Ancient Egyptian Justice

 

 

            For any civilization to thrive and be successful, it is important to have some degree of order and law through government. Much of what we have learned about the Ancient Egyptians centers around their religion and tradition, and their beliefs have led them to create their own justice system, in which suicide or execution is a main course of action when punishing criminals. From the perspective of an Ancient Egyptian, this was either the most dignified form of punishment or the harshest form that could be given when a suspect was pronounced guilty. By giving a brief explanation of the Ancient Egyptians’ court regulations we are able to form a better understanding of how these punishments were issued, the crimes that were punishable by suicide, and whether or not this was the punishment of choice, or if it was less desirable.

 

            When first taking a look at Egyptian Law, it may seem like a lot of the concepts are relative to what shaped our court system today; however, the time period and the circumstances surrounding this era bring light to the many differences in their justice system. All court systems require the basics: a judge, a trial, and the punishment. Although judges did not make a large presence in the Old Kingdom, the title eventually became a position of high honor and reward.[1] If they did not depend upon others, they were less likely to be swayed with bribery, making their verdicts of justice fair and reliable; though in reality, they were still dishonest.[2] In the story “The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” we see an example of what flattery did to help achieve the verdict he was looking for and his fight for justice in a system that favored nobility. Though this story is believed to be fiction and does not convey the events of a real trial, it brings about the corruption in the administration during the Middle Kingdom.[3]

 

            Like any other court system, each crime was brought to a trial and the case was resolved with some extent of punishment. Crimes that were common during the time included tomb robberies, conspiring against the king, and, falsifying information. The trial process during this time was comprised of evidence, coercion, and eventually confession.[4] Suspects were often beat and forced into confession of crimes, and in the event they were found guilty, punishment was issued depending on the severity of the crime. As seen in the famous Judicual Turin Papyrus, the penalty of death by suicide was often the result of treason or guilt by association.[5] This record that we hold reveals the names of those involved in the Harem Conspiracy against Ramesses III and the punishments they endured. Those who received the lesser punishments were those who were not directly involved, but simply knowing about the conspiracy and not reporting it was a major crime, leading to a “dishonored” suicide.  

 

            The opinions revolving around suicide in Ancient Egypt varied considerably. Keeping in mind the importance and emphasis on life after death that took place, suicide could be considered a shameful death, creating a barrier between themselves and the afterlife. On the contrary, suicide also provided a “humane way to escape intolerable hardship and depression.”[6] By committing suicide, one is sparred the dishonor of someone with a lower social ranking taking their life. Because treason was deemed a “capital offense,” either taking one’s own life, or suffering an execution was the price they had to pay for their disloyalty and plans to overthrow the king, who was seen as an embodiment of Ma’at.[7] These attitudes toward suicide create conflicting ideas of which death brought justice to the crimes; but, if suicide was believed to be a barrier between a person and the afterlife, surely the peasant from the story “The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” would not have been so willing to give up his life.[8] Among those of the accused in the Judicial Turin Papyrus, there is no distinct correlation with social status of an individual and the path of death they chose; however, it is a possibility that those who were not as involved were given the choice to kill themselves or to live, which would also bring light to the severity of their involvement. By deciding to take the suicidal path, they ultimately were attempting to salvage their soul, making impalement or other methods of a death penalty the more justified means of punishment.

 

          In conclusion, the justice system carried out by the Ancient Egyptians was very efficient in sustaining the law and order of their civilization. By looking at the Judicial Turin Papyrus and “The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” we get a glimpse into the attitudes they had toward the punishments they were given and received and we are able to form an opinion on what they may have preferred. Aside from the few cases where a suspect’s ears and nose were cut off,[9] the cost of committing a crime often resulted in the loss of one’s life, either by suicide or by impalement, and their chance of an afterlife was diminished with such actions. By allowing a fraction of those accused in Ancient Egyptian court to chose suicide, it is apparent that their involvement in the crimes were not as severe, and by choosing to take their own life, they were entitled to life after death, which was the ultimate objective.

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

De Buck, A. “The Judicial Papyrus of Turin” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 23, no. 2 (1937): 152-164. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3854420

 

Dollinger, Andre. “Law and Order.” Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt. (2000), http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/index.html

 

Dollinger, Andre. “Records of the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III” Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt. (2000), http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/judicial_turin_papyrus.htm

 

Magd, Ahmad. “Death Without Dishonour: Suicide as Punishment in the Judicial Sources of the New Kingdom.” Minia University.

 

Shupak, Nili. “A New Source for the Study of the Judiciary and Law of Ancient Egypt: ‘The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant,’” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 51, no. 1 (1992): 1-18 http://www.jstor.org/stable/545594

 

Simpson, William Kelly. "The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” in The Literature of Ancient Egypt, 2003, Translated by Ritner, Robert K., William Kelly Simpson, Vincent A. Tobin, Edward F. Wente Jr. 25-44. Yale University, 2003.

 

 

 

[1] Andre Dollinger, “Law and Order” An Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt, (2000), http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/index.html

 

[2] Ibid

 

[3] Nili Shupak “A New Source for the Study of the Judiciary and Law of Ancient Egypt: ‘The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant,’” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 51, no. 1 (1992): 4. http://www.jstor.org/stable/545594

 

[4] Dollinger, “Law and Order”

 

[5] Andre Dollinger, “Records of the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III” An Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt, (2000), http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/judicial_turin_papyrus.htm

 

[6] Magd, Ahmad. “Death Without Dishonour: Suicide as Punishment in the Judicial Sources of the New Kingdom.” p. 4, Minia University.

 

[7] Ibid; 3

 

[8] William Kelly Simpson, "The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant" in The Literature of Ancient Egypt 2003, trans. Ritner, Simpson, Tobin, Wente (Yale University, 2003): 37.

 

[9] Dollinger, “Records of the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III”