BASICS: 3. COLLECTIONS AND EDITIONS

CHAPTER 4 >>

Egyptian National Library (dâr al-kutub al-miSrîya), formerly known as Bibliothèque Khédiviale:

• Contains over 2'000 papyri.
• The basis was laid by B. MORITZ (director from 1896-1911) with papyri from al-Fayyûm, Abû Sîr al-Malaq, al-Ushmûnayn, al-Bahnasâ’, Kôm Eshqawh, Edfû, ( al-UqsurLuxor) and from the Nile Delta.
• Later acquisition of new pieces under MANSÛR BEY FAHMÎ (director). The most important ones were acquired in 1939: the Arabica of the Egyptian Museum, stemming from Mît Rahîna, Tebtynis (in al-Fayyûm), al-Hîba, Abûsîr al-Malaq, al-Bahnasâ’ and al-Ushmûnayn.
• Publication of this collection started in 1905 (B.MORITZ, L. CAETANI, C.H. BECKER, A. GROHMANN).

Egyptian Museum:

• Publication starting in 1872 (F. LENOANT, E. RÉVILLOUT - translated by MAC GUCKIN, DE SLANE, G. MASPERO, P. CASANOVA, A. GROHMAN.

Museum of Islamic Art (matHaf al-fann al-islâmî):

• An important collection of papyri and papers, as well as ostraca (from al-Fustât and Edfû) and writing materials.

Gayer-Anderson Museum (next to the mosque of Ahmad b. Tulûn):

• A nice collection of papyri.

Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale (IFAO):

• Apart from Greek papyri a large number of Arabic papyri, parchments and ostraca (from Edfû).
• Publications starting in 1935 (J.D. WEILL).

Private collections:

• George MICHAÉLIDÈS.
• MOHAMMAD ALY BEY SÉOUDI (he had two pieces published by Th. SEIF).
• AS‘AD MUHAMMAD AS‘AD.
• The traders of antiquities: SHÊKH ‘ALÎ MAHMÛD, ‘AWWÂM, TANO, M. NAHMAN (some of these papyri were acquired by G. MICHAÉLIDÈS, HASAN HUSNΑABD AL-WAHHÂB PÂSHÂ.
• Two more significant collections (from the two famous discoveries of al-Fayyûm), acquired in 1880ies from E.Th. ROGERS and H. BRUGSCH.

Private collection:

• Belonging to HASAN HUSNÎ ‘ABD AL-WAHHÂB PÂSHÂ.

University of Michigan Papyrus Collection:

• The basis was acquired in 1920.
• Publications (in prospect) by N. ABBOT.

University of California Papyrus Collection:

• All papyri originate from the ancient Tebtunis, where GRENFELL and HUNT started the excavations. The majority being written in Greek and Coptic some of them seem to be written in Arabic.
• Unpublished?

University library of the Oriental Institute:

• A valuable collection, the basis for which was laid by B. MORITZ and which was acquired by the university in 1929.
• Publications of important parts by N. ABBOT.

The Duke Papyrus Archive:

• About 100 Arabic papyri a lot of which in fragments.
• No publications, but some of the literary papyri are available ONLINE.

University Library:

• Arabic documents on papyrus, parchment and paper
• Publications by G. LEVI DELLA VIDA.

Museum of the University:

• Basis acquired in 1902 from properties of B. MORITZ (probably found in al-Fayyûm and al-Ushmûnayn).
• Publications by G. LEVI DELLA VIDA.

University Library:

• About 70 papyri, papers and amulets (magical texts, letters, receipts, etc.).
• One publication in 1994 by Y. RÂGHIB, some of the papyri are available ONLINE

Palestine Archaeological Museum:

• Discoveries from Khirbat al-Mird, (Wâdî al-Murabba‘ât).
• Publications in 1961 by P. BENOIT, J.T. MILK, R. DE VAUX).

Hebrew University:

• Findings from ‘Awjâ’ al-Hafîr, published by C.J. KRAEMER.

