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Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1350, TM 19808)
Scope & Content:
Letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, requesting a report on the sailors who had gone on the raiding fleet to Africa: more specifically, the number of those who had returned to Basilius’s administrative district and of those who had stayed in Africa (with rea...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
29 January 710
Extent:
Medium-dark brown papyrus, broken off at the top, with detached fragment at the top; with few holes, especially along the right edge, but otherwise well preserved; written on both sides. The front bears 16 lines written across the fibres transversa charta; the first line is in Arabic. Lower and side margins are minimal. On the back, there is a one-line docket written along the fibres at the top. Horizontal folds are still visible. The papyrus is housed in a glass frame.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1353, TM 19811)
Scope & Content:
Letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, ordering him to dispatch experienced sailors and skilled workmen along with their supplies to Alexandria for the raiding expedition (cursus) of Egypt before the water of the canal of Alexandria subsides. Otherwise, Basili...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
30 January 710
Extent:
Papyrus roll, complete, with holes and damage along the horizontal folds, especially in the upper part; written on both sides. On the front there are 27 lines running across the fibres, complete; part of the first line is in Arabic. Margins are extant. On the back, there are two lines written along the fibres upside down in relation to each other. The papyrus is mounted on cardboard in a glass frame, with an opening for the text on the back.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1355, TM 19813)
Scope & Content:
Fragmentary letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, ordering to supply money for naval purposes, mentioning the raiding expedition (cursus); with address on the back.
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
29 March 710
Extent:
Fragment of a medium-brown papyrus, broken off on the left, complete at the top, right and bottom, but somewhat torn along the right edge; with minor abrasion in places; written on both sides. The front bears the ends of 13 lines running across the fibres, fairly spaced, the first of which is in Arabic; upper and lower margins are extant, and the right is minimal. On the back, there is the end of one line written along the fibres, the other way up in relation to the text on the front. The papyrus is housed in a glass frame.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, Pagarch of Aphrodito (P.Lond. IV 1356, TM 19814)
Scope & Content:
Official letter from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, who is invited to be more accessible to the people. Basilius is also asked to summon the village headmen and chief men and instruct them to select trustworthy persons for the assessment of the dioikesis, to be...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
15 April 710
Extent:
Long fragment from a papyrus roll, lacking a few letters on the right-hand side at the beginning of each line; one Arabic line on top; two lines with the endorsement on the verso.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1359, TM 19817)
Scope & Content:
Letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, urging him to pay the fine assessed upon him and the officials of his district upon receipt of the letter. Should he fail to do so, he shall be punished, as he has no pretext for not paying. With address, date and summary...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
18 June 710
Extent:
Medium-brown papyrus, complete, damaged by holes regularly appearing on the left-hand portion and somewhat damaged along the right edge; written on both sides. The front bears 21 lines written across the fibres, complete and fairly spaced; margins are extant. On the back, there are two lines written along the fibres upside down in relation to each other. The papyrus is housed in a glass frame.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1360, TM 19818)
Scope & Content:
Letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, urging him to send the prepayment he had failed to make to one of his agents in Fustat. His agent is now under arrest, as he is unable to pay the dues in full. The back bears the address, the date, the name of the courier...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
26 July 710
Extent:
Two fragments of varying size from a medium-dark brown papyrus, damaged at the top and along the right edge; written on both sides. The front bears 12 lines written along the fibres, well spaced; the first line is in Arabic. Lower and side margins are minimal. Horizontal folds are still visible. On the back, the smaller fragment bears portions of 2 lines running along the fibres, written upside down in relation to one another. The papyrus is housed in a glass frame.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, Pagarch of Aphrodito (P.Lond. IV 1362, TM 19820)
Scope & Content:
Official letter from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, concerning the delivery of some palm trunks necessary for the construction of the palace of the Caliph in Fustat. Dated to the 9th indiction, Mesore 26.
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
19 August 710
Extent:
Long fragment from a papyrus roll, broken at the top with traces of one line, and lacking a few letters at the beginning of each line. On the recto, one Arabic line; on the verso two lines containing the endorsement.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, Pagarch of Aphrodito (SB X 10453, P.Lond. IV 1340, TM 16760)
Scope & Content:
Official letter from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, other parts of which are to be found in P.Sorb. inv. 2233. The letter corncerns arrears of taxes and is dated to the 8th indiction, Phaophi 23; with docket on the verso.
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
20 October 709
Extent:
Two fragments of different sizes belonging to the same document as the Sorbonne Papyrus inventoried as 2233; the upper fragment preserves the first five lines of the letter, with Arabic text in line 1, and has the docket on the verso with one line written the other way up; the lower fragment has no writing on the back.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito (P.Lond. IV 1368, TM 19825)
Scope & Content:
Letter from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, containing an order to supply chains (chalkomata) for the mosque of Damascus. The letter mentions two builders by name; with docket on the other side; arrived on 20 October 710 (23 Phaophi of the 9th indiction).
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
Before 20 October 710
Extent:
Fragment of a papyrus roll, written on both sides, broken off at the bottom and lacking the beginning of the lines; with one Arabic line on top. On the other side there is the docket in two lines, one being written the other way up.
Official Letter of the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius on Corn-Tax (P.Lond. IV 1370, TM 20496)
Scope & Content:
Letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, urging him to send 1300 artabas of wheat for the corn-tax (embole), which were in arrears. Should he fail to do so, there would be consequences for him and his people. The back bears the address, the date, the name of the...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
3 November 710
Extent:
Papyrus roll, mutilated at the top, complete at the bottom, right and left; damaged by holes throughout; a fragment from the top of the roll is now at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, inventoried as 13339 f, and published as P.Ross.Georg. IV 12. Writing runs on both sides. The front bears 18 lines written across the fibres; portions of the first two lines are preserved in the fragment now at the Hermitage Museum. Line 1 is in Arabic. Margins are minimal. On the back, there are three lines written along the fibres, one of which is in the reverse direction in relation to the other two. The papyrus is mounted on cardboard in a glass frame with an opening to show the text on the back.
