Demotic Temple Oath
On December 6, 127 BCE, a man by the name of Patasetat was required to take an oath before Hathor denying his role in the case of cloths-theft. The oath was inscribed on this ostracon here and authorized by a priest in her temple. Similar texts, which involve adultery, theft, and failure to pay, testify to the role of temples in settling local disputes in Ptolemaic Egypt.
Artwork Details
- Title: Demotic Temple Oath
- Period: Ptolemaic Period
- Date: 127 BC
- Geography: From Egypt; Probably from Southern Upper Egypt, Gebelein (Krokodilopolis)
- Medium: Pottery, ink
- Dimensions: H. 17 × W. 19.2 × Th. 1 cm (6 11/16 × 7 9/16 × 3/8 in.)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1921
- Object Number: 21.2.122
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
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