Theft at Dor and Departure

1.1 Year 5, fourth month of Shemu, day 16: the day Wenamun, elder of the hall of the temple of Amun, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, departed

1.2 to obtain timber for the great and splendid sacred barque of Amun-Re, King of the Gods, which rests upon

1.3 [the Nile, whose name is] Userhat-Amun. The day I arrived at Tanis, where

1.4 [Smendes] and Tamounis resided, I gave them the decrees of Amun-Re, King of the Gods. They

1.5 had them read aloud before them. They said, “We shall indeed do as Amun-Re, King of the Gods, our

1.6 [lord], has said.” From the fourth month of Shemu onward, I remained in Tanis. Smendes

1.7 and Tamounis sent me out with the ship's captain Mengebet. I sailed down toward

1.8 the great sea of Syria on the first day of the first month of Shemu. I reached Dor, a town of the

1.9 Tjeker. Beder, its prince, sent me 50 loaves, wine in an msḫ jar—

1.10 1 jarful—and 1 leg of beef. Then a man from my ship fled, having stolen gold:

1.11 [one vessel] worth 5 deben; four silver vessels worth 20 deben; and a bag of silver weighing 11 deben.

1.12 [Total stolen:] 5 deben of gold and 31 deben of silver. I rose that morning and went to

1.13 where the prince was. I said to him, “I have been robbed in your harbor. You are the prince of this land, and

1.14 you are its judge. Find my silver! For this silver belongs to Amun-Re,

1.15 King of the Gods, lord of the Two Lands. It belongs to Smendes, to Herihor my lord, and to the other

1.16 great ones of Egypt. It belongs to you, to Weret, to Mekmer, and to Tjekerbaal,

1.17 the prince of Byblos.” He said to me, “Are you trying to seem important? Are you serious? I cannot

1.18 understand these words you have spoken to me. If the thief were from my land, one who had boarded

1.19 your ship and stolen your silver, I would have repaid you from my storehouse until they

1.20 found your thief by name. But the thief who robbed you belongs to you: he belongs to

1.21 your ship. Spend a few days here with me, and I shall look for him.” I spent 9 days moored

1.22 in his harbor. I went to him and said, “See, you have not found my silver! Let me […] with the captains and those who sail the sea.” He said, “Be silent! […] Hear [my words] and do [what] I say to you; do not […] where you shall be. You shall seize their ships and hold them until they go to seek the thief who stole [it] […] harbor. […] Tyre.” I left Tyre at daybreak. […] Tjekerbaal, the prince of Byblos […] their ship. I found 30 deben of silver aboard and seized it. I said […], “Your silver shall remain with me until you find [my silver or the thief who stole] it. You have not stolen it yourselves, but I shall keep it unless […].” They went away. I spent the night […] in a tent on the seashore, in the harbor of Byblos. […] Amun-of-the-Road; I placed his possessions inside it. The prince of Byblos sent word to me: “Get out of my harbor!” I sent word back: “[Where] should I go? […] carry me back to Egypt!” I spent 29 days in his harbor, while day after day he sent word: “Get out of my harbor!” While he was offering to his gods, the god seized one of his ecstatic priests and threw him into a frenzy. The god said to him, “Bring up [the god]! Bring the messenger who carries him! Amun sent him; Amun made him come!” That very night the ecstatic was seized by frenzy. I had found a ship bound for Egypt and loaded everything I owned onto it. I watched for darkness, thinking, “Once it falls, I shall load the god so that no other eye may see him.” But the harbor master came to me and said, “Wait until morning, says the prince!” I said, “Are you not the one who comes to me every day saying, ‘Get out of my harbor’? And tonight you say, ‘Wait,’ to let the ship I found depart, only to come back and say, ‘Go away’?” He went and told the prince. The prince sent word to the ship's captain: “Wait until morning, says the prince!” At morning he sent for me and had me brought up, while the god rested in his tent on the shore of the sea. I found the prince seated in his upper room, his back against a window, while the waves of the great Syrian sea beat behind his head. I said, “May Amun show favor!” He asked me, “How long has it been since you came from the place where Amun is?” I answered, “Exactly 5 months.” He asked, “Are you truthful? Where is Amun's decree that should be in your hand? Where is the high priest of Amun's letter that should be in your hand?” I said, “I gave them to Smendes and Tamounis.” He became exceedingly angry. He said, “Look: neither decree nor letter is in your hand. Where is the ship for the fir wood that Smendes gave you? Where is its Syrian crew? Did he entrust you to this foreign captain so that he might kill you and they might cast you into the sea? From whom would they seek the god then? And from whom would they seek you?” So he spoke to me. I said, “Is a ship sailing under Smendes not an Egyptian ship with an Egyptian crew? He has no Syrian crew!” He said, “Are there not 20 trading ships here in my harbor dealing with Smendes?

