Loan between Jews and Lucius Vettius
(0140) Text: ἔτους ἕκτου Νέρων[ος] Κλαυδίου Καίσαρος Σεβαστ[οῦ] | Γερμαν[ι]κοῦ Αὐ[τ]οκράτορο[ς] μ[η]νὸς Ν[έ]ου Σεβα[στ]οῦ λ’ | ἐπʼ ἀγορανόμου Εἰρηναίου Παρ[εμ]βολῆς τῆς πρὸς Βαβυ- | λῶνι τοῦ Ἡλιοπολείτου νομοῦ. Πετὼς Χελκίου | καὶ ο[ἱ] τούτου υἱο[ὶ] Χελκίας καὶ Δωρ[…]κοας οἱ τρ(ε)ῖς | Ἰουδαῖοι Πέρσαι τῆς ἐπιγονῆς τῶν [ἀ]πὸ Σύρων κώ- | μης Λουκίῳ Οὐεττίῳ ἱππ(ε)ῖ ἄλης Οὐοκουντίων | τύρμης Λογγίνου. ὁμολογοῦμεν ἔχειν παρά σου | διὰ χειρὸς διʼ ἐγ[γ]ύω[ν] ἀλλήλων εἰς ἔκτισιν παραθή- | κην ἀργυρίου Σεβαστοῦ καὶ Πτολεμαικοῦ δραχμὰς | ἑξακοσίας (γίνονται) ἀργ(υρίου) ˫ χ’, ἃς καὶ ἀποδώσομέν σοι | ἕως Τῦβι τριακάδος τοῦ ἐνεστῶ[το]ς ἕκτου ἔτους | Νέρωνος Κλαυ[δί]ου Καίσαρος Σεβαστοῦ [Γε]ρμανικοῦ | Αὐτοκράτορος ἀτόκους διαγράφοντες ἀργύριον ἐπί- | σημον δόκιμον ἀρεστὸν ἀνυπόλογον παντὸς | ὑπ[ο]λόγου. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀποδῶμεν καθότι πρόκ(ε)ι- | ται, ἐκτίσ[ο]μ[ε]ν τὴν παραθήκην τὰς τε ἀργ(υρίου) ˫ | ἑξακοσίας καὶ [τ]οὺς τόκους τοῦ ὑπερπεσόν- | το[ς] χρόνου καὶ ἐπίτιμον ἄλλας ἀργ(υρίου) ˫ ἑκατὸν | εἴκοσι, τῆς πράξεώς σοι οὔσης ἔκ τε ἡμῶν | τῶν τριῶν καὶ ἐξ ἑνός οὗ ἐὰν ἡμῶν αἱρῇ καὶ | ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἡμεῖν παντῃ [πάν]των | π[ρ]άσσοντι κυρίως. ἡ δὲ παραθή[κη κυρία ἔσ]τω | πανταχῇ. Πε[τ]ὼς ὡς ˪ […]ς μελάνχ[ρ(ως) …] | [Χελ]κία[ς ὡς ˪ …]εν[… ο]ὐλ(ὴ) ἀντικ(νημίῳ) […] | […]
Translation: In the sixth year of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus the Emperor, on the 30th of the month Neos Sebastos, when Irenaus was agoranomos of the “camp” by Babylon of the Heliopolite nome. Petos son of Helkias and his sons Helkias and Dor[…]koas, all three Jews, Persians of the Epigone, from the village of the Syrians, to Lucius Vettius, cavalryman of ala Vocontiorum, of the cavalry detachment of Longinus. We agree that we have received from you into our hand under mutual pledges to repay a deposit of imperial and Ptolemaic silver six hundred drachmae, that is, 600 drachmae, which we will repay to you before the thirtieth of Tybi of the present sixth year of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus the Emperor, without interest, paying in coined, genuine, current silver coin, without any faults. And if we do not pay it back according to the agreement, we will pay back both the deposit, the six hundred drachmae of silver, and the interest for the time in excess and as a fine another one hundred and twenty drachmae of silver, and you shall have the right to distrain on all three of us and on each one singly that you may choose and on all our property of whatever sort, as a valid distraint. The deposit shall be valid everywhere. Petos, of about […] years, dark-complexioned […] Helkias, of about […] years, […] scar on shin […]
Commentary: This is a loan document between three Egyptian Jews and a cavalryman of ala Vocontiorum, though Tcherikover (in CPJ) observes that the document obscures this loan as a deposit with harsh late penalties.
Provenience: Coptic Cairo, Egypt (Babylon Fortress, Egypt) 26 Nov 59 CE
Bibliography: P.Hamb. 1.2; CPJ 2.417*