Anet, 25-29

     The papyrus, now in the Moscow Museum, comes from el_hibeh in Middle Egypt and dates to the early 21st Dynasty shortly after the events it relates.

     Year 5, 4th month of the 3rd season, day 16:

     the day on which Wenamon, the Senior of the Forecourt of the house of Amon, [lord of thrones] of the Two Lands, set out to fetch the woodwork for the great and august barque of Amon-Re, king of the gods, which is on [the river and which is named:] `User-het-Amon.'

     On the day when I reached Tanis, the place [where Ne-su-Ba-neb]-Ded and Ta-net-Amon were [10], I gave them the letters of Amon-Re, king of ... and they [20] had them read in their presence. And they said, "Yes, I will do as Amon-Re, king of gods, our [lord] has said!'

I spent up to the 4th month of the 3rd season in Tanis. And Ne-su-Ba-neb-Dad and Ta-net-Amon sent me off with the ship captain Mengebet. ... and I embarked on the great Syrian sea in the 1st month of the 3rd season, day 1.

     I reached Dor, a town of the Tjeker, and Beder, its prince, had 50 loaves of bread, one jug of wine [30], and one leg of beef brought to me. And a man of my ship ran away and stole on (vessel) of gold, [amounting] to 5 deben, four jars of silver, amounting to 20 deben, and a sack of 11 deben of silver. [Total of what] he [stole]:

5 deben of gold and 31 deben of silver. [40]

     And he said unto me: `Whether you are important or whether you are eminent - look here, I do not recognize this accusation which you have made me! Suppose it had been a thief who belonged to my land who went on your boat and stole your silver, I should have repaid it to you from my treasury, until they had [60] found this thief of yours - whoever he may be. Now about the thief who robbed you - he belongs to you! He belongs to your ship! Spend a few days here visiting with me, so that I may look for him.'

     I spent nine days moored (in) his harbor, and I went (to) call on him, and I said to him: `Look, you have not found my silver. [Just let] me [go] with the ship captains and with those who go (to) sea!' But he said to me, `Be quiet! ...' .... I went out of Tyre at the break of down ... Zakar-Baal, the prince of Byblos, .... (30) ship. I found 30 deben in it, and I seized upon it.(4) [And I said to the Tjeker: `I have seized upon] your silver, and it will stay with me [until] you find [my silver or the thief] who stole it. But as for you, ...

     So they went away, and I enjoyed my triumph [in] a tent [on] the shore of the [sea], [in] the harbor of Byblos. And [I hid] Amon-of-the-Road, and I put his property inside him.(5)

     And the [prince] of Byblos send to me, saying: `Get [out of (35) my] harbor!' And I sent him, saying: `Where should [I go to]? ... If [you have a ship] to carry me, have me taken to Egypt again!' So I spent 29 days in his [harbor, while] he [spent] the time sending to me every day to say: `Get out [of] my harbor!'

     Now while he was making offering to his gods, the god - seized one of his youths and made him possessed.(6) And he said to him: `Bring up [the] god! Bring the messenger who is carrying him! (40) Amon is the one who sent him out! He is the one who made him come!' And while the possessed youth was having a frenzy on this night, I had [already] found a ship headed for Egypt and had loaded everything that I had into it. While I was watching for the darkness, thinking that when it descended I would load the god [also], so that no other eye might see him, the harbor master came to me, saying: `Wait until morning - so says the prince.' So I said to him: `Aren't you the one who spent the time coming to me every day to say: `Get out [of] my harbor? Aren't you saying, `Wait' tonight (45) in order to let the ship which I had found get away - and [then] you will come again [to] say: `Go away!'?'

     So he went and told it to the prince. And the prince sent to the captain of the ship to say: `Wait until morning - so says the prince!'

     When morning came, he sent and brough me up, but the god stayed in the tent where he was, [on] the shore of the sea. And I found him sitting [in] his upper room, with his back turned to the window, so that the waves of the great Syrian sea broke against the back (50) of his head.(7)

     So I said to him: `May Amon favor you!' But he said to me: `How long, up to today, since you came from the palace where Amon is?'

     So I said to him: `Five months and one day up to now,"

     And he said to me: `Well, you're truthful! Where is the letter of Amon which [should be] in your hand? Where is the dispatch of the high-priest of Amon which [should] be in your hand?'

     And I told him: `I gave them to Ne-su-B-neb-ded and Ta-net-Amon.'

