The author presents an overview of the papyri originating from Elephantine and datable to the late Third Millennium. The first part of the article retraces the modern history of these manuscripts and how they reached the Berlin, Brooklyn, Strasbourg and Turin collections. A review of the published texts concludes this part: the main editions are mentioned, with some philological and bibliographical remarks. The article then investigates the content and nature of the papyri, with a survey of some unpublished fragments. The Elephantine documents illustrate different types of administrative activities in which the local community was involved: the relationship with foreign populations and with other Egyptian provinces, the managing of rural activities, people, food products and cultic furniture. It seems that some writings concern the religious domain. An examination of the addresser and addressee formulas contributes to understanding the sociology of letters, which are both family communications and exchanges between colleagues. The voice of a higher officer, and the place of women in epistolary practice, are topics discussed. Finally, the author questions the nature of this group of papyri: are they multiple archives of the city of Elephantine rather than private archives of a governor?