Contents

C h ro nology o f the Late Period IX

Abbreviations and Sym bo ls XI

Introduction

The Uses of th e Past 3

PART O N E:T exts in the Classical Language
I. Biographical Inscriptions 13
Sta tue Inscription o f Djedkhonsefankh 13
Sta tue Inscripti on o f Ne b ne te ru 18
Sta tue Inscription of H arwa 24
T wo Statue In scriptions o f Monternhet 29
Ca iro Mus eu m 42 23 7 30
Berl in Mu seum 17271 31
Sta tue Ins cription of Peftua ne ith 33
Sta tue In scription o fUdjahorres ne 36
Ste la of So m tu tefna kh t 41
In scr iptions in th e T o m b of Petosiris 44
The Long Biographical Inscription of Petosiris 45
T wo Speech es of Sishu Father of Petosiris 50
Sp eech of Thothrekh Son o f Petosiris 52
Sarcophagus-lid Ins cription o f Wen no fer 54
Stela o f Isenkheb e 58
Ste la o fTa im ho te p 59

II. Ro yal Inscriptions 66

T he Victo ry Ste la of King Piye 66
A Victory Stela o f King Psamtik I I 84
Th e Nau cratis Stela o f King Nectanebo I 86

III. Two Pseud epigrapha 90

Th e IIcnl rcsh Sic!;] 90
T hc Fami ne Sida 94

VII
viii C O N TEN TS

IV . Hymns and Lamentations 104

A H ymn to Imhotep at Karnak 104
H ymns to Hathor in the Temple of Dendera 107
Two H ymns to Khnum in th e Tem p le o fEs na 109
A Morning H ymn to Khnum 110
III
Chronology of the L ate Period
The Great H ymn to Khnum
The Lamentations of Isis a nd Nephthys J 16

PART TWO: Demotic Literature Po st- Imperial Epoch ca. 1070-656 B .C .

Twenty-first Dyn ast y 1°7°-945
The Stories of Setne Khamwas 125
127 T we nty-seco nd Dyn ast y 945-7 15
Setne Kh amwas and Naneferkaptah (Setne I)
138
Shesh onq I 945-9 13
Setne Kh amwas and Si-O sire (Setn e II )
Prince Ped ikhons and Queen Serpot 151
Oso rkon I 9 16 -9°4
156
Osor ko n II 89°-860
The Lion in Searc h o f Man
Oso rkon IV 735 -7 12
The Instruction o f Ankhshesh onq 159
184
T we nty-t h ird Dyn asty 8 18-7 15
The In struction of Papyrus Insinger
Iuput II 745 -7 25
T wenty-fourth Dyn ast y 74 0 -7 15
Indexes
T efnakht 74°-7 18
221 Twenty-fifth (N u bia n ) Dyn asty in Egy p t 753- 6 5 6
I. Divinities
II . Kings a nd Queens 222 Piye 75 3-7 13
II I. Person al Names 223 Sh aba ko 7 1 3-698
224 Tah arqa 69 8 -66 4
IV . <:cographica l and Ethnical Terms
T antarn ani 664 - 65 6
V. Egyptian T erms Use d in th e Translations 227
VI. Egyptian Words Discu ssed in the Notes 227 Sa ite Pe riod : Twenty-sixth Dyn ast y 66 4-5 25
Psarntik I 664 -6 10
Necho II 6 10-595
Psarntik II 595-5 8 9
A p r ies 5 89 -570
A masis 57°-5 26
Psarnt ik II I 5 26- 5 25

Fir st Persian Domination : Twenty-seventh Dynasty 5 25 -4 0 4

Ca rnbyses 5 25 -5 22
Darius I 5 2 1-4 86
Xerx es 4 86 -4 66
A rt axerxes 4 65-4 24
Dariu s I I 4 2 4-4°4

I.a st l nd epcndence : Dyna stics ~R <IO 4°4-34 1

T wcnt y-c ighth Dyn ast y 4 04 -39 8
T wcnt y-ninth Dyn ast y 39 8-378

IX
x C H RO NO LOG Y OF THE LATE PER IO D

T hi rtie th Dyn ast y 37 8 -34 1

Nectane bo I (Ne kh t-nebef) 37 8-3 60
Necta ne bo II (Ne kh t-ho r-heb) 349-34 1

Seco nd Persian Dominat ion 34 1-33 2

Artaxe rxes III (Ochos ) 34 1-33 8 Abbreviations and Symbols
Da rius II I (Co do ma n) 335-33 0

Alex and er th e Great

AEO A . H . Ga rd ine r. Ancient Egyptian Onomastica. 3 vols.
Oxford ,1 947.
Ptolemaic Period 3 23-30
ANET Ancient N ear E astern T exts R elating to the Old T estament,
Ptolem y I Soter 3 2 3- 28 2
ed . J. B. Pritchard . Pr inceton, 1950 ; 3d ed ., 1969 .
Ptolem y V Epipha nes 205- 180
A PAW Ab handlungen der P reussischen Akadem ie der W issen-
Ptolem y XII Neos Dion ysos 80-5 1
schaJ ten.
Cleo pa tra VII Ph ilo pato r 5 1 -3 0
ASAE Annales du Service des Antiquites de I'Egypte.
Roma n Period 30 1I.C.-324 A . D. BAR J. H. Breasted. Ancient Records of Egypt. 5 vols. Chi-
cago, 1906-1907. Re print, 1962.
B erlin FestschriJt zu m [50 j iihrigen Bestehen des Berliner Agyp-
No te: O nly kin gs mentio ned in th e texts and co mme nts o f th is vol-
FestschriJ t tischen M useums. Staatlich e Museen zu Berlin. Mit-
III1I C a rc listed here. No te also th at so me o f the d ates a re co njectu ral.
teilungen aus d er ag ypri sch en Sammlung, 8. Berlin,
1974.
BIFAO Bulletin de l'Institut Fran cais d'Archiologie Orientale du
Ca ire.
Bonnet, H . Bonnet. R eallexikon der iigyptischen R eligionsge-
R ARG schichte. Berlin, 1952 .
Bo rch ardt, L. Borch ardt. Statuen und Statuetten von K iinigen und
Statuen P rivatleuten im M useum von Kairo. Vo l. I I. Ca talogue
gene ra l .. . du Mu see du Ca ire. Berlin , 1925.
Brescia ni, E. Br esciani , Letteratura e poesia dell' ant ico Egi tto.
Letteratura Turin, 1969.
Brugsch , H . K. Brugsch. Th esau rus Inscriptionum Aegyptiacarum.
Thesau rus 6 parts. Le ipz ig, 1883 - 189 I. Reprint, 1968.
Brunner- E. Brunner-Traut. Altiigyptische M iirchen. Dusseldorf
T ra u t , and Co logne, 196 3. 2d ed ., 1965.
M drchen
Cdt Chrqni que d'Egypte.
C:erny, Copt. J.Ce rny, Coptic Etymological Dictiona ry. Ca mbridge,
Die. 1976.
CRA lB L Compte" rend us de l'Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-
leti res.
Er ichsc Jl, W. Erichsen. lremoti sche Lesestii cke. Leipzig , 1937.
l.rsestii rkr
Es ua S. Sa u ncron . 1'.'.",((. :; vo ls. Ca iro , 19:;9 -1 963.

xi
XII A B B REV IATIONS AN D SY MB O LS AB B REVIAT IONS AND S Y M nOU~ X III

Glossal' W . Erichsen. Demotisches Glossal'. Cope n hagen. 1954 . Muller, W. M. Miill e r. Die Liebespoesie drr allrn Agypter. Leip-
H arris, J. R. H arris. L exicogr aph ical Studies in A ncient Egyptian Liebespoesie zig, 18 99.
M inerals M in erals. A kadernie d el' Wissensch aften , Berl in . In- M yth us W . Spiegel be rg. Del' iigyptische Myth 1l.\ 1' 0 m Sonnenauge
sti tu t fii r O r ientforsch u ng. VerOffentlich ung , 54 . (Del' P apyrus der T ierfabeln "Kuji") narh dem Leidener
Berlin , 196 I. Demotischen Papyrus I 384. Strass burg, 191 7.
J AOS J ou m al of the American Oriental So ciety. NGWG Nachrichten von del' Gesellschaft drr W issenschaften zu
J ARCE [ournal !if the American R esearch Center in Egypt. Giittingen.
J EA J oum al !if Egyptian Archaeology. OL l O rientalistische L iterat urzeitung .
J NES J oum al !if N ear Eastern Studies. OM R O Lei den . Rijksmuseum van O ud hc d e n . Oudheidkundige
Kees , H. Kees . Die H ohenpriester des Amun vo n Karnak v on mededeelingen.
P riester H erihor bis wm Ende del' A thiopenz eit. Proble me del' Otto Geden k- Fragen an die altiigypt ische Literatur; Studien wm Ge-
A.gy p to logie, 4 . Leid en, 1964 . schrift denken an E berha rd Otto. Wiesbad en , 1977 .
Kee s, H . Kees. Das Priestertum im iigyptischen Staat. Probl ern e . Otto , E. Otto . Die biographischen I nschrif ten del' iigyptischen
P riestertum del' A.gyp to logie, I . Le iden , 1953 . Nachtriige, 19 58 . I nschriften Spiiueit. Probleme d el' Agy p to logie , 2. Leid en , 1954 .
Kitch en , K. A . Kitch en. R amesside I nscript ions, H istorical and Pierret, P. Pie rret. R ecueil d'inscriptions inedites du M usi l'
Inscriptions B iogr aph ical. Ox fo rd, 1968 -. R ecueil Egy p tien du L ouv re. 2 vo ls. Paris, 1874 - 1878.
Kit ch en , K. A . Kitchen . The Third Intermediate Period in Egy pt. P . K rall E. Bresciani, Der Kampf um den Pan zer des Inaros
Th inl Warm inster', 197 3 . (Papyrus Krall). MPON, n .s. 8 . Vienna , 1964.
IIIII'I'II/ /'{Iinll' PM T opogr aph ical B ibliogr aphy of A ncient Egypt ian Hiero-
I.celanl , .I.
l.ccla n t. R echerches su r II's monuments thebains de la glyphic T exts, R eliefs, and Paint ings, by B. Porter and
tt rrhrrrlt rs X XVI' dyuastie dite ethiopienne. Institut Francais d 'Arch- R. L. B. Moss . 7 vols . O xford , 1927 - 1951 . 2d ed .,
cn log-ic Orienta le du Ca ire . Bibliotheque d'etud e, 36 . 1960-
Ca iro, I !l( j!i . RB R ev ue Biblique.
lr-Icbv rc. C . Lef ebvre. R omans et contes igyptiem de l'epoque RdE R evue d'Egyptologie.
uoma ns phu m oniq ue. Paris, 1949 . Roeder, G. Roeder. Die iigyptische Gouenoelt. Die agy ptische
l .eg rain. C . l.cgrain. S tatues et statuettes de rois et de particul iers. Gottenoelt Reli gion in Texten und Bild ern , I . Zurich 1959 .
Statues Vol. II I. Cata logue ge ne ra l . .. du Musec du Ca ire. RT R ecueil de travaux relatifs a la ph ilologie et a l'archeologie
Cairo, 191 4 . egyptien nes et assyrten nes.
Mariette , A . Mariette . M on uments div ers recueillis en Egypte et S achau Festschrift Edua rd Sachau, ed . G. Wc il. Berlin, 1915.
M on . di v. en Nubie. Paris, 18 72 - 1889. Festschrift
M DIK M itteilung en des deutschen archiiologischen Instituts, Ab- SA K S tudien WI' altiigyptischen Kultu r.
teilung K airo. Schott, S. Sch o tt . A ltiigyp tische L iebeslieder, mit Miirchen und
Melanges Orient Ancien. Institut Fran cais d 'A rch eologie Orien- Liebeslieder Liebesgeschichten . Zurich, 1950.
Maspero I tal e du Ca ire . Mern oi res, 66 . Ca iro , 1934-1 961 . Studi Studi in memoria di Ippolito R osellini. 2 vols. Pisa , 1949-
M IO A kade rnie d e l' Wissensch a ften, Berlin . M itteilungen R osellin i 1955 .
des l nstitut s fiir Orientforschung, U n te r- Un tersuc h u ngen zur Geschic h te und A ltert u rns ku n -
M iscella nea M iscellanea Gregoriana: R accolta di scriui pubblicati nel suc h unge n d e A.gyp te ns .
Gregoriana i centenario da lla fonda zion e del Pont. Museo Egi zio. U rk. II Urkunden des iigypt ischen A ltertums, Abteilung II: H iero-
Rome , 1941. glyphische Urkunden del' griechisch-riimischen l eit, ed .
Montet, P. Montet. Geographie de l'Egypte ancienne. 2 vols. Paris, K. Se the . Le ipzi g , 1904 .
Geographie 1957- 1961. o,« III U rhu udrn III'S iif'Y/Jtischen A ltertums, Abteilung Ill : Ur-
MPON M itteilungen aus del' Papyrussammlung del' osterreichischen ku nden 111'1' ii/ll'l'l'lI A thio/Jl'lIhiinige, ed . H. Schafer. Leip-
N ationalbibliothek (Papyrus E rzherz og Rainer). zig-, I!)()!i .
XIV AB BRE VIAT IONS A N D SYM BO LS

Urk. VIII Urkunden des iigyptischen A ltertums, A bteilung VIII:

Th eban ische T empelinschrift en am griechisch-romischer
Z eit, ed . K. Se the a nd O . Firch ow. Berlin , 1957.
Ve rco u tte r, J. Verco utte r . T extes biographiqu es du S erapeum de M em-
T extes ph is. Bibliotheque d e I'Ecoie des Hautes Etudes , IVe
biogr. section, 3 16. Pa r is, 196 2.
Vo lte n, A. Vo lte n. Demotische Tr aumdeutung. A na lecta Aegyp-
Traum- tiaca , 3 . Co pe n hagen , 1942.
deutung
W b. W orterbuch der iigyptischen Sprache, ed . A. Er ma n and
H. G ra pow. 7 vols. Leipzig , 1926-1 96 3.
Westendorf, W. Westendorf. Koptisches Handui orterbuch, Heidel-
K opt. H w . berg , 1965- 1977 .
ZAS Zeitschrift fii r iigyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde.

Hal f brack et s r 1 a re used instead o f quest ion marks to sign ify

d ouht. Introduction
Squa re bra cket s r ] e nclose restorati on s.
i\ n/!; Ic bra cke ts ( ) e nclose words omi tted by the scr ibe.
Parcnlhcscs ( ) e nclose ad d itions in th e English translation.
i\ row o f th re e clo ts .. . indicat es th e omi ssion in the English trans-
la tio n or onc 01 ' IWo wo rds . A row o f six d ots ind icat es a lo ng-
er 0I111 SS101l .
A row o f th re e dash es - - - indicates a sho rt lacun a in the tex t.
A row o f six d ash es - - - - - - indi cates a lengthy lacu na.
 Th e Uses of the Past

T he last m ille nnium of Pharaon ic civilizatio n, th e tim e from th e

e nd o f th e Ne w Kingdom to Egypt's co nve rsion to Ch r istianity, is a
co m p lex period co nsisting o f several d istinct phases. In the past this
long and eve n tfu l stre tch o f history has o ften been summaril y treated
as a phase o f d ecl ine , in keeping with the ten d en cy in much past and
recent hist oriograph y of interpreting a ncie n t civilizatio ns in terms o f
" rise a nd d ecline. " No w th e Late Period is bein g stud ied perceptively,
a nd th ere is also a more refined und erstandin g o f th e cu rren ts that
I ra nsfor rned th e civilizatio ns of the ancient Nea r East in to the
C h ris tia n n ati ons o f th e Byzantine world.
In poli tical terms, the Lat e Period was a tim e of ret reat. Egy p t lost
its im pe r ial position , withd rew to its natural borders, became subject
10 repeat ed forei gn invasions, and ultimately lost its independence.
Moreover, for much of the Post-Imperial Epoc h (to use the term
p roposed by K. A. Kitch en in his co m p re he nsive study o f th e Third
l ntrrm ediate Period ) Egy p t was troubled by int ernal divi sions resulting
lto ru th e wea kness o f th e ruling d ynasties. T he invasion o f Egypt by
II... egyp tia n ized kings o f Nubia restored th e royal power o f a sing le
c1 ),nas ty ove r most of th e co u nt ry . But thi s N ubian d ynast y, the
' I'wc uty-fifth , soo n fe ll victim to the Assy ria n in vasions o f Egypt wh ich
I u lmi na tcd in the sac k o f Thebes in 663 B .C .