     And he was very, very angry, and he said to me: `Now see - neither letters nor dispatches are in your hand! Where is (55) its Syrian crew? Didn't he turn you over to his foreign ship captain to have him kill you and throw you into the sea? [Then] with whom would they have looked for you too? So he spoke to me.

     But I said to him, `Wasn't it an Egyptian ship?' Now it is Egyptian crews which sail under Ne-su-Ba-neb-Ded! He has no Syrian crews.'

     And he said to me: `Aren't there 20 ships here in my harbor which are in commercial relations with Ne-su-Ba-neb-Ded? As to this Sidon, (ii,1) the other [place] which you have passed, aren't there 50 more ships there which are in commercial relations with Werket-El, and which are drawn up to his house?' And I was silent in this great time.

     And he answered and said to me: `On what business have you come?'

     So I told him: `I have come after the woodwork for the great and August bark of Amon-Re, king of gods. Your father did [it] (5), your grandfather did [it, and you will do it too!' So I spoke to him.

     But he said to me: `To be sure, they did it! And if you give me something] for doing it, I will do it! Why, when my people carried out this commission, Pharaoh - life propserity, health! - sent six ships loaded with Egyptian goods, and they unloaded them into their storehouses! You - what is that you're bringing me - me also?'

     And he had the journal rolls of his father brought, and he had them read out in my presence, and they found a thousand deben of silver and all kinds of things in his scrolls.[100]

     So he said to me: `If the ruler of Egypt where the lord of mine, and I were his servant also, he would not have send silver and gold, saying: `Carry out the commission of Amon!' There would be no carrying of a royal gift, such as they used to do for my father. As for me - me also - I am not your servant! I am not the servant of him who sent me either! - If I cry out to the Lebanon, the heavens open up, and the logs are here lying [on] the shore of the sea! Give (15) me the sails which you have brought to carry your ships which would hold the logs for [Egypt]! Give me the ropes [which] you have brought [to lash the cedar] logs which I am cutting down to make you ... which I shall make for you [as] the sails of your boats, and the spears will be [too] heavy and will break, and you will die in the middle of the sea! See, Amon made thunder in the sky when he put Seth near him.(8) Now when Amon (20) founded all lands, in founding them he founded first the land of Egypt, from which you come; for craftsmanship came out of it, to reach the place where I am. What are these silly trips which they have had you make?'

     And I said to him: `[That's] not true! What I am on are no `silly trips' at all! There is no ship upon the river which does not belong to Amon! The sea is his, and the Lebanon is his, of which you say: `It is mine!' It forms (25) the nursery for User-het-Amon, the lord of [every] ship! Why, he spoke - Amon-Re, King of the gods - and said to Herihor, my master: `Send me forth!' So he had me come, carrying this great god. But see, you have made this great god spend these 29 (days) moored [in] your harbor, although you did not know [it]. Isn't he here? Isn't he the [same] as he was? You are stationed [here] to carry on the commerce of the Lebanon with Amon, its lord. As for you saying that the former kings sent silver and gold - suppose they had life and health!(9) Now as for Amon-Re, king of the gods - he is the lord of this life and health, and he was the lord of your fathers. They spent their lifetime making offering to Amon. And you also - you are the servant of Amon! If you say to Amon: `Yes, I will do [it]!' and you carry out his commission, you will live, you will be prosperous, you will be healthy, and you will be good to your entire land and your people! [But] don't wish for yourself anything belonging to Amon-Re, [king of] the gods. Why, a lion wants his own property! Have your secretary brought to me, so that (35) I may send him to Ne-su-Ba-neb-Ded and Ta-net-Amon, the officers whom Amon put in the north of his land, and they will have all kinds of things sent. I shall send him to them to say: `Let it be brought until I shall go [back again] to the south, and I shall [then] have every bit of the dept still [due to you] brought to you.' So I spoke to him.

     So he entrusted my letter to his messenger, and he loaded in the keel, the bow post, the stern post, along with our four other hewn timbers - seven in all - and he had them taken to Egypt. And in the first month of the second season his messenger who had gone to Egypt came back to me in Syria. And in the first month of the second season he messenger sho had gone to Egypt came back to me in Syria. And Ne-su-Ba-neb-Ded and Ta-net-Amon sent: (40)

  4 jars and 1 kakmen of gold;
  5 jars of silver;
 10 pieces of clothing in royal linen;
500 kherd of good Upper Egyptian linen;
500 cowhides;
500 ropes;
 20 sacks of lentils;
 30 baskets of fish;

And he sent to me [personally]:

