Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446
A household list of servants in Egypt, many with Northwest Semitic names
Found 1881 — Purchased by Charles Edwin Wilbour in Egypt between 1881 and 1896; published by William C. Hayes in 1955
Where Probably Thebes (unprovenanced purchase) (United States)
Dates from c. 1809–1743 BCE (reign of Sobekhotep III) · Middle Kingdom, 13th Dynasty · Sojourn; Semitic people serving in Egyptian households
Now at Brooklyn Museum, New York (35.1446)
How Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 was found
Bought on the antiquities market, probably from Thebes. Wilbour's family gave it to the Brooklyn Museum in 1916; it entered the collection in 1935.
What it is
A long papyrus in hieratic script. The back (verso) lists about 95 servants of a single Theban household, giving each person's name, title and often an Egyptian name they were given. Roughly 40 to 45 are marked 'Aamu' (Asiatic) and carry Northwest Semitic names.
Why it matters for the Bible
The list shows Semitic-speaking people working as household servants in Egypt in the generations the Bible assigns to the Sojourn. Several names match biblical name types, such as Shiphrah (compare Exodus 1:15), Menahem, and names built on the element 'Asher'. It does not mention Israel and these people were not slaves in the later sense, but it is direct evidence that people like the Hebrews were in Egypt in this period.
The Hebrew word: EH-ved
עֶבֶד
עֶבֶד is pronounced EH-ved and means servant, slave (Strong's H5650).
People this discovery connects to
- Shiphrah — שִׁפְרָה (shif-RAH) — beautiful / fair
Places
- Egypt — מִצְרַיִם (mits-RAH-yim) — Egypt (the two lands)
Events
Israelites serving in Egyptian households · Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah
Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 in Scripture
Exodus 1:15 The midwife Shiphrah; a woman with the same Semitic name appears on this Egyptian servant list.
Questions people ask
What is Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446?
A long papyrus in hieratic script. The back (verso) lists about 95 servants of a single Theban household, giving each person's name, title and often an Egyptian name they were given. Roughly 40 to 45 are marked 'Aamu' (Asiatic) and carry Northwest Semitic names.
When was Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 discovered?
It was found in 1881 by Purchased by Charles Edwin Wilbour in Egypt between 1881 and 1896; published by William C. Hayes in 1955, at Probably Thebes (unprovenanced purchase).
Where is Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 today?
Brooklyn Museum, New York (35.1446).
Which Bible verses does Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 relate to?
Exodus 1:15.
Sources
- Hayes, A Papyrus of the Late Middle Kingdom in the Brooklyn Museum (1955)
- Brooklyn Museum object page
- Wikipedia: Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446