Staatliche Museen:

• Acquisitions before 1877 ("First discovery of al-Fayyûm") from al-Fayyûm, al-Bahnasâ’, enlarged in 1877 by the "First discovery of al-Fayyûm) (by H. BRUGSCH and E.Th. ROGERS), later purchases and gifts from collections (from Ihnâs, Nubia; from H. BRUGSCH and MOSSE-BRUGSCH, O. LOTH, C. REINHARDT, M. NAHMAN, C.H. BECKER), German excavations in al-Ushmûnayn (1905) and Elephantine (1907-08).
• Publications starting in 1880 by S. FRAENKEL, O. LOTH, L. ABEL, C.H. BECKER, A. GROHMANN, H.I. BELL, W. DIEM.

Private collections:

• H. IBSCHER (papyri from Kôm Eshqawh / Aphroditô).
• J. KURT (papyri from al-Ushmûnayn).

University Papyrus Collection:

• A few fragments of Arabic papyri, unpublished?

University:

• Originally three independent collections:
1. papyri of the "Museum des Oberhessischen Geschichtsverein" (P. Giss)
2. papyri of the University library of Giessen (P. bibl. univ. Giss)
3. "Papyri Iandanae" (P. Iand.), at first private property of K. KALBFLEISCH
• Originating from al-Fayyûm, Kôm Esfaht (Antaeopolis), al-Ushmûnayn (Hermopolis magna) al-Bahnasâ’ (Oxyrhynchus).
• Publications by A. GROHMANN.

Municipal Library:

• Papyri from al-Fayyûm, al-Bahnasâ’, al-Ushmûnayn, Edfû, Aswân.
• Published in 1937 by A. DIETRICH.

Institute of Papyrology:

• First acquisition in 1897 by C. REINHARDT, the papyri coming from al-Fayyûm, Gebelên, Akhmîm and al-Ushmûnayn.
• Gift of a former collection of the late C. REINHARDT by F. SCHROTT in 1903 (about 1'000 Greek and Arabic papyri forming the basis of the SCHOTT-REINHARDT collection)
• Later purchases of the "Deutsches Papyruskarussel", excavations of the "Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften" and the "Freiburger wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft" in Qarâra and al-Hîba and some further acquisitions.
• Publications by C.H. BECKER (inter alia the Qurra papyri), E. SEIDEL, R. SEIDER, A. GROHMANN, F. BILABEL & G. GRAF (Wahb b. Munabbih), H.J. POLOTSKY, G. MÉLAMÈDE, K. JAHN, A. DIETRICH (drugs), W. DIEM and R.G. KHOURY.

University Library:

• Pieces of the "Second discovery of the Fayyûm" (1880).

Bayrische Staatsbibliothek:

• A few Arabic papyri.

Private collection:

• F. TÄSCHNER, acquired in 1930/31 in Cairo, but destroyed during the Second World War - with the exception of two papyri now in Oxford .

Louvre:

• About 300 papyri, mostly from al-Fayyûm.
• Publications by J. DAVID-WEILL, Y. RÂGHIB.

Bibliothèque Nationale:

• 22 papyri, one of which is published.

Bibliothèque Nationale et Universitaire:

• Coptic, Greek-Arabic and Arabic papyri, collected by F. PREISIGKE, R. REITZENSTEIN, W. SPIEGELBERG.
• Publications by C.H. BECKER, A. GROHMANN.

University Library:

• According to A. Dietrich a large collection of papyri, the number of which in Arabic is unknown.

University Press:

• Arabic-Coptic text containing formulas of magic, published by W.E. CRUM and A: KROPP.

Wren Library of the Trinity College:

• Over 300 Arabic papyri and papers, about 30 Arabic-Coptic papyri and papers.
• No publications.

British Museum (Department of Oriental printed books and manuscripts):

• Coming from Gême, al-Ushmûnayn, Kôm Eshqawh, Saqqâra, al-Fayyûm: a small but excellent collection.
• Publications by W. WRIGHT, W.E. CRUM, C.H. BECKER, H.I. BELL, F. BILABEL A. GROHMANN.