FI'O Ill 656 to 52 5 B.C . Egy pt was o nce more united u nder its own
kings, th e Twenty-six th Dyna sty, natives of th e Del ta city of Sa is. Saite
r uh - brough t a marked revival o f politi cal st rength , p ro sper ity, and
r uhu ra l !lo we rin g. It was also th e time in wh ich ma ny G reeks sett led
III I':g ypt a nd beca me a significan t e leme n t in th e populati on, The
l'('I sia n co nq uest of 52 5 ush ered in a long period of Persian d omina-
ilo n. When ind epend ence was regained in 404 , Egypt e njoyed a final
II mv<'I'i ng un d er' the nati ve kin gs o f th e Twenty-eigh th, Twenty-
lIilllh, a nd T hi rt iet h d yn asties. In 34 1 Pe rsia re co nq ue re d Egyp t, but
li ds s,,('o ncl Persian d om inion was bri e f, e nd ing with Alexa nder th e
I :,, 'a l's c n lry int o Egyp t in :~ :\2 .
Ah-xnud e :: was g reetecl as libe rat o r. Bur th e subseq ue n t Mace d o-
n ,I II killgs h ip su hjectecl Egy pt 10 a I'o rcigll rul e far more severe in its
I 11 1'(''' I ha II Pe rsia n cl OIII inion hacl hccn . " IIhou gh th e Ptolemi es
4 AN CIENT EGYYTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
assumed Pharaonic ce rem o n ial, their Greek cu ltu re and th e imposi-
tion of a Greek administrati on turned th e Egyptians into second-cl ass
citize ns . As individuals, Eg yptians a nd Greeks co nsorted with a nd
influenced each o ther , a nd by th e seco nd ce n tu ry th e two peoples had
drawn clos er togeth e r. But th e Macedonian kin g co u ld not be the
spokes ma n fo r Egy pt's nat ional cu lture. Thus, u nde r the we ight of
th e imposed H ellenism a nd bereft o f its o wn lead ership, Egyptia n
civiliza tio n became muted and subd ue d . It co n tinued to end u re and it
even absorbed with surprising e las ticity elemen ts o f G ree k cu ltu re in
a rt a nd literature .
All the wh ile both th e Greek a nd th e Egy ptia n ways of life we re
transformed by th e cha nges in man's o utlook whi ch o perate d throu gh-
o u t the H ell enistic world . I f th is cha ngi ng outlook is to be su m med up
in a single phrase , it ma y be called the qu est for sa lvatio n . It was a n
age o f spi r itua l d istress a nd of g ro p ing for new a nswe rs . And whe n
excess ive ly ex p loita tive Roman rule had drained Egy pt'S wealth and
e ns la ved its people, the time was ripe for th e Egy ptians to e mbrace
wit h fe rvor th e new gospel of Ch rist. Then th e Egy p tians destroyed
with th eir own hands th e civilizatio n th at th ey had built and che rish ed
(or three th ousand years . T he Egy ptia n turned Christian is a new
man . With him begins a new ch ap te r in th e hi story o f Egypt a nd th e
hi sto r y o f m an .
T he hi e rogl yphic inscrip tions of th e Late Period co nt in ue th e
prin cipal ge nres o f the earlie r e ra s: private a u to biog ra p h ies, roya l
accou n ts of victo r ies an d roya l decrees, and hymns to th e gods . All
th ese m onumental in scriptions were co m posed in th e class ical lite ra r y
language wh ich we ca ll Middle Egy p tian . Perfected in th e time of th e
Middle Kingdom, Middle Egy p tian h ad subseq uent ly ac h ieved the
sta tus o f a classical , normative language . It had become o bliga to ry for
all m onumental in scriptions: th ough he re a nd th ere th ese inscrip tio ns
were infiltrated by forms a nd phrases taken from th e vernacular of
th e New Kingdom, th e so-ca lled Lat e- Egyptian.
T he scribes of the Late Period handled th is classical lan guag e,
wh ich was no w ve ry fa r remo ved fro m th e ir ow n verna cu lar, with
va r yin g degrees o f skill . St ud ying it as a heritage to be cherished and
used, th e y not o n ly e mployed its gra m ma r a nd vocabular y, but also
drew fr om th e vast sto re o f wo r ks kept in libraries old fo rmula tio ns
a n d phr ases to be woven into new patterns. Thus, th e monum ental
in scriptions of th e Lat e Pe riod are characte rized by an eclectic u se o f
th e classi cal tongue (us in g the ter m "e clectic" with ou t any disparaging
co n notatio n) . The fo r ms of th e language are th ose of the Middle
Kingd om ; th e ex p ress io ns, wh en not freshly coi ne d , are drawn fro m
both Middle and New Kin gdom sto re s. Now a nd th en so me Pyramid
I N T ROD UCTI O N 5
Tex ts of the. O ld Kingdom were co p ied . But by and la rge th e Middle
a nd New Km gdoms, rath er th an th e Old Kin gdom, furni sh ed the
m od els .
· Th e sa me eclecticism, co m bined with fresh inspirati on, cha racte r-
Ize~ th e art of th e Late Period. The statues, in scriptions, and to mb
rehef~ ?f, fo r exa~ple, Montemhet exh ibit the whole range of this
ec lec tic ism a lo ng Wit!] new artistic in spiration , th e latte r d ominating in
th e p owerful modeling o f his portrait scu lp tu re .
A nothe.r us~ t~ whi ch the past was put in th e La te Period was to
co m p ose in scnpuons with propagandi stic purposes in the di sguise o f
works o f th e past. Su ch pseudepigraph a a re th e Bentresh Stela and th e
Fam~n~ S tela. T he Bentresh Stela purports to be a d ecree of Ramses II
bu t IS m fact a work o f ei ther the Persian o r the Ptolemaic period It is
a tale of wond rous healing performed by th e Theban god Kh ons-rh _
Pro~ider, a nd it .is a p iece o f propaganda o n behalf of this god . T hee
Famine S tela c1alll~s . to be a decree o f Kin g Djoser o f th e Third
Dynasty, ":h e reas It IS a wo r k o f Pto lemaic times, p robabl y composed
by .th e priesthood o f th e te m p le of Khnum at Ele p ha nt ine, a nd
d eSIgned to ~uttress th e Khnum temple 's cla im to re ven ues o btai ne d
from th e region o f Elepha ntine a nd from Lower Nubia .
Ye t a nother example o f the des ire to us e th e prestige o f th e past fo r
Ih e . ~enefi t of th e present is th e so -called " Me m p h ite T heology,"
~ I~scn bed o n th e Shabaka Stone. In th is work Kin g Sh ab ak a o f th e
I we n ty-fifth . Dyn ast y alleges to have co p ied a n ea rly wor k wh ich he
had fo u n d m. ~vorm -eaten co nd itio n . T he cla im, along with th e
Sl ron.gly ~ rchalz~ng. la nguage of th e text, misl ed ge nera tio ns of Egy p -
lolc:gl st s mto ass lg n lOg th e co m positio n to th e O ld Kin gd om. A recent
a rlJcI~ by F.. l .unge (M DIK, 29 [197 3] , 195 - 204) makes it a ppea r
«crta m th at It IS a wo r k o f th e Twenty-fifth Dyn ast y. Read ers o f this
:n ll ho log y sh? u ld in th eir minds tra ns fe r this text fro m Vo lu me I o f
Ancient Egyptian Li teratu re in to th e co ntex t of the pseud epigrapha o f
t he p resen t volu me.
·Fh e a1~tobiographical inscriptions o f the Lat e Pe riod reveal a me nta lity
a nd a pIety th at a re trad itional a nd yet su bt ly d iffe re nt from th e
.ru uudes o f th e past. There is less o ptim ism a nd more co nce rn . It is no
I~ '" g er ass u med t?at righteous livin g g ua ra ntees a su ccess ful life.
~ I.~ (T~SS a nd happin ess ~ re . ~ow tho ugh t to d epend e n tire ly on th e
g l, ll c o f the g~ds. T he ind ivid u a] ca n ac h ieve nothing with out the ir
Iu -lp ; I~ut t~e Will o f th e gods is inscr u ta b le. Yet life was not p ri zed any
k-ss. Piety Itsel f d emand ed tha t life sho u ld be e n joyed . Th us e . _
· f rf " ~, nJOY
1111 III o . I C IS a ba~,c th em e o f the a u to biogra p h ies. And th e
«x ho rt a t.io n 10 va lue Irlc re ma ins CC II tra l 10 th e mo ral code of the
11I.1/l'II r/lOlIs.
6 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERATURE
The one rea l ca la m ity was a p rem atu re death. T hree biogra phi cal
in scr ip tio ns-the tom b inscri ption of Th othrekh son of ~etosi~, the stela
of lsenkhebe, a nd the stela of T aimhotep--have as thei r mam theme a
lam ent ov e r a n ea rly deat h . The in tro duction o f such a lam ent in to
th e a u to b iogra p h y see ms to be a n innovatio n of th e Late Per iod. T he
lamen t over d eath had been a regula r feature o f th e b urial ce re mo ny,
a nd its formulas h ad been inscr ibe d in th e tombs in sce ne s sh owing
the fune ra l. But to make the au tob iog ra p hy th e carrier o f a lam ent
o ver a n early d eath meant cha ngi ng its whole cha racte r , for its
purpo se h ad a lways been to reco rd a success fu l life . T h us , when a
lament over a premature d eath became th e main con te n t, th e or igina l
purpo se o f the a utobiogra p h y was ca nce led . In this ch a nged for m the
a utobiogra p h y h ad become a n ep ita ph and had co me to rese mble th e
G re e k e p itap hs of th e H ellenistic period. " . . factu alne ss a nd vivid ne ss. It co m bines a n u nusu ally d et ailed acco u nt
Gree k e p ita phs had also u nd ergo ne an evolu tio n. I hey be gan m
classi cal Greece as brie f stateme n ts o f " He re lies." In Greco- Roman
times they grew in to ela bora te poet ic re flectio ~s about life an.d d eath ,
so me p ious and ho pe ful , o thers fra n kly ske p tica l, and they mcorpo-
rat ed increasing a mo u nts o f biographical na rrativ e. It may th erefore
be suggested that th e su bgro u p of Egy ptia n biographi~al inscriptions,
the kind th at lamented an early d eath, had become akin to th e Greek
e p ita p h in its H ellenistic form, a form in whi ch sorro~ over d eath was
co m b ine d with biographical d etail. T h us , an Egy p tia n a nd a Gre e k
litera ry ge n re, each o f whi ch h ad started from a di f:erent p rem ise ,
had co n ve rged. Ad d to this th e fact th at th e re ca me II1to e ~ ls te nce a
m ixed Greco-Egyptian pop u lat io n. If we the n enco u nt er in Greco-
Ro m a n Eg yp t Gree k epita p hs th at re flect attitudes a kin to those o f the
Eg yptia ns, a nd o fte n a lso in voke Egyptian gods, th e und erlyin g
factors wo u ld seem to be a co mbina tion of spontaneous conver ge nce
a nd mutual influence. In a ny case, th e Gre e k epita p hs fro m Egypt
bea r witness to the Hellenist ic ama lga m o f creeds a nd cus toms whi ch
Alexander's e m p ire brough t in to being . . o f th e m an y h ymns to th e go d s. T he y are frequen tly diffi cult to
H ere a re two Greek ep ita p hs fro m Egy pt, the fir st o f Ptolemaic, the
second of Roman d at e (W . Peek , Griechische Grabgedichte, griechisch und
deutscb [Berlin, 1960] , nos . 155 a nd 426)
1. A happy old man
Wandere r , m y n ame's Me nelaos, Do ro s m y father's ,
Sai lor was 1 a nd a h appy o ld man when 1 d ied .
My ch ild re n's lo vin g h ands e ntom bed me , I tha n ked
Helios, g ra te fu l fo r th e swee t gift.
Stra nger, recite to m e now the ap propriate ~a ying,
"Joy to th e d ead in th e ea rt h ," d ouble the WIsh for you .
I N TROD U C TI O N 7
1I. An unfortun ate young waman
Wh o di ed h ere ? - Herois. - Ho w and whe n ? -
Hea vy-wombed
In p ained lab or she set d own he r bu rden ,
Mo th er was she for a moment, th e ch ild perished also.
What was th e lu ckless one's age ? - Two tim es nin e
Yea rs o f flowerin g yo u th had He rois. Light may
T he ea rt h be o n her, ma y Os ir is besto w coo ling wat e r.
T he Nubian kings of th e Twenty-fifth Dynasty, and th e Saite kings
of th e T we nty-six th , were m en of marked e nergy a nd e nte rp rise.
Amon.g the ir surviv ing inscr ip tio ns , the great Victory Stela of King Piye
occu p ies th e foremost p lace , owing to its o uts ta ndi ng qua lities of
o f the ca m pa ign with a n eq ua lly unusu al portra yal o f the thoughts
a nd fee lings of Piye a nd h is ad versaries . It is also notewo rth y tha t the
scr ibe who wrote it hand led th e classical language in su ch a way as to
c.o n vey s po n ~a ~e i ty a nd vigo r. This accou nt of a victoriou s cam paig n
" lis to th e limit th e sco pe o f Egyptian historiograph y, which had
a lways me ant ro yal acco u n ts o f ro yal d eed s. O n ly in th e end , when th e
king was a foreigne r, co u ld the priest Manetho, insp ire d by Greek
profession al historiograph y, undertake to writ e , in G ree k, a history of
Eg yp t.
Unde r th e Ptolemaic ad m in istratio n the temples of Egy pt co n-
rinued to have a p r ivileged status , a nd th e Ptolemi es ass u me d th e
Pha raonic duty o f building a nd rebu ilding th e sanctuaries. It is an
iro n y o f history that th e best prese rved te mples of ancien t Egypt are
I hose that were b ui lt in Greco-Ro m an times: th e temples of Ph ilae ,
K OIll O mbo, Edfu , De ndera, a nd Esna . T he ir numerous rel ig ious
ill.sc rip tio ns acq uai nt us in detai l wit h the elabora te d aily ritua l a nd
WII II the lengthy ce remo n ies o f th e g re at fest ivals. T h is is the co nt ext
und e rst and , for th e priestl y tendency to he rm et icism here atta ined
full sco pe. T he Hymns to Hathor h ave poet ic merit. As to th e d ifficult
I ;,.('(// Hymn to Khnum, with its curious ph ysiology of th e hum an body, I
inrl ud ed it here largel y in o rd er to direct th e re ad er to S. Sau ne ro n 's
u.agisl e rial volu mes o n th e Esna tem ple a nd its festivals.
T he cu lt of Os ir is e nta iled hymns of a pa rticu lar kind : la mentati on s
""IT I he d eath of the god , ch a nt ed by p r iestesses re p res e nt ing the
god d esses Isis a nd Nepht h ys. Such la me nt ati o ns p ro bably ex isted in
li lt' ea r ly pe rio d s a lso, bu t th e texts of th is type wh ich ha ve been
p reserve d a ll d al e fro m the Late Pe riod . T he Lamentations of Isis and
N,,/,hlh,Y-, inclu d ed here were a p pe nd ed 10 a co py o f th e Book of the
8 AN CI ENT EGYPTIA N LITERATURE
Dead and thus ad a pted to the use o f an individual person, an
adaptation made possible by th e practice of associating every dead
person with Osiris. - fe a ture of Late Period cu ltu re . Mod ern scho lars h ave te nded to
All the texts written in the classical language utilize th e th ree styles
which I discussed briefl y in the previous volumes: prose , poetry, and
an intermediate form which I called "o ratio nal style. " The orational
style is ch a racte rized by metrically formed lines phrased as direct
speech, or, in the case of royal encomia cast in either th e first or the
third p ersons. This prose-poetry differs from prose in that the
sentences have a regular rhythmic pattern, and d iffers from poetry in
that it lacks the specifically poetic d ev ices , such as st ro phes. This
theory of three styles is tentative, for the principles o f Egyptian
m etrics are not reall y known. A d iscu ssion of th e problems o f
Egyptian metrics may be found in m y a rticle , " Have the Principles of
Eg yptian Metrics Been Discovered?" (fARCE , 9 [ 197 1/72], 103-11 0).
Demotic literature. -"Demotic" is the term (bo rrowed fro m H ero-
dotus II ,36) which designates th e cu rs ive writing developed from
Late-H ieratic and , along with it, th e language written in th at script.
Demotic writing was first used in the middle of th e seven th ce nt u ry,
under the Saite Dynasty. The Demotic language was th e vernacular of
the p eriod. It was e m p lo yed in th e composition of bell es .Iettres and
for nonliterary texts of d aily life , su ch as contracts, lawsuits, and tax
receipts. It goes without sa yin g that a ll the works written in t~e
vernacular h ave more vitality and co lor than the texts co m posed m
th e classical language. In relation to New Kingdom belles lettres-the
T ales, Love Poems, School T exts, and Instructions-Demoti c belles lettres
show both co n tin u ity and cha n ge . No Demotic lo ve poems have co me
to light, nor was the ge n re "school texts" continued . But Tales and
Instruct ions Aourished abu nd an tly.
I n the Tales the p rincipal innovations are great er length a nd
co m p lex ity, the use o f motifs d erived from Greek literature , and th e
appearance of animal fables . These aspects are pointed out in the
prefaces that introduce the translations. Here I should like to str.ess
that Prince Setne Khamwas , the hero of the two tales named for him ,
was a passionate a ntiq ua r ia n . The historical prince Kh amwas , the
fourth son of Ramses II , had been high priest of Ptah at Memphis a nd
administrator of all the Memphite sa nc tu aries. In th at capacity he h ad
examined deca yed tombs, restored th e names of th eir o wners, and
renewed their fun erary cu lts. Posterity had transmitted his renown ,
a nd the Demotic tal es that we re sp u n a rou nd h is memory d epicted
him and his fictional ad versa ry Prin ce Na ne fer ka p ta h as very learned
sc r ibes and m agicians devoted to th e stu dy o f ancient monuments a nd
I NTROD U C TI O N 9
writings.. T~ e ~ntiqua rian passion attribu ted to th ese princes is yet
a nother indication of th e strong sense of th e past wh ich is so no ta ble a
i l~t eq:~ret this harking ba ck to the past as a symptom of d eca y. In m y
v le ~ It. was ~ sou:ce of stre ng th wh ich helped th e Egy p tia ns to
mamta.m th eir native cu ltu re in th e face o f Hellenism during six
ce n tu r ies of Greco-Roman domination.
The Demotic Instru ctions d epart from th eir prototypes in sev eral
respects . The earlie r Instru ctions had port rayed human cha rac ters
an? situatio n s by drawing vig nettes of life. Their word portraits were
build uP. through se q ue nces of interconnected sentences co m pose d in
(h e o :atro na l st yle . The Demotic Instructions co ns ist o f single se lf-
co n ta in ed sentences wr itte n in plain prose , with eac h se ntence occu-
p yin g o ne line on th e pa ge . Thus each se ntence is gra mmatically
co m p!ete , a nd its independence is g ra p hica lly underlined by th e
eq ua tio n o f a -se n tence with a line o n th e page. Several co nsecutive
se n te nces m ay, bu t n eed not, d eal with th e same topic. Hence an
In st ructi on ca n be ve ry mi scellaneous in its overa ll cha racte r , as is th e
case in the Instru ction of Ankhsheshonq.
Th e Instruction of Papyrus Insinger has more coherence a nd struc-
lu re . The individual sentences are grouped into chap te rs by means of
cha p te r headings and co ncl usio ns ; a nd eac h cha p te r is more or less
d evot ed to one topic. Yet nearly all sentences are self-contained and
ind epend ent of one a nother. This method o f co m positio n results in
I ranspositions, va riatio ns, o m issio ns, a nd o the r cha nges a nd errors in
I he transmission o f th e text. Papyrus Insinger abou nds in all th ese a nd
Ih cl·eb ~ g re a tly imped es th e unde rstand in g. The moral ity of th e
l nstruction of Ankhsheshonq is utilitarian , so metimes humorous, a nd
c xcasio na lly cyn ica l, wh ile th at of Papyrus Insinger is se rious a nd pious.
PapyntS Insinger was writte n in th e first ce n tu ry A. D . It is o ne of
se ve ra l cop ies of a long morality text. Whatever th e original d at e of
I he co m positio n ma y have been, in its surviving co p ies this Instruction
is th e latest of the Egyptian Instructions and one that makes a fitting
('nd ing to ancient Eg yptian literature. It s ethics is one o f endurance
ra l her th an of ac tio n . The virtue that it places above all others is
mod eration, a sense of the right measure. Wisdom lies in self-control
a nd in a pious acceptance o f what th e gods ma y send. Inscrutable a nd
unp redi ctable, th e divine will manifests itse lf th rough Fat e a nd
F'lri li ne .
' r hc e m ph asis o n the conce p t o f fortune evoke s Hellen istic popular
(ho ll/{h t. T he no tio n of th e reversa l o f fo rtu ne had been cu rre nt in
E/{ yp lia n th ou gh t at least Silll:C th c Ncw Kin gdom; bu t th e e m p hasis
(h at I 'II/rynts ln singer places O il la te a nd fortune as th e arb iters o fl ife is
10 A N CI ENT EGY PTI AN LITERATURE

unprecedented a nd suggests the effect o f Hellenistic thinking. Greek s

a nd Egy p tians alike we re participating in , and being tr an sformed by,
th e cu r re n ts of Hellenistic universalism , sync re tism , a nd pessimi sm
whi ch were u nd ermining all th e polytheist ic cu ltu res of th e Mediter-
ran ean wo rl d a nd paving th e way for th e new gospel of th e kingdom
o f hea ven .

PART ONE

T exts zn the Classical Language

 I. Biographical Inscriptions

The d ignitaries who ad m in iste re d T hebes a nd the Theb aid du r in g the

Post-Impe rial e poch , under a ra pid success ion o f kings an d u nder th e
ch a ng eless governance of Amu n of Thebes, a re re prese nte d he re by
Djedkhonsefanhh, Nebneteru , Harton, a n d Montemhet, all fo ur members of
th e clergy o f A m u n. The first two served kings of th e Twe nty -seco nd
Dyn asty, wh ile th e last two held o ffice u nd e r th e T wenty -fifth (Nu b ian)
Dyn asty.
With th e T we n ty-six th Dyn asty, wh ich hailed from Sais, th e ce nter o f
po wer was o nce aga in in th e north . The restoring activities o f th e Sait e
Dynast y a re illu st rated by th e biography o f Peftuaneith, who re cords his
work of rebuilding a t Abyd os. T he destru ction o f th e Sa ite Dynasty
through th e Pe rsian co nq ue st of Eg ypt is refl ected in th e biography of
Udjahorresne, wh o allu des gu ardedly to th e ca la mity o f th e Persi an con-
quest a nd dw ells at som e length on his su ccessful e ffo rts to restor e
normal life th rough co llabora tion with the Persian conq uerors a fter they
had settled d own to rule .
The ca ree r o f Somtutefnakht sp ans three eras: th e final years of Egyp-
tia n independen ce under the Thirtieth Dyn asty , th e bri ef second
Pe rsian d omin ation , a n d th e destruction o f th e Persian e m p ire by
Alexan de r th e G reat. Petosiris, th e hi gh priest of Thoth a t Hermopolis
Magna , look s ba ck on long yea rs of service to his to wn in th e last d ecad es
o f th e fourth ce n tu ry , wh en Persian d ominion e nde d a nd Macedonian
rule was in stalled . The b iogra p hy of WennoJ er, in scribed o n a co ffin, is
wholly d e vot ed to th e prais e of a life e njoyed .
T he so rrow over premature d eath is th e th em e o f th e biographical
inscrip tion of Thothrekb son oj Petosiris a nd of th e biographical stela e o f
lsenkhebe a nd Ta imhotep.

