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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.
Official Letter from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik (P.Lond. IV 1375, TM 19831)
Scope & Content:
Letter from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, the recipient being in lacuna. A substantial sum of money (over 166 nomismata) has to be supplied for the expenses of the Governor’s household, which includes Arab and Christian members. The letter is dated to the 9th ...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
1 May 710
Extent:
Two fragments of different sizes from a papyrus roll, with presumably one line, fully lost, between them; the smaller fragment preserves one Arabic line and remains of one Greek line; the larger fragment is well preserved, with the exception of the first line, of which only traces remain. Written on one side, mounted on cardboard and housed in one glass case.
Official Letter of the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius on Supply of Workers (P.Lond. IV 1376, TM 19832)
Scope & Content:
Letter of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, instructing him to send four labourers from his administrative district, who are to work at the island of Babylon for a period of six months. With address and summary on the back.
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
1 May 710
Extent:
Medium-brown papyrus roll, with darker patches, lacking the upper right-hand corner and with holes and a vertical break in the centre and along the horizontal fold; bearing writing on both sides. On the front, there are 15 lines running across the fibres, fairly spaced; lines 1-3 lack the ends, line 4 is very fragmentary. Traces of Arabic text remain in line 1. Upper, left and right margins are minimal; the lower margin is ample. On the back, there are portions of two lines written along the fibres on the top right, 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, Pagarch of Aphrodito (P.Lond. IV 1378, TM 19833)
Scope & Content:
Official letter from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito, concerning a requisition for palm wood. The trunks that Basilius has to send to Babylon must be 10 and 12 cubits long and are to be used for the palace at Fustat, which is being built by the river under the su...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
8 May 710
Extent:
Joining fragments of varying size from a papyrus roll, with small gaps in the left-hand lower part which do not affect the text, and a larger lacuna affecting most of lines 2-4. With Arabic writing in line 1 and docket on the verso in two lines.
Fragments from the Archive of Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1464, TM 19915)
Scope & Content:
Miscellaneous fragments of letters from the governor Qurrah ben Sharik to Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito.
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
709-714
Extent:
Ten papyrus fragments of varying size, housed in the same glass frame; five of these bear writing on both sides; the fragment at the bottom right bears Arabic and Greek lines. Each fragment preserves portions of a few lines, running along or across the fibres.
Accounts from the Archive of Basilius (P.Lond. IV 1443, TM 39764)
Scope & Content:
Recto: Portion of an account listing names in alphabetical order, mostly of individuals from Aphrodito. The figures after each name are lost, but the total is given at the end of the column. A second hand added figures at the beginning of most entries. With protocol at the beginning. Verso: Por...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
early 8th century
Extent:
Beginning of a papyrus roll, broken off on the right (front), with two detached scraps; overall well preserved; bearing writing on both sides. On the front, the first sheet displays vertical fibres and bears two lines in Arabic, imperfect, running along the fibres, perpendicularly to the main text; after ample blank space there is the left-hand portion of one column written along the fibres. Upper and lower margins survive. Two sheet-joins runs vertically. On the back, there are two columns written across the fibres; ample blank space was left on the left; the last sheet displays horizontal fibres as opposed to the other sheets, hence the lines written on it run along the fibres. Upper and lower margins survive. The papyrus is housed in a glass frame.
Miscellaneous Accounts Concerning Naval Stores and Sailors (P.Lond. IV 1449, TM 19888; CPR III.I.2 11, TM 463877)
Scope & Content:
Recto: Column 1a: Arabic (CPR III.I.2 11). Column 1: beginning of the whole account, with a list of sailors requisitioned for various services; Column 2: continuation of column 1 recto, written in the same ink as column 3 verso; Column 3: account of provision for the fleet, written in the sa...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
after 26 May 711
Extent:
Fragments forming a continuous, yet incomplete papyrus roll folded; written on both sides in an uncertain order, with ink of varying intensity; one additional detached fragment, which, according to the editor, may not belong to this document.
Official Order from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik (P.Lond. IV 1407, SB I 5641, TM 19854)
Scope & Content:
Fragment of an order of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik in Arabic and Greek, addressed to the inhabitants of Aphrodito. The recipients are ordered to pay one thousand artabas of wheat for the grain tax and deliver them to the granaries in Babylon. Dated in July or August 709 AD. The rest of the do...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
709
Extent:
Right-hand portion of a papyrus sheet, the left-hand portion of which is now in Heidelberg (PSR 15 b); written on one side across the fibres, the back being blank. On the front, there are parts of 15 lines running across the fibres in Arabic and Greek. The papyrus is mounted on cardboard in a glass frame.
Official Order from the Governor Qurrah ben Sharik (P.Lond. IV 1410, SB I 5639, TM 19857)
Scope & Content:
Fragment of an order of the governor Qurrah ben Sharik in Arabic and Greek, addressed to the inhabitants of Aphrodito. The recipients are asked to supply four skilled workmen to repair ships in Babylon. Details of the salaries are included. Dated in October or November. The rest of the document i...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
709
Extent:
Right-hand portion of a papyrus sheet, further fragments of which are now in Heidelberg (PSR 14 and 19g); written on one side across the fibres, the back being blank. On the front, there are parts of 10 lines running across the fibres in Arabic and Greek. The papyrus is mounted on cardboard in a glass frame.
Account from the Archive of Basilius, pagarch of Aphrodito (P.Lond. IV 1450, TM 19889)
Scope & Content:
Account concerning the wages of the sailors on the raiding expedition of Egypt on the 8th indiction; at the top, there is the address and summary in Arabic. The account was found with Papyrus 1338 (see P.Lond. IV, p. 377), but sent with Papyrus 1336, where the governor Qurrah ben Sharik orders Ba...
Collection Area:
Western Manuscripts
Languages:
Arabic and Greek, Ancient
Date Range:
709-710
Extent:
Papyrus sheet, with surface damage and holes, especially on the right; written on one side across the fibres, the back being blank. On the front, there are 6 lines; margins survive. The papyrus is mounted on cardboard in a glass frame.
