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The Lamb of Bocchoris

after H. J. Thissen, (Blasius and Schipper, 2002 )and K-T. Zauzich., Papyrus Erzherzog Rainer (P. Rainer Cent.). Textband. Vienna: Hollinek, 1983.

 

P. Erzherzog Rainer (Osterreichischen Nationalbibliothek 10.000)

 

 Column I

 

I/1) [Pasaenhor reads in the] book of days what happened in Egypt, what would happen in Egypt at a point in time.....

 

2) He told me the misfortune which he saw in the city, in the land and in the nome. [Then I said to him “Shut] your mouth.  I have said (it) before to the......?

 

3) Then Pasaenhor found the fate [of the children who] would be born to us.   We have not.....

 

4) ........the great water of Egypt.

 

5)........after that came the hour of birth. [She bore two children] while  she could set down (the children)

 

6).....he was as beautiful as he......

 

7).....because of fate, because of fate that he will not turn back......

 

8).....preparation for....

 

9) ........captive..

 

10).......drink a

 

11)......it, because..

 

12).......as he, while they were without a child, these.....

 

13).......resin (sword?) to be....

 

14)And it will happen at the prescribed time.  The rich man will be a poor man.

 

15).....a man, who another prevails on to follow, will their work carry out.

 

16) .........in Egypt.  No one will speak the truth.

 

17)......many [people?] in Egypt will do evil against [the sacred animals?].

 

18) ......against their servants?  They cannot speak about (or “don’t know”) about the Egyptians....

 

19).....temple.  The gods will not be able to (to seize? the flood)

 

20) and the misfortune which Re will bring for Egypt.  After .....

 

21)in Egypt in a few short days.  Their fate...

 

22)......years. Then again the Medes will come to [Egypt]

 

23).....will happen to them(?)....who will give Egypt

 

24).........stove, the heat, the fire.

 

Column II

 

1).....the Greeks in a fire of papyrus, as they are sent to a stake(?)

 

2) ....then they are destroyed in Phamenoth and Pharmuthi, then a ......is ploughed.  People will not.......

 

3).....then they will remove the White Crown of the king of Egypt.  If they seek it they shall not find it while (a little?)....

 

4)(.....) the curse, it is great in the hearts of the gods, as is their disregard in the hearts of men....

 

5)....the master, He of the two, who is not ours, The one of the 55 is our One of the crown.

 

6).....Many horrors will happen in Egypt, the birds of the sky and the

 

7) .....[the fish of] the sea will consume their blood and flesh, while weeping.  They are left in the water.

 

8)......from.....He will not eat or drink and because he knows the beginning of the book and what is in it. The little man, he?.....

 

9)bring.....he accepts the praise the great ones of his time.  One die not ask him to leave (something)

 

10)in the presence of his companion, by telling them what  [...]..     By that it was in his heart to say: " Who is he,

 

11) who the court house has released together with his companions, because they received property from him who is stronger

 

11) than [?] they because of him who is his equal. He has not been entreated (some)

 

10) to permit in contrast to his companion, while he said to them that......as, he in his heart was to say”who is he as opposed

 

11) who has dismissed the court together with his companion, because they seize the property from them (?) Is he the

 

12) stronger one, the one because he is like him?”  Woe and alas to the youths of a young age, they will be brought to Syria

 

13)before the eyes of their fathers and mothers! Woe and alas to the women [?], who bore the youths at a young age, they will be

 

14) brought to Syria before their (very) eyes.  Woe Egypt, who weeps because of the damnation which multiplies upon it!  Weeps

 

15)North of On (Heliopolis), while, on the east,  a plantation comes into existence, Per-bast (Bubastis) weeps, Per-hapy (Nilopolis) weeps,

 

16) the road from  Seben-netcher (Sebbenytos) is made into a vineyard, while the pool of Perhet-mehyt (Mendes) is

 

17) a thicket of cucumbers and pumpkins; weeps the great tree of Opeker, weeps Memphis, the Apis town,

 

18) weeps N (Thebes), the Amun town, weeps Ta-hes (Letopolis) the Shu town,  weeps On, the sun city.  After dread comes suffering.

 

19) The lamb stopped his cursing about everything.  Pasaenhor said to him, “will these things happen with us foreseeing

 

20) them?”  He said to him, “they will happen when I am a uraeus on the head of Pharaoh which at the conclusion of 900 years

 

21)will be, I will seize Egypt.  Then the Medes will set foot, who have turned towards Egypt– he will remove himself

 

22)to foreign lands. The truth will come to light.  Falsehood will be ruined, justice and order will rule Egypt,

23) the wealth of the temples of Egypt will be returned which had gone to Nineveh in the land

 

24)of the Amorites.  It will happen then that the men of Egypt will go to Syria to extend its (Egypt’s) boundaries and they will find

 

Column III

 

1) the shrines of the gods.  They will not be able to speak of the benediction which was allotted to the Egyptians cannot be spoken of.

 

2) Those whom the god has cursed will go badly, those whom the god has blessed will be blessed by the god again when they are buried.  The unfruitful

 

3) will mourn.  Those who give birth will rejoice because of the benediction which is the lot of Egypt.   The small number of men

 

4) who live in Egypt say “Would that my father and my father’s father were here with me in the good time

 

5) which is beginning!”  When the lamb finished saying these things, his death occured. Pasaenhor

 

6) had him brought on a new ship and went without delay to the place where Pharaoh Bakenrenef (Bocchoris) was.

 

7) The book was read out in the presence of Pharaoh.  The Pharaoh said to them, “these bad things, will they befall all of Egypt?”

 

8) Pasaenhor said, “before you are dead they will happen.”  Pharaoh said to Pasaenhor, “See to the lamb! He should be

 

9) placed in a golden shrine and he should be buried like a god (lit. in the house of the divine booth)! What is on earth should correspond to

 

10) what happens in heaven!”  Then Pharaoh let him be buried like a god. So it is written.  This is the end of the book.  Written in the 33rd year

 

11) of Caesar (Qysls) by Sheteba (Satabus), son of Heriu (Herius) Junior and Sheteba (Satabus) Senior.

 

12) See: the curse which Re placed on Egypt in the year 6 of Bakenrenef (Bocchoris).

 

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