STATUE INSCRIPTION O F DJ EDKHO NSEFA NKH

Fro m the Tem p le of Lu xor
Cairo Mu seu m 559
T he near-in d epende nce o f the Th eb aid in th e time of the T wenty-
first Dyn asty was terminat ed by Shes ho nq I , th e fou nder of th e T wenty-
seco nd Dyn ast y. He b rought th e Theban region back under royal co ntrol
hy me ans o f two related measures: a p po inting so ns of th e ro yal hou se to
I he le ading p riestl y positions at Theb es. not abl y th e position s o f " First
Proph et " a nd "Second Proph et " o f Amu n, a nd having members o f th e
ro ya l famil y marry in to I he esta blished T he ba n fam ilies. Th e ca reer o f
14 AN C IENT EG YPTIAN LI TERAT UR E
Djed kh onsefankh illustrates th is po licy; and his autobiography typifies
the biographical style of th e per iod .
Djedkhons efan kh (Djed-k hons-ef-an kh) came from a T heba n famil y
of lon g lineage and he married the daughter o f I upu t, second son o f
Shes honq I and high p riest of Amun. T h us, whe n Osorkon I succeeded
his father Shes honq I , Dj edkhon sefankh, the hu sband of his niece, was a
favo re d cou rt ier ; and eve ntually he was made "Fourt h Prophet" o f
Amu n of T he bes. After th e death of Osorkon I , Djedkhonsefankh con -
tinu ed to serve th e royal ho use as well as T he bes and its god Amun .
His autobiography is inscribed on a block statue of dark gra nite,
1.02 m high . He is seated with legs d rawn up und er th e chin and
wra p ped in a lon g garme nt in the postu re called block, or cube stat ue , a
posture common in stat ua ry since th e New Kingd om and especially
favored in th e Late Period . T he text in th irteen horizontal lines covers
the fro nt and sides o f the bod y, and th ere are six text colu mns on the
back plinth. In ad d ition, eight sho rt text colu mns, now more tha n half
d estro yed , are inscri bed on the feet. T hese tell that the statue was d ed i-
cated by his eld est son .
Just as th e statue is carved with skill, so the text is composed with
d eliberat ion and with a striving for effect by means of uncommon words
a nd phrases. T he basic tran slation s of J an ssen a nd Otto can, I believe, be
improved in a number of places, espec ially thro ugh the recogniti on th at,
exce pt for th e text on th e pli nth , Djedkh on sefankh's speech is cast in th e
o ra tiona l style. T he speec h consists of cou ple ts formed through paral-
lelism of conte nt, tha t is to say, th e second sente nce of each couplet
e nlarges up on th e th em e of th e first sentence throu gh amplification or
co ntrast.
Publi cat ion : G. Daressy, RT, 16 (1894), 56 -60.. Borchardt, Sta -
tuen , II , 105 - 108 and pI. 94. J. M. A. J an ssen in Studi Rosellini , II ,
119 - 129 (best text and tr an slation ).
Tran slation : Otto, lnschriften, pp. 132 - 134 (abr idge d).
Co mments: H. Kees, zxs. 74 (1938), 82; idem, Pri estertum, pp . 206 ff.
Kitch en , Th ird Intermediate, pp . 2 19, 28 9, 308 .
( I) Th e One honored by A m u n , g rea t favo r ite of th e lord o f Thebes;
the Fou rth Pro ph et of A me n- Re, Kin g o f Go ds, th e he rald and
fo llower of Amen-Re , King o f Gods ; the ch ief in cense-bearer before
A m u n; the o ne who pe rfo rms the ro bing a nd prepa res his holy
cha pel; the m onthly priest of th e H ou se of A m u n of th e t hi rd p hy le;
the seco nd prophet o f Mut, mistress o f hea ven , th e p rophet o f Kh ons
o f Benent;' the ch ie f scribe o f th e temple o f Kh ons; th e priest who
g oes in fro nt of him whose th ro ne endures, Arnen-Re , King of Go ds;
the p rophet o f A m u n, Co nqueror-of-fo re ig n-Ia nd s; the proph et o f
Arnun , the livin g pro tection ; t he g ua rd ia n o f the chest o f th e H ouse o f
A m u n o f th e second phyle ; th e Eyes of th e King in Ipe t-su t, t he
Tongue of t he Kin g in U p per Egypt; wh o beg s j u bilees fo r h is lord th e
King from t he gods o f t h is land ; the fan-beare r to th e righ t of the
King , who st r ides fr eel y in t he pal ace ; the true in timate of H oru s, h is
bel o ved , Djedkhonse fankh , so n of th e p rophet of A me n- Re, Kin g o f
TEXTS I N T HE C LASS ICAL LANGUAGE 15
Gods, ,~ho saw t he sacred H orus of the pal ace , Nes pernebu ; (3) bo rn
o f th e sistrum p la ye r o f A me n-Re , Nes m u t; he says :
H ail to you wh o will co me after,
Wh o will be in fu tu re times !
I sh all m ak e yo u ca ll m e ble ssed ,
Fo r m y desti ny was great.
Khnu m fas h io ned m e as one e ffective
A n advise r o f e xcell ent co u nsel. '
H e m ad e m y cha racte r su perior to o t hers,
H e steered m y tongue to excelle nce.
I kept m y mouth clean o f harmin g h im who harm ed me ,
My patience turn ed m y foes into m y fr ie nds.
I ruled m y m ou th , was skilled in a ns we r
Yet did not ac q uiesce in ev il-do ing. '
T he people (5) recko ne d me as open handed ,
For I d espised th e p ilin g up of ric hes .
I ca u sed them a ll to g r eet me fo r m y e xcelle nce
H an d -kissin g to m y ka an d sayi ng of me : '
"T he p ro gen y of h is fathe r ,
His mothe r' s god ly offsp ri ng!"
No o ne reviled m y p a r en ts o n accou nt of me ,
T hey were much honored owi ng to (my) worth .
T hey fou nd me helpful while th e y were on ea rt h,
A nd ' su p p ly th e m in the d ese rt va le.'
l did not let m y serva nts ca ll me "our m aster "
I m ade myse lf th e im age of thei r fa t he r. '
T~ e G?O? GO? p ra ised me, Sekhem-kheperre-sotpenre?
HIS heirs prais e d (7) m e aga in , st ill more tha n he .
As each o ne r e ign ed he was co nt e nt with me,
Fo r the y pe rcei ved my worth amo ng th e fo lk.
T he co u n t ry's nobles st rove to co py me ,
Because m y fav or with th e kin g was g reat.
I stI'a'yed s no t from hi s maj esty a t the pa lace,
II ~ dl(~ not ex clude m e from his falc on-ship.
H is drink was sweet, I ate with him ,
I sip ped wine to gethe r with h im .
T he god es tee med me for a tte nd ing him ag reeably,
J was adva nced" in keep in g- wit h my worth .
Thu s was J fo rem o st in rh c heart o f Ho ru s,
As he is g- rea t a nlllng- m a ll kind .
16 ANC IENT EG YPT IAN LITERATU RE
Wh en I r e a ch ed Th eb es in (my ) o ld age ,'
(9) I did what wa s fa vored in I p e t-sut.
Appointed king's speaker at its" h e ad ,
I did not give praise to him who flattered me .
I prevented ex pe n se s b e yond the king's orders,
I p rotected th e go ods o f its poo r.
I put r espe ct of its lo rd b efore them ,
I re strained the arms of its robbers.
I was co n sta nt in sendi ng reports to th e king ,
In cases of r el ie vin g h a rdsh ip s."
H e gave assen t to wh at I sa id,
H e fa vored m e above h is co u rtiers .
M y goo d ness was a shelter ing refu~e ,
A fu n dame nt th at would n ot e ve r tilt.
I f I kept ( I I) m y m outh clean o f doing h a rm ,
H e increased their m e mbe r s a mong the atten da n ts.'"
I f I [wa lke d] o n th e wa ter o f m y lord ; '
H e protect e d the m m o re than t he chest in the to m b.
I f I sa fegua rded hi s m aj e sty's o r ders to m e ,
The y were p romoted in the p al ace .
If I r ais ed a so n above t he rank of h is fath er,
Th eir r eque st s were fu lfilled a s th e y wished .
I f I sca ttered my we al th o n e verybod y,
12
T hey thou gh t (me ) the eq ual of Hu .
I f I h a ted slander, lo ved assent,
A voice was ra ised for them to gu ard them from evi l.
I was thus a god f or t he m ,
T hey kne w m y ac tio n when h e " b estow ed favors.
When th e y succeeded m e in th e kin g's s ~rvice , .
T heir rank was throu gh m e in accor d WIth m y WIsh.
M a y I see the chi ldre n of their ch ild re n ,
Wh ile I remai n o n earth!
May m y body be young in their descendants,
Wh ile I am h er e t hereafter!
I shall n o t va nish for I k now :
God ac ts fo r h im whose h e art is true !
On the back plinth
( I) The o ne h ono red by Khons, g reat favo r ite o f th e lord o f Benent;
the fo urt h p rophet o f A rne n- Re, Kin g of Gods, Djedkh~n~efankh ,
j ustified ; son of the prie st of A men-.Re ,.Kin g of Gods, a nd mnrnat e ~ f
H o ru s in h is p al a ce , Nesp e rnebu, Justi fied ; h e says: W h e n I was 111
TEXTS IN THE CLASS ICAL LANG UAGE 17
ch a rg e of th e lo a ve s, m y lo rd A mu n e nriched me. (3) I was consta n t in
len di n g gra in to th e Thebans, in nou r ishing th e poor of m y to wn. I
did not rage a t him who co u ld n ot p ay. I did not p re ss him so as to se ize
hi s b e longing s. I did n o t m ake him se ll hi s goods to a n o the r, so a s to
re pay the d ebt (5) he had m ad e. I sa te d (him ) b y bu yin g hi s good s a n d
paying tw o or th r e e ti m e s th e ir wo rth . O ne ca n not eq ual wha t I d id in
an y respect. I di d not quarrel with h im who h ad rob be d me , fo r I
knew o ne d oes n o t ge t ri ch by theft. God d o es what h e wishes!
NOTES
I. Name of th e Khon s temple at Karnak.
2. Lit., " My suppl ies (or, "su rp luses") are for th em ," etc., i.e., he
provided mo rtu ary offerin gs for his par ents.
3. Throne na me of King Osorkon I.
4 . The heirs of Oso rkon I were th e ephe mera l Shes ho nq II and his
brother Ta kelot I, either in th is order of succession (so Kitchen , Th ird
Intermediate, pp. 309-3 10) or in the reve rse order (see K. Baer,JNES ,
32 [1973], 6 -7).
5. Neit he r J anssen 's "Seine Majestat ent fern te mich nicht," no r Otto's
" Ich trat seiner Majestat . . . nicht zu na he ," is correct. As Wb. 5,328 - 9
ind icates , the prin cipal meaning of tii is "leave , dep art fro m: ' and th at is
th e sen se required here .
6 . Janssen interpreted th e flesh sign (hiero glyph F5 I) in 1St and , in
th e sa me line , in spr as having the value j , as it often has in th e Late
Period . If so, th e seated ma n determinative mu st stand for wi, a nd spr
mu st be given an un att ested causa tive sense. He thus obtain ed "e r
erho hte mich ," and "er liess mich Theben erreic he n." The mor e plau sible
solu tion (and the one inherent in Otto 's tran slat ion thou gh O tto d id not
exp lain it) is to give to th e sign F51 the value w (see H . W. Fairma n ,
ASAE, 43 [ 1943], 266 f.), and to take yw.i as passive stirn! and sprw.i as
active sdm.]. Hierogl yph F5 1 also has th e value i, as for exa mple in th e
Sera peu m ste la SI M 4 110, line 2 (see Vercoutte r, Textes biogr., p. 49 and
p . 5 1, note D), but th at does not su it here.
7. The arriva l in T he bes refers to his return to T he bes in his old age ,
where he continue d to se rve th e king .
8. T he fe minine su ffix here and in the following sente nces refers to
T he bes .
9. Or, "in cases of resolving diffi cult ies." The same ex pression occurs
o n the Berli n statue of H a nna , see p. 27 with note 12.
10. T h is series of six sentences, each beginning with the part icle in, is
cru cia l for the understan d ing of th e who le tex t. J an ssen too k the sen-
te nces to mea n tha t Djed khon sefankh was p roclaimi ng th at his loyal
se rvices to the king had been of ben efit to th e courtiers, while Otto
I h o u ~lll the co m mo n peop le were th e beneficiaries. It seems to me that
Iljl'dkhon sefankh is not re fer ring to th e courtiers or to the peopl e at
la rg e hUI rath er 10 th e membe rs of his own fami ly. His kinsmen were th e
O il<" who were helped hy his fa vored pos ition . Seen in this ligh t, the
mnrludin ~ sen ten ces o f line I:\. in which he invokes his descen dan ts,
h('nJll1c III CCI ll ill g'fUI, wh er ea s 10 ha il t lrc fut u re genera tions of co u rtie rs
18 ANC IENT EG YPTIAN LITERATU RE
in ge nera l would make little sense . O n th e parti cle in with cond itional
sense see now J. Osing, SA K, I (1974 ), 268-27 3.
I I. To "walk on (o r, be on ) sorneo ne's water" means to be loyal a nd
d evot ed .
12. " H u" would here be not th e divine utt e ran ce but ra ther th e
pe rsonifi cati on o f food .
13. T he kin g.
STATUE INSCRIPTI O N O F NEBNETE RU
From Karn ak
Cairo Museum 42225
A handsome block stat ue of grey gra n ite, 1.10 m high . T he cartouches
o f King Osor kon II are inscri bed o n Neb neteru 's shou lde rs. In addition ,
h is r ight shou lder bears the inscri ption "Fi rst Pro ph et of Amun ,
Harsiese ." In th is way Ne bne reru pays hom age to the chief pontiff of
Th ebes . In cised o n th e fro nt of the bod y are the stand ing figur es of
Am u n, Re, Ptah , and Osiris, with each god add ressing a blessing to
Nebne te ru .
Below the scene is the beg inn ing of the hiographical inscription . The
texts are distributed ove r the surfaces in th e following or de r. O n th e
front is a n int ro d uctory autobiogra p hical state ment in th e firs t per son ,
which e nds with a n appea l to the pri ests of the temple. On the righ t side
is a list of titles a nd epit he ts cast in the third person followed by a pra yer
o n behal f of Neb ne teru, such as might be spo ken by his son . On th e left
sid e is th e principal autobiog ra p hical inscr ipt ion , end ing in anot he r
ap pea l to the pri ests to sa feg uard and sup ply his statue . O n the hack
plinth is a su mma ry o f his o ffices and titles. On th e base two vertical and
two horizontal lines repeat the titles of Nebneteru an d ad d those of his
so n Hor , who ded icat ed the statue of his father.
l.ike Djed kh on se fankh be fore him , Neb nereru belo nged to a leadi ng
T he ban family whose membe rs held imp ortant position s in the Th eban
pri esth ood a nd at cou rt, and were re lated to th e rul ing d ynasty throug h
marriages with prin cesses o f the roya l hou se . Nebneteru 's principa l
cou rt ly office was that of "royal secr eta ry," an office which ent ailed
ex te nsive ad min istrative du ties.
O f spe cial inte res t in his autobiograp hy is Ncbnctcru's expression of
satisfaction with his exce pt iona lly lon g life , and his e mp ha tic ex ho rta-
tion to th e read er to e nj oy life, to eschew wo rries, and to sh un the
th ou gh t of death .
Publi cation: l.egrain , Statues, Ill , 58 - 62 and 1'1: 32.
Partial text , tran slation , a nd study : H . Kees, ZAS, 74 ( 1938),73-87 ,
and idem, zAs, 88 ( 1962/3) , 24 -26.
Tra nslatio n: Otto, I nsch rifte n, PI' . 136-1 39.
Co m ments: Legrain, R T , 30 (1908) , 73 -74 , 160, and 165 r. Kees,
Priestertum, PI' . 22 3 If., and idem, Priester, p. 108. Kitchen , Third
Intermediate, PI' . 2 11-2 13.
TEXTS IN THE CLASS ICAL LA N G U A G E 19
On the fron t of the bod)' in eight columns
( I) T he prin ce , co u nt, roya l se a l-bearer, prophet of Am u n in Ipe t-
s u r, roya l se cretary,' Ne b ne teru, so n of th e m a yo r , vizie r , mouth of
Nekh en , N es eramun , born of Muth et e pti , says :
I wa s one uniqu e an d e xc e lle n t,
Great in h is town ,
Much e stee m e d in th e temple .
A m u n a p poin te d me d oo r- opene r o f h e aven ,'
So t hat I sa w hi s fo r m (3) in lightla nd.
H e introd u ce d m e to th e p al ace in p r ivate,
So that I saw H oru s in h is image 3
[ so ugh t wha t wa s us e ful for m y town in m y tim e ,
My con cern' wa s for th e h ou se of god .
H e gave m e rewards in b lessings,
H e requited ( me) as h e wished .
H e pro vided m e with a so n to ta ke o ffice ,
O n m y e ntering th e la nd of m y p e r m a n e n ce .
(5 ) I saw h is worth as h e circled t h e shrine,
As o ne honored by th e Kin g in th e p ala ce ,
T he p rophet o f A mun, fa n -beare r a t the Kin g 's righ t,
Ro yal se cretary o f the Lord of th e T wo Land s, Ho r.
[ sa w m y sons a s g rea t priests ,
So n a fter son who issued fro m me .
I a tt a ined th e a ge of n in ety-six ,
Bein g h e alth y, without illness.
If o ne desires (7 ) the le n gth of m y life ,
O ne mu st prai se god fo r a nother in m y n ame '
() prie st s, di vin e fathers of A m u n !
Yo u sh all be o n eart h wit hou t want
T hrough th e favo r of Amu n ,
If yOll give wa ter to m y sta tue ,
Fo r whose worship ( my ) ba rises ea rly!
I:o r the /10 o f th e .pries t a nd roya l se cre tary, T e r y,'
I'.ve r y d a y u n en dingl y,
O n the right side in thirteen horizontal lilies
( I) l.on g- live th e p rin ce , co u n t ro yal seal-beare r ,
Proph et who ope ns I h e d oo rs of h ea ve n in lpet-sut :
( :hid' seer who co n le n ts I he he arl o f Rc-At urn in Thebes.
20 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Who enters th e p alace in privat e;
The eye s of th e Kin g throu gh out the land ,
Who co mes praised from th e pal ace ;
A mouth skilled in co n fiden tial speech,
Provider of U p per Egy pt in his time;
Whose coming is awa ited in the pala ce,
Wh ose wisdom has advanced h is ka;
The royal (3) sec re tary for Up per Egypt, Nebn et eru ,
So n o f th e pri nce , cou nt , ro yal sea l-bearer,
Prophet of A m u n in l pet-sut,
Mayor, vizier, mo uth of Ne khen ,
Guide o f th e whole land , selem-p riest,
Leader of all kilts, p roph et o f Maar , Ne sera mu n;
Son o f the prophet a nd door-ope ner o f heaven in Ip et- sut ,
First prophet o f Mont, Lord o f T he bes,
Intimate of th e Kin g in th e pa lace ,
Fan-bearer at the King's right,
Ro yal secr et ary o f (5) Ph a raoh , Nebnet eru .'
May you r city-god act for yo u,
Amen-Re , Lo rd o f T hrones-of-th e-Two-Lands ,
So le god , truly beni gn , whose glo ry end u res,
Lord of a ll in h eave n , o n earth,
The lig h tla nd e r wh o r ises in ligh tland ,
By whom everyo ne lives,
Exalte d of form, lo rd o f joy,
Presiding over T hro nes -o f-t he-T wo-Lan ds !
A nd Re -H arakhti , th e ra d iant,
Wh os e serpent sh ines,
Wh o is bright in (7) the eyes of all;
An d g reat Ptah , South-o f-his- Wa ll,
Lord o f Memph is, Lo rd o f Maat,
Wh o cr ea ted all th e re is;
An d Os iris, Lo rd of etern ity,
Ruler o f everlasting ness:
May th ey love you as you come in pea ce ,
May they re new your ka in the sanctuary.
May your sea t be spacious as when you we re o n ea rth,'
May all th e livin g love you .
May yo u inha le myr rh and swee t oi nt men t,
A nd re ce ive (9) the cleansing o f th e T wo Lords.'
May th e two jars give you th eir co nten t,
Ma y yo u rece ive th e loa f in the hall.
TEXTS IN THE CLASS IC AL LAN G UA G E 21
May yo u r ba be brought to th e a ltar d aily,
Ma y th e ar m be bent at you r tomb.
May th e wat e r of th e re vered be g iven you
From th e hand s o f th e se rva nt s o f go d .
Ma y all kinds of food be poured OUI
In the .s anctu a ry by the grea t priest s.
(I I) May yo u r limb s be fashi on ed a new ,
May your bod y be blessed afres h ,
In rewa rd for you r havin g entered be fo re go d,
A nd havin g see n Am u n in the hall of colu mns.
You h ave o pe ne d th e d oors of th e portal of lightland ,
You ha ve brought su n light from th e eastern mountain. "
You h ave e n te re d pu re with words o f clea nsi ng,
You h ave made g rea t yo u r monthly cleansing .
Your hand was so u nd, yo u r tongue exac t,
(13) Your mouth shut aga inst sp eakin g falsely.
Your tongu e was g ua rd ed - - - . . . ,"
Your speech was free o f evil.
All good thin gs sha ll be given yo u,
An offerin g hefittin g one like you .
On the left side in thirteen horizontal lines
( I) Lon g live th e prince , count, ro yal sea l-bearer,
Prop het , d oo r-opener of heave n in I pet -sut,
Who e nte rs into th e secret of the portal o f thi s land ,
Palace co u nc illor wh o guides the la nd with his cou nse l,
Great d ignitary in Up per Egyp t,
Ro ya l secreta ry of U p per Egypt , Ne bne te ru, j ustified;
So n of th e mayo r , vizier , mouth o f Ne khe n,
Prophet of Maa t, Nesera mu n, justified ; he says:
I lived o n ea rth as inti mat e of th e God ,"
As eyes of th e King in I pet -sUI,
O ne who gave di rection in all work (3) to the igno rant,
Wh o gu ided th e craftsme n by th e ru le.
Who knew his speech wh en speak in g in th e palace ,
Who re moved th e wrong in eve ry matte r ,
Who conten ted all the go ds with th ei r pu rificat ions.
I ad dressed the peop le in a ma nne r th ey liked ,
I j udged e veryone acco rdi ng to his nature ,
I gave atte ntio n to wha t he wish ed .
I spe nt m y life t im e in he art 's d c light,
Will HHII worry, wit h01l 1 illness ,
I m ad c my d ays li:sl i\'(' with wine and myrrh ,
22 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERAT U R E
I b anished languor (5) from m y heart. "
I knew it is d ark in the d esert va le ;"
It is not foolish to d o the hea rt' s wish .
The prophet o f Amun , the royal sec retary, T e r y, he says :
H appy is h e " who sp ends hi s life