1.1 Year 5, fourth month of the summer season, day 16: the day Wenamun, elder of the hall of the temple of Amun, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, set out

1.2 to get timber for the great and splendid sacred boat of Amun-Re, king of the gods, which is on

1.3 the river and is called Userhat-Amun. The day I arrived at Tanis,

1.4 where Smendes and Tamounis were, I gave them the orders from Amun-Re, king of the gods. They

1.5 had them read aloud in their presence. They said, “We will certainly do what Amun-Re, king of the gods, our

1.6 lord, has said.” I spent the time from the fourth month of the summer season in Tanis. Smendes

1.7 and Tamounis sent me with the ship's captain Mengebet. I went down to

1.8 the great sea of Syria on the first day of the first month of summer […]. I reached Dor, a town of

1.9 the Tjeker. Beder, its ruler, had 50 loaves of bread, one jar of wine,

1.10 and one leg of beef brought to me. A man from my boat ran away after stealing one gold

1.11 vessel worth 5 deben, four silver vessels worth 20 deben, and a bag containing 11 deben of silver.

1.12 The total he stole was 5 deben of gold and 31 deben of silver. I got up that morning and went

1.13 to the place where the ruler was. I told him, “I was robbed in your harbor. You are the ruler of this land and

1.14 its judge. Find my silver! The silver belongs to Amun-Re,

1.15 king of the gods, lord of the Two Lands. It belongs to Smendes, to Herihor, my lord, and to the other

1.16 leaders of Egypt. It belongs to you too, and to Weret, Mekmer, and Tjekerbaal,

1.17 the ruler of Byblos.” He said to me, “Are you trying to impress me? Are you serious? I don't understand

1.18 what you are saying to me. If the thief had been from my land, and he had boarded

1.19 your boat and stolen your silver, I would have repaid you from my treasury until they

1.20 found your thief. But the thief who robbed you belongs to you;

1.21 he belongs to your boat. Stay here with me for a few days while I look for him.” I spent nine days moored

1.22 in his harbor. I went to him and said, “Look, you haven't found my silver! […] me with the sea captains and those who sail the sea.” He told me, “Be quiet! […] If you want to find your silver, listen to what I say and do it. But don't […] where you go. You will seize their boats […] until they go looking for their thief who stole it […].” […] Tyre. I left Tyre at dawn […]. Tjekerbaal, the ruler of Byblos […]. I found 30 deben of silver in their boat and seized it. I said […], “Your silver will stay with me until you find my silver or the thief who stole it. You did not steal it yourselves, but I will take it unless […].” They left. I […] in a tent by the sea, in the harbor of Byblos. […] Amun-of-the-Road. I put his things inside it. The ruler of Byblos sent word to me: “Get out of my harbor!” I sent back: “Where should I go? […] Take me back to Egypt!” I spent 29 days in his harbor, while he sent someone every day to tell me, “Get out of my harbor!” When he was offering sacrifices to his gods, the god took hold of one of his inspired men and sent him into a frenzy. The god said through him, “Bring the god up! Bring up the messenger who carries him! Amun sent him. Amun made him come.” That night, while the man was in a frenzy, I had found a boat bound for Egypt and loaded everything I had aboard. I was watching for darkness, thinking, “When it comes, I will load the god so no one else sees him.” But the harbor master came and said, “Wait until morning. That is the ruler's order.” I told him, “Aren't you the one who comes to me every day saying, ‘Get out of my harbor’? Now tonight you say, ‘Wait,’ so the boat I found will leave, and then you can come back and say, ‘Go away’?” He went and told the ruler. The ruler sent word to the captain: “Wait until morning. That is the ruler's order.” In the morning he sent for me and brought me up, while the god remained in his tent beside the sea. I found the ruler seated in his upper room, his back against a window, with the waves of the great sea of Syria beating behind his head. I said, “May Amun be kind to you!” He asked, “How long has it been since you left the place where Amun is?” I replied, “Five full months.” He said, “Are you telling the truth? Where are the orders of Amun that should be in your hand? Where is the high priest of Amun's letter?” I said, “I gave them to Smendes and Tamounis.” He was very angry and said, “So you have no orders or letter in your hand. Where is the ship for the fir wood that Smendes gave you? Where is its Syrian crew? Did he entrust you to this foreign captain so he could kill you and throw you into the sea? Who would have looked for the god then? Who would have looked for you?” I said, “Isn't this an Egyptian ship with an Egyptian crew under Smendes? He has no Syrian crew.” He said, “Aren't there 20 trading ships in my harbor that trade with Smendes?