SURVEY OF PAPYRI 1953—1955 573
W . Till, Der griechisch-koptische Wiener Papyrus К 4912 (S.A. Aegyplus X X X I I I (2) [1953] 193—208).
This papyrus comprises at present two parts of a roll written on both sides. The part written on one side has nothing in common with the other. The A text (recto) is particularly interesting being the first greater though fragmentary Coptic testament from mopolis known as yet. Although the Coptic documents from Her-mopolis are very numerous there is hardly to be found any testa-ment among them — except Ryl. 462. The В text comprises deli-very contracts which are known sufficientlly as well in Greek as in Coptic so that — they do not represent something particularly interesting. Their particularity is that — unlike all the papyri published until now — those contracts are divided into three parts, not separated from each other, each of them being first written in Greek and then in Coptic.
The testator is very likely a diacon of the monastery of the Holy Herwoe to whom the testator bequeathes a legacy for the redemption of his soul. At the beginning of the testament the te-stator confesses to be ill, indeed nevertheless in full possession of all his abilities. With the Copts it was not customary to make one's last will unless one became ill and was nearly dying. In many Cop-tic testaments was clearly stated that the testator enjoyed good health what made him possible to carry out his daily affairs.
In this testament are missing the religious reflections, about the transitoriness of the earthy life and any concerning quotations from the Bible which are so much liked in thorough Theban testaments. Perhaps such quotations stood in the blank space after v. 8. The ar-gument that the testator made his last will because he thought about the possibility of his death is the same as in Theban testaments. The remark about the witnesses who should attest the testa-ment is also missing. Perhaps it also stood in the blank space after v. 8. At the beginning of the second part (v. 9—11) it is said that any person who should try to neglect the testament would be pu-nished. This punishment will be executed after her death. It is re-peated at the end of the testament (v. 39). The testamentary dispo-sitions begin with the words: " I want and I order...." They com-prise the testator's legacy for the monastery of the holy Herwoe, the appointment as heirs the two brothers of the testator with the exception of his sister and her children. The succession of other
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latives seems possible only w h e n there are no direct d e s c e n d a n t s and no consort of t h e t e s t a t o r . I n f a c t in the t e s t a m e n t neither t h e wife nor t h e children of t h e t e s t a t o r are mentioned. T h e y cer-t a i n l y do n o cer-t exiscer-t. I cer-t is n o cer-t clear f r o m cer-t h e cer-t e s cer-t a m e n cer-t w h y cer-t h e cer- te-s t a t o r ' te-s te-site-ster wate-s n o t t a k e n into conte-sideration. A te-site-ster h a d evi-d e n t l y no right t o succession contra tabulas. P e r h a p s she was con-sidered to be satisfied w h a t o f t e n was t h e case w i t h t h e establishment of her dowry.
There follows t h e e n u m e r a t i o n of t h e t e s t a t o r ' s debts which a f t e r his d e a t h t h e heirs i.e. his two b r o t h e r s are responsible f o r ( v . 29—35). A f t e r this follows t h e clause (v. 35) t h a t n o b o d y has t h e right t o contest t h e t e s t a m e n t . I t is r e m a r k a b l e t h a t not all t h e possible grades of relati'onship are mentioned, b u t only the circle of those persons who are t a k e n into consideration, are indi-cated in general t e r m s .
The t e x t В comprises p a r t s of three documents. The f i r s t t w o are delivery contracts. The price is n o t mentioned here like in m a n y other documents of this t y p e . The drawer c o n f i r m s only t h a t he h a d duly received it. Only t h e beginning of t h e t h i r d d o c u m e n t mentioning t h e p a r t n e r s of t h e contract has been preserved.
I n all these t e x t s t h e particular points are t h a t t h e y w e e par-tially written f i r s t in Greek and then in Coptic; t h a t t h e y were n o t a t t e s t e d b y t h e drawer neither b y the witnesses nor b y the scribe of t h e d o c u m e n t ; t h a t all these t e x t s were w r i t t e n b y t h e same h a n d at a s t r e t c h a n d w i t h o u t b r e a k s in spite of t h e drawer and t h e receiver of t h e d o c u m e n t being different persons in t h e single d o c u m e n t s . All these details point to t h e d o c u m e n t s n o t being real ones b u t only f o r m s w r i t t e n on t h e reverse of a worn-out t e s t a m e n t which should serve for a n o t a r y as a model when writing real do-cuments. B o t h t h e d o c u m e n t s are provided with a p e n a l t y clause in t h e event, the delivery should n o t be m a d e in d u e t i m e and se-cured b y a h y p o t h e c omnium bonorum.
Ε . S t e f a ń s k i — M. L i c h t h e i m , Coptic Ostraca from Medinet Habu. T h e University of Chicago, Oriental I n s t i t u t e Publications vol. L X X I , Chicago U n i v e r s i t y Press 1952 (cf. A. S t e i n -w e n t e r , Sav. Z. L X X I , 497 ff.).
F o r the c o n t i n u a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e Greek a n d t h e E g y p t i a n do-c u m e n t s t h e O. 82 m a y be referred to. I did n o t see i t . I k n o w t h i s