In followin g hi s heart wit h the blessin gs o f Amun! "
He g r a nted m y o ffice o f door-opener o f heav en ,
H e a p poin te d m e inti mate of the pal ace .
H av ing surpas sed the lifespan o f a ny man (7) in my time ,
I reached the d esert vale with his blessin gs .
H ow the land m ou rned whe n I p assed aw ay ,
My kin not d iffering from the p eople! "
D o not fret because the like will happen ,"
It is sad to live with h ead on knee !"
Do not be tightfisted wit h wh a t yo u own,
Do no t ac t e m p ty- h a n ded wit h (9) yo u r wealth !
Do n ot sit in the h all o f h eart's co ncer n ;"
Foretelling the m o r ro w before it has co me !
Do not deny" the eye its wat er ,
Lest it co m e u nawa res!
Do not sleep wit h the di sk in th e east,
Do n o t thirst a t the sid e of bee r !"
The west seeks to hide" (11 ) fr om h im wh o fo llows h is h ea rt,
The h ea rt is a god ,
The st omach is its sh r ine ,
It r ej o ices wh en th e limbs are festi ve !
o p ri ests , divin e fathers o f Amun,
Who ente r the heaven upon ea r t h,
Very pure a t the m onthly feast,
Who bring the Eye a t the two strid es of th e moon :"
D o not remove my sta tue fro m its pl ace,
Beware of Arnun's rep r oach!
(1 3) Perform the royal offe r ing for my ka ev e ry d a y,
W ith e ve ry le ft ov er fro m Amu n ,
Bre ad , beer, wine, a n d oi l
From the table o f the Lord o f Theb es,
For the ka o f this excelle n t noble !
On the back plinth in f OUT columns
(I ) T he prince , co unt, r oyal seal-be a re r ,
Prophet o f Amun in Theb es,
Su pe rvi so r o f th e p rophets of all th e go d s,
TE XTS IN TH E CLASS ICAL LANGUAGE 23
Special one to th e King,
Intimate o f the Kin g ,
Fa vorite in the p al ace ,
Whom th e King gave r ich es a nd pra ises
Because o f the g reatnes s o f hi s knowledg e .
A g reat o ne in hi s o ffice,
Outst anding in hi s r a n k,
Who r emo ved the wro ng in every matter.
Chief seer" (3) wh o co n te n ts the hea rt of Re-Atum in Theb es
C hie f of wo r ks on a ll m onuments o f the house o f Amun , '
Ro yal secretary fo r Upper Egy p t, Nebnete ru, j ustifie d :
Son of th e prince , co u nt, royal sea l-beare r ,
Prophet of A mun in Ipet-su t,
Ma yo r , vizie r , o versee r o f the co m p a nions o f th e p alace,
Setem-priest , leade r of a ll kilt-w earers,
Judg e , m outh of Nekhe n , intima te of H orus in th e pal ace ,
Pr ophet o f Maat, Nes eramun , justified ,
Born of Muthetepti.
NOTES
1. Lit., "King's scribe of letters" (or , "do cum en ts"). This is Nebn e-
teru's prin cipal cou rtly office.
2. Neb neteru's parti cular fun ction as a pri est of Amun of Ipet-sut
(Karn ak) was to o pe n th e doors of the sanctua ry du ring the da ily ritua l.
" Heaven" and "Iightl and " (ho rizon) are word s for th e templ e.
3. Just as Nebn ete ru could approach the god in his sh rine , so also did
he have access to the king at the palace, the king as Horus being the
earthly image o f Amu n.
. 4. T he verb !!3 m , "to catch fish ," he re has a metaph ori cal sens e which
IS not q Ult~ clear. As to th e spelling with feminine t and four stro kes,
K e~ s read It as th e collective !!3m .t and re nde red "so dass es gesa mmelt
1St. I p ro pose W take th e fo.urt h st~oke as the suffix o f the first person.
As to the ,!,eanmg, I see It m the hgh t of th e expressio n !!3 m-ib, which
~:ccurs I,~ .!me .9 o ~, th e ~ ~ft-s id e i~ scrip t ion , whe re th e context sugge sts
worry, anx Iety, or conce rn . Hen ce I re nde r "my concern" but
some do ub t re ma ins. .
5. S o following Kees, bu t th e writ ing o f ky, "another," is odd , an d th e
se nse I S not clear.
fi. Nicknam e of Nebneter u.
7. In ad d ition to giving his fathe r's name and offices, Nebneteru
records the rank s a nd titles of his gra nd fat her Nebneteru after who m he
was nam ed.
H. To have a "spacious sea t" mean s "to be at ease."
!). It see ms tha i km.l: sta nd s for gm.k T he "Two Lord s" are Horus
alld Seth.
10. l.e., th e 1lI0l"l1ill l-: ' " " e nte rs t he temple when the doors are
o pe ned .
24 AN CIENT EG YPTIAN LITERATURE
II . The missing sign o bscu res th e meaning.
12. Lit. , "o ne who e nt ers upon th e god"; the "god" here is th e king.
13 . W ,.d-ib is " lassitude" in the sen se o f "lang uo r" a nd " passiv ity," and
j~3 ,n .i wrd.i n ib.i mu st co nvey th e idea of ove rco ming th e heart's lassi-
tud e . T h is se nse is ob tain ed fro m th e rootft.3 , "uproot, expel ," not from
j~3, " reward , bribe ." Kees's re ndering , " Ich gewahrte meinem Herzen
Aufschu b," does not suit.
14. T his is the only re mar k abou t the land of th e d ead : it is dark the re .
All other alleged references to the gloom o f the a fterlife, which Kees had
read into lines 8 -10 in his re ndering in ZAS, 74 (1938) , ,79, were d ue to
mistranslat ions wh ich Kee s subsequently corrected in ZAS , 88 ( 1962/3),
24-26.
15, W3q' lIlY a p pea rs to be an idiom for "ha ppy is," or, "blessed is." In
An cient Egyptian Literature, I, 197, n. 4 , I noted its use in th e lamen ts fo r
the d ead .
16. T h is sentence sums up th e Egyptian concept of the good and
blessed life, "Fo llowing the h ea r t" (Sms-ib) is to make the best and fu lles t
use of what life hold s; it is being active, generous, and joyful. Beneath
the exhortation to e njoy life lay th e cont in uous co nflict between valui ng
life in all its tr ansitoriness a nd the vision of an eternal afterlife, a vision
that osci llated between hope and doubt. The debat es stirred by this con-
flict are studied a new in J. Assrnann's excellent art icle, " Fest des Augen -
blicks- Ve rh eissu ng del' Da uer" in OUo Gedenkschrift, pp. 55-84,
17 . I.e ., th e grief of the peop le at large was as grea t as th at o f Nebne -
terti 's rel atives.
18. Lit., "Do not fret lest its like may happen. " T he mean ing is, "Do
not thi nk abo ut your death ."
19. Lit ., "Sad ness is for h im who lives with head-on-knee." "Head-on-
knee" was the pos ture of mourning.
20 . On h3m-ib see no te 4 .
2 1, Assuming th e verb to be eith er ~n i of W b., 5,4 4. 1, or ~n of Wb .,
5 ,5 0 .6 .
22 . I.e ., "Be up when the su n is up , and when beer is available drink
it."
23 , A word p lay o n imn .t, "the west ," and imn .t, "concea lme nt ." Agai n
the mea ning is that to e njoy life is to forget death .
24 . Th e Ho ru s Eye, the symbol of offerings, offered at the feas ts o f
the waxi ng moo n.
25 . T itle of the high priest o f the sun-god .
STATUE I NSCRI PTI O N OF H AR WA
Berli n Muse um 8 163
A blo ck statue of black g ra n ite, 0.487 m high . It is one o f eight known
sta tues of Ha rwa, th e High Steward of the "Divine Co nsort of Amun ,"
Amenird is, d au gh ter of King Kasht a. Under the Nu bian kings of
th e Twenty-fifth Dynasty the office o f " Divine Co nsort of Amu n" at
Thebes became es pecially prominent. Exercised by a king's daughter,
a nd transmitted to a fem ale successor by ado ptio n, the pos ition o f High
Pri estess of Amun ensured the king 's control o ver th e Theban region .
TEXTS IN THE CLASS ICA L LANG UA GE 25
T he c~,ie f offic.ial of the "Divine ~o ?son," wh<;> bore the title " H ig h
?teward , ~as an I mporta ~t, personahty In th e admInistration . T he p rom-
me n ce ach ieved by th e DIVIne Co nsorts and by th eir High Stewards was
~!sC? a corollary"to the decli ~l ing sign ifica nce of the office of High Priest
( Firs t Prophet .> o f :"'",lun I~ th e Nu bian and Saite periods.
Pe rh ~ps the mscnpnons In Harwa's su mp tuo us but bad ly dam aged
un.p u bhshed tomb. (No. 3 7 at T hebes) containe d allusio ns, however
vei led , to the N~blan .co.nq uest of Egy~t. T he in~riptions on his eig ht
statues, howev~l , ar~ limited to formu laic affirmat ions of his virtues and
o f the est eem In wh.'ch he was held by his mistress, the Divine Consort
n f Amun , and . by his maste~, th e king. From th e literary po int of view
these for",lulallo ns are not without Inte rest, for they combi ne traditiona l
p hrases with meta pho~s tha t a pI;'ear to be of new, or recent, coinage.
~h~ more o ne st udies the MIddle Egyptian id io m of Late Period in-
scn ptlons, the more d oes o ne realize th e deliberat en ess th at go verns th e
ch o ice ofwo~ds ' .Far from be ing chos e n at random , th e ph rases are com-
posed for suita bi lity to the un derlying metr ical sche mes of the orationa l
style, a nd .fo r rh~t~rica l effectiven ess . And when o ne com position re -
ap pe.a rs with varranons on a n~t he r man's monume nt, we may assume
that It had been d~emed. es pec ia lly pleasing. Th us it is th at man y of the
p hrases o f Harwa s Be rltn st~ tue also occur on his Louvre statue (A 84 )
and re~pp~ar on a statue of h IS successo r, the High Steward Akhamenru .
Pu~ltcatlon : B. Gun n a nd R. Engelbach, BIFAO , 30 (193 1), 79 1-8 15
(the e ight s~atues). B. Gu nn , BIFAO , 34 (1934), 135- 142 (revised text
o f the Berl in sta tue and notes) .
Co m ments on the eig ht stat ues : J. C lerc, BIFAO , 34 (1934), 129 -1 33.
C h . Ku entz, BIFA O , 34 ( 1934), 14 3 -1 63. G. Roed er , BIFAO 34
( 193 4), 1 6~-1 73 . H. Se n k ,BIFAO , 3 4 (1934) , 175 - 187. '
Translall~n : Ouo, Inschriften , pp . 150 -1 53 (the Berlin statue).
On the DIVIne Consorts of Amun see especially: Lecla nt , Recherches
pp. 35 3-38 6, '
On the statue's right shoulder
T he God 's H and , A me nird is, j ustified .
011 the left shou lder
T he God's H a n d , Mistre ss of the Two La nds , Amenirdis ,j us tified.
011 the fron t of the body in ten horizontal lin es
( I ) The prin~e , cou nt, royal seal-bearer; true, be loved Ki n g 's friend ;
k" " pe r of the dIade m.of the God 's A doress; I royal serva n t' in the royal
h.uem ; e m ba lm e r- p n e st-o f-A n u b is of the God's Wi fe ; p ro phe t of the
( :", 1\ Adoress, A me n ir dis, j us tified, in he r ka-ch apel ; steward of the
h" . p nests ; p roph e t o f Os ir is (3) G ive r of Life; th e Ste wa rd H arwa so n
III' Ih e scribe Ped imu t , just ified , he sa ys ; ,
() p ro ph e ts, divin c I'al lu -rs , pri est s, and le cto r-p ri ests ,
A ll who e n te r th c rc m p h- o r Arn un of l per -sut ,
26 ANCI ENT EG YPT IAN LIT ERATURE
To perform rites, to (5) make offerings,
To perfo rm the service o f th e monthly priest:
The august god sha ll live fo r you ,
You shall be pure to him ,
H e sh all mak e yo u ab ide with his blessings,
I f you will say:
An offering th at th e Kin g gives,
A thousand of bread , beer, oxen, and fowl,
Alabaster, clothing , in ce nse, and unguent,
(7) Everything go od a nd pure-you sh all say-
After the god has been satisfied with it,
For the King's fr ien d H arwa , a nd for his ka.
For I am an ex cellen t nobl e ,
Equipped with his blessin gs,
One whose vir tue th e Two Lands know;
A refuge (9) fo r the wr et ch ed,
A float for the drowning,
A ladder for him wh o is in th e abyss.'
One who speaks for the unhappy,
Who assists th e unfortunat e ,'
Who helps the oppres sed by his good deed ;
The one honored by the King, Harwa.
On the right side in twelve horizontal lines
( I) The one honored by th e King ; th e High Stewa rd o f th e God 's
Adoress ; embalmer-priest- of-Anubis of the God's Wife ; true , bel oved
King's friend ; mast er of th c se rvan ts o f the God 's Ado ress of Amun ,
Harwa; he says:
o prophets, di vin e fathers, pri ests,
The whole temple-priesthood o f A mu n,
Everyone wh o p asses by thi s (3) image:
That ba who is in Theb es' sha ll live for you,
The au gust god who p re sides ove r h is secluded place ,
I f you will say:
A thousand o f bread , beer, and all goo d things,
For the ka o f th e one hono red by th e God's Hand ,
The King's fri end , H arwa , justified , honored .
Fo r I am a nobl e for wh om one sho u ld act,
One sou nd of h eart" to (5) th e e nd of life .
I am one belov ed o f his city,
Praised of his di strict ,
Kind-hearted to his towns .
TEXTS IN THE C LASS ICA L LA N G U AG F. 27
I have d o ne wha t people love and god s p raise ,
(As) o ne trul y reve red who had no fault ,
Who gavc bread to the hungry, clothes to th e naked ,
Rem oved p ain , su p p ress ed (7) wrongd oin g ;
Wh o buried th e revered o nes," supported th e old ,
Remo ved the wa nt o f th e have-n ot.
A sha de for the ch ild ,
A h elpe r for th e widow,
One who ga ve ran k to a n in fan t.
I d id th ese thin gs kn owing th eir weig ht,
An d th ei r reward from the Lord of Thi ngs:
T o a bide in me n's mouth with out (9) ever en d ing,
To be well remembered in afte r yea rs.
The breath o f you r mouth profits th e sile nt,
Without cos t to you r possessions ;
Food-offering for his god is bread for its o wne r ,"
Th e spirit is blessed by re callin g his ka ,"
T he on e hon ored by h is lord , ( I I) Harwa. j ustified ,
Who was untirin g in th e temple.
He who mak es a monument is bcloved .!"
Th e ka o f th e beneficent is recall ed
For his benefi cen ce in his temple.
On the left side in twelve horizontal lines
( I) Th e prince , co u nt, honored by his lord , in favor with his lad y;
kind o f sp eech , swee t of words , well di sp osed to g re at a nd sm all ; who
Kiv('s ad vice to th e timid in troublc ," wh en his witn esses sta nd up to
, II ruse . (3) Th e o pe n-h a nd ed who nourished all, who p ro vided th e
have- not with wh at he lacked ; th e ch ie f cha mbe rlain of the God 's
l l.md , th e Kin g's fr iend , Harwa , j us tified ; he says :
I spea k to yo u who will co me (5) a fte r .
New beings in m illions o f years:
My Lad y made me g rea t when I was a s ma ll bo y,
S he a dva nce d m y position when I was a ch ild .
T he Kin g se n t me o n m issions (7) as a yo uth,
l Io ru s, Lord of the Palace , d istinguish ed me .
Eve ry mission o n wh ich th eir majesties se nt me.
I acco m p lishe d it co rrectly,
t\ nd ne ver told a lic aho u t it.
I did 1101 rob, (9) I did no wro ng.
I mali g-n ed no o ne bcI u r« I hem .
I e nte re d t he Prc scu r« 10 res o lve dilf icuh ics."
 AN CI EN T EG Y PT I AN LITERATURE
28
To assist the unfortu nate .
I ha ve g ive n goods to the h a ve-not,
( I I) I e n d o wed the o r p ha n in m y to wn .
M y r e ward is being re me mbered fo r m y b ene ficence ,
M y ka e n d u r ing b eca u se of m y k in dness-H a rwa .
On the back ill [our columns
(I) An offering tha t the Kin g gives (to) Mo nt , Lord of Thebes , t hat
h e may g ive p ro visions of bread , beer, ca kes, oxen, fow l, a labaster a n d
clothing, in cense a n d u nguent, a ll t h ings good a nd p u re ~vhereon a
god live s , which h e a ve n gives, earth produces, a n d H a p y b n ngs fo rth ,
from (3) the table of t he Lo r d of Eternity, o n t he month ly feas t , the
h al f-m onthly feas t, o n the Th o th feast , a n d o n eve r y fe ast , every day,
to the ka o f the o ne h onored b y Mont, Lo rd o f T hebes , th e tru e ,
b e loved King 's fri end , H a r wa .
NOTES
I . The th ree designa tio ns of th e Hi gh Pri estesses o f Am u n were
"G od's Wife, " God 's Ad oress,' a nd Go d' s H and."
2. Lit. , "He who is at the feet of th e King ." . the princess She pe n u pe t II. And wh e n Psamtik I had atta ined full pow er
3. The three striking met aphors appear to be o f ne w or recent co m-
age . T he y rec u r o n ~ arwa's Lou vre ~tatue, a nd the y we re ado p ted alo ng
with o ther formulati on s, by th e HIgh Stewa rd Akhamen ru , who suc-
cee ded H arwa (see my a rt icle in J N E S , 7 (J 948), 1~3- 179) . ,N? te t?e
tristich fo rm o f th ese se nte nces . It is used repeat edly in Harwa s mscrip-
tions. T he thi rd mem be r of a tr istich is usually lo nger th an the preced -
ing two a nd thus ad ds weight. . , . . . . so u thern norn es.' For th e most part, th e inscriptio n is d evoted to relating
4 . T he ph rase snf nb-sp is used aga m mime 10 o f .th e le ft-side m.s c~1 p-
tion , a nd sp alone occurs there in line 2. T ho ugh It has no qu alifyin g
adjective , sp he re means "misfortu ne, trouble."
5. The god Amu n .
6 . I.e. , "stro ng-mind ed , firm ."
7. The deceased .
8 . No te the p hrasing o f t n nb.] dJ3w" ntr.], which Gu~n ren,~ered as:
"Let bread be fo r its ma ster, and food-offen ngs be for their god (B / FAO,
34 [ 1934], 139). 1 suspect that the ellip tic formu lat ion is that of a prove.rb.
9 . As Gun n observed (ibid.) the word ka he re takes on the mean mg
" na me " as it often does in Ptole maic times.
I O. Reading ir mnw mrr(w) JnV. It is true tha t t?is is not the ~ormal
spe lling of m" w ; b ut it se ems a more likely solu tio n tha n Gu nn s p ro-
po sals (ibid .). . "
11. Lite rall y, "whe n h is trouble has happe ned. On 51! see n . 4, above .
12 . The same ex p ression as in the inscri ption of DJedkhnn se fa n kh ;
see p . 17 , n . 9.
TEXTS IN TH E CLASS IC AL LA N GU AG E 29
TWO STATUE INS CR IPTIONS O F MONT EMH ET
T he d ocumentati on fo r th e high o fficials of Upper Egyp t in th e Post-
Impe rial Epoc h is relative ly rich . T hey built su mpt uo us tombs on th e
west bank of T hebes a nd placed q uantities of th eir sta tues in the temples.
Many o f th ese sta tues esca pe d d estructio n throu gh th e ironic fact th at ,
co nt ra ry to th e wishes o f th eir ow ners, they were period ically remo ved
fro m the te m ples a nd buried in the grou nd, to be d ug up only at th e be-
gi n ning o f o u r ce n tury. Thus we can bu ild up dossiers an d co mpile gene-
alogies. Unfortu na te ly th e di re ct historical co ntent of these statue in-
scri p tio ns is so me wha t meager, owing to a re ticen ce d ictated both by the
co n ve n tio ns of the a utobiogra p hy and by p ru d e nce in the face of po litical
cha nge and tu rmoil.
T he inscriptio ns o f Montemhe t typ ify this situatio n. Co ming fro m a
fa mi ly of The ban notables, Monte mh e t .playe d a lead ing ro le du ring
ma ny tro ubled years . He was "Cou nt of T he bes" a nd "Go ve rn o r of
Uppe r Egypt," as well as "Fou rt h Prophet o f A rnu n" u nder the Nubia n
kings Taha rqa a nd T an tam ani, a nd he was still in o ffice in th e re ign of
Psarn tik I, th e fo under of th e Sait e Dyn asty. His ca ree r spa ns th e hal f-
ce ntury fro m 700 to 65 0 B. C . He witn essed th e recurring Assyr ian in va-
sio ns , incl ud ing the climac tic cap tu re o f Th ebes in 663 , a n eve nt th at
rever berated arou nd th e a ncien t world . After th at, with Kin g T an taman i
havin g fled to Nubia and Psamtik I no t yet in co ntrol o f all o f Egypt, th e
T he ba id was virtua lly a u to no mous u nde r th e go ve rnance of Mon temhet
an d of his co lleagues , the high stewa rd s o f th e Divine Co nso rt o f Amu n,
he sti ll re ta ined th e services of the aged Montemhet.
Montemhet 's p ri ncipal surviving (though mu ch d am aged) biographi-
ca l inscr ipt ion , tha t on a wa ll o f a cha mbe r in th e temple of Mut at
Karnak, yields a few allusio ns to hist orical e vents. We learn fro m it th at
Montemhet "had placed Up pe r Egypt o n th e right path when the whole
land was u ps ide d own ," a nd tha t he had "su bd ue d th e re be ls in th e
his rebuild ing o f the te m ple o f Mut a nd of o ther T he ban monuments.
O n his man y statues o nly two achieveme n ts of his ca ree r a re narrat ed:
th e rebuilding of monuments, a nd th e ge ne ra l p rosp erity of th e Theb aid
hrought abo u t by hi s wise ad minis tration. T he res t is prayers , h ymn s,
requests for o ffe r ings, a nd affirmations of h is worth , all p hrased in trad i-
I io nal te r ms. Bu t alo ng wit h the forma lity an d eclecticism of his insc rip-
I ions goes th e fa ct that several of the statues are ou tsta nding works of art
hy virtue of their powe r fu l a nd expressive modeli ng . T hey reveal a vita l
a rt istic ene rg y which is also fou nd in the port rait scu lpture of the Nubian
kings. Furthermore , the re lief fragments from Montern he r's ba dly dam-
a ~ed a nd p.lu ndered T he ban tomb are ex ce ptiona lly fine . The two sta -
rue s who se Inscriptions are translat ed he re a re co n ve nt ional in style. T he
kneeli ng sta tue is in the ma n ne r of the New Kingd om , while the sea ted
one ha rk s back to the Midd le Kingd om .
T he she er quantity and the art istic qua lity of Mo nte rnhet's surviving
1I10lHI IIl CI1ls make h im one or the bes t-know n personali ties of the Late
Pe riod.
 TEXTS I N TH E C LA SS IC A L LANGU A G E 31
30 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATUR E

