Crime

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Crime Punishment in Ancient Egypt

• By Krishna Horrigan

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Introduction

• Laws were important to make Egyptian culture run
  well.
• None of the laws were written.
• We have learned about laws from stories and
  carvings.

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Pharaoh

• The pharaoh was the judge of the high court.

• The people thought of the king as a god, so
  whatever he said went.

A Pharaoh presenting the symbol of Justice to the
god of Dekkah Temple, Ptolemic era
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Maat Goddess of truth, justice and balance
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(No Transcript)
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Maat
Gold Maat pendant from the British Museum
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The Eloquent Peasant

• In the British Museum in London.
• A story on papyrus paper.
• Helps us understand the Ancient Egyptians sense
  of right and wrong

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The Eloquent Peasant

• The story of a poor farmer going to market with
  his goods on an donkey.
• Land owner/rich man wanted to trick peasant
• Laid carpet on path/road as a trap
• Peasant tells his story over and over.
• Goes to seven courts to argue his case
• Ends up telling his story to the pharaoh

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The Eloquent Peasant
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King Menes

• King Menes was a very important ruler
• He made the first legal system

this is a picture of him punishing a person who
has broken the law
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Ancient Judge

• Found in the tomb of Mehu, a fifth dynasty judge
• Inscriptions describe him as zAb (judge), Priest
  of Maat, the Goddess of Truth, Eldest One of the
  Hall and Secretary of the Secret Decisions of the
  Great Judgment Court.

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Punishments

• Included
• Getting whipped or beat
• Amputation (getting something cut off.)

• Hand cut off if you stole.

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Punishments

• Punishment of a grave robber
• Buried alive

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Punishments

• If a kid killed his or her parent(s)
• they would have their skin cut with reeds
• Be put on a bed of thorns
• then burned alive.
• But if a parent killed their kid(s)
• they would only have to hold their kid(s) for
  three days.

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Death Sentence

• If you did a really serious crime, you would be
  sentenced to death
• left to be eaten by the alligators
• If you had a very high rank, they might let you
  commit suicide

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Marriage Contract

• The husband wrote this contract
• He said he would pay the wife some money within
  30 days of divorce

• They could get married again after divorce
• Eight witnesses signed the back of the contract

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An ancient loan agreement

• Loans not a modern invention.
• This papyrus is a contract to repay a quantity of
  grain.
• The loan is for approximately seven months
• Interest is not charged on the basic loan.
• if the loan is not repaid by the set date, the
  debtor,Amenhotep, agrees to pay an additional
  fifty percent to Padimin, the owner of the grain,
  a month later.
• A summary was written at the top of the papyrus
• The papyrus was sealed up.