The Qurra Papyrus - Oriental Institute No. 13757, 90 AH / 709 CE

Islamic Awareness

First Composed: 2nd December 2005

Last Modified: 3rd December 2005

Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:

(a)

(b)

Figure: (a) Recto and (b) verso of the papyrus along with their contents.

[] encloses letters supplied to fill a lacuna.

Date

Rabīʿ I, 90 AH / January 18 - February 16, 709 CE.

Size

35 cm x 20 cm. Medium brown, very fine papyrus. Slightly worm eaten; right half much broken, but fortunately between the lines. The small writing on verso has suffered more damage than the writing on recto.

Accession No.

Oriental Institute No. 13757.

Contents

The translation of recto is:

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
From Qurra ibn Sharīk to
the sāhib of Ashqauh. I
praise God, than whom there is
no other god.
Now to proceed: Look up the balance due
From the bishop of your district
of the amount imposed on him by
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Malik
and collect the first (amount) and rush it to me
by my messenger and the messenger of the
bishop; and do not delay
any of that balance, be it little or
much. Peace be with
those who follow the guidance.
Written in the month of Rabīʿ
I of the year ninety.

(Seal)

The translation of verso is.

... the bishop's people ... Ashqauh regarding his account (?)

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Location

Oriental Institute, Chicago.

References

[1] N. Abbott, The Kurrah Papyri From Aphrodito In The Oriental Institute, 1938, Studies In Ancient Oriental Civilization: No. 15, The University of Chicago Press: Chicago (IL), pp. 42-44, Plate I.

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