I. STATUE INSCRIPTION OF MONTEMHET (9) I n the graveyard of m y city,

The sacred land is in his grasp .
From th e Temple of Karnak May he m ake m y nam e last like h e a ven's stars,
Ca iro Museum 42237 M y statu e e n d u re a s one of his follow ers .
A statue of gray-green volcanic ro ck , 0.40 m high . Mo ntemhet is kne el- May m y ka be remembered in (II ) his temp le ni ght and d ay,
ing and holds a stela in front of him. In thi s stelephorous po se , which Ma y I ren ew m y yo u th like th e moon .
derives from the New Kingdom , the stela held in fro nt of the body is May my name not b e forgotten in a fte r years e ve r ,
usually inscribed with a hymn . Though th e style of th e sculpture is con-
(I 3 ) The na m e of' Arnun's fourth prophet , co u nt of the city,
ventional the workmanship is fine . The face is th at of a yo ung ish man. In
th e lu nette of th e round-topped stela is th e wing ed su n-d isk with th e Montemhet, in health .
legend : "(Horus) of Behdet, th e great god , lord of he aven ." Below is th e
inscription in th irte en lines. N OT ES
Publ ication : Legrain , Statues, III, 88-89 and pis . xlvi and xlviiA. J. I . A cryp tograph ic writin g of snb; see Leclant, Moni ouemhat , pp . 34
Lec1ant, Montouemhat, quatrieme prophete d'Amon, prince de la ville, Institut a nd 248.
francais d'archeologie orientale, Bibliothequ e d' etude, 35 (Cairo, 196 1), 2. Or, "I rely o n yo ur name."
pp. 32 -38 and pl. vi, text, transl ation , notes , bibliography and ge nera l 3. Emend in g m r to m n.
co m menta ry.
Translation: Otto, Inschriften, pp. 158 -159. ..
Comments: Kees, Priestertum, pp. 272-2 77. Idem, ZAS , 87 (1962) , II. STATUE I NSCRIPTION OF MONTEMHET
60 -66. Kitch en , Third Int ermediate, pp. 390 and 395 -3 98.
For ad d itio na l bibliography see Lec1ant, Montouemh at., p . 32 . Berlin Museum 1727 1
A fin ely worked .statu e o f gray g ra nite, 0.50 m high . Montemhet is
(I) The fourth prophet of Amun , the co u n t , gove rnor o f Upper
seat ed o n a chair with ar ms fold ed and enveloped in a long ma nt le. The
Egypt , Montemhet, in h e alth ;' h e says: face IS yo uth fu l. The ston e block representing th e chair is inscr ibed on all
four sid es . In addi tio n , a colu mn of text runs down th e cente r o f th e
H a il to yo u, Amun , mantle, and the back p linth is inscribed in two colu mns. The style of the
Maker of mankind, statue is d ~ri ved from Midd le Kingd om prot otypes .
Publication: W. Wreszinski , OLZ , 19 (1916), cols. 10- 18 and pis.
God who created all b eings! 1- 2. Lec1ant, Montouemhat, pp . 58- 64 and pis. xii- xv.
(3) Beneficent king, For add itio nal references see Leclant , op . cit. , p. 58 .
Fi rst o n e of the Two La nds ,
Who p lanned the e te rn ity he made . On the mantle in one column
Great in power, ( I) May a ll that co mes fro m the altar of Amen-Re, Lord of Thrones-
Mighty in awe , .. f- th e-Two-Lands. a n d of -his Enne ad, be for th e ka of the prince,
Whose forms are exalted above o the r gods. <O lIn t , fourth prophet of Amun, co u n t of the city , gove rn o r o f Uppe r
Mi ghty of strength , Eg-yp t , Montemhet.
Who smites (5 ) the rebels ,
Whose horn a ttac ks the evildoers. On the right- edge fro n t of the seat an d
I bow down to yo u r name ,' continu ing on the right side an d on the back
May it be m y physician , in twelve columns
May it remove m y bod y's illness, ( I) T he prince , co u n t, fourth proph et o f Amu n , co u n t o f the city,
May it drive pain (7) a way from me , M our cmh et , h e sa ys :
!"May your horn be a fla me , the arm moving .'
May he put love of me in p eople 's h earts, () a ll p roph ets a n d divin e fathers ,
That e ve r yo n e b e fond o f m e . W h o e n te r to o fficia lc' ill th is pl a ce:
May he grant m e a go od bu ri al C roat Amun (:\ ) will fa vor yO Il ,
 AN CIE NT EG YPT IA N LITERATURE
32
H e will m a ke yo u co n tin ue in yo u r ch ild r e n,
I f yo u pronounce m y n ame e very day,
During the offering-rite s for the city-god,
Th at are performed in t his p la ce .
For I a m a n oble (5) for whom o ne should ac t,
A tru ly august o n e , belo ved o f h is lo rd.
I h a ve rene wed the temple of Mut-the-Ore at, As h r u's m istre ss,
So th at it is m ore b eautiful t ha n b ef ore.
I a dorned h e r ba rk' wit h e lec tru m,
(7) All its im ag e s with ge n ui ne sto nes.'
I r enewed the b ark of Khon s-t h e- Ch ild ,
A n d t h e b ark o f Ba stet-r e siding- in-Thebes ,
So as to sa tis fy h er m aj esty with wha t sh e wish es .
I r enewed th e b arks of t h e thre e Khons,
(9) The bark of Khons-r e ck oner-of-lifetime ,'
The bark of A m u n, Lo rd of Throne s-of-th e-Two-Lands, of .. .s
I r e b u ilt th e divin e b o at o f Osir is in Aby d os,
When I found it go ne to ruin .
( I I ) My h e a r t did n ot we ary,
My arms did not sla ck en ,
Unt il I h ad renewed what I found d ecayed .
Do what Amun , lo rd o f h e av en, lo ve s,
Speak the name o f t he co u n t , director o f the temple ,
Mo ntem h et in the house o f his god !
On the left edge of the fron t and on the left side
in six columns
( I) The prince , cou n t , fourth proph et o f Amun , govern or o f a ll o f
U p p e r E g ypt, Montemhe t, h e says :
I have ac te d fo r yo u in p e r fo rming the rites,
Le t m e m ake yo u cogniza n t (3) of m y good d eeds:
I wa s co u n t of the T heban nome ,
And a ll o f U p per Eg ypt was in m y char ge,
The so u t hern bounda r y being at Yebu ,
The northern o ne a t Un ."
I b estowed (5) m y be ne fits o n U p per Eg ypt ,
M y lo ve o n Lo wer Egyp t;
The cit ize ns lo n ged to see m e ,
Like Re when h e shows himsel f,
So g r e a t was m y benefi cence ,
So e xalted was m y e xcelle nce!
TEXT S IN T H E C LASS IC A L LAN G UA G E 33
On the back pl inth in two coluInns
( I) 0 c ity-god of the prince , count, fourth prophet o f A m u n, co u n t
of the city, gove rno r o f U p per Egypt, Monternhet :
Pla ce yo u rself b eh ind him ,
While h is ka is before him ,
H e is a H eli opolitan .'
NOTES
I. Lit., "to uncover th e (d ivine) face ."
2. T he portable shri ne in th e form of a bark mounted on poles, in
which th e statues o f th e gods were carried in pro cession .
3. Se miprec ious sto nes are mean t.
4. T he god Khon s was worshiped in a number of d ifferent forms . In
Monternhet's biographical inscription in th e Mut temple at Karnak as
man y as seven forms of Khons are menti on ed , while in thi s statue
inscription a llusion is made to five man ifestat ion s: "Kh ons -th e-Chi ld,"
"the three Khon s," and "Khon s-reckoner-o f-lifet irne" (hsb ·N) . T he
"t hree Khon s" probably are the triad of Khon s-in-Thebes ~r !J.tP, Khons
wn n~w , and Kho ns p3 ir shr, which appea r togeth er on a number of
mo nu ments: cr. Leclant, Montouemhat, pp. 62-63, note (q) . The several
mani festations o f Khons were studied by G. Posener in A nnuai re du Col-
lege de France, 1965, pp. 342 f.; 1966, pp. 339-342; 1967, pp . 345-349;
1968, pp. 40 1-4 07; 1969, pp . 375-3 79; and 1970, pp . 391- 396.
5. The meaning of 'r'r has not been established ; see Wb . 1,210.5.
6 . Montcrn h ct 's authority ext ended from Elepha ntine to Hermopolis
Magn a.
7. A formu la wh ich has been variously rendered an d mu ch discussed;
the references are asse mbled by Leclant, Montouemhat , p. 15, note (a).
STATUE I NSCRIPTIO N OF PEFTUAN EITH
From Abydos
Lou vre A93
A stand ing naophorou s statue of gray granite, 1.69 m high . Peftua-
nc ith , d ressed in a lon g, tightly fitted garment, holds before him a small
sh rine (naos) with a figure of Osir is. The text in fou rtee n colu mns beg ins
o n th e bac k plinth a nd co ntin ues on th e left side of the slab that suppo rt s
thc adva nced le ft leg. Peftu aneith relates that he car ried out exte nsive
restorations in th e holy city o f Abydos and in its d istr ict. He also tells of
having give n a d on ation of land and othe r re venue to the te mple of
Osi ris so as to increase its inco me .
In the con clud ing prayer he begs Osiris to gra nt favors to him and to
his master, King Amasis. O n an earl ier statue (Bri tish Museum 805 [83])
l'c ftua ne ith spea ks o f having reorgan ized th e ad ministra tion of th e
temple o f Helio polis in his ca pacity o f official o f King Apries. Thus he is
know n to have se rved the two kings in successio n. And his activities illus-
trate the rcst ()ri ll ~ and rcnl"Jota l1 izinJ.t policies of the Sa ite kings .
34 AN CIENT EGY PTI A N LIT ERATUR E TEXTS IN TH E CLASS ICA L LANGUAGE 35
Publication : Pierr et, R ecueil, II , 39 -4 1. Bru gsch, Th esaurus, V I, I bu ilt th e wpg-sa nctua ry ," Iset upl its braziers,
1252- 1254 (abridge d). K. Piehl , lAS , 32 (1894), 118- 122; and idem, Dug its pond, p lanted with trees .
l AS , 34 (1896) , 8 1-83. E. J elinkova-Reymond , ASAE, 54 (1956 /57 ),
275 -287. I p ro visioned the te mple of Kh en tarn en ti,
T ranslation: BAR , IV, §§ 1015 - 1025. Otto, lnschriften, pp . 164 - En la rged its income ,
166. . Esta b lishe d with d ail y su p p lies,
Co mments: G. Lefebvre, Rd E , I (1933), 94- 100. H. Kees,
NG WG, ph il.-hist. Klasse, n.s. 1 ( 1935) , 103 - (04 . A. H. Gardiner, It s storeho use furni sh ed with male a nd female slaves .
J EA, 24 (1938), 165. . I ga ve it a don ati on o f a thousa nd aru ras ,
For additional re fere nces see Jelinkova-Reymond , op. cu., p. 275. I n th e co u n tryside o f T awer,
Provided with peop le a nd he rd s of all kinds ,
It s name being made " Os ir is-tow n ,"
(I ) The prince , co u n t, so le co m pa n io n, ad min istrato r o f the pal ace , (5) So as to ma ke a di vine e ndowme n t of it for all tim e.
ch ie f physician , o ve rseer o f th e two treasuries, g randee o f th e ha ll, I re newed its d ivin e e ndowment of bread , beer, oxe n , a nd fo wl,
great revered o ne in th e palace , th e h igh stewa rd ' Peftuan eith," Exceedi ng what it had been be fore .
e ngend e red b y th e co n troller of te mples, ad mi nist ra to r of De p , I ma de for it an o rchard ,
p rophet o f Horu s of Pe ," Siso bk , says: Pla nted with all fruit trees,
Its gardeners bein g fo reigne rs,
o every priest wh o shall p erform th e ri tes, Brou ght in as prison ers.
Kh entamenti will reward you Thirty pints o f win e were given fro m it daily
For reciting th e o fferi n g to me ,' To the alta r o f Kh entarnenti,
While kissing th e ground to Kh entamenti ; As a n o ffe r ing fro m it for all tim e .
For yo u see me blessed before yo u r god ,
Va lued by th e maj est y of my lo rd , I renewed the H ouse o f Life after its ru in.!"
Abo ve a ll his nobl es. I estab lished th e sus te na nc e (7) of Os ir is,
I a m a fri end for whom one should act,' I put all its p rocedures in order.
An excelle n t cra fts ma n wh o e mbe llishe d hi s house ." I built the god's boat o f p ine woo d ,
H a vin g found (it) mad e o f acacia wood.
I r eported th e co nd ition of Abydos, I suppressed cri me in T awer ,
To th e p alace , to hi s majesty's ear. I gua rded T awe r fo r its lo rd ,
His m ajest y o rdered m e to d o wo rk in Abydos, I p rotected all its p eo ple .
In o rd e r to rebuild Aby dos; I ga ve income fro m Tawer's d ese r t to the tem ple ,
I labored g reatly in restoring Abydos, H a vin g found it in the hands of th e co u nt,
I put e verything belongin g to Abydos in its place. So th at Abydenes (9) would have burials."
I lay awake seeking what was good for Ab yd os, I gave th e ferryboat " o f T awer to th e temp le ,
(3) I begged favors fro m m y lo rd d aily, Ha ving tak en it away fr om th e co u nt,
I n order to restore Ab ydos. 13

I built the te m p le o f Kh entamenti, I lis majesty p raised me for wh at I h ad d on e.

