Scholarship on State document: St. Catherine, Atiya no. 8, Stern doc. 5

1. [....] and similarly the corn, barley and
2. fruit in the upper monastery which belong to the bishop and the monks;
3. the order of the servant of our master and lord
4. the Imam al-Ḥāfiẓ li-Dīn Allāh, Commander of the Faithful,
5. God's blessings be upon him, his pure ancestors
6. and noble sons: the Most Excellent Lord, Commander of the Armies,
7. Sword of Islam, Helper of the Imam, Succour of Mankind,
8. Abū l-Muẓaffar Bahrām al-Ḥāfiẓī, was issued
9. to write this open decree and to include into it the following: Orders and documents
10. have regularly been issued to enjoin that Mount Sinai,
11. its bishop and his monks
12. should be protected and that harm be kept away from them
13. and that they be defended and guarded. When
14. their petition containing their grievance was submitted, he was displeased with those who had caused it
15. and issued an order to the present military governor,
16. those who will be governors in future,
17. the ... and the officials,
18. forbidding them to interfere with what belongs to the monks, such as corn, barley,
19. other grain, palm-trees and their fruit, vineyards and their fruit, the wine which is pressed out;
20. and the provisions which they keep ready for their visitors,
21. according to their custom and habit,
22. or to ask from them things as
23. loan or otherwise. Those who dare
24. to do so after the present expression of our displeasure will meet with punishment
25. which will teach them better and which will be an example for others.
26. Let all the amirs, the governors (may God give them peace and preserve them),
27. and the officials who read this, or to whom this is read, take cognizance of this order
28. and act
29. accordingly, and beware of contravening
30. or transgressing it. Let it be kept by its deliverer, after its contents have been obeyed,
31. if God wills.
32. Written this third day of Rajab, in the year Five-hundred and Twenty-nine.
33. Praise be to God alone, and may God bless our lord Muḥammad, His prophet, and his family,
34. the pure Imams, and may He give them peace.
35. God is sufficient for us; how excellent a Keeper is He!

Registration marks (between lines 30 and 31), right side

1. It has been copied; praise be to God, Him I take as my help.

Left side

1. It has been copied in the Office of the Inspection of the Frontier fortresses
2. (may God protect them) and the noble al-Tur;
3. Praise be to God alone.

Registration marks between lines 31 and 32

1. It has been copied in the Office of the Inspection of the Eastern Province.

Recto

1. and likewise the grain and barley and [...]

2. and the fruit at the Upper Monastery belonging to the bishop and the monks.

3. There has been issued the order of the servant of our master and lord

4. the imām al-Ḥāfiẓ li-Dīn Allāh, Commander of the Faithful,

5. may God's blessings be upon him and his pure ancestors

6. and most noble sons, the most illustrious lord, Commander of the Armies,

7. Sword of Islam, Champion of the Imām, Succor of Mankind,

8. Abū l-Muẓaffar Bahrām al-Ḥāfiẓī,

9. to write this decree and to include therein (the stipulation) that orders and decrees

10. have continually been issued protecting (the Monastery of) Sinai

11. and the bishop belonging to it and its monks,

12. and extending care over them, warding off harm from them,

13. guarding and safeguarding them; and that when there was presented

14. their petition containing their complaint, he censured its perpetrator.

15. The order has been issued to the current military governor,

16. to every governor who administers the districts

17. and subdivisions in it (?), and to the officials, preventing them

18. from interfering with anything belonging to them, whether wheat, barley,

19. grains, palm trees and their fruit, vineyards and their fruit, and what is pressed from them,

20. and what belongs to them by way of the supplies they procure

21. for the purpose of assisting those who visit them, according to their custom in that matter

22. and their established practice, or seeking anything from them by

23. way of a loan or something else. Whoever encroaches

24. upon that after this condemnation shall receive such reproof

25. as will cause him grievous harm and serve as a deterrent to others.

26. Whoever reads this or has it read to him from among all

27. the governing amīrs, may God keep them safe and preserve them,

28. and the officials, let him take notice

29. of this command and act upon it and beware of transgressing it

30. or overstepping it. Let it be deposited in the hand of its bearer after being delivered

31. to its repository, God willing. Written

32. on the third of Rajab of the year five hundred twenty-nine.

33. Praise be to God alone, and God bless our lord Muḥammad his prophet and his family, the pure imāms, and grant them abundant peace.

34. God is sufficient for us and an excellent guardian.

Registration mark between lines 30 and 31, right 

1. It has been copied. Praise be to God, and in him I seek assistance.

Registration mark between lines 30 and 31, left 

1. It has been copied in the Bureau of Supervision over the Frontier Ports,
2. may they be protected, and over Noble Sinai.
3. Praise be to God alone.

Registration mark between lines 31 and 32

1. It has been copied in the Bureau of Supervision over the Eastern Districts.