Papyrus with Rituals and Administrative Records – Cairo

Known as Boulaq 7, Paprys no. 7
Provenance: Thebes
Period: Dates from the time of Ptolemy IX to Trajan, possibly even Hadrian (100 BC – AD 100)
(A. Pries 2009)

This papyrus contains writing on both sides. The use of both sides can most likely be explained by the reuse of the papyrus sheet in order to make optimal use of valuable writing material.

On the front (recto), there are prayers and rituals performed by a priest to ensure the king’s nocturnal journey proceeds smoothly. Here we find a collection of prayers that should be addressed at each hour of the night and to each of the deities protecting these hours for the health of the king and the removal of the evils that could affect him. The twelve deities are represented at the end of the papyrus. Below the table are the recipes to be used for the manufacture of talismans. It is not impossible that we have in Papyrus No. 7 one of the books that were kept in the libraries of the temples and whose knowledge was essential to the priests of a certain order. Source: Auguste Mariette, 1871.

“Although the Theban recension was formally composed for the king, it is reasonable to assume that the rites were performed either on a substitute or on a high-ranking priest.”, A. Pries 2009

On the back (verso), there is an account, most likely recording grain and wine.

Information I received from Kiki Freriks;
This papyrus has two sets of numbers. The Hieratic text (recto) has the numbers CG 58027 and SR1/10261 and the Demotic text (verso) has the numbers CG 31080 and SR7/19330. It does not have a JE number.

For recto (front);
See Andreas Pries, Das nächtliche Stundenritual zum Schutz des Königs und verwandte Kompositionen: der Papyrus Kairo 58027 und die Textvarianten in den Geburtshäusern von Dendera und Edfu (Studien zur Archäologie und Geschichte Altägyptens 27; Heidelberg, 2009)

For verso (back);
See Wilhelm Spiegelberg, Catalogue Général du Musée du Caire – Die Demotischen Denkmaler 30601-31270; 50001-50022, II
Die Demotischen papyrus Tafeln, 1906
Text pg. 257-260
Plates CIII, CIV

See Les papyrus égyptiens du Musée de Boulaq (Band 1), Auguste Mariette, 1871