As a so lid work o f ete rnity,
At h is m ajesty's co m ma nd,
That h e m ight see p rosperity in th e affa irs o f Tawer ."
I su r rou nded it with wa lls of brick,
The shrine 'r~-M was of o ne block of granite,
The august cha pel of elect rum ,
O rna me n ts , di vine a mu lets, all sa cred objects
Were o f gold, silver , a nd all preciou s sto nes .
Ma y he give life to his so n , Amasi, Son of Ne ith ,
May he g ive me favors fro m th e King ,
A lid revered ness be fore (II) the G reat Go d!
() pri est, p ra ise god 1'0 1' me!
You who co rne lro m the te m p le blessed , sa y:
I\la y th e high steward Pcfru an cith ,
110m o r Na nes hnstc t, he ill rhc !\"od 's ha r k,
I\la y he rece ive c tc r lla l l>r<'ad .u t he head o r th e blessed !
36 ANCIENT EG YPT IA N LITERATURE
NOTES
I . Peftuaneith 's prin cipa l offices were those of chief p hysician, chief
treasurer, and high steward , th e last-named being the most important.
2. In its fu ll form the na me was Pef-tjau-awy-neith .
3. His father had held only priest ly positions in the clergy of Horus
of Buto, the town being called by its ancie nt names "Pe and Dep ."
4 . Throughout the text the su ffix o f the first person singular is not
wr itt en .
5. In th e phrase ink smr n ir nJ the writing ir stands for th e infinitive.
irt. In th is inscr iption the spe lling ir also serves for ir.i (line 4) and iry
(passive particip le) in line 7.
6. " H is house" probably refers to th e temple of Osiris.
7. The nome of Abydos .
8 . Wh. 1,306 .2 raises the qu estion whether wpg is identical with w-pkr,
the sacred spot in Abydos where the tomb of Osiris was located .
9. Kerke osiris . On place names form ed with g>-g = kerke, see J.
Yoyotte, RdE, 14 (1962), 83 ff.
10. T his is one o f the references to th e instit ution called the "House of
Life, " which was first stu d ied close ly by Gardiner in JEA , 24 (1938),
157- 179. Gardiner there defined its function too narrowly as that of a
scriptorium where religious books were compiled . His conclusions were
broad ened by Volt en , Trnumdeut ung , pp . 17- 44, and by P. Derchain , Le
Papyrus Salt 825 (Bru ssels, 1965), pp. 18 ff. The principa l subj ects
stud ied and practiced by th e member s of th e House of Life were
med icin e , magi c, th eology, ritua l, and dre am interpretation.
II . This transfer of income from a "count" to th e temple of Osiris
was dis cus sed by H . Kees (sec bibliography). He saw in it a redistribution
of revenues as part of the Saite d ynast y's reorganiz ation of landholdings.
It is a n int eresting sidelight th at this add itiona l income was to be used to
defr ay the burial costs of th e inhabitants of Abydos.
12. T h is may mean th e ferryboat tax .
13. An obscure senten ce with a lacuna. Otto , following Kees, took it to
mean , "for th e benefit o f Kerkeosiris ." J elinkova-Reymond rendered,
"Qu'Osiris aime [. . .J selon que Sa Majeste, etc."
STA T UE INSCRIPTION OF UDJAHORRESNE
Vatican Museum 158 [113]
A sta nd ing naophorous statue of green basalt. The head , shoulders,
and arms have been restored in mod ern times. Witho ut the restorat ion s
the statue is 0.70 m high. The naos conta ins a figure of Osiris. Th e
inscription is d istributed over th e stat ue 's bod y, th e naos, th e back plinth ,
an d th e base .
This is the most important biographical inscr iption from the time o f
the Persian domination of Egyp t. Udjahorresn e first served as a nava l
o ffice r under Kings Amasis and Psamtik III. He witne ssed the Per sian
invasion under Cambyses and th e destruction of the Saite state . T he
Persian king mad e him a courtier and appointed him priest o f Neith a nd
ch ief p hysician . Through his good stand ing with Ca mbyses, Udja hor-
TEXTS IN TH E C LAS S ICA L LANGUAGE 37
resne was able to obtain the recons ecration of the temple of Neith at Sais,
and t.o help the peop le o f Sais recover from the effects of the Persian
invasron.
Omitting to mention the circu msta nces that brought him to Persia, he
tells that King Dari us I sent him back to Egypt in order to revive the
activities of th e House of Life . The text dates from the ea rly years of th e
reign of Darius I.
Publication : Brugsch, Th esaurus , IV , 636-642 (text) and 682-698 ,
translation. G. Posener, La premiere domination perse en Egypte, Institut
francais d'archeologie orienta le, Cairo, Bibliotheque d'etude, I I (Cairo,
1936), pp. 1- 26, tex t, translation , and comments. A. Tulli in Miscel-
lanea Gregoriana , pp . 2 11-280.
Translation : Otto , lns chriften, pp. 169-173. Roeder, Gottenoelt,
pp.75- 86.
On the front and roof of the na os in six lin es
( I ) An offering that the King gives (to) Osi ris-H ern ag ;' A thousand of
h re ad , beer, o xe n, and fow l, everything good and pure , for the ka of
I he o ne honored by the gods of Sa is, the ch ie f physician, Udjahorresne .
An offering that the King g ives (to) Osiris who presides over the
l'alace :" A thousand of bread , beer, oxen, and fow l, clothing, myrrh ,
a nd unguent, and every good thing, for the ka of the one honored b y
a ll t he gods , the ch ie f physician , Udjahorresne.
(:\) 0 Osiris, lo rd of eternity! The chief ph ysici an, U djah o r resn e has
p la ced h is arms about yo u a s protection.' May your ka command that
a ll hlessings be done for him , acco rdi n g as h e protects yo ur chapel
1', ircve r .
Under the right arm in nin e lin es
(7) T h e o n e h onored by Neith-the-Creat , the mother of god ,' and
lo y Ih e gods of Sais, the prince, count, royal seal-bearer, sole co m -
pa n io n , t rue beloved King's friend , the scribe, inspector of council
" Tihes, ch ie f scribe of the great outer hall, administrator of the palace,
(\1) co m ma n d er of the roya l n avy under the King of Uppe r a n d Lower
Jo:~ y p t, Kh enemibre,' co m m a n d er o f the royal navy under the King of
t lp p e r and Lower Egypt, Ankhkare,' U dj a h o r r e sn e; engendered b y the
.u h u in ist r a to r of the castle s (of the r ed crown ), ch ic f-o f- Pe priest,
II/I,· p r iest , priest of the Horus Eye, prophet of Neith who presides
" v,' r t h e nome of Sais , Peftuaneith ; (I I) he says :
T he Grea t C h ie f o f a ll foreign la nds , Cambyses ca me to Egypt, and
1111' I()re ign pe oples o f every foreign la n d were with him . When h e had
,,, n'l ne red th is la n d in its e n t ir ety, they established th emselves in it ,
nlld he wa s Grea t Ru ler of Egyp t a nd G reat Ch ie f of all fo reign lands."
I Iis m aj e sty a ssig ned 10 me th e o ffice o f ch ie f physician. (13) H e
111;1I!t: m e live a t hi s side as co m p a n io n a nd ad m in istrato r of the palace .
38 ANCI EN T EG YPT IAN LITERATURE
18 co m p osed his titulary, to wit his nam e of King of Up pe r a nd Low e r
Eg ypt, Mesutire?
I le t his maj esty kn ow th e g re atness o f Sais , th at it is th e sea t o f
Neith-the-Great , the mother wh o bore Re and ina ugu ra ted birth wh en
birth had not ye t be en ; a nd th e nature o f the g reatness o f th e temp le
o f Neith, that it is heaven in its every as pect; a nd th e nature of th e
g reatn ess o f the castles o f Nei th, ( 15) a nd o f all th e go ds a nd go dd esses
wh o are there ; a nd th e natu re of the g reatness of th e Palace. '" tha t it is
th e se a t of the So vereign , th e Lo rd of Heaven;" a nd th e nature o f th e
g reatness of the Resenet an d Mehen et sanctua ries ;" a nd of th e H ouse
of Re a nd th e H ouse of Atu m , th e mystery o f all th e gods.
Under the left ann in eight lines
(16) The o ne honored by h is city-god a nd all the go ds , th e prince ,
co u n t, roya l seal-b earer , so le co m pa n io n , true beloved King's frien d,
the ch ie f physician, Udj ahor res ne , born o f Atemirdis, he says :
I made a petiti on ( 18) to th e majesty of the King o f Up pe r and
Lower Eg ypt , Cambyses, about all th e foreigners who dw elled in the
temple of Neith, in ord er to have th em exp elled from it, so as to let th e
temple o f Neith be in all its sp len do r. as it had been before . His
majesty co mmanded to expel a ll th e foreigners (20) [who] dw elled in
the temple of Neith , to d emolish all th eir houses and all th eir unclean
things that were in this temple .
Wh en they had ca r r ied [a ll th eir] personal [belo ngings] o u tside the
wa ll of the temple , his majesty co m ma nd ed to cleanse th e temple o f
Neith a nd to return all its personnel to it, (22) th e - - - and th e
hour-priests of th e temple. Hi s majest y co m manded to give divine
o ffe rings to Neith -rh e-C reat , th e mother o f god , a nd to th e g reat gods
o f Sa is, as it had been before . Hi s majesty co m ma nded [to perform] a ll
th eir festi vals and a ll th eir p rocessions, as had been done before. Hi s
majest y did th is beca use I h ad let his majesty kn ow th e g rea tness of
Sais, th at it is th e city of all th e gods, who dw ell th ere on th eir seats
foreve r.
On the left side oj the naos base in Jour lines
(24) The one hono red by th e gods of Sais, the ch ie f ph ysician ,
Udjaho r resne , he says :
The King o f U p pe r a nd Lo wer Eg ypt, Cambyses, ca me to Sais . H is
majesty went in person to th e temple o f Ne ith . H e mad e a great
prostration before h er majesty, as every kin g h as d one. He made a
g rea t offering (26) of eve ry good thin g to Ne ith-the-Grea t, th e mothe r
o f god, and to th e great gods wh o a re in Sais, as eve ry beneficent kin g
has done . His maj esty did this becau se I had let h is majesty kn ow th e
g l'eatn ess of her maj esty Ne ith , that she is th e moth er o f Re h ims elf.
TEXTS IN T HE C LASS ICA L LAN G U A G E 39
On the right side oj the naos base in three lines
(28) The o ne honored by Os iris -H emag , th e ch ief ph ysician , Udj a-
horresne, he says: Hi s majesty did eve ry benefi cence in th e temple of
Ne ith. H e es ta blishe d th e presentation o f libat ions to th e Lord o f
Fre r ni ty'" in th e temple o f Ne ith , as every king had done before , (3 0)
I I is majesty d id th is because I had let h is maj esty kn o w how eve r y
bene ficen ce had been do ne in th is temple by every king , becau se o f the
~ rea t n ess o f this temple , wh ich is th e seat o f all th e go ds eve rlasting.
On the leJt wall oj the naos and on the statue's gan nent
in six lines
c~ I ) Th e o ne honored by the go ds o f the Sa ite nom e , th e ch ie f
ph ysician , Ud ha ho rresne, he says: I have es tablishe d the d ivin e
o ffe ri ng of Neith -t he-Creat, th e moth er o f god , accord ing to hi s
ruaj c st y's co m ma nd for all e te rn ity. I mad e a (p ious) fo u nda tio n for
Nc ith , mistress of Sa is, o f eve ry good th ing , as does a serva nt (33) who
is use fu l to hi s lo rd.
I a m a m an wh o is good in h is town , I rescu ed its inh abitants fro m
1he very g reat turmoil when it happened in th e wh ole land ," th e like
"I' whi ch h ad not h appened in this lan d . I d e fe nd ed th e weak (35)
; , ~a i n s t the stro ng. I rescu ed th e timid man wh en misfortune ca me to
him ." I d id for th em e ver y benefice nce wh en it was time to act for
lit em .
On the right wall oj the naos and on the statue's gar ment
in six lines
(:\7) ' The o ne hono red by his city-god , th e chie f ph ysician , Udj a-
ho rresne , he says : I a m one honored by his fath e r , praised by his
111,,1 her, the intimat e o f h is brothers . I es ta blished th em in th e o ffice o f
p roph et. I gave th em a p roducti ve field by h is majesty's co mma nd for
(:\!l) a ll e te rnity. I mad e a fine tomb fo r h im who lacked o ne. I
su p po rt ed all th ei r child re n . I esta blished all th eir househ olds. I did
1,, 1' the m every benefi cen ce as a fa ther d oes fo r h is so n , whe n the
um uoi l happen ed in (4 I ) th is nome , in the midst o f the very great
1II I'I IIoil th at happened in th e wh ole land .
On the back plinth in three colu mns
(·1:1) T he prince , cou n t, royal seal-bearer , so le co m pa n ion, p rophet
"I' I hose by wh om o ne lives;" the ch ie f physician , Udja horresne , born
"I' A rc m ird is, he sa ys: The maj esty o f th e Kin g of Up per and Lowe r
Efo: ),p l, Darius, e ve r-living , co m ma nd ed me to return to Egypt-wh en
his In'ljcsl y was in Elruu a nd was G rea t Ch ie f of all foreign lands a nd
( :,, 'al Ru ler o f Ej.(ypl -ill nrd r-r 10 res tore the es tablish me nt o f th e
11' "I S(' " f L i fe - - - , ' 7 a l'l"r il 1t:,,1 ,\('ca)'cd . T he fo re ij.( ne rs carricd me
40 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITER AT U R E
fro m cou ntry to co u n try. T hey d eliver ed me to Egyp t as com m a nded
b y th e Lord of th e T wo Land s . . 18 •
I did as hi s m aj e st y h ad co m ma nded m e . I furn ished them with a ll
th ei r staffs co nsist ing of th e wellborn , n o lo wborn among th em . I
pl a ced them in the cha rge of eve ry learned m an (45 ) [Ii n ?rder to
tea ch th em'] a ll th e ir cr a fts . H is maj esty had co m m a n ded to g Ive th em
ev e ry good thin g , in o rd e r th at th e y mi ght carry o ut a ll thei~ cra ft~. I
su p p lie d th em w it h everyth ing use ful to them , with a ll th ei r eq u Ip -
m ent that was o n record , as th e y h ad be en befo r e .
H is m aj e sty d id th is be cause h e kn ew t he wort h o f th is guild" in
m akin g live all that are sick, in m akin g e n d u re fore ver the names o f a.1I
th e gods, the ir temple s , their o f fe ri ngs , a n d the co n d u ct o f their
fe sti val s .
O n the right side oj the statile base in one line
(4 6) T he ch ie f ph ysician , U djahorres ne, h e says: I was o ne who was
h o n ored b y all hi s m a st ers , m y be in g '0 T hey gave m e o rn a-
m ents o f gold a n d d id for m e every beneficence .
On the left side oj the statue base in two lines
(4 7) O ne h onored by Neith is h e wh o shall say : " 0 g reat ? ods wh~
a r e in Sa is! R emember a ll the benefact ions d on e b y the ch ie f ph ysi-
cia n , U dj a horres ne . And may yo u d o fo r hi m a ll b ene fact ions! May
yo u ma ke h is good name endu re in th is la n d forev er!"
:"olOTES
I . A particu lar form o f Osiris worsh iped at Sais and e lse~ here:
2 . T his is the ~wt-bit , " mansio n of th e bee," the sanctua ry. in w h lc~
Os ir is was wors hi pe d . Its precise relat ion to th e temple of Nelt~ at Sa is
is not clea r ; see H . Rank e, MDIK, 12 (1943) , 118 (2), and G. Vitt ma n n,
ZAS, 103 (19 76) , 144 (a) .
3. T h is re fers to th e att itude o f the na opho rou s sta tue, whose two
arms hold a sma ll shrine in which sta nds a figure of Osi ris .
4 . T he su n-god Re.
5. T hrone nam e of Kin g Amas is.
6. T hrone na me of King Psam tik II I. . ro nse ns us no w is that Somtute fna kht began his career under Necta ne bo
7. This is Udjahorresne's very guarded accou nt o f the Persian
co nq uest of Egypt. . . . . . .
8. T he firs t-person suffix is missing severa l u rnes m this mscripuo n.
9. "O ffs pring of Re ," the throne nam e of Ca mbyses.
10. T he hun-bit: see n . 2, abov e.
I I. Os iris is meant.
12. O n th ese two sanctuaries of Sais see no w P. Kap lo ny in Berlin
Festschrift, pp. 119 ff.
13. Osiris.
14. Ano the r allus ion to the Persian conq ues t ; a third refer en ce to it is
in lines 40 -4 I.
T EXTS IN TH E C LASS ICA L LANG UAG E ·11
15. Sp = " misfo rt une, tro ub le," as in Harwa's inscri ption: see p . :lH,
n .4 .
16 . I.e. , th e gods . This seems to be the most likely interpret at io n 01'11",
ph rase 'niJ irn.sn.
17. For th e short lacuna a fter " Ho use of Life" Posen er had pro posed
th e rest oration "o f Sais, ' whil e Ga rdiner (jEA , 24 [1938], 157 - I5!1)
argu ed in favor o f restoring nw ir sinw and rendering th e whole phrase as
"the d epartment (s) of th e House(s) of Life deali ng with med icine." But
medicine was o nly o ne of th e severa l crafts practiced by th e members o f
th e H ouse o f Life. Moreove r, th e many occu rrences of the term " Ho use
of Life" which Ga rdi ner asse mbled in his study lack all q ualifying e pi-
thets, except for the occasiona l e p ithe t n nb tJ .wy, "o f the Lord of th e Two
Lands." It seem s to me more likely th at th e lacu na contai ned a phrase
suc h as "in a ll its parts."
18. Wh atever stood in the lacu na di scu ssed in th e precedi ng no te
acco u nted for th e plu ral prono un here.
19. All tran slat ors have rendered hmui.! as "a rt. " I bel ieve it is the wo rd
"collectiv ity of craftsmen" (Wb . 3,85 .5 - 8), fo r it is followed by Udja-
horresn e's su mma ry o f the vari ou s activities of th e House of Life. T h is
su m ma ry, thou gh not a co mp lete description, is highl y instru ctive. T he
su bj ects a nd cra fts stu d ied a nd practiced by th e members of th e Ho use of
Life incl ud ed medi cin e, theology , temple ad min istra tion, and ritual. See
also p . 36, n. 10.
20 . Several unclear signs .
STELA OF SO MTUTEFNA KHT
Nap les Museum 1035
Disco vered in 1765 during th e excavatio n of th e temp le of Isis at
Pompe ii, the ste la is now in the Na ples Museum. Origina lly it mu st have
stood in th e te mp le o f Harsaphes at Heracleopo lis Magn a (H nes) . The
ste la measures 1.05 by 0.44 m and has twent y ho rizontal lin es of inscrip-
' io n. Above th e text is a re lief fr ieze co nsisting of fourteen sta ndi ng
fig-ures and fou r hierogl yph s. T h is frieze is a rebu s which re ads in
Iran slati o n : " Ho no red by Harsa ph es, King of th e Two Lan ds . ru ler of
th e ri verbank s, lo rd of H nes." Th e person "ho nored" is, of course ,
So mtu tefna kht , the owner of th e stela.
Since no king is me nt ione d by name, th e historical eve nts to which
So mtu tefna kht a lludes have been int erpreted in vari ou s ways. The
II n 59- 34 1), passed into th e servi ce of the Persians who had recon-
qu e red Egypt in 34 I, and , fro m th e Pe rs ian side , witn essed the big batt les
iu which Alexander th e Great defeated Darius Il l. T he reafter , inspire d
hy a d ream in which Harsaphes, the go d of his ho metown , ap peared to
him . he re tu rned to Egy p t and res u me d his pri est ly office. Dre am s in
which a g-od gives di rection s to th e dream er are reco rde d in Egyptia n
u-xts since the Ne w King-dom and play an important ro le in th e Lat e
Pcri()(l.
Puhlicat ion : o.« /I , PI' . 1- 6. P. T resson , B IFA O , 30 (193 1),
:\1;\1-:19 1 a nd rh re« plal" s (n-xt. t ra nslar ion . a nd comme ntary).
"lra nsla rio u : Rocd e r , ( ;;;""111" '/' , pp. ~ 1(1 - 2 1 9 .
 TEX T S I N THE C LA SS ICAL LAN G UA G E 43
42 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
You r majesty saying to me:
For additional references see Tresson, op. cu. , Pl" 37 Iff.
On dreams and dream interpretation see: Bonnet, RARG, Pl' · 835- "Hurry to Hnes , I protect you !"
838 . S. Sauner o n in L es songes et leur interpretation , Sources o rient ales , I crossed th e co un tries ( 13) all alone,
2 (Paris , 1959), 19- 61. I sa iled th e se a unfearin g ,
Kn owing" I had no t neglected you r wo rd ,
(I) The prince, cou nt , royal treasurer, sole co mpa nio n; priest of I reached Hnes, my head no t robbed of a ha ir. rn
Horus , lord of Hebnu; priest o f the gods of th e Oryx nome; ' priest of As my be ginning was good throu gh you ,
Somtus of Yat-hehu ;" divin e mouth , supervisor of the riverbank; chief So have you m ad e my end co m p lete,
priest o f Sakhmet in the who le land , Somtutefnakht; son o f the ma ster You gave me a lo ng lifetime in gladness ."
of grain , (3) the priest of Arnen-Re , lord of Persh at , Djedsomtu- (15 ) 0 every priest wh o serves th is august god ,
efa n kh, born of the lady Ankhet; he says: H arsaphes, Kin g o f the Two Lands ,
Re-H arakhti, Lord-of-A ll,
o Lord of Gods , H arsaphes. " Beneficen t Ram in Hnes,
King of the Two Lands , Atu m, foremost in the N aret nome ;"
Ru ler of the shores , H igh p r iest of the Ram , the primev al force ,
Whose rising illumin es the ea r th, Se r va n t of th e Ram, th e begetting bull ,
Whos e right eye is th e sun-disk , Scarf-we arer" of the lo rd of th e sh ores,
Whose left eye is the moon , H is-b eloved-son" of th e King of th e Two Lands,"
Whose ba is (5) th e sun light, You who e nter heaven" a nd behold those in it-
From wh ose nostrils co me s the northwind, H arsaphes, King of th e Two Land s,
To make live all things! Atum within h is robing room,
I am yo u r servant, Khnum , great god in the cha pe l,
My heart is o n your water,' And th e King of Eg ypt, Wennofer-c-"
I h ave filled my heart with you. Your nam es will last on ea r th ,
I sustained no town exc ep t you r town, With th e blessings o f H arsaphes ,
I fai led not to p lace its fame before all; King of th e Two Lands , for saying:
My heart sought justice in yo ur temple (7) night and d ay, "M a y th e gods and god d esses in Hnes bless you,
You rewarded me for it a million times. T he o ne blessed by h is lo rd ,
You gave me access to the pa lace , Revered in his nome, Somtutefnakh t."
The h eart of the Good Cod " was pl eased by my speech . II will be us eful to yo u rse lves ,
You distinguished me before milli ons, i\ nother will pronounce you r nam es in afte ryea rs .
When yo u turned yo u r ba ck on Egypt."
NOT ES
You put love of me in the heart of Asia 's ruler, '
(9 ) His courtie rs praised god for me. I. The 16th nome of Upper Egypt.
He gave me the o ffice of chief priest of Sakhmet, . 2. The god Somtu s, "U niter of the T wo Lands ," for whom Sorntu-
n -Iu nkht was named , had a sanctuar y named Yat-hehu at Her ad eopolis
In pl ace of m y mother's brother, Mag-n a (I-Ines). Depicted with a falcon head , he was often identi fied with
The ch ie f priest of Sakhmet of Upper a nd Lo wer Egypt, l luru s,
Nekhthenb. :1. Represented as a ram, Harsaph es, "He who is upon his lake," was
I he principal god of Heracleopolis Magna, the metropoli s of the 20th
You protected me in th e co mba t of the G reeks, ~ ' '' llIe
of Uppe r Egypt. Associated with other great gods, he is here
When you repulsed th ose o f Asia ." Invo ked in terms app lying to the sun-god Re.
(II) They slew a million a t my sides, 'I. Metaph ori cal expression for "loyalty" and "devotion."
And n o one ra ised his a r m agains t me . r•. The king, and t liis mus: he King Ncctancbo II, the last nat ive king
Itf Eg-y pl.
Thereafter I sa w you in my slee p,
44 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
6. An allusi on to th e re conquest o f Egypt by Artaxerxes II I.
7. The Persi an king.
8. Stati oned on th e Persian side , So mtutefnakht witne ssed th e vic-
tories of Alexander th e Great over Darius II I.
9. In BIFAO, 53 (1953), 103 - 105, H. de Meu lenaere showed th at the
word is to be read rh.kioi.
10. As Tresson ob se rved, the phrase re calls th e biblical express ion,
" No t a hair shall fall from his head " (I Sam uel xiv,45; II Samuel xiv, I I ;
I Kings i,52; and Luk e xx i,18 ).
I I . So , rather th an "May you give me a long lifet ime in gladness ."
Somtutefnakht is looking ba ck on man y years of turbulence which he
lived th rough unscathed.
12. Harsaphes is here id entified with Re-Harakhti and Atum . The
sac red naret tr ee was worshiped at Heracleopolis,
13. A priest ly tit le.
14. A priestly title .
15. Harsaph es is also g ive n the design ation "King of Egypt."
16. The temple .
17. In his temple Harsaphes was worshiped togeth er with Atum ,
Khnum, and Osiris.
FO UR I NSC RIPTIO NS FROM THE TOMB OF PETOSIRIS
In th e Necropolis of Hermopolis
Discovered in 1919 , this su mptuous tomb was found to have been built
by Pet osiris, high pri est o f Thoth, for him self a nd for th e members of
his fam ily. The inscriptions allow us to trace the hi story ofth ~ famil y over
five ge ne ra tio ns, beginn ing with th e gr~ nd fa th er o f Pet osir is, In eac h
ge neration the men held the office of high priest of Thoth at Hermo-
polis Magna, th e town whi ch was the foremost cu lt center of Thoth .
Though no kings are mentioned , th e buildin g and de cor au.on of th e
to mb is to be ass ign ed to the end of the fou rth and th e begmmng o f th e
third centuries B.C . The hist ori cal allus ions in the inscr iptions mak e it
virtually cert ain th at th e grandfather of Petosi ris , Djedthoth efankh
(Djed- T ho th-ef-a nkh) an d his father Sishu (o r , Nes-Shu ) held o~fi~e
under the kings o f the Thirtieth Dynasty. The elder brother of Petosl~IS ,
Djedthothefankh II , and Petosiris himself witnessed the second Persi an
co nq uest of Egypt (34 1-332). Du r ing this time Petosiris succeeded his
brother in the offi ce of high priest o f Thoth , and for a period of seve n
years he also held th e o ffice of co ntroller of th e temple. In th at capac ity
he rebuilt th e temples tha t had suffere d in th e war. He probabl y still
served th e temple in th e years following Alex ander th e Great's conquest
o f Egypt. His son and hi s grandson co ntinue d to bui ld and deco rate th e
tomb in th e tim e o f Ptolemy I.
The tomb has th e a p pea ra nce of a sma ll temple. It consists of a tra ns-
ve rse hall (pronao s) with a colo nna ded facade , and a cha pel almost
squ are in sh ape . Fou r pillars support th e cha pe l's roo f an d d ivide the
sp ace int o three sections. Near th e ce nte r ~f the cha pel's 1I00r IS the
co vere d p it tha t lead s to th e subte rranean burials. These were plund ered
in Roman times.
Th e reli e fs a nd inscrip tio ns in the transverse hall a re devot ed ent irel y
TEXTS IN T HE CLASS ICA L LANG UA G E
45
to Pet os.iris . All scen es and texts re lating to his family arc in th e cha pel.
The reliefs re veal a ce r ta in amount of Greek influ en ce . especially in a
scen~ sho~l~g th e family ga thered aro und th e tomb 10 make a sacr ifice.
The rns cr rpt ro n s .conta in mat erials from all period s. There are cha p ters
from the Pyram id Texts an d .th~ Book of th e Dead, su n hymns, and
newly ~o~posed texts . Of spe.Clal mterest .a.re a se ries (~ f texts expre ssing
the rehglous philosophy of life o f Pet osiris an d his fami ly, cast in the
fo r m of sp ee ches by Pet osiris and by members of his famil y. They cent er
on t~,e co ncep t .of th e "wa y of life," which is also ca lled th e "way of
God , ~nd provide th e most elaborate statem ents of pe rson al mo rality
and p~J1osophy th at have survived from th e Late Peri od (apa rt frdm th e
De~otlc Instr uctio ns). The life lived on th e "way of God" is a life of
rectltuc;!e, pIet y, su ccess, and happiness.
1 9~~~hcatlOn : G . Lefebvre, L e tombeau de Petosiris, 3 vo ls. (Ca iro , 1923 -
Transla,~ion o f ~everal inscr iptions: Otto, Inschriften, pp. 174-184.
011 the way of hfe": B. Co uroye r, "Le chemin de vie en Egypt e et en
Israel ," RE, 56 (1949), 412-432 .
T H E LONG BIOGRAPHICAL INS CRIPTION OF PETOSIRIS
Inscription No . 8 I
East Wall of Chapel, 92 columns
( I ) His b~Jov~d yo u nge r son ,' owner of all h is property, the Great
n ne o f th.e FIve , t~e m aster of the (holy) se ats , the high p ri est who sees
11,(, g-od In h IS shrine , who carries his lord' a n d follows his lord , who
f".'lers Into the h ol y o f holies, who p erforms his functions togeth er
IVI ~ h the gre at prophets; the prophet of the O gdoad,' ch ie f of the
pnc sts o f (fi) Sakhmet, le ader of the priests of the third and fourth
I:h yle s ; the royal scribe who reckons all the property in the temple o f
Klu n u n ; the second prophet of Khnum-Re , lord of Herwer, a n d o f
/1:01 hor, lad y of Nefrusi;' the phylarch o f the se cond phyle of the
If',nJlle o f Herwer and that of Nefrusi, the prophet of Amen-Re and
o f Ihe god s of those place s, Petosiris , the rev ered , ca lle d (A n )kh e f( e n )-
Id" in s. born of the lad y Nefer-renpet, justified; h e sa ys :
( I 0 ) 0 e ve ry prophet , every priest, eve ry scholar,
Wh o e nter th is necropolis and see th is tomb
Prai se god for him who acts (for me) , '
Praise god for them who act (for m e )!'
For I wa s on e h onored by his fathe r ,
Prai sed b y his m oth er,
( :r:ociou s to his broth ers.
I b uilt Ih is tomb ill this nec ropolis ,
Iksid e 'h e g- rea l sou ls who are th e re,
III o rde r th at Illy f:lll,,:r 's uam « he p ronounced,
46 AN C1ENT EG YPT I AN LITERATURE
And that of m y elder brother,
A man is r eviv ed when his name is pronounced !
The west is th e abo de o f h im who is faultless ,
Praise god for th e man wh o has reached it!
N o m an will attain it,
U n less hi s heart is exact in doing right.
The poor is not di stinguish ed the re from th e rich,
Only h e wh o is found free o f (2 0) fau lt
By scale an d weigh t before ete rnity' s lord.
Th ere is none exem pt fro m being reckoned :
Thoth as Baboon in cha rge o f th e balance
Will re ckon each man for h is d eeds on earth,
I was on the wat er o f Khmun's lord since my birth,
I had all hi s pl ans in my heart .
(H e ) ch ose m e to ad m in iste r (25) his temple ,
Knowing I re spected him in my heart.
I spent seven yea rs as co ntrolle r for this god ,
Administering hi s e ndowme nt without fault being found ,
While the Ruler-of-forei gn-lands was Protector in Egy pt,
And nothing was in its former place,
Since fighting h ad started (30) inside Egypt,
The South being in turmoil, th e North in revolt;
The people walked with rh ead turned ba ckl ,
All temples were without th eir servants,
The priests fled , not knowing what was happening .'
When I be came co ntrolle r for Thoth, lord of Khmun ,
I put the temple o f Thoth in (35) its former co nd ition .
I ca u sed every r ite to be as befo re ,
Every priest (to se rve) in h is p roper tim e .
I made g reat hi s p riests,
Ad vanced hi s temple's h ou r-priests;
I promoted all his se rva nts,
I ga ve a rule to his attendants.
I d id not reduce th e o f ferings in h is temple ,
I filled (40) h is g ra n aries with barley and e m me r ,
His treasury with every good thing .
I increased wh at th ere h ad been before ,
A n d ev ery citize n p rai sed go d for me.
I ga ve silver, gold, a nd all precious sto nes ,
So that I gladdened th e h earts o f th e priests,
And of a ll th ose wh o work in th e gold house,
And m y heart rejoiced (45) in it.
T EXTS IN THE CLASSI CAL LAN G U AG E 47
I m ade sp le nd id wh at was found ruined a ny where
I restored wh at had d ecayed lon g ago , '
And was no longer in its pla ce .
I stretche d th e co rd , released th e lin e ,
T o ~o u ~ d the temple o f Re in th e park .'
I bu ilt It o f fine wh ite limesto ne
A nd fin ish ed with all kind s of ;or k '
(50) It s d oors a re of pi ne wood, '
Inlaid with Asia n co p per.
I made Re resid e in it
T he nu rslin g in th e isie of fire .'
I built th e house of th e god desses
Insid e th e house o f Khnum
Ha vin g found th e ir house w as o ld .
Th ey dwell in the temple o f Thoth , lord of Khmun
(55) "Fe~tive chap el of th e godd esses," people call it:
I ts face IS tu rn ed east. to
f built th e hou se o f Nehmetawa y, "the o ne wh o-m ad e-what-is'
~ nd t~e ho~se o f H atho r, lady of th e south ern syca mo re , '
I'h e like o f Nehmetaway, the moth er o f go d .
I built th em o f fin e white limestone
Fin ish ed with all kinds of work '
(0 0) I mad e th es e god desses d~ell th ere .
I ma? e a n e nclos u re a ro u nd th e park ,
Lest It be trampl ed by th e rabble
For it is the birthplace o f every ~od,
.\~ I ~o ca me into being in th e beginning.
I his spot, wretches h ad damaged it,
l nt rud ers had t ra versed it :
Th e fr uit (65) of its trees ha d been eaten
lis sh r u bs tak en to int rud ers' h om es' '
T he wh ole land was in uproar about it,
I~ lid Eg ypt was d ist ressed by it,
1'01' the hal f o f th e egg" is buried in it.
I mad e a so lid work of th e wa ll of Khrnuri 's te m p i
'1';' 7 1ad d e n the h.eart of (my) lad y (70) Nehmetaw~~,
\\ hen she sees thi s wo rk eve r y d ay.
No w whe n I was before this god dess .
I h -ker. lad y o f ll crwcr."
"I I ~er beautiful l'casl of t hc yea r's last rnon rh ,
I 1)('11Ig- CO lli roll er o f Thol h ,
SII<' went to a S p O I ill I h.. 11 011 h of 1 his 1011'11,

