains a Demotic astrolog... more Papyrus Berlin 8345, which comes from the Roman-period Fayum (Egypt), contains a Demotic astrological treatise aimed at foretelling an individual's future based on the positions of the seven celestial bodies known in antiquity (Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury) in the twelve places or compartments of the zodiac known as the dodecatropos. This paper briefly outlines the contents of the text and considers the conventions of textual division demonstrated in the papyrus. Since Demotic lacks modern punctuation, the scribe employed a host of other techniques to highlight and differentiate the various parts of the text. The manual was intended as a reference work, and the copyist therefore attempted to facilitate comfortable navigation through its different sections.
In the House of Hekanakht: Text and Context in Ancient Egypt. Festschrift for James P. Allen, 2023
The paper presents an edition and discussion of a fragmentary Demotic papyrus kept by the British... more The paper presents an edition and discussion of a fragmentary Demotic papyrus kept by the British Museum, P.BM EA 10623a. The text concerns a loan of one and a half artabas of wheat. The advance is given by a priest of Soknebtutis to another individual. The document probably comes from Tebtunis and can be dated to the Ptolemaic period (2nd cent. BC). The papyrus is an addition to the relatively small corpus of Demotic grain loans from the Fayum, and thus contributes to our understanding of such legal instruments.
Known as the cradle of astrology in antiquity, Egypt has produced an astonishing amount of eviden... more Known as the cradle of astrology in antiquity, Egypt has produced an astonishing amount of evidence for its practice. The multifaceted sources at our disposal show the widespread popularity of astrology during the Graeco-Roman period. The material includes monumental zodiac depictions, astrological manuals, and horoscopes of various levels of sophistication in both Greek and Demotic. While the majority of the published horoscopes in Egyptian are regarded as so-called simple horoscopes, the Greek examples are a more varied lot. Nevertheless, elaborate horoscopes were also compiled in the native language. Here seven horoscopes on ostraca written in demotic and hieratic are presented and discussed. The texts are among the oldest sources for natal astrology from ancient Egypt, recording nativities between the years 48 BC and AD 1. They are also the most elaborate horoscopes in Egyptian known to date. The positions of the planets in the zodiac signs are given in degrees of longitude, and these are correlated to the so-called system of terms. The astrologers compiling the horoscopes, furthermore, calculated the position of the lots, such as the Lot of Daimon and the Lot of Fortune. In total, eight such points are mentioned. The date of the nativity is also connected to a year in the 25-year lunar cycle seemingly following the system laid out in P.Carlsberg 9.
In a previous issue of Journal for the History of Astronomy (53/1), Marina Escolano-Poveda publis... more In a previous issue of Journal for the History of Astronomy (53/1), Marina Escolano-Poveda published four elaborate demotic-hieratic horoscopes from Athribis. Three of the texts are new (O.Athribis 17-36-5/1741), and the fourth is reedited (ANAsh.Mus.D.O. 633). The present paper engages with two features of these texts. The first concerns the synchronization of the lunar and civil calendars. The editor of the horoscopes claims that the year count as it appears in the Greek P.Ryl. IV 589 is the basis for the correlation between the two calendars in these texts, but this paper shows that the Athribis horoscopes follow the cycle according to the scheme found in P.Carlsberg 9. The second issue is the nature of eight entities listed after the four cardinal points. Escolano-Poveda interprets them as an idiosyncratic system of arranging the places (in Greek, typically τόποι) in the Dodecatropos. Several of the readings for the names of these eight entities, however, must be revised, which leads in turn to a reconsideration of the identification as places. They are better understood as astrological lots (in Greek, typically κλῆροι), and the system partially overlaps with the one known from the canonical Hellenistic astrologers.
Publication with detailed commentary of Ostracon DOW 113 from the collection of Sten V. Wångstedt... more Publication with detailed commentary of Ostracon DOW 113 from the collection of Sten V. Wångstedt. The current location of the ostracon is unknown, and the author has worked from a photograph. The medico-magical spell inscribed on the object, which is a rarity in demotic but paralleled thematically in earlier Egyptian, Greek, and Coptic, is dated palaeographically to the third or second century BCE.