 5 pieces of clothing in good Upper Egyptian linen;
 5 kherd of good Upper Egyptian linen;
 1 sack of lentils;
 5 baskets of fish;

     And the prince was glad, and he detailed three hundred men and three hundred cattle, and he put supervisors at their head, to have them cut down the timber. So they cut them down, and they spend the second season lying there.(10)

     In the 3rd month of the 3rd season they dragged them [to] the shore of the sae, and the prince came out and stood by them. And he sent to me, saying: `Come!' Now when I presented myself near him, the shadow of his lotus - blossom fell upon me. And Pen-Amon, a butler who belonged to him, cut me off, saying: `The shadow of Pharaoh - lief, prosperity, health! - your lord, has fallen on you!' But he was angry at him, saying: `Let him alone.'(11)

     So I presented myself near him, and he answered and siad to me: `See, the commission which my fathers carried out formerly, I have carried it out [also], even though you have not done for me what your fathers would have done for me, and you too [should have done]! See, the last of your woodwork has arrived and is lying [here]. Do as I wish, and come to load it in - for aren't they going to give it it you?(50) Don't come to look at the terror of the sae! If you look at the terror of the sea, you will see my own [too].'(12) Why, I have not done to you what was done to the messengers of Kha-em-Wasert, when they spent seventeen years in this land - they died [where] they were!' And he said to his butler: `Take him and show him their tomb in which they are lying.'

     But I said to him: `Don't show it to me! As for Kha-em-Waset - they were men whom he send to you as messengers, and he was a man himself. You do not have one of his messengers [here in me], when you say: `Go and see you companions!'

     Now shouldn't you rejoice (55) and have a stela [made] for yourself and say on it: `Amon-Re, king of the gods, sent to me Amon-of-the-Road, his messenger - [life], prosperity, health! - and Wenalmon, his human messenger, after the woodwork for the great and August barque of Amon-Re, king of the gods. I cut it down. I loaded it in. I provided it [with] my ships and my crews. I caused them to reach Egypt, in order to ask fifty years of life from Amon for myself, over and aboce my fate.' And it shall come to pass that, after another time, a messenger may come from the land of Egypt who knows writing, and he may read your name on the stela. And you will receive water [in] the West, like the gods who are (60) here!'(13)

     And he said to me: `This which you have said to me is great testimony of words!'(14)

     So I said to him: `As for the many things which you have said to me, if I reach the place where the high priest of Amon is and he sees how you have [carried out his] commission, it is your [carrying out of this] commission [which] will draw out something for you.'

     And I went [to] the shore of the sea, to the place where the timber was lying, and I spied 11 ships belonging to the Tjeker coming in from the sea, in order to say: `Arrest him! Don't let a ship of his [go] to the land of Egypt!' Then I set down and wept. And the letter scribe of the prince came out to me,(65) and he said to me: `What's the matter with you?' And I said to him: `Haven't you seen the birds go down to Egypt a second time?(15) Look at them - how they travel to the cool pools! [But] how long shall I be left here! Now don't you see those who are coming again to arrest me?'

     So he went and told it to the prince. And the prince began to weep because of the words which were said to him, for they were painful. And he sent out to me his letter scribe, and he brought to me 2 jugs of wine and one ram. And he sent to me Ta-net-Not, an Egyptian singer was with him,(16) saying: `Sing to him! Don't let his heart take on cares!' And he sent to me,(70) to say: `Eat and drink! Don't let your heart take on cares, for tomorrow you shall hear whatever I have to say.'

     When morning came, he had his assembly summond, and stood in their midst, and he said to the Tjeker: `What have you come [for]?' and they said to him: `We have come after the [blasted] ships which you are sending to Egypt with your opponents!' But he said to them: `I cannot arrest the messenger of Amon inside my land. Let me send him away, and you go after him to arrest him.'

     So he loaded me in, and he sent me away from there at the harbor of the sea. And the wind casts me on the land of (75) Alashiya. And they of the town came out against me to kill me, but I forced my way through them to the place where Hetep, the princess of the town, was. I met her as she was going out of one house of hers and going into another of hers.

     So I greeted her, and I said to the people who were standing near her: `Isn't there one of you who understands Egyptian?' And one of them said: `I understand [it].' So I said to him: `Tell the lady that I have heard, as far away as Thebes, the place where Amon is, that injustice is done in every town but justice is done in the land of Alishiya. Yet, injustice is done here every day!' And she said: `Why, what do you [mean] (80) by saying it?' So I told her: `If the sea is stormy and the wind casts me on the land where you are, you should not let them take me [in charge] to kill me. For I am a messenger of Amon. Look here - as for me, they will search for me all the time! As to this crew of the Prince of Byblos which they are bent on killing, won't its lord find ten crews of yours, and he also kill them?'

