A Demotic Parallel to the Aramaic hnṣl of Elephantine

This article examines the appearance of the Aramaic hnṣl clause in the Elephantine legal corpus in order to establish the specific legal function of the clause and explore its origins in ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian legal material. In the end, a Demotic equivalent to hnṣl reveals a strong paral...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Simonson, Brandon (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill 2016
In: Aramaic studies
Year: 2016, Volume: 14, Issue: 2, Pages: 242-264
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Elephantine / Aramaic language / Demotic / Egypt (Antiquity) / Law / Tradition / Formula / Arameans
IxTheo Classification:TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East
XA Law
Further subjects:B Elephantine Imperial Aramaic Demotic Egyptian Legal Tradition Aramaic Legal Formulary Persian Egypt
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article examines the appearance of the Aramaic hnṣl clause in the Elephantine legal corpus in order to establish the specific legal function of the clause and explore its origins in ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian legal material. In the end, a Demotic equivalent to hnṣl reveals a strong parallel in legal function, which is to protect property from being reclaimed by former owners or those who may have a claim to ownership, especially between those of unequal status in society. It is concluded that the equivalent terms, the Aramaic hnṣl and the Demotic ṯꜣy, demonstrate the local development of a technical legal term at Elephantine, illustrating how locally prevailing law was able to thrive in Persian Egypt.
ISSN:1745-5227
Contains:In: Aramaic studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/17455227-01402009