Mrs. Tsenhor: A Female Entrepreneur in Ancient Egypt

255 Pages·2014·5.669 MB·English

by  Koenraad Donker van Heel

Mrs. Tsenhor
�A� �F�e�m�a�l�e� �E�n�t�r�e�p�r�e�n�e�u�r
�i�n� �A�n�c�i�e�n�t� �E�g�y�p�t
Mrs. Tsenhor
�A� �F�e�m�a�l�e� �E�n�t�r�e�p�r�e�n�e�u�r
�i�n� �A�n�c�i�e�n�t� �E�g�y�p�t

Mrs. Tsenhor
A Female Entrepreneur
in Ancient Egypt
Koenraad Donker van Heel
The American University in Cairo Press
Cairo New York
Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before
which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
—John Quincy Adams
First published in 2014 by
The American University in Cairo Press
113 Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo, Egypt
420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018
www.aucpress.com
Copyright © 2014 by Koenraad Donker van Heel

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Exclusive distribution outside Egypt and North America by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd.,
6 Salem Road, London, W2 4BU
Dar el Kutub No. 14515/13
ISBN 978 977 416 634 1
Dar el Kutub Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Donker van Heel, Koenraad
Mrs. Tsenhor: A Female Entrepreneur in Ancient Egypt—Cairo: The American
University in Cairo Press, 2014
p. cm.
ISBN: 978 977 416 634 1
1. Tsenhor, approximately 550 bc
2. Egypt—History—To 332 bc I. Title
932.01692
1 2 3 4 5 18 17 16 15 14
Designed by Jon W. Stoy
Printed in Egypt
Contents
List of Illustrations vii
List of Tables ix
The Tsenhor Papyri xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xvii
Chronology xxiii
1. People 1
The Family 1
2. Earth and Water: Nesmin, 556 bce 31
  How Tsenhor Got Her Name 31
3. Love and Death: Psenese, Tsenhor, Ruru, and Peteamunhotep,
530–517 bce 43
Dividing an Inheritance 43
A Pregnant Widow 61
The Proud Father 87
A Very Fortunate Baby Daughter 96
4. Slave: Tsenhor, 517 bce 111
Two Owners within a Month 111
A Profitable Start to the New Year 123
v
5. Bricks: Tsenhor, Psenese, and Nesamunhotep, 512–506 bce 131
The Tomb of Osorkon 131
Expanding the Family Business 140
Dividing Dad’s House 146
6. Cattle: Burekhef and Ituru, 507–487 bce 155
Was There a Rent-a-Cow in Thebes? 155
A Cow Branded with the Milk Can 161
7. Love and Death: Tsenhor, Psenese, Ituru, and Ruru,
498–494 bce 173
Psenese Becomes Ill 173
Closing the Account 183
8. Earth and Water: Tsenhor, Ruru, and Nesamunhotep,
497–491 bce 195
Ruru Takes Over 195
The Bread of the Choachyte 204
Notes 207
Index 211
vi Contents
Illustrations
1. AncientEgypt xxi
2. MummylabelofTanefershy 20
3. PetosirissonofWenamun 40
4. NameandtitlesofWepemnefret 101
5. NameandtitlesofIbysonofWepemnefret 101
6. ThewillofWepemnefret 102
7. Additiontotheactualwill 104
8. Thefifteenwitnessestothecontract 105
9. Thebesandsurroundings 132
10.TheneighborsofthehouseownedbyPseneseandTsenhor 134
11.DidPseneseandTsenhorbuyasplitproperty? 143
12.Theactualsituationin510bce 144
13.ThehouseofAbigaiaandElizabethinCopticDjeme 153
vii

Tables
1. AsummaryofTsenhor’slife 10
2. Fourcontractsonasingleday? 62
3. FamilyrelationsintheAdoptionPapyrus 81
4. ThewitnessestoTsenhor’scontracts 90
5. ThewitnessesinP.BMEA10906and10907 95
6. Paralleltranslationofthetwopromissorydonations 98
7. ThescribeIpplayingwithhissignature 125
8. TheTurinpapyrifromTsenhor’sarchive 156
9. WheredoTsenhor’spapyricomefrom? 159
10.Ruru’sinheritance 176
11.ParalleltranslationofP.LouvreE7858 201
12.ThedatesofP.LouvreE3231A–C 202
ix