The Jewish garrison of Elephantine · a new plain-English translation from the Aramaic
Date| 21 Kislev, that is day 1 of Mesore, year 6 of King Artaxerxes
1| On the 21st of Kislev, that is day 1 of Mesore, year 6 of King Artaxerxes, said Mahseiah
2| son of Jedaniah, a Je[w] holding property in Elephantine the fortress, in the detachment of {Haumadata}, to the woman Mibtahiah
3| his daughter, saying: I have given you, in my lifetime and at my death, land for 1 {house}, which is mine. Its
4| measurements: its length from below to above, 13 cubits and 1 handbreadth; its width from east
5| to west, 11 cubits according to the {measuring-rod}. Its boundaries: above it, the house of Dargman son of Harshin
6| adjoins it; below it, the house of Konaiah son of Zadok; to its east, the house of Jezan son of
7| Uriah your husband, and the house belonging to Zechariah son of Nathan; to its west, the house of Espemet son of Peftuauneith,
8| boatman of the rough waters. That house-land I have given to you in my lifetime and at my death.
9| You have power over it from this day and forever, and your children after you; to whomever
10| you love you may give it. {There is} for me none other — no son or daughter, no brother or sister, and no woman
11| or other man who has power over that land except you and your children forever. Whoever
12| brings suit or process against you, you or a son or daughter of yours or a man of yours, in the name of that land
13| which I have given you, and complains against you to a prefect or a judge, shall pay you and your children
14| silver, 10 karsh, that is ten, by the royal weights, silver at 2 r. to the ten, without suit or process,
15| and the house is your house all the same, and your children's after you. And they will not be able to produce against you
16| a new or old document in my name concerning that land, to give it to another man. That document
17| which they produce against you shall be false; I did not write it, and it shall not be accepted in court
18| while this document is in your hand. And moreover I, Mahseiah, tomorrow or another day shall not take it back
19| from you to give to others. That land is yours; build, and give it to whomever you love.
20| If tomorrow or another day I bring suit or action against you and declare: 'I did not give it to you,'
21| I will pay you silver, 10 karsh by the royal weights, silver at 2 r. to the ten, without suit
22| or process, and the house is your house all the same; and if I go to court I shall not win. And this document is in your hand.
23| Moreover, there is 1 deed of renunciation which Dargman son of Harshin the Khwarazmian wrote for me concerning
24| that land, when he brought suit about it before the judges; and I bore an oath for him, and to him I swore
25| that it belonged to me; and he wrote a deed of renunciation and gave it to me. That document I have given to you;
26| you keep it. If tomorrow or another day Dargman or a son of his brings suit
27| concerning that house, produce that document, and on the basis of it {contend} at law with him. Atarshuri
28| son of Nabuzeraban wrote this document at Syene the fortress, as Mahseiah dictated. The witnesses hereto:
29| Witness: Gemariah son of Mahseiah. Witness: Zechariah son of Nathan.
30| Witness: Hoshea son of Pelaliah. Witness: Zechariah son of Meshullam. Witness: Maaziah son of
31| Malchiah. Witness: Shemaiah son of Jedaniah. Witness: Jedaniah son of Mahseiah.
32| Witness: Nathan son of Ananiah. Zaccur son of Zephaniah.
33| Witness: Hoshea son of Reuiah. Witness: Mahseh son of Jeshaiah.
34| Witness: Hoshea son of Igdal.
35| (Endorsement) Document of a ho[use, 1, which was given] by Mahseiah son of Jedan[iah
36| (Endorsement) to Mibtah daughter of Mahseiah
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