AN C IENT EGYPT IAN LIT ERAT U RE
48
To " House o f H eket," as it is ca lled b y a ll,"
Whi ch was ruined since time (75) immemorial.
T he wa te r h ad carried it off every year,
T ill it s fo u ndation pl an was n o lon ge r seen ,
It o n ly wa s ca lled " House of H e ket,"
While n o brick n o r stone wa s t h e re ,
T hen the god dess h al te d t here."
I sum mo ned the te m pl e scribe of this god dess,
I gave hi m silver without co unting,
To m ake a m onu m e nt there fro m that day .
I bu ilt a great (80) ra m part aroun~ it ,
So t hat th e water co u ld not carry It o ff.
I wa s d iligent in co ns u lt ing the scholars ,
So a s to organ ize the ri tes,
B y wh ich this goddess is serve ~,
And co ntent h e r t ill she knew It was done .
My lo rd T hoth d istin guished ( me ) above a ll ( my ) peers ,
As rewar d for my enrichi ng h im ,
W ith a ll good thin gs, with silver .a nd gold,.
With (85) h arvests a nd p roduce In grana rIes ,
W ith fie lds , w it h cattl e ,
W ith orchards of grapes ,
W ith o rc hards of a ll fruit trees ,
W ith ships o n t he water ,
Wi t h a ll good things o f t he sto reh ou se ."
(I) was favo red by t he r ul e r o f Egypt,
I wa s loved by hi s courtiers.
Ma y th is too b e given me a s re ward :
Leng th of lifetime in gla d ness of h e art ,
A good b urial a fter o ld age ,
M y corpse interred in this tomb,
Be side m y fa ther and e ld er brother,
I b eing b les sed b y (9 0) the lo rd of Khm u n ,
A n d a lso a ll the gods of Un,
My h ou se m a in tain e d b y my chi ld re n,
W it h so n succeed ing son!
May h e who co mes h e r e afte r say:
. . d 1" 16
"A serva nt of hi s god till ve rrera tron ay .
TEXTS I N THE CLASS ICA L LANGUAGE 49
NOTES
I . The text is inscribed in that section of the cha pel which Petos iris
had dedicated to his father Sishu. T his is why he begins by identifying
himself as his fa ther's you nger so n.
2 . Title of the h igh priest of T hoth at Hermopolis.
3. l.e ., who carries the stat ue of the god in procession.
4 . T he eigh t p rimeval god s whose cu lt ha d originated at H er rnopol is.
5. Herwer and Nefrusi were importan t towns in the Hare no me ,
the 15th nome of Up per Egypt, of whic h Herm opolis (Kh mun , Un) had
beco me the metropolis (see AEO , II , 79*-87*). Petosiris held priestly
functions in all three towns .
6. "Act ing " in the sense of wors hiping an d reciting th e prayer for
offerings.
7. Th is description of turmoil probably refers to the fina l years of
Pers ian dom ination and th e beginni ng of Macedoni an ru le, when order
was res tored . T he Greek eleme nts in th e decoration make it certain tha t
the tomb was built after Alexander's con quest of Egypt , and so unfl at-
tering an accoun t of d isord er u nder foreign ru le would har dly have been
written in Macedonian times if it we re meant to re fer to a Maced onian ,
rath er tha n a Persian , ruler.
8. As a ru le only Pharaoh cou ld perform the te mp le-foun ding
cere monies wh ich Petosir is here carried ou t himself.
9. A reg ion of th e eas tern sky where the sun-god was born. On "fire
islan d" and "fire lake" see H. Kees, ZAS, 78 (1943), 4 1-53 , an d H.
Alten miiller, ZAS , 92 (1965 /66) , 86 - 95.
10. It is no t clear who the goddesses were for who m Petos iris built a
"festive chapel" within the p recinct of the temple ofThoth. T hey do not
see m to be ident ical with the goddesses Hathor and Ne h metaway whose
tem ples he also built, as told in the next lines.
I I . This is the egg fro m wh ich the su n-god was born in the beg inning
of creation . Th e parallel text in In script ion No . 62 has "the two halves of
rhc egg."
12. T he goddess Heket of neighborin g He rwer was re presente d as a
frog an d wors hiped as a giver of life. She was associated with Neh rne ta-
way of Hermopolis and with the eigh t primeval gods of that city.
I :~ . Literally, "from mou th to mouth. "
14. I.e. , carried th rough the town in procession , the goddess halted at
I he spot whe re a te mple of hers had been to indicate her wish th at it be
rebui lt,
15. The p hrasing of lines 83-84 does not make it clear whet her the
good s e nu merated in lines 84-87 were given by Petos iris to the temple
nfThoth or by the god to Petosiris in re ward for his many ben e factions
,,' I he temples.
1Ii. l.itera lly, "till revered ness ," i.e., "till death ." T he word serves bot h
il S a term for old age and as a euphe mism for death.
50 AN CI ENT EG YPT IAN LITERATURE
TWO SPEECHES OF SISH U FATHER OF PETOSIRIS
I. Inscription No. 116
West Side of Pillar A in Chapel, 6 columns
(I ) An offering that th e Kin g gi ves to Os ir is-Khentamenti , th e g reat
god lord of Ab ydos, th at h e may gi ve [an offe ring of a th ousand o f
bre~d a n d beer, oxe n and fo wl, alabaste r and clothing , oi nt me nt a nd ]
in cense , a thousand of eve ry thi ng good and pure to th e ka of th e
o wne r of this tomb, the Gre at o ne o f th e Five , th e maste r of th e (holy)
se ats , the second prophet o f Khnurn-Re , lord of H erwe r, a nd of
Hathor, lady of Ne fru si; the phylarch o f th e second ph yle o f th e
temple of Herwer and that o f Nefrusi, Sishu , justified ; he says :
o yo u who are ali ve o n earth ,
And yo u who shall be born,
Who shall come to this d esert,
Who sh all see th is tomb a nd pas s by it :
Come let me lead (3) yo u to th e way of life ,
That you may sail with good wind , without getting stranded ,
That you ma y reach th e abode of generations,
Without coming to grief!
.I am a worthy deceased without fault,
If you hear (my> words,
If you cleave to th em,
You will find their worth.
Serving god is the good way, . .
Blessed is he whose h eart lead s him to It!
I speak to yo u of what happened to me ,
I let yo u percei ve th e pl an o f go~ , .
I let yo u dis cern knowled ge o f hIS might!
I have come h ere to th e city o f eternity,
Having done th e good upon ea rth ,
Having filled m y heart (5) with go d's way,
From m y yo u th until this d ay!
I lay down with hi s mi ght in my heart,
I rose up doin g hi s ka's wish ;
I did justice , abhor re d fal sehood , . (;,) - - - - --;
Knowing he live s by it (justice), is co ntente d by It.
I was pure as hi s ka d esires, . No on e kn ow s th e d ay he co mes ,
I joined not with him wh o ignores .god 's mi ght,
Rel ying on him wh o was lo yal to him.
I seized no goods from a ny man ,
I did no wron g to an yone ,
T EXT S IN T H E C LASS IC A L LAN G UA G E 51
All citize ns praised god for me .
I did this reme mb e ring I would rea ch go d after d eath ,
Kn owing th e d ay o f th e lords of j us tice,
Wh en th ey se pa ra te in j udgme nt !
On e p raises god fo r h im wh o lo ves god ,
H e will reach his tomb witho ut grief.
II. Inscription No. 127
Nort h Side of Pillar C in Chapel, 6 columns
( I) [T he o ne honored by O siri s, lo rd o f Mendes, Osi ris th e Ibi s]'
( )siri s th e Bab oon ;' th e Grea t o ne o f th e Five , th e master of the (holy)
scats, [the secon d p rophet o f] Khnum-Re , lord of He rwer, and o f
Il ath or, lad y of Ne frusi; th e ph ylarch o f th e seco nd ph yle o f th e
u-mple o f H erwer a nd th at of Ne frus i, Sish u, j us tified; son of th e
( -re at o ne o f th e Five , th e master of the (ho ly) sea ts, Djedthoth efankh,
m [justified ; he says ]:
[0 you wh o are alive o n earth] ,
And yo u wh o sha ll co me a fte r;
o ev ery man who reads writing ,
Come , read th ese writings that are in thi s tomb!
I sha ll lead yo u to th e way of life ,
I sh a ll teach yo u your conduct,
[Th at you ma y rea ch] (3) the abode o f ge ne ratio ns!
I r you cleave to m y words,
You will find th ei r worth ,
And will praise god for me on th eir accou nt.
Dr ink till drunk whil e e nj oy ing th e feast d ay!
Foll ow you r heart in the moment o n earth!
It profi ts (4) [ra man to make use o f his goodsl ].
As m an d epa rts his good s d epa rt,'
li e wh o inherits th em does h is wish in turn .
Th ere is no su nlig ht fo r th e ric h ,
No messe nger of d eath takes bribes,
So as to forget wh at [he] was sent [to d o],
Il l' goes quickl y like a dream ,
l t is god's skill to ma ke th e heart s forget it,
IIl1t a 10m lip plan! is he who is tak en you ng!"
l lis store ho use is rich in e very th ing.
(Ii) - - - - - - his he art.
52 A NCIENT EG YPTIAN LIT ERAT URE
God p uts it in the h e art of him wh om h e h ates,'
So a s to g ive h is goods to a nother wh om h e lo ves;
H e is the master of his riches ,"
H e b esto ws the m o n t heir owner.
Ble ssed is h e who fea rs" hi s god ,
So a s to put th e se thin g s in hi s hea rt.
N OT ES
I. T here is a lacuna of five to six squares at the beg in ning of each text
colu mn , an d these lacu nae hind er th e understanding. T he text is neve r-
th eless noteworthy for its juxtapos ition o f several basic them es: th e
ex ho rt ation to obse rve the "way of life"; the ad vice to enj oy life and make
use of one's possession s, for th ey can not be taken to the hereaft er; th e
allusio n to the herea fter as a land of darkness; th e observat ion that death
cannot be bribed (a th ought often found in Gree k epitaphs of the
Greco-Rom an pe riod ); a reference to the misfortune of prem ature
d eath ; an d the asse rt ion th at only the god is th e tru e owne r, and be-
sto wer , of wealth . All the thoug hts expressed here are represent ative o f
Egypt ian relig ious thinking in its fina l ph ase. It is worth e mp hasizing
th at th e urge to enjoy life was an integral part of th is piet y. It was on ly
when th e "make merry" motif was coupled with doubts abo ut the reality
of th e afte rlife, as in the Middle Kingdom Harper's Song f rom the Tomb of
King Inte], th at it became impi ou s (see An cient Egyptian Literature, I, 195).
2. Os iris is he re ide nt ified with T hot h, the "Ibis" and th e "Baboon."
3. T he th ou ght that man cannot take his goods to the hereaft er, which
had a lre ad y been ex pressed in the H arper's Song from the Tomb of King
l ntef , is h ere form ulated with the brief pith iness of a proverb: "In ....m ~t.f
4. The calamity of a premature death had befa llen a son of Petosir is,
as we learn from Inscri p tion No. 56.
5. Owin g to the lacuna, th e passage should be used with caut ion whe n
di scu ssing Egypti an views o n God 's int erv ention .
6. T he god is the "master of riches ," or, "lord o f th ings," (nb [It) ; the
sam e expression occurs in the inscription of the Berlin statue o f Haruia ,
see p. 27 .
7. T he wor d is misspe lled . Lefebvre, 0/1. cit., I, 161, and 11 , 91, too k it
to be th e verb uidn, "sacri fice"; I think it is JUd, "fea r."
SPEECH OF T HOTH REKH SON OF PETOS IRIS
Inscription No. 56
O n Door of Cha pel, II columns
( I) S peech of the Os iris, I th e Great o ne of th e Five , th e m ast er of th e
(h o ly) seats, T hothrekh ,j us tifie d , son of t he Great o ne of th e Five , t he
master of the (h o ly) seats, t he prie st Pe tosir is, the revered , born of th e
la d y Ne fe r -ren pet:
oyo u who are a live o n e a rt h,
Wh o s ha ll co me here 10 this d ese rt ,
TEXTS IN T HE CLASS ICA L LANG UA GE 53
A ll wh o co me to o ffe r in this gra veya rd:
Pronounce m y n ame with a b u n da n t libation ,
Thoth will favo r yo u fo r ( it )!
It is rewardi ng to act fo r h im who cannot ac t,
Th oth will requ ite t he d eed of h im who ac ts fo r me !
[He who praise s my ha], hi s ka will be praised,
H e wh o h arms m e , [h arm] will be d one [to him] ,
I a m a m an who se n ame sh ould be pronounced!
Who h e ars m y speec h , h is h eart will g rieve for it,
Fo r I am a s m a ll ch ild snatched b y fo rce,
A b r id ged in yea rs as a n inno cent o ne,
Snatched quickl y as a little one,
Like a man carried off by slee p.
I was a yo u ngste r o f - - - ' yea r s,
When tak en to the city o f e te rnity ,
To the a bod e o f the p e rfe ct so u ls ;
I th erefore reached the Lo rd of Go d s,
Wi t hout h a vin g h ad m y share .
I was ri ch in fri ends ,
A ll the m en of m y to wn ,
Not o ne of the m co u ld prote ct m e !
(5) A ll th e to wn 's p eo pl e , m en a n d wo men,
Lam ented very g reatly,
Because th e y sa w wh at h appe ned to me ,
For the y es tee med m e much.
A ll my frie n ds mou rned fo r me ,
Father a n d Mother implo r ed Death ;
My brothers, th e y were h e ad-on-knee ;
Since I reached this la n d of d eprivation."
Wh en p eople we re re ck oned before th e Lo rd o f Gods,
No fa u lt (of mine ) was found ;
I received b r ea d in th e h all of th e Two T ruths,
Wa te r fro m th e syca more as (o ne of) th e perfect so u ls.
You shall last in life , yo u shall foll ow Sokar,
Yo u s hall see t h e face of [Re ] in the morni n g ,
( 10 ) On t he New Year's feas t whe n he rise s
In th e g reat hou se o f th e temple of Khrn un ;
You sha ll fo llow T ho t h,
O n th a i be aut iful cla y of th e sta rt of In u nd a tio n ,
Yo u s h a ll h ea r till ' juhikuinu in th c tcmple of Khmun ,
54 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE T EXTS IN TH E CLASS ICAL LANG U AG E 55
When th e Golden o ne' appea rs to sh ow h er lo ve , ( I) Spe ech of th e prophet o f O siri s, th e roya l scribe , Wennofer,
I f yo u sa y whenever you co m e to this desert: horn of Nep hthys, justified:
" Ma y yo u r ka have all g ood things ,
Little ch ild whose time passed so qu ickl y, o m y lo rd O siris-Khentam enti ,
He cou ld not fo llow his h eart o n ea rt h!" Great god , lo r d of Abyd o s, lo rd o f Bu siris,
NOT ES
All t he gods , a n d Ma at, and the G rea t Counci l
Wh o are in the fo llowin g o f Osiris ! '
I . I.e. , th e de ceased Thothrekh; he had inh erited the famil y's priestly
rank but had died before hold ing o ffice. And Horus in Roau ,' Anubis, lo r d o f Sepa ,
2. It is not clear whet her a numeral stoo d in th e small lacu na. And Pta h in the e aste rn Memph ite nome!
3. The posture o f mourning. I wa s one h o n o red b y hi s fath er,
4 . The word is g3w , "narrowness, want." It is characteristic o f the texts Praised b y hi s m other,
la ment ing a premature death that they refer to the hereafter as a place Gracious to h is brothers ,
where on e suffers want whi le yet d escribing it in traditional terms. The
tenses em ployed in thi s sentence and in the following one could also be I did n o t do wh at yo u abhor upon earth.
understood as re ferring to th e future and rendered : "When I sha ll G ive m e in cense for the city o f e te rni ty,
rea ch .. . no fau lt (of mine) sha ll be fou nd," etc., but thi s wo uld not yield Water for th e graveyard o f th e west,
a suitable sen se ; for th e point of these laments over premature death is For I am a m an for whom one shou ld act!
that the dead is report ing on his cond ition in th e her eafter, a condi tion
that differs from tho se deceased who had lived a full life in that he (2) I wa s tru e -of-heart , impa rtial , trusted,
cont in ues to fee l deprived; see the inscriptions of Isenkhebe and T aimh o- One wh o wa lked on the wate r of go d .'
tep, wh ere thi s continu ing sorro w is brought out very clearl y. I wa s on e prais ed in h is town ,
5. Hathor.
Benefi cent in hi s nome ,
Gracious to everyone .
SAR COPH AG US-LID INSCRIPTION O F WEN NOF ER I wa s we ll-d isposed, popu lar:
Widel y lo ve d , cheerfu l.
From Saqqara
I wa s self-controlled in th e yea r of di stress,
Cairo Museum 29 3 10 Sw e et-to ngued , we ll-spoken .
The finel y carved sa rcop hagus-lid is o f whit e limeston e and over two I wa s a good shelte r for th e n eed y,
met e rs long. It dates from the Ptolem aic period . The sarcophagus itself O n e on whom ev ery m an co u ld lea n.
has not bee n found . The surface of the lid is covered with rel iefs and a
I wa s one w ho rwelcomed the stranger'l,"
lon g biographical inscription . The upper th ird o f the lid has relief scenes
a rra nged in five regi sters. T hey depi ct th e sky and the adoration of the i\ h e lpfu l ad visor, exce llent g u ide .
sun by numerous divinities. The biograph ical inscription begins below I was on e who prote ct ed th e weak from the strong,
the fift h register and runs d own the cente r of the lid in nine long vertical So as (3) to b e a ferryboat for e veryone .
colu m ns. Below it, in e ight horiz ontal lines, is an add itional text, not I wa s a wort h y n oble who did th e go ds' wish ,
translat ed here, which is spo ke n by the knife-carrying demon s that flank
I was o ne gracious to hi s co m pa ni o ns.
th e cent ral text on th e rig ht and left.
The presen ce of a biographical text on a sarcophagus is unusu al. As a I wa s open-h anded to the h a ve -n o t,
rul e , th e sarcophagi o f th e Late Peri od were inscr ibed with cha pte rs of My he a rt did n ot sa y, "G ive me !"
th e Book o f the Dead or ot he r mortuary texts. The gist of Wennofer's I wa s o ne who lo ved j us t ice,
autobiography is th at he e nj oyed his life . W ho h a te d wron gdoing,
Publication: Brugsch , Th esaurus , IV, 74 1- 743. G. Masp ero , I I.
For I kn ew the god a b h o rs it.
Gauthie r , an d A. Bayoumi , Sarcophages des epoques persan e et ptolh naiqur,
Vo l. II , Catalogue ge neral . . . d u Musee du Caire (Cairo, 1939), pp . 42 - I wa s a lo ve r o f drink , a lo rd o f th e feast d ay,
55 and pis . xiii- xv.
Translation : Otto, Inschriften , pp . 194 -1 96. II was Illy passion ' to roa m th e marshe s.
T ra nslatio n , with com me nts , of lines 3 -5: F. Daumas, zii s, 95 ( 19(;8), I s pc u : life o n e a rt h in t h e Kin g 's favor,
16- 17. I was be lov ed hy hi s rou 1'1 ie rs .
56 ANC IENT EG YPT IAN LIT ERATUR E
Dwe llin g in Ainu of th e easte rn Memphite nome
(4) -Roau it is ca lled by nam e-"
I gathered m y relat ion s all together,
A nd ev ery man of my town ,
So that th ey were with me in heart's co nte nt,
A n d were wo nt to d o wha t I sa id .
I fu lfilled m y life o n earth in h eart's co ntent,
By the g race of the gods ; . Be side the lord of Rostau !
No wo rry e ntered the roo m I was i n ,
No sorrow arose in m y dwelling.
Si ngers and maid ens gathered together,
Ma de ac cla im like that of Me ret,'
Braided, (5) beauteous, tressed, high -boso med ,'
Priestesses r ich ly adorned ,
A no in ted wit h myrrh , p er fum ed with lotus,
Their heads ga rla nded with wreaths,
All to gether drunk wit h wine ,'
Fragrant with th e p lants of Punt,
T h ey d a nced in beauty, d oin g my he art's wish,
T h eir rewa rd s we re on their lim bs."
I fo llowed m y heart insid e th e ga rde n,
I ro am ed th e marshes as I wished .
T hey know I a m righteous, the prop hets and priests,
(6) And the worth y a ncesto rs o f Egypt.
I d id not tak e wha t bel ongs to go ds and go d desses,
I always did what was good.
Sla ndere rs co ns p ired against th ei r lord ,
A nd slandered me before th e judge ;
Wh e n th ey saw my face they all shra n k back ,
T hey we re conde mned by the Kin g in hi s time,"
H is co iled uraeu s" raged against them .
I le ft the Kin g's hou se as one justified ,
By the grace of th e gods.
(7) H ail to yo u , gods of the Two T ru ths,
Excellen t nobles , lord s of the co u rt ,
Os ir is-Se pa, most augus t o f O n's So u ls,
Apis -Osir is-Khenta me nti , gods of th is h oly p lace!
A nd Horus in Roau , A n ub is, lo rd o f Sepa ,
A nd Ptah in th e easte rn Me mph ite nome!
Recall my good name '? before Re when he r ises,
A nd Atum as he sets in life , say ing:
"0 p roph et of Os iris, roya l scr ibe , Wenn ofer,
TEXT S IN THE CLA SSICA L LANGUAGE 57
Born o f Ne p h thys , the justified !
May incen se be g ive n yo u in th e palace ,
Lib a tion s in th e Obelisk Hou se! "
Ma y your bre ad be fro m th e So u ls of O n ,
Ma y you receive loaves in th e h all of th e Two T ruths,
Be sid e th e g rea t go d in th e g raveyard ;
May you receive libati on in th e so uthern necro polis,
Ma y you come and e nter th e bark of Re,
Yo ur e nt r y not barred by th e re ve red o nes;
May yo ur ba alig ht in hea ven beh ind Re 's ba,
May yo ur sha dow walk u pon ea rt h!
T he g reat graveyard ex te nds her a r ms to receive you ,
She un ites you with th e worth y ones.
Re , may he g ive you radiance,
May h is rays Hood your eye!
(9) Sh u, may he gi ve you sweet northwind ,
Brea th to you r nos e for life !
May Ge b g ive yo u all his fr uits to live o n,
May Os ir is g ive you H ap y to live and repeat you r youth !
May yo u r good nam e sta y sta y, last last
In th e temple of Horus in Roa u forever!
Ma y yo u r ch ild re n's ch ild ren stay a fte r you ,
With o ut e ver cea sing on ea rth!
May he who co me s he re aft er say:
'A rev e red o ne who follow ed h is god!' ..
NOTES
I. T he mode rn T ura , on the east side of the river across fro m
Mem p his. It contained the quarries fro m which the fine white limestone
came. Sepa may have been within T u ra; see Gar diner , AEO, II, 126*-
128*.
2. I.e., On e who was loyal to his god . Being on someone's water was a
freq uent metap hor for devo tion and loyalty.
3. Lit. , "good to see."
4. Lit., "I was an .~ ~] to him who was strange to him." Wh. does not
list a word {.] determined with the sign of the way (hierogl yph N3 1);
perhaps it is only an unu sual writing of ~] , "hall."
5. Since ~'1ll does not rea lly mean "majesty" it is not suitable to re nde r
br .t hm .i as "the necessity of my majesty." Hm often means no more than
"pe rson" or "self" (cf. J. Spiegel, ZAS , 75 (1939), 112 - 12 1).
fi. T he relation of Ainu to Roau was discussed by Gardiner, AEO, II ,
I:!ll* - I :l O*' Gar d iner concluded that Ainu was "either an earlier syno-
nylu of Ro-au or else a ralher more extended ter m for Ro-au and its
neiJ.: hhourhood ." Sec also W. l lc k-k, D i» " ltiigyjJti.fch", Ga ur (Wiesbaden,
I !J7'1), PI" 1·l ll - I ·I!J.
58 AN C I ENT EG YPT IAN LITERATURE
7. A goddess of music.
~. This rendering of th e line is based o n th e remarks by P. De rch ain ,
RdE, 2 1 (1969),24- 25.
9. The word for wine here is "the green Horus Eye."
10. I.e ., th ey were re wa rde d with j ewel s. Accord ing to Daumas , op. cit.,
th e fes tivity d escribed here was a H athor festival.
I I. I.e ., th e reigning king.
12. Lit. , " H is Mehenet -se rpent," i.e., th e serpent on his crown.
13. Lit., "Recall my nam e to goo d ."
14 . Lit ., " Pyra mid ion House, " i.e . the te mple o f Re at Heliopo!is, o r
sp ecifically its inn e r sanctum . The bnbn is the py ram idion o n the top o f
the obelisk .
STELA OF ISENKHEB E
Leiden Mus eum V 55
A ro u nd -to p pe d lime stone stel a o f goo d workma ns hip , 0.52 m h igh . In
th e upper half the de ceased , shown as a young girl , is worshiping Osiris
and Isis . T he re are two tex t colu mns on the right behind the girl and
two tex t co lumns on th e le ft behind th e gods. The two tex t colu mns o n
the le ft co m p ri se th e beginni ng of th e main text which co ntinues below
th e scene in six horizonta l lines. In Boeser's publication th e stela is in-
cluded among the Saite monume nt s, while Er ma n belie ved it to be o f
Ptolema ic d at e. In Munro's recent study of Lat e Period stelae , where th e
stelae a re arranged by probabl e prove nience and date based o n a rcheo-
logical crite ria, th e stela is classified as ha ving co me from th e wor ksho ps
of Abydos a nd as belon ging to th e ea rly Saite period (ca. 650 -630 B.C.).
Publicati on : C. Leemans , Description raisonnee des monuments egyptiens
du musee d'ant iquit es des Pays Bas aL eide (Leide n, 1840), No . V 55 , p . 28 1.
P. A . A . Boe se r , B eschreibung der aegyptischen Sa mmlnng des Niederliindi-
schen R eichsmuseums der Altertiimer in Leiden, Vo l. VII (Leid e n, 1915),
No . 13 , p . 5 and 1'1. xv. A. Er ma n in Sachau Festschrift , 1'1'. 103 - 107,
text, trans lation , and comments.
Translation : Otto, In schriften, PI' . 187 - 188.
Arch eo logi cal class ificati on : P. Munro, Die spatagyptischen T otenstelen,
Ag yptologis ch e Forsch ungen, 25 (Glii ckstadt, 1973), PI'. 284 - 285 .
Behind the girl and behind the gods in f our columns
(I) The one justified b efore Osiris , Is enkhebe ,' justified ; d aughter
of the stolist in Thebes , Nes-Shu-Tefnut, justified. (3) May there b e
bread for the belly , water for the throat, sw eet bre ath for the n os e of
the one justified before Osiris, Isenkhebe , justified.
Below the scene in six lines
(I) She says :
I worship yo ur ka, 0 Lord of God s,
Though I a m but a chi ld !
H arm is what b efe ll m e ,'
TEXTS IN T HE C LASS IC A L LAN GUA G E 59
Whe n I wa s hut a c h ild !
A faultle ss on e reports it.
I lie in the va le , a yo u ng girl ,
I t hirst with water b e side m e! '
I w a s driven from c h ild hoo d too ea rly !
Turned a way from m y house a s a yo u n g ster.
Before I h ad m y fill in it !
The da r k, a c h ild 's terro r , engulfed m e ,
While th e b r east was in m y mouth! '
T he d emons (5) o f this h all b a r every o ne from m e ,
I a m too yo u ng to b e a lo ne!'
M y h e a r t e njoyed seeing m an y p eop le,
I was o ne who lo ve d g ai ety!
o K in g o f G ods , lo r d o f e te rnity , to whom a ll p eople co me !
G ive m e bre ad . milk, ince n se . water tha t co me fro m yo u r altar,
[ a m a yo u ng gi rl without fau lt!
N OT ES
1. I.e., "Isis in Ch emrnis,' a nam e co mmo n in th e Lat e Period . For
studies of th e name see G. Vittmann , ZA S, 103 ( 1976) , 145 , no te b).
2. Th e senten ce lId nn hr.i was rend ered b y Erm an as "(Dich ) d er
di eses ant?) mir sch iid igt e," and by Otto as "Das (d. h . d as Lebe n) wu rd e
mir vermindert(?)." As Erman observed , !ld is used as a circu mlocu tio n
fo r death . This is also th e case in the Harper's Song from the T omb of King
Inte[ (see A ncient Egyptian Literature, I, 197, n . 4). Thus th e meaning is
clear th ough th e fo rmulation is som ewh at a m biguous .
3. The sa me se nte nce occ u rs in th e stela of T aimhotep (see p. 63) . It
is o ne of seve ra l complaints ex p re ssing th e idea th at a person who has
d ied yo u ng h as been tr eated cr ue lly by the god s a nd finds no peace in
I he a fte rlife.
4. As we kn ow from o ther texts, ch ildre n were n ursed till th e age o f
I hree . But here th e exp re ssion ma y hav e been used hyperbolically.
5 . Lit. , "Who is no t in th e right time for being alone ."
STELA OF TAIMH OTEP
British Mus eum 147
A ta ll round-lopped ste la d ating from th e reign o f Cleo pa tra VI I. Th e
reli e f sce ne at th e top shows th e lad y T aimhotep worshiping Os iris and
live o the r god s wh o sta nd behind him . Below th e scene is the text in
twe n ty-o ne hori zo nt al lines. Taimhotep had been born in the rei g n of
l'iole m y XII Ne os Dion ysos (Aulete s). At the age of fourteen she had
married I'sh erenptah , th e high priest o f Ptah a t Memph is. She had born e
him three d au ghters a nd a t last th e lo ng-awaited son , a nd had died in th e
reign o f C leo paira VI I a t th e age of th irty . O n the mortuary stela e rec ted
Ii, r her hy he r hu sband she recou nts these eve nts and mo u rns her ea rly
d ealh in the lo ngesl a nd 1Il0si cx plui t o fs uch lam ents ove r death found
60 ANC IENT EG YPTIAN UTERATU RE
TEXTS IN T HE CLASS ICA L LAN GU AGE
61
in Egyptian biograp hical inscriptions. The text should be seen togethe r Greatly valued , g reatly praised.
with the two earlier examples of this type. the speech of Th othrekh son of
Petosiris , and the stela of lsenkh ebe. Add itional re marks on this genre have
Full o f charm , well-d isposed ,
been made in the Introdu ction . Much belo ved by everyone .
On his own biographi cal stela. dedicated by his son (British Museu m Hi ghly praised by her frie nds ,
886), Psher enptah relate s his accession to the high priesthood of Ptah , Th e worth y yo ung woma n , skilled in speech,
the birth of his son by Tai rnho te p , and his own death at the age of Wh o se wo rds please . whos e co u nsel helps,
forty- nine. in the year following the death of his wife. .
Publication : R. Lep sius, A uswahl der unrhtigsten Urkun den des aegypu- Ta im h o te p, th e justi fied ;
schen Alterthums (Leipzig. 1842). pI. 16. G. Maspero . [ oum ol Asiatique, Daughter of th e god 's beloved , go d's fa th e r, King's fr iend.
15 (1880). 4 11-4 16 (excer pts). Brugsch , The saurus , V. 9 18-927. Proph et o f Ptah , priest o f the go ds of Memphis.
A General Introdu ctory Guide to the Egyptian Collections in the B ritish Museum, Prophet of Min , lord of Panopoli s,
by H. R. Hall (London . 1930). p. 216. photograph . O f Khnum-Re , lo rd o f Ptolem ais,
Tran slation : Otto. Ins chriften , pp . 190 -1 94.
Prophet o f H orus, lord o f Letopolis ,
Th e final portion with th e lament on death has often been translated .
e.g.: Muller. Liebespoesie, pp . 35 -36. Erman in Sachau Festschrift, Th e in itiate in Iatbaket,
pp . 107 - 112 (with text). Schott. Liebeslieder, pp. 144 -1 45. Bres - The initiat e in Letopolis a nd Iyet , Kh ah api ;
ciani , Letteratura , pp. 543 - 544. Born of th e good musician o f great Ptah SOllth-of-h is-Wall,
C omments: P. M unr o, Die sPiitiigyptiscl<en Totenstelen (Gluckstadt, Lo rd o f Ankh tawi" H erankh ; (5) she says:
19 73), p. 165 and fig. 2 17 . D . Wildung, Imho tep und Amenhotep,
Miinchner agyptologische Studien , 36 (M unich , 1977), pp. 68-70 and
o all d ignitaries, a ll ritualists,
pl. 13 (photograph). All gran dees , all nobl es,
On th e high priests of Ptah : J. Quaegebeur, A ncient Society, 3 (1972 ), All p eople who shall en ter thi s to mb ,
77 - 109. E. A. E. Reymond and J. W. B. Barn s. Orientalia, 46 (1977). Co me. listen to wh at happened to me!
1- 33. Yea r 9, d ay 9 of Kh oiak ,
For addi tional re ferences see Wildung. Imh otep und A menhotep, p. 68 .
Un der th e majesty of th e Lord o f th e T wo Lands,
Th e God Father-loving Brother-loving Young Osiris,
(I ) A ro yal o ffering to Soka r-Osiris,
The So n of Re , Lord o f Crowns , Ptolemaios, euer-liuing, "
T he god who p resides ove r So kar's chapel. Belo ved of Ptah a nd Isis.
The great god in Rutisut;' T hat was th e d a y I was bo rn .
(To) A pis-Osiris-Khe n ta rne n ti, Kin g o f Go d s. Yea r 23, day I o f Epiphi,
Lord o f ete rn ity. ruler of everlastingness ; U nde r th e majesty o f this Lord o f th e T wo Lands,
(To) Isis-th e-Great . th e mother o f go d . My fa th er gave me as wife to the Prophet o f Ptah ,
The eye o f Re , th e lad y o f hea ve n. T he scribe of th e god in th e hou se o f book s,
Th e mi stress o f all th e sta rs ; T he p rophet of the ro bing-cha mbe r ,
(To) Nep ht hys , th e siste r of the go d ; T he p riest of th e go ds of Memph is.
(To) Horus, cha mp ion-o f-h is-fathe r. T he ch ief p rophet of th e gods and go d desses of Egy pt ,
The g reat god in Rutisut; T he eyes o f th e King o f Up per Egypt. .
(To) A n ubis upon h is mountain . T he ea rs o f th e Kin g of Lower Egy pt ,
The e mba lme r who presid es over the shrine.
T he second a fte r th e Kin g a t the e rection of th e Djed-pillar,
(An d to) all th e go ds in Rostau ," T he staff of the Kin g in the temples,
Th e beautiful west o f Memphis: (7) T he prince in the seat of Ceb,
Ma y th ey give an of fering of bread , beer, oxe n, fowl. The lecto r-p riest in th e sea t of Thoth,
Incense , o int ment . a nd clo th ing. Who ree nac ts th e creation by Khrturn ,
And eve ryth ing good fr om th eir altar Who .
T o th e ka of (3) th e Os ir is. the princess, rAnd th e g re at go d is horn in th eir j oining1,'
62 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
TEXTS I N T HE C LASS IC A L LANG UAGE 63
The C h ief o f th e Maste r-Craftsme n," Pshe renptah , Ce le bra te th e ho liday,
Son o f the like-ran ked ' Pedibast, the justified , Fo llow yo u r hea rt d ay and nig h t,
Bo rn o f the m usician, th e grea t ornament , Let not care int o your heart,
Th e singer of Ptah So uth-of-his-Wall, Va lue th e yea rs spent o n earth! "
Lo rd of A n kh ta wi, He ra n kh , the j ust ified .
The west, it is a land o f slee p,
The h eart of th e hi gh priest rejoiced over it grea tly. I was pregn ant Darkness wei gh s o n th e dw ell ing-pl ace,"
by h im th ree tim es bu t did not bear a ma le ch ild, on ly three d aughters. Tho se wh o are th e re slee p in the ir mum my-forms."
I p rayed together with the h igh priest (9) to the majesty of the god
( 17) Th ey wake not to see thei r brothers,
great in wo nders , effective in d eed s, who gives a so n to him who h as
Th ey see not the ir fath ers, the ir mo the rs,
none: I m hotep So n of Ptah.·
Th eir hearts forgot th eir wives, th eir ch ild ren .
He h eard our p lea s, he h earken ed to his prayers. The maj esty o f
this god came to th e head of th e h igh priest in a revelati o n.' H e T he wat e r of life which ha s food for all,
said: " Le t a great work be done in the holy of holies of An khtawi, the It is thirst for me ; I.
place were m y bo d y is hidden. As rewa rd for it I sha ll give you a male It co mes to hi m who is o n earth ,
chi ld ." I th ir st with water besid e me!"
Wh en h e awaken ed from this he kissed th e gro u nd to th e augus t
I do n ot kn ow th e place it is in ,"
go d. H e gave th e orders to th e p rophet s, ( I I) th e in itiat es, the pri ests,
Since (1) ca me to th is valley,
and to the scu lptors of the go ld- house also. He ordered th em to ca rry
Give me wa te r th at flows!
o ut an excelle nt work in the holy of holies. T he y d id as he had said. H e
pe r formed th e o pe ni ng of th e mouth for th e august god. He mad e a Say to me : "You " a re not far from wate r!"
great sacrifice of a ll good things . He rewarded th e scu lpt ors on behalf Turn m y fa ce to th e northwind at th e edge of th e wate r,
o f the god . H e glad dene d th eir heart with all good th ings . In retu rn Perh aps my h eart will th en be cooled in its' g rief!
h e (the go d) mad e me conceive a ma le child .
He was bo rn in yea r 6 , da y 15 of Epi p hi, in the 8th hour of the day, As for death , "Come!" is h is na me .i"
unde r th e maj esty of th e Q uee n, the Lad y of th e Two Lands, Cleo- All those tha t he calls to him
patra, life-prosp erity-h ealth. ( 13) It was on th e O fferi ng- feast o f the Co m e to him immedi at ely,
a ugust god Imhot ep Son o f Ptah . H is (the child 's) ap peara nce was like T heir h ea rts a fra id th ro ugh dread of him.
th at o f th e Son ofSo u th-of-hi s- Wa ll.!" There wasj ubilatio n over him by
the people of Me mp h is. He was given the name Imhotep a nd was also Of go ds or men no one beh old s h im,
ca lled Pedibast. Everyone rej oiced over him . Ye t g reat a nd sma ll are in h is han d ,
Year 10, day 16 of Mekhir, was th e d ay o f my death." My hu sband , No ne restrai ns his finger fro m all h is kin .
th e p rophet o f Ptah , prophe t o f Os iris, lord o f Rostau , p roph et of He sna tc hes the so n fro m h is mother
Kin g P tolemaios, th e justified ," ini tia te of the te mple of Ptah , in itiate Be fore the old man who walks by his side ;"
of h ea ve n , earth, and netherworld, in itiat e of Rosta u, init iate of Fr ightened th ey all plead before h im ,
Rutisut, the hi gh priest Psh erenptah b rought me to th e west. ( 15) He He tu rns no t h is ear to them.
performed for me all th e rit es for a worthy deceased . He buried me in
a beau tiful burial. H e mad e m e lie in his tomb behind Rutisu t. He co mes not to h im wh o pt'ays for him.
(2 1) He hears not him who p raises him ,
Il c is not see n tha t on e might give him any gifts.
o my bro ther , m y husband ,
Fri end, hi gh priest ! () yo u <I II who co me to th is graveyard ,
Wea ry n ot o f d rink a nd foo d, Ci vc me incen se o n the Harn e,
O f drinki n g d eep and loving ! Wat er o n e very !t:as l o r I he west!
64 AN CIENT EGYPTI AN LITERATURE T EXTS IN THE CLASS IC AL LANG UAG E 65
The sc r ibe, sc u lptor, a n d scholar ; the in itia te o f the gold -house in 17. We ha~e e~countered this sentence in th e inscr ipt ion o f Isenkhebe.
Tenent," the prophet of Horus, I rn h o te p , son of the prophet Kha- The underlymg Idea, that those wh o have di ed youn g th irst for th e
h api , justified , h a s m ade it. 23 "wate r of life ," here re ce ives its fu llest developmen t.
18. Or, "the place I am in." In eithe r case th e tex t needs to be
emend ed .
NOTES
19. On the word lim, here in the fem inine form, see p . 57, n. 5.
I . On the reading of thi s Memph ite place nam e see J. Quaegebeur, 20 ', As Erman obser ve.d (op. cit., p. III ) this is a good wordplay o n
cas, 49 (1974), 66 , n. I. T he stela was d iscovered in th e Mernphite Co ptic mou-amou, refl ecting the actual pronunciati on of th e words in th e
necropo lis. I have fo und no evidence fo r th e th esis of E. A. E. Reymond , Ptol emaic period.
op. cit., p. 13, that Taimhotep and her husband had originally been 2 1. I.e. , Death , being cr ue l, even prefers th e child to th e o ld man .
buried in Alexa ndria. No te the rh yming pair, " his mother-his sid e," mwt f - rwlf.
2. Na me for th e necropolis an d specifically th at of Mem phi s. 22. A Mernphite sanctuary.
3. Memphis. 23 . The signature o f the scr ibe and sculptor who co mposed th e text
4. I.e ., Theos Philopator Phi ladelphos Neo s Dionysos Ptolem y XII a nd d esigned the ste la.
(Au letes) . T aimhotep was born o n December 17, 73 B .C .
5. It is not clear wh at ritu al is described in thi s passage .
6. The title of th e High Prie st of Ptah at Memphis.
7. I.e. , his father had also been h igh pri est o f Ptah.
8. T he deified O ld Kingdom sage whose cult was prominent in th e
Lat e Period , whe n he was given th e rank o f "Son o f Ptah ,' and had a
sa nc tua ry at Memphis where he was buried .
9. The expression m wP(.I) m3 '.1 has been mu ch di scu ssed . The most
recent stud y is that of R. Ant he s in J NES, 16 (1957) , 176- 185, where he
rende red it as "deter minatio n of right ." 1 conti n ue to bel ieve th at B.
G u n n (jEA , 27 [ 1941] , 2 -3) was right in thinking th at it me ant a " reve-
lation " in a d ream . See now th e new di scuss ion of th e passage by Wildung ,
Imh otep und Amenhotep, pp . 69- 72 . The text does not speci fy .w h~re th e
h igh p riest received his d ream. We have encou nte re d th e msp irauon
through dream in th e stela o f Somtutefn akht.
10. I.e ., like Imhotep So n of Ptah .
I I. T aimhotep di ed o n February 15. 42 B .C .
12 . Le ., th e high pri est of Ptah was also th e mortuary priest o f th e
now d eceased Pto lemy XII .
13. There are man y different tr an slations o f thi s senten ce. Erman ,
op. cu., p . 108 , interpret ed th e wo rd wr itte n i{w as being iwty , "witho ut ,"
and rendered, " Wha t are th ey, the yea rs tha t are not o n ea rt h?" This
tra ns lation was ad opted by Otto and Schott, but it is not convincing . In
my o p in ion, the co ntext requires a se nte nce co nti n uing the exho rtatio n
to enjoy life whic h is exp ressed in the preced ing sentences. Mo reover,
th e existe nce in th e herea fter was not rec ko ne d in "yea rs ," hence a n
exp re ssio n "yea rs not on earth" is impro bable. Furthermore, th e ini tial
word illy need not be th e int e rrogati ve particle ill , "wh at ," but is probably
the verb 3l1. On the N aucrat is Stela of N ectan ebo I , line 3, 3aw, "benefits," is
spelled iaw . Lastl y, ilw is probab ly th e ver b 111 in the well-k nown sen se of
"spend, p ass tim e."
14. Either the verb dns could be used tr an sitively, or a pr ep osition is
missin g. Agai n d iffering from Er ma n and others, 1 tak e n Illy imw to
sta nd fo r 113 nly imui and to fo rm th e beg in ni ng of th e next se nte nce ,
not th e end of thi s o ne .
15. Th is is probabl y th e word ." n, "fo r m, image," ra ther th an th e word
S7ll, "occu pation. "
16. I.e ., " It is what I a m th irst ing lor."

