A Demotic land Lease from Philadelphia: P. BM 10560

Abstract

Publication of P. BM 10560, a land lease from Philadelphia, dated to 190 bc. The commentary examines a number of issues relating to demotic instruments of lease, as well as providing a survey of the demotic papyri from Philadelphia. The text is unique among demotic leases in that it contains declarations by both parties and then a joint statement. This raises the question of who would have kept the text, and the author's conclusions point to the 'rbṱ, the Greek σνγγραϕoϕύλαξ, whose presence in native sources is confined to Philadelphia and Akoris.