     So she had the people summoned, and they stood [there]. And she said to me: `Spend the night ...'

     [At this point the papyrus breaks off. Since the tale is told in the first person, it is fair to assume that Wenamon returned to Egypt to tell his story, in some measure of safety or success.]

Since the days of the Persian conquest under Cambyses, Egypt had been `the basests of the kingdoms', Ezekiel 29:15. The prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel concerning the debasement of Egypt were fulfilled, not in their time, but at the close of Amasis' reign, when Cambyses subjugated Egypt, humiliated its people, and ruined its temples, and for generations thereafter, through most of the Persian period.

     When Golenishchev purchased the papyrus with Ourmai's letter of laments, he obtained in the same transaction a papyrus containing another tale of woe - the story of Wenamon's errand to Byblose on the coast of Syria. Like the letter of Ourmai, the above story of Wenamon dates from the 21st Dynasty; both were copied by the same scribe, but it is understood that Wenamon's story relates events several generations more recent. Whereas Ourmai's letter was translated and published in 1961, Wenamon's story was published in 1899.

     No document pictures Egypt's lowly position among the nations during the later period of Persian occupation better than does Wenamon's story.

     During the time under discussion, traveling in Syria was filled with danger, Nehemia [2:7] and Ezra [8:22](17) both mention the insecurity of the roads, even for one on the king's errand.

     It is of interest that quite a number of Hebrew words are used by Wenamon in his story: For `assembly' he used the Hebrew word `moed' and for `league' or `alliance' the word `hever'; other such instances of preferrence given to Hebrew words over Egyptian vocabulary are exhibited by Wenamon.

     Two names in the text caused deliberation among scholars. One was Khaemwise (Kha-em-waset), in whose days messengers sent from Egypt were detained in Byblose against their will. The other was the name of the ship owner Werket-El or Birkath-El, who maintained commercial traffic between Sidon and Tanis.

     No answer was found to the question of the identity of Khaemwise. Ramses IX or Neferkare-setpenre Ramesse-khaemwise-merer-amon and Ramses XI or Menmare-sepenptah Ramesse-khaemwise were considered bu rejected. Khaemwise was certainly a king' (18) but, Ramses IX and Ramses XI having reigned only very recently, Wenamon, a priest and official, would not omit in referring to either of them the title `king' - such titling being a matter of civility a priest and scribe would no violate.(19)

     The other name found in the Wenamon Papyrus that caused deliberation is that of the shipping magnate with headquarters in Tanis. Of him the prince of Byblos said that in Sidon 50 ships `are in league' with Birketh-El' and sail `to his house.'

     The eminent German Egyptologist read his name Birket-El to which M. Burchardt agreed. The name points to a semitic origin, most likely a Phoenician. It means `God's blessing.'

     In 1924, R. Eisler published a paper, `Barakhel Sohn und Cie, Rhedergesellschaft in Tanis' (Barkhal Son & Co., Shipping House in Tanis)(20) in which he drew attention to the fact that a late Hebrew source contains a reference to the same shipping company called Berakhel's Son.

     The Testament of Naphthali is a pseudoepigraphic work the composition of which is placed in about 146 BC, the year Johnathan of the House of Hasshmnaim (Maccabees) conquered Jaffa and thus opened an access to the sea and maritime trade.

     In the testament, a vision is narrated of a ship that passes near the shore of Jaffa with no crew or passengers. But on the mast of the ship is written the name of the owner, son of Berakhel. Berakhel and Birketh-El relate to each other like `God's blessing' and `blessing of God' would in English.

     In our estimate, Wenamon went on his travels not in 1100 BC but close to about 400 BC.

[0010] The identity of Nesubanebded and Tanetamon are not known as far as we know. Please be aware that some numbers in ( ) and [] were in the original text and are not references from us.

[0020] Tanis was the capital of Egypt for much of that country's time. Please check the Encyclopedia for comments on it. Also read the article on pottery.

[0030] Please check the Encyclopedia for info on the Tjeker and Dor. A prince named `Beder' is not known from other sources as far as we know.

[0040] Compare the measures of quantity with our file on the Great Edict.

[0050] Again, on Weret and Mekmer we have no additional information. On Zerket-Baal and Byblos check the Encyclopedia.

[0060] Check also the EA letters for certain nouns and terms.

[0100] No comment at this time.