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Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 151 David A. Warburton State and Economy in Ancient Egypt Fiscal Vocabu lary of the New Kingdom University Press Fribourg Switzerland Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen · Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Warburton, David A.: State and economy in ancient Egypt: fiscal vocabulary of the New Kingdom / David A. Warburton. - Fribourg, Switzerland: Univ. Press; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1997. (Orbis biblicus et orientalis; bd.151) ISBN 3-525-53787-5 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) Gb. ISBN 3-7278-1080-7 (Ed. Univ.) Gb. NE: GT Publication subsidized by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences Camera-ready text submitted by the author © 1997 by University Press Fribourg Switzerland Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen Paulusdruckerei Freiburg Schweiz ISBN 3-7278-1080-7 (University Press) ISBN 3-525-53787-5 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) Digitalisat erstellt durch Florina Tischhauser, Religionswissenschaftliches Seminar, Universität Zürich STATE AND EcoNOMY IN ÄNCIENT EGYPT FISCAL VocABULARY OF THE NEW KINGDOM INAUGURALDISSERTATION DER PHILOSOPHISCH-HISTRORISCHEN FAKULTÄT DER UNIVERSITÄT ßERN ZUR ERLANGUNG DER DOKTORWÜRDE VORGELEGT VON DAVID A. WARBURTON VON TEXAS (USA) UNIVERSITY PRESS f RIBOURG SWITZERLAND V ANDENHOECK & RUPRECHT GÖTTINGEN Von der Philosophisch-historischen Fakultät auf Antrag des Herrn Professor Dr. M. und der Herren Professoren Dr. E. Hornung und Dr. F. Junge angenommen. Bern, den 9.2.1996 Der Dekan: Prof. Dr. J. C Curriculum vitae Name: Warburton, David Alan Birth EI Paso Texas, USA, 18.3.1956 Nationality American Marriage 20.3.1986 with Rohei Catherine nee Ackermann Education 1997 Professor at the North-Eastern Universily of Chang Chung, Peoples Republic of China 1996 PhD at the Universily of Bern 1981-1991 Study and Research. Egyptology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, European Pre-and Protohistory, University of Basle, Switzerland 1981 MA, Archaeology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon 1979 BA, Political Studies and Public Administration, American University of Bei rut, Lebanon 1974 High School Diploma, Henry M. Gunn Senior High School, Polo Alto, California, USA Languages (aside from English in descending order of proficiency) Modern German; French; Arabic (various colloquial dialects) Ancient Egyptian, Greek Professional 1995-1996 Lecturer, Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages, University of Bern, Switzerland 1995 Guest Lecturer, Carsten Niebuhr lnsitute, University of Copenhagen, Den mark 1991-1994 Resident Director, American Institute for Yemeni Studies, Sana'a, Yemen 1992-1994 Bibliographie Representative in Yemen, Library of Congress, Sana'a, Yemen 1994 Special Advisor to the General Organization for Antiquities, Museums and Manuscripts, Ministry of Culture, Republic of Yemen, Sana'a, Yemen 1993 Advisor, Swiss Mission in the Old City of Sana'a, Yemen 1986-1988 Researcher, Biblical Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland since 1982 Freelance Translator To my teachers, Bill Ward and Erik Hornung What I have tried to say in this book has been so frequently misunderstood that I would like to restate my aims. Mark Blaug, 1968 Economic Theory in Retrospect, p. xi Ta xes are a portion of the produce of the land and labour of a country, placed at the disposal of the government; and are always ultimately paid, either from the capital, or from the revenue of the country. lf the consumption of the government, when increased by the levy of additional taxes, be met either by an increased production, or by a diminished consumption on the part of the people, the taxes will fall upon revenue, and the material capital will remain unimpaired; but if there be no increased production or diminished consumption on the part of the people, the taxes will necessarily fall on capital. In proportion as the capital of a country is diminished, its production will necessarily be diminished; and therefore, if the same expenditure on the part of the people and of the government continue, with a constantly diminishing annual reproduction, the resources of the people and the state will fall away with increasing rapidity, and di$1ress and ruin will follow. David Ricardo, 1817 On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, pp. 186-188 Speaking broadly therefore, although il is a man's wants in the earliest slages of his development that give rise to his activities, yet afterwards each new step upwards is lobe regarded as the development of new activities giving rise to new wants, rather than of new wants giving rise to new activities. lt is not true therefore that "the Theory of Consumption is the scientific basis of economics." For much that is of chief interest in the science of wants, is borrowed from the science of efforts and activities. These two supplement one another; either is incomplete without the other. Alfred Marshall, 1920 Princip/es of Economics, pp. 89-90 When involuntary unemployment exists, the marginal disutility of labour is necessarily less than the utility of the marginal product. [ ... ] Pyramid-building, earthquakes, even wars may serve to increase wealth, if the education of our slatesmen on the principles of the classical economics stands in the way of anything better. [ ... ]Just as wars have been the only form of large-scale loan expenditure which statesmen have thought justifiable, so gold-mining is the only pretext for digging holes in the ground which has recommended itself to bankers as sound finance; and each of these activities has played its part in progress - failing something better. Ancient Egypt was doubly fortunate, and doubtless owed to this its fabled wealth, in that it possessed two aclivities, namely pyramid-building as weil as the search for precious metals, the fruits of which, since they could not serve the needs of man by being consumed, did not stale with abundance. John Maynard Keynes, 1936 General Theory of Employment, lnterest and Money, pp. 12 9-1 3 l 7