John Rylands Library:

• Large collection (above all from the al-Ushmûnayn discovery in 1898, which was sold in Cairo and the largest part of which was bought up by C. Graf LANDBERG on behalf of Erzherzog RAINER; a first comparison of the Viennese collection and the collection of Manchester was made by the EARL OF CRAWFORD. Later acquisition of almost 1'500 paper fragments from the Synagogue of Ben Ezra in al-Fustât.
• Publications by D.S. MARGOLIOUTH, W.E. CRUM, A. MINGANA.
• Some photocopies of the still unpublished papyri fragments are in the Dâr al-Kutub in Cairo.

Bodleiana Library:

• Basis from the "First discovery from al-Fayyûm" in 1877, enlarged by later acquisitions from Kôm Eshqawh and the TÄSCHNER collection from Münster.
• Publications by D.S. MARGOLIOUTH, B.P. GRENFELL, A.S. HUNT, A. DIETRICH, G. KHAN.

Istituto di Papiri della Università di Firenze:

• Small collection, most of them are fragments.
• Publications by P.A. VACCARI, M. AMARI.

University Library:

• Fragments of Arabic papyri (acquired 1910).

Österreichisches Museum:

• Largest and richest collection of Arabic papyri (collected by Graf Jv. KARABACEK, Erzherzog RAINER, Th. GRAF starting in 1882) - about 36'000 papyri, papers and ostraca.
• The papyri come from al-Fayyûm, al-Ushmûnayn, Dimêh (Soknopaiu Nesos), al-Fustât, al-Bahnasâ’.
• Publications by J. v. KARABACEK (about 4'000!), K.W. HOFMEIER (KARABACEK's son-in-law), A. GROHMANN, Th. SEIF, K. JAHN, N. ABBOT, W. DIEM, R.G. KHOURY, J. DIETHART.

Theresianische Akademie:

• One letter in Arabic.

Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften:

• A small collection acquired in 1914 from Cairo.

Private collection:

• Former property of A. GROHMANN.

University Library:

• Papyri originating from excavations from al-Fayyûm, Edfû, Kôm al-Dîk and Nubia - starting in 1930.
• Unpublished?

Philological department of the university:

• A small unpublished collection.

Private museum:

• Acquired in Cairo in the 1880s by the trader A. BUCHER, today in the "Natur- und Heimatmuseum Aarau", to which was added a parchment from the collection H. ZSCHOKKE.
• Unpublished.

University Library:

• One Arabic papyrus.
• Published by E. RABEL (with the help of C.H. BECKER and E. LITTMANN).

University Library:

• A few Arabic papyri from al-Fayyûm.

Institute of Oriental Studies at the university:

• A few fragments of Arabic papyri.

Oriental Institute of the Academy:

• Formerly the private propertyof C. WESSELY (who bought them in Paris in 1904 from an Armenian trader), most of them fragments. They were distributed among the different departments of the university, the Oriental Institute obtaining the "Papyri Orientales Wessely Pragenses".
• Publications by A. GROHMANN.

Top Kapï Sarayï Museum:

• Just a few papyri, published by A. DIETRICH.

Academy of Sciences:

• At first private property of N. Lichacov (who bought them in Cairo in 1907); besides findings from the old Sogdianê.
• Publications by P. JERNSTEDT, V. BELJAJEV, V.A. KRACKOVSKAJA and I.Ju. KRACKOVSKIJ.

Museum of Fine Arts:

• Mainly fragments that were collected in Alexandria by V.S. GOLENISHCEV.
• Unpublished, but edited under the supervision of W.W. BARTOLD and I.Ju. KRACKOVSKIJ.

The Carlsberg Papyrus Collection:

• Some unpublished Arabic papyri

Chester Beatty Library:

• Some Arabic papyri.
• Publication by R.G. KHOURY.