The paper aims to collect and discuss evidence for astrologers in Egyptian temples during the Gra... more The paper aims to collect and discuss evidence for astrologers in Egyptian temples during the Graeco-Roman period from several kinds of data, including astrological and astronomical texts, inscriptions, and documentary sources. Material evidence is also considered. It attempts to answer questions of who could act as an astrologer and what knowledge was required to become one. In addition, the paper discusses the position of astrologers in the temple hierarchy and other areas of knowledge in which astrologers were involved.
Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde 147, 2020
The article contains the edition and discussion of a rarely encountered form of petition (on-smy)... more The article contains the edition and discussion of a rarely encountered form of petition (on-smy) from the Ptolemaic Fayum, which today is kept by the British Museum in London. The text was submitted by a lesonis of Soknebtunis to the chief of police in Mouchis. The document concerns a dispute between two priests from two different localities, Kerkeneith and Tebtunis, over agricultural lands and a harvest. The text is not only an addition to the small corpus of such petitions but also informs about juridical, economic, and religious life in the Fayum under the Ptolemies. It furthermore sheds light on business connections among members of various crocodile priesthoods in the Fayum.
Co-authored with M. Zellmann-Rohrer
New edition of P.Mich. V 226 (P.Mich. inv. 1269). The auth... more Co-authored with M. Zellmann-Rohrer
New edition of P.Mich. V 226 (P.Mich. inv. 1269). The authors suggest some improved readings and offer the first complete edition of this bilingual (Greek/Demotic) papyrus. In the ed. princ. of 1944, only the Greek section was transcribed and translated, while in 1976 an attempt was made to read parts of the Demotic section but no transcription or commentary was offered. The text is a petition to the prefect from the priesthood of Soknebtunis/Kronos concerning a lease of a temple-owned granary. The clerics claim that the leaseholders had mismanaged the property, with the result that the priests were unable to use it to store the grains with which they were supposed to pay their taxes. Although the priesthood submitted the petition to the authorities in order to get compensation for the damage caused by the lessees, the inability to remit taxes would also have been a major concern for them, as well as possibly to the authorities. The risk of not being able to make payments in grain to the state may therefore be regarded as a second theme of the petition, perhaps even serving to place a valid excuse for potential arrears on the official record in advance. The bilingual format of the document is also discussed.
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Written with the support of VR 2015-01604
New edition of P.Mich. V 226 (P.Mich. inv. 1269). The authors suggest some improved readings and offer the first complete edition of this bilingual (Greek/Demotic) papyrus. In the ed. princ. of 1944, only the Greek section was transcribed and translated, while in 1976 an attempt was made to read parts of the Demotic section but no transcription or commentary was offered. The text is a petition to the prefect from the priesthood of Soknebtunis/Kronos concerning a lease of a temple-owned granary. The clerics claim that the leaseholders had mismanaged the property, with the result that the priests were unable to use it to store the grains with which they were supposed to pay their taxes. Although the priesthood submitted the petition to the authorities in order to get compensation for the damage caused by the lessees, the inability to remit taxes would also have been a major concern for them, as well as possibly to the authorities. The risk of not being able to make payments in grain to the state may therefore be regarded as a second theme of the petition, perhaps even serving to place a valid excuse for potential arrears on the official record in advance. The bilingual format of the document is also discussed.
Written with the support of VR 2015-01604
Written with the support of VR 2015-01604
New edition of P.Mich. V 226 (P.Mich. inv. 1269). The authors suggest some improved readings and offer the first complete edition of this bilingual (Greek/Demotic) papyrus. In the ed. princ. of 1944, only the Greek section was transcribed and translated, while in 1976 an attempt was made to read parts of the Demotic section but no transcription or commentary was offered. The text is a petition to the prefect from the priesthood of Soknebtunis/Kronos concerning a lease of a temple-owned granary. The clerics claim that the leaseholders had mismanaged the property, with the result that the priests were unable to use it to store the grains with which they were supposed to pay their taxes. Although the priesthood submitted the petition to the authorities in order to get compensation for the damage caused by the lessees, the inability to remit taxes would also have been a major concern for them, as well as possibly to the authorities. The risk of not being able to make payments in grain to the state may therefore be regarded as a second theme of the petition, perhaps even serving to place a valid excuse for potential arrears on the official record in advance. The bilingual format of the document is also discussed.
Written with the support of VR 2015-01604