The Qurra Papyrus - Oriental Institute No. 13758, 90 AH / 709 CE

Islamic Awareness

First Composed: 3rd December 2005

Last Modified: 9th December 2005

Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:

(a)

(b)

Figure: (a) Picture of the papyrus and (b) the content of the papyrus.

[] encloses letters supplied to fill a lacuna.

Date

Dhūl-Qaʿdah / Dhūl-Hijjah, 90 AH / September - October, 709 CE. Although no date is given, this papyrus had been dated roughly by studying similar papyri by Nabia Abbott.

Size

74.7 cm x 21.5 cm. Medium brown papyrus. The first part is lost; the rest is in very good condition. The writing throughout is clear and has suffered hardly any loss at all.

Accession No.

Oriental Institute No. 13758.

Contents

The translation of text is:

... and ...
from your land, and I have found it.
You still owe a large amount of revenue.
You well know what time it has come to be;
so appear
before me now. By my life, if
any finance officer delays
beyond the term which I appointed,
or appears before me having left
behind him aught of the revenue,
truly, he is but a self-deceiving fool who has light regard for
his life. So when there has come to you
this my letter, collect what is due from
your land of gold tax and
imposts and extraordinary taxes. Then come
to me with the revenue of your land, together with those
whom I had ordered you to bring with you
of the people of your land. Now, by my life,
I really used to think your administration
more successful and better than what
I have seen. For you have indeed done what not
one of the finance officers has done
in the delaying of what is due from you and in
the incompetence of your administration. For indeed,
by God, there is in my service not one
who has delayed this revenue
without being disgraced. Let there be no
withholding of what is with you. And beware
of excuses, for I am not
of those who believe in excuses
or accept them. Peace
be with those who follow the guidance.
Written by Khalīfah on Monday.

Comment

The reason in this document the day is only mentioned may be that they are urgent admonitions meant to be dispatched at once by a special messenger and delivered within a week so that results may be obtained with the latest possible delay.

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. 49-52, Plate IV.

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