II. Royal Inscriptions
The great Victory Stela of King Piye, on wh ich th e king narrates h is
co nq u est o f a ll o f Eg ypt, is the fo remost h isto ri cal inscrip tion of th e Lat e
Pe ri od . It eq ua ls the New Kin gdom A n na ls o f T h u t mosis III in fact u a l-
ne ss a n d su r passes them in vividness. It also pa ints t he po rt rait of a
Nubia n king who was forcefu l, sh rewd , and generous. H e meant to r u le
Egy p t but he p refe rred tre at ies to wa rfare, a n d when he fough t he d id
not glo ry in th e sla ugh te r of his ad ve rsa r ies in th e manner o f a n Assy-
r ia n king. Lik e all me mbe rs o f h is egyptia nized d ynasty, he was extre me-
Iy pi ous and es pec ia lly devoted to Amun, whom he worsh iped in h is
N u bian resid ence, Na pata, and of course in th e go d's ow n hallo wed city,
T hebes.
Nubian rule over Egy pt lasted less th an a hundred yea rs, a nd was
succeeded by the ru le of the vigorous Eg yp tian d yn asty ha iling fro m
Sais, th e Twen ty-six th Dyna st y, wh ich rebuilt a stro ngly ce ntra lized a n d
prospe rous state . Relati ons with N u bia we re a t fir st peaceful, but in
592 B .C . Psa mtik II attacke d Nubia a nd claimed a victo r y. A reconq u es t
o f northern N ubia by Egypt was o u t of the q uestio n, a nd j ust wha t
p r o mpted the kin g to attack is not kn o wn. In an y event, the ca mp a ig n
recor ded on the Victory St ela of K ing Psamtik /I may be viewed as a n ac t
o f re venge .
The Naucratis Stela of King N ectanebo I is a monument to th e p ro spe ro u s
reig n of th e T h irtiet h Dyn asty, the last na tive d ynasty of Eg ypt. Ne c-
tanebo I b ui lt exte nsively, a nd th e qual ity of h is mo n ume n ts is hi gh.
Ere ct ed in th e temple of the goddess Neith, in th e predom in antly Greek
town of Naucrat is, th e stela bears witness to th e material wea lth con-
tributed b y the G reeks in t heir ca pac ity as traders and man ufactu re rs.
T H E VI CTORY STELA OF KING PIY E
Ca iro Mu seu m 48862
T he la r ge rou nd -to pp ed stela o f gray granite was d isco vered in 1862 in
the ruins o f the te m p le o f A mu n at Na pata, th e N ub ian ca p ita l at the Foo t
o f G e bel Barkal . The temple o f Amun , e rec te d in the Ne w Kingdom ,
h ad been m u ch enlarged by Piye . T he ste la measures 1.80 b y 1.84 m
a n d t he sides are 0.43 m th ick. It is in scr ibed o n a ll four sides wit h a
total o f o ne hu ndred an d fift y-n in e lines.
The reli ef in th e lunette shows o n the le ft Amun e nt hroned, with Mill
sta ndi ng behind h im a nd Kin g Piye before him . Behi nd Piye Kin ~
Namart of H e r mopol is le ads up a horse . Wit h him is his wife whose rig ht
a r m is rai sed in a gesture of p raye r . In the registe r below a re the pros-
TEXTS IN T HE C LASSICAL LAN G U A GE 67
irate figures o f Kings Osorkon IV, Iu pu t II , a nd Pe ftuau bast. Be hind
t he m , a.lso kissing t.he ground, are five rulers : th e pri nce Ped iese and
fou r c~lIe fs of th e LIb yan Ma (or, Mesh wesh ): Patj en fi, Pern a i, Aka nos h,
a nd Djedarnenefankh. The words in scribed be fo re th ese su bjected rulers
are m ostl y d est royed .
. Piye , .King o f Nubia, ~as in control o f Upper Eg ypt, with an arm y of
hIS sta tio ned th e re . Wh ile at Napata, the news reach ed h im t hat Tef-
na kh t o f Sa is, the G re a t C h ief of th e Ma, who ruled th e e ntire western
Del ta , was ex te nd ing hi s co nq uests so ut hward . He had fo rmed a n a lli-
a nc e with a n u mbe r of ch ie fs, in clu d ing King Narnart of H e r mo pol is,
a n d h a d tu:ned .so uth to bes iege H e racleo poli s whose ru ler, Peftuau -
bast , was a lhe d with Piye . Piye firs t decided to send re in fo rcements to h is
a~ my in Eg ypt, a n d wh en thi s army failed to win d ecisive victo ries, he
h imself led a not her a r my into Eg yp t.
In t he t~e n tiet h yea r of his reign , ca . 734 B .C ., Piye sa iled to Eg ypt.
~fter h al tm g ~ t T he bes to celebrate th e Opet fest iva l of Am un, he
tightened th e sIege o f H e rmopoli s u ntil Kin g N a mart surre nde re d . H e
th en r escu ed the bes ieged Pe ftu aubast a t He racl eopolis a nd received hi s
homage. -r:he re a fte r h e pr,? ceeded to ca p tu re the strongho lds tha t stood
be tween hi m a n d Mem ph is, T he great wa lled cit y of Memphis, wh ich
refused to surrender, was sto r med in heavy fig h ting. T he n t he ru le rs of
I!,e Delta h astened to surren d e r; o n ly T efna kht o f Sa is st ill held o ut.
fo.ventu~ lIy Te~na.kh t admitted d efea t a nd, t:eating through an e nvo y,
made hIS subm ission , Loa d ed with booty, a triu mp hant Piye sa iled ho me
to Na p a ta .
T he direct fact ua l style of the in scri p tion mak es it a historical docu -
~n ent. o~ th e first o rd er. It is a lso th e most importa nt in a series of ro ya l
m scnpuo ns of th e Nubia n Twenty-fifth Dynast y.
In rece nt years severa l scho lars reached the co ncl usio n tha t th e name
of t he .king , hi therto read Piankh y, was reall y Pi or Piye. In the latest
d ISCUSSIon ,?f the. n a me G . Vittma n n p roposed t ha t, wh e rea s th e N ubian
form was P, o r P.'ye , ~he Eg yptian s understood it as Pia n kh y. T hus so me
sc h,ol a~s n? w wnte Pita nkh y). I .ha ve after so me h esitat io n ch ose n Piye .
lubl!c.at lOn: Manett e , Mon. dio., pi s. 1- 6 . Urk. /II , pp. I - 56.
.Ad d ltlo nal frag ments : G . Lo ukian off, Ancient Egypt, n .v. (1926),
Hh- 89 a nd 2 p lates. D. Dunha m , Th e Barkal T emples (Bosto n 1970)
PI'. 12 , 48 , 77 - 81. ' ,
Translat io n : BAR, IV, §§ 796-883 . Brescia n i, Leueratura, pp .
,170 - 4 84 .
Textua l co m me nts : A. H . Gardi ner, J EA , 2 1 ( 1935) , 2 19 -223 .
K. H. Priese , lAS, 98 ( 19 72), 99 - 124 . T .J . Loga n a nd J . G. We ste n-
hol z,JA R CE , 9 ( 197 1/72), 111- 119.
Th e re adi ng .o f th e king's nam e : J. Lecla nt, OLl , 6 1 (1966), 152 .
I C ,~. Parke r , l AS: 93 (1966), 111- 114. J.J.J an ssen ,JEA, 54 (1968),
1 7~. K. H . Pr iese, M IO , 14 (1968), 166 -1 75 . J. von Beckerath ,
"' /)/K , 24 (1969), 58 - 62 . G . V ittmann, Orientalia n. s. 43 (1974)
I :! -I fi . "
St ndies o f th e hi storical situatio n : J. Yo yotte in M elanges Maspero I
-I ( I!)() I), 121 -1 81. K. H.Priese , l AS , 98 (l 9 72), 16 - 32. K. Baer '
./ :'H;'·, :I ~ ( I !~ 73), 4 - 25. Kitchen, Th ird Intermediate, p p . 362 -398:
1-. ( ,o llla a, Die IIby,,( II"/i F"I:I/I'II'ii/l/l'" de" Deltas, Beihefte zum T ub inger
68 A N CIENT EG YfYrIA N LITERAT UR E
Atlas des vorde re n Ori ents, Reihe B (Geisteswissenschafte n), No. 6
(Wiesbaden, 1974).
For addi tional references to older stud ies see P M , VII , 2 17.
( I) Year 2 1, fir st month o f th e first seaso n , under the majesty of th e
Kin g o f Up per and Lo wer Egy p t, Piye belooed-of-Amun, ever livin g .
Co m ma nd spoke n by my majesty:
" Hear wh at I d id , exceedi ng the ancestors,
I th e Kin g , image of god,
Livin g likeness of Atu m!
Who left th e womb ma rked as ruler,
Feared by th ose g reate r tha n he !
His fa ther kn ew, his mo th e r p e rceived :
H e would be ruler from th e egg,'
The Good God, beloved of gods ,
The Son of Re , who acts with his arms ,
P iye belooed-of -A mu n ,"
T efnakht's advance
On e ca me to say to his maj est y: "T he Chief of the West , the count
a nd grande e in Netje r ," T e fna kht , is in th e nom e of , 3 (3) in th e
nome of Xo is," in H ap y," in - - - ,. in Ayn ,' in Pernub," and in the
no m e of Me mphis. H e has co nq uered th e ent ire West from the coasta l
ma rshes to Itj-tawy," sa iling so ut h with a nu me rous army , with the
Two Lands united behind him , and th e co u n ts a nd rulers o f domain s
a re as d ogs at h is fee t.
"No st ronghold has closed [its ga tes in] the no mes o f Up per Egy pt.
Me r-Aturn;" Per-Sekhernkheperre ," Hut-Sobk,' Per medj ed ;"
Tjeknesh ;" all towns o f th e West " have o pe ne d th e ga te s for fea r o f
hi m . When he turned around to th e no mes of th e Eas t they o pe ne d to
him also : Hut-benu ." Teu djoi," H u t-nesut.!" Pe r- nebt epi h ."
"Now [h e is] (5) besieging Hnes.t" He has enc ircled it co m p letely,"
not lettin g goe rs go, not let ting e ntra nts e nter, a nd fighting every d ay.
H e has m easured it in its whole circu it. Every co u nt kn ows his wall."
H e h as made eve ry man besiege h is po rti on, to wit th e cou n ts a nd
rulers o f d omains." H is majesty heard [it] with d elight, laughin g
j o yously.
T hen those ch ie fs, the counts a nd ge nera ls who we re in their
to wns," se n t to his majesty d ail y, say ing : " Have you been sile nt in
ord er to forget the Southland, th e nomes o f Upper Eg yp t, while
T efnakht co nquers (all) be fore h im and finds no resistan ce ? Nnmart;"
[ru ler of H e rmopol isJ, (7) co u nt of H ut were r," has d emolish ed tlu-
wall o f Ne fr us i." H e has th ro wn d own his own to wn" o ut o f fear o f'
TEXTS IN THE C LASS ICA L LAN GUAC E
69
him who would seize it for himself in order to besiege ano ther town.
Now he h as gone to be at hi s (Tefna kh t's) feet; he has rej ected th e
wate r of hi s majesty." H e stays with him like one o f [hi s men in] th e
nom e o f Oxyrhyn chos. He (T efna kht) g ives him gifts to his heart's
ron te n t of everythi ng he has fo u nd ."
Piye orders his troops in Egyp t to attack
and sends reinforcements
H is maj esty wrote to th e co u nts a nd ge ne ra ls who were in Egy pt, th e
co m ma nder Pu rern , an d th e co m ma nd er Lemersekn y, a nd eve ry
~o lll ma nder of his majesty wh o was in Egy p t: "E n te r co m ba t, e ngage
III hattie; su rro u nd - - -, (9) ca p ture its people , its ca ttle, its ships o n
Ihe ri ver! Let not th e far mers go to th e field, let not th e plowm en
"l ow . Bes et th e H are nome ; fight ag a inst it d ail y!" Then th ey did so .
T hen h is maj esty se n t a n a r my to Eg ypt and cha rged them stric tly:'.
" 1) 0 not a ttac k by night in the manner o f d raughts-pl aying ; fight wh en
3
' " Ie . ca n s.ee. • C ha lle nge him to battle from a far. If he proposes to
awa it the Infantry and cha riotry of ano the r town , then sit still until his
I lOOpS corne . Figh t when he proposes . Also if he has allies in another
I,~wn , let (II) th em be awa ite d. The co u nt s wh o m he brings to help
hi m. a nd a ny trusted Libyan troops, let th em be cha lle nged to battle in
ad vance , saying : 'Yo u wh ose name we do not know , who musters the
II oops! H arness th e best stee ds of you r sta ble, form you r battle lin e ,
,11 1< 1 kn o w th at A m u n is th e god wh o se nt us!'"
" Whe n you h ave reach ed Thebes a t Ipet- sut, go into th e wate r.
( :I"anse yo u rselves in the rive r ; wear th e best lin en." Rest the bow ;
loosen th e arrow. Boast not (13) fiol th e lord of might, for the brave
has no might without him.33 H e makes th e weak-armed strong-armed,
... Ihat th e man y flee before the few , and a single o ne conquers a
Ihou sand men! Sprinkle yo urselves with wate r of his a lta rs; kiss th e
,'all h be fo re his face . Say to him:
'C ive u s th e wa y,
May we fight in th e sha de of you r arm!
T he troop you se nt, when it charges,
May the man y tremble before it!' "
T he n th ey pl aced themselves on th eir belli es be fore his majesty:
" II is you r name th at mak es our strength,
YO III' co u ns el brin gs yo u l' a r my into port;
YOUI' bread is in o ur bellies o n every wa y,
You r beer (1 5) qu ench es o u rt h irs t.
70 AN CI ENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERATURE
It is yo u r valor th at gives us strength,
There is d read wh e n yo ur name is recalled ;
No a r my wins with a cowa rd ly lead er,
Wh o is you r equa l the re ?
You a re the m ighty Kin g who acts with his arms,
T he ch ief of th e work of war!"
They sailed north a nd ar rived at Thebes; th ey d id as his majesty had
said .
Sa ilin g north on th e river they met many ships go ing sout h with
soldiers and sa ilors , all kin d s of fighting troo ps from Lowe r Egyp t,
eq ui p ped wit h weapons of warfare, (17 ) to fight aga inst his maj esty's
army . T hen a great slaugh ter was mad e of th e m, whose n um ber is
u n kno wn . The ir tro ops a nd shi ps were captured, and taken as
prisoners to wh ere his majesty was,"
Battle at Heracleopolis
T h ey p roceed ed toward H n es and challen ged to battle. List of the
co u nts and kin gs of Lower Egy p t:
Kin g Namart and King l up ut.
C hief o f the Ma , Sh eshonq of Per-Usirne bdjed u ."
An d G reat C h ief of th e Ma , Djed ame ne fankh of Per-Banebdj ed et."
An d h is eldest so n, the commander of Per-T h oth -weprehwy."
T he troo ps of Pri nce Ba kennefi a nd his eldest so n, the Count and
C h ief of the Ma, ( 19) Nesnaisu of Hesbu ." Every plume-wearing ch ie f
o f Lowe r Egyp t.
And Kin g Osorkon of Perbasr" and the d istrict of Rano fe r."
All the co u nts, all th e rule rs of d omain s in th e west, in the east, and
in th e isles o f the mid st we re united in thei r alleg iance at th e feet of th e
great C h ie f of the West, the Rule r of the doma ins of Lower Egypt, th e
p rophe t of Ne ith , m istress of Sais , the setem-priest of Pta h , Tefnakht.
The y we nt forth against them; the y made a great slaughter of them ,
exceed ingly g reat. T hei r sh ips o n the river were ca ptu red . T he
remnant made a crossing and landed on th e west sid e in th e vicini ty o f
Pe rpeg . At d awn o f th e next d ay th e tro ops of his maj est y cro ssed over
(2 1) against th em a nd troops min gled with tro ops. T hey slew many o f
th eir me n and co u ntless h o rses. Terror befell the remnant and they
fled to Lowe r Egy p t from th e blow that was great and exceedingly
painfu l.
List of the slaugh ter made of the m. Men : - - - ."
Kin g Namart fled u pstream so uthward whe n he was told , " Khm u n is
faced with war fro m th e troops of his majesty; its people a nd its ca ttle
are be ing captured." He entered into Un," whi le h is maj est y's army
TEXTS IN T H E CLASSI CAL LAN G UAGE 71
was o n. th e river a nd on the riverba n ks (23) of th e Ha re no me . T he y
heard It a nd surr~u nded th e Hare no me on its fou r sides , not lettin g
J.:oers go, not le tting e ntran ts e n ter.
Piye resolves to go to Egypt
T hey wrote t~ report to the majesty of th e King of Upper and
I.o we r Eg yp t, PIY~ beloved of. Amun , given life , o n every attack they had
mad e , o n e very victory o f his maj esty. H is maj esty raged abo ut it like a
panther: " Ha ve th ey left a re mna nt of th e army o f Lowe r Egy p t, so as
10 let so me ?f th e m esca pe to re port the ca mp aig n, instead of killing
.uid destroying the last of th e m? I swear, as Re loves me , as my father
Am u n fa vors me , I shall go north mysel£1 I shall tea r down (25 ) his
wo rks. I sha ll mak e him abandon fighti ng forever!
. "Wh e n th e rites .o f New. Year a re per formed , a nd I offer to my
luthe r A mun at his beau tiful feast, whe n he makes h is beautiful
:l p p~a ra n c e .o f th e New Yea r , he sha ll se nd me in peace to view Am u n
:I I his beauti ful feast o f I p er.? I sha ll convey h im in h is p ro cessio na l
hark to Southern Ipet at h is bea utiful feast of " Nigh t of Ipet," and the
', :ast of "Ab id ing in : hebes:" wh ich Re made for him in the begin-
" ' ."~' I .sh~1I co.nve y him to h is hou se , to rest on h is throne , o n the d a y
01 BrIn gmg m th e God," in the third mo nt h of the inundat ion
s, o~',~ n d d a y. And I sha ll le t Lowe r Egy p t tast e the tast e of my finge rs!':
I. he n th e army. that was here in (27) Egypt heard of th e anger his
IlI aJcsty h el.d aga inst them. T hey fought against Per medjed of the
(~x yrh rnchlte ~ome ; they ca p tu red it like a cloudburst. They wrote to
IllS ma.Jesty-hls hea rt was not appeased by it.
T h e ~ they f~ugh t against "t he Crag Great-of-Victories.?? T hey
11111nd It filled With t~oop~ , a.1I kinds of fighte rs of Lowe r Egy pt. A siege
lower was mad e aga inst It; ItS wall was overthrown. A great slaughter
was made of them, co u n tless nu mbers , inclu ding a son of the Ch ief of
III<' Ma, T efnakht. They wrote of it to his majesty-his heart was not
,' ppcased by it.
o(:!!)) .T he~ they fought aga,inst Hu t-benu ; its interior was opened ;
IllS IlI aJest y S troo ps e nte re d It. T hey wrote to his maj esty-his heart
was 1I0t a ppeased by it.
Piye goes to Egypt and besieges Hermopolis
, Fil'st mo nt h of the first season, day 9, h is majesty we nt north to
I h~·hcs . '-I.e performed the feast of A mun at the feast of I pe t. H is
'":lIcsl y sa iled n o rt~l to . the harb or of the Hare no rne. . His majesty
"II I1C o ut 0 1 th e cahill o f th e shi p, T he ho rses were yoked , th e cha riot
lVa s mo un ted . wh ilc the /{ralllic ur o f his majesty attain ed th e Asia tics
.II H I c"c ry hea rt trcmblcd be fo re h im.
72 ANC IENT EGyp-nAN LIT ER ATURE
Hi s m ajesty burst out to (3 1) revi le h is troops , ragin g at the m like a
panther: "A re yo u co nti n u ing to fight wh ile delaying my orders? It is
th e year for mak in g a n e nd, fo r putting fear o f me in Lower Egy p t,
a n d infli ct in g on th em a g reat a nd severe be ating!"
He set up ca m p o n th e so u thwes t o f Khmun . He pressed aga inst it
every d ay. An e mba n kme n t was mad e to enclose th e wall. A sieg e
tower was se t up to elevate th e arche rs as they shot, an d th e slingers as
they hurled sto nes a nd killed peop le th ere eac h d ay.
Days p ass ed, a n d Un was a ste nch to the nose, for lack o f air to (33)
breath e." Then Un threw itself o n its belly, to plead be fore the king .
Messengers ca me a nd wen t with all kinds o f th ings beautiful to
behold : gold , p recious sto nes, clothes in a ches t, th e di ad em from h is
h ead , the uraeus tha t cas t h is powe r ," witho u t ceas ing for man y d ays
to im p lo re his crown.
Then they se nt his wife , th e roya l wife and ro yal d au ghter , Neste nt ,
to implore the ro ya l wives , th e roya l co ncu bines , th e ro yal dau ghters,
and the royal siste rs. She threw h erself o n her be lly in th e wome n's
house before th e royal women : "Come to me , roya l wives, royal
dau ghters, ro yal sisters, th at you ma y ap pe ase Horus, lord o f the
palace , gr ea t o f power, great o f triumph ! Grant (35) - - - - - -,"
(5 1) "Lo, who gui des you , who gu id es you ?" Who th en guides yo u ,
who guides you ? ryou hav e abandoned'] the way o f life! Was it th e case
th at heaven rained a rro ws?" I was [rcontentt] that Southerners bowed
down a nd Northerners (said) , ' Place us in you r sh ad e!' Was it bad th at
- - - with his gi fts?'· T he heart is th e rudder. It ca psizes its own e r
through that wh ich co mes from th e wrath of god. rJt sees fires as
coolness1 - - - . (55) rHe is not gro wn old who is seen with his father'.
Your nomes are full of ch ild re n."
H e" threw himsel f o n h is bell y before his maj esty, [saying: " Be
appeased] , Ho ru s, lo rd o f th e p alace ! It is yo ur power tha t has d one it
to me. 1 am o ne of th e Kin g's servants who pays taxes into th e
treasury. - - - (57) th ei r taxes, 1 have d on e for you mo re than they ."
Then h e presented silver, go ld, lap is lazu li, turquoise , co p per, a nd a ll
kinds o f precious stones. T he treasury was filled with th is tribute. He
b rought a h orse with his r ight hand , a nd in his le ft hand a sistrum of
gold a n d lapis lazuli."
H is maj esty a ro se in sp lendor (59) fro m his palace and p ro ceed ed to
th e temple o fThoth , lo rd of Kh mu n. He sacrificed oxe n , shortho rns,
a n d fowl to his father T hoth , lord of Khmun, and the Ogdoad in till:
te mple o f the Ogdoad ." And th e tro ops o f the Hare nom e sho u ted
a nd sa ng, sa ying :
" H ow good is Horus at peace in (6 1) his town ,
The Son of Re , P iye!
TEXTS IN TH E CLASSICAL LAN GUA GE 73
You mak e for us a jubilee ,
As yo u p rot ect the Hare nome!"
Hi s majesty proceeded to the house of Kin g Namart . He went
through a ll th e rooms o f the p alace, his tr easu ry a nd h is storehouse.
lI e (Na ma rt) presented (63) th e royal wives an d royal d aughters to
him. The saluted h is m aje sty in the manner of wome n, wh ile h is
majes ty d id not d ire ct his ga ze at th em.
Hi s majesty proceeded to the stable o f th e horses and th e qu arters
o f the foal s. Whe n he saw they had been [left] (65) to hunger he said :
" 1swea r , as Re loves me , as m y nose is refreshed by life : tha t my ho rses
were made to hunger pains me more th an any othe r crim e you co m -
mitted in you r recklessn ess !" rr would tea ch you to res pect you r
nc ighborst. (67) Do you not know god's sha de is above me and does
1I0t let m y actio n fa il? Would th at another, wh oever he might be , had
don e it for me ! 1 would not have to reprimand him fo r it. 55 1 was
lashioned in th e womb, created in th e eg g of th e god ! (69) The seed of
rhc go d is in m e ! By his ka, 1 act not without him; it is he who
co mm an ds me to act!"
Then hi s good s were assigned to th e treasury, and his gra nary to the
«ud owment of Amun in Ipet-sut."
H eracleopolis reaffirms its loyalty, other toums surrender
There ca me the ru ler of Hnes Peftuaub ast." beari ng tribute (7 1) to
Pharaoh : go ld , silver, all kinds o f precious sto nes, and the best horses
o f th e st able. H e threw himself on h is belly before his majest y a nd
said:
" H ail to yo u , H o ru s, mighty King ,
Bull a ttacking bulls!
T he netherworld seized m e,
I fo undered in d arkness,
o yo u who g ive me (73) th e rays of h is face!
I co u ld find no fr iend on th e d ay of di stress,
Who wou ld stand up o n battle d ay,
Exce p t you, 0 m ighty Kin g ,
You d ro ve th e d arkness from me!
I sha ll serve with m y property,
Hn es (75) owes to you r dwelling;
You a re Harakhti abo ve th e im mortal stars !
As he is kin g so a re yo u,
As he is im mo rta l YO Il a rc immortal,
Kin g o f Up pe r a m i Lo wer E/-:yp t, Piye eve r living!"
74 ANCIE NT EG YPTIA N LIT ERATURE
His majesty sa iled north to the entrance of th e canal bes ide Re-
hone," and fo und Per-Sekhemkheperre with its wa ll rais ed, its gate
closed , and filled with all kinds of fighters of Lower Egypt. Then h is
majesty sent to them, saying: "0 you who live in d eath, you who live
in death; yo u poor wr et ch es, you who live in death! If the moment
passes without yo u r opening to me, yo u will be co u nted slain accord -
ing to the King's judgment. Do not bar th e gates o f yo u r life , so as to
be brought to the block this d ay! Do not desire d eath a nd rej ect life!
(79) - - - before the wh ole land ."
Then they sent to his majesty, sa yin g :
" Lo , god's shad e is above you ,
N u t's So n gave yo u h is arms!
Yo ur h ea rt's p la n hap p e ns in stan tly,
Like the word of mouth of god .
Tru ly, yo u are born o f god,
For we see (it) by th e work of you r ar ms!
Lo , yo u r town and its gates
May entrants e nter, goers go,
Ma y h is majesty do as he wishes !"
T h ey ca me out with a son of the Ch ief of th e Ma , Tefnakht. The
troops of his majesty entered it, and he did not slay one of all the
people he found . (8 1) - - - - - - a nd treasurers, in order to sea l its
posse ssions. Its treasuries were allocated to the treasury, its g ra na ries
as endowment to hi s father Amen-Re , lo rd of Thrones-of-th e-Two-
Lands.
H is majesty sai led north . He found Mer-Arum, the ho use o f Sokar,
lo rd of Sehedj , closed and unapproachable. It had resolved to fight.
- - - - - - ; fear of (h is) grandeur sealed their mouth. His majesty
sent to them, sa ying: "Loo k, two ways a re before yo u ; choose as yOIl
wish . Open, you live ; close, yo u die. My maj esty will not pa ss by a
closed town !" Then they opened immediately. Hi s majest y e nte red the
town . (83) H e sacrificed - - - - - -, [to] Menh y, foremost of Sehedj.
Its treasu ry wa s allocated to th e treasury, its granary as endowm ent to
Am un in I pe t-su t.
His majesty sailed north to Itj-tawy. He fou nd the rampart closed ,
the wa lls filled with valiant troops of Lower Egypt. T hen they o pened
the gates a nd threw themselves on their be llies before [his maj est y,
sa yin g to] h is maj esty:
" Yo u r fath er ga ve yo u h is heritage ,
Yours are the Two Lands, yo u rs those in it,
Yours is all th at is on ea rt h!"
TEXT S I N T HE C LA SS IC AL LANGUAGE 75
Hi s m ajest y went to offer a great sa cr ifice to th e go d s of this town :
oxe n, shorthorns, fow l, a nd everything good and pure. It s storehouse
\~a s a llocated to the trea sury, its granary as e nd o wmen t to (85) his
lath e r Amen-Re.
Capture of M emphis
[His majesty proceeded to] Memphis. He sent to them , say ing: "D o
1I0t close, do not fight , 0 home of Shu sin ce th e beginning ! Let the
e nt ra n t ente r , th e goer go ; those who wo uld leave sha ll not be
hindered! I sha ll offer a n o blatio n to Ptah and th e god s of Memphis. I
shall sac n fice to Sokar in Sh etit. I shall see South-of-his-wall." And I
~ h~ 1I sai l north in peace! - - - - - -. [The peop le of] Memp his will be
safe and so und; one will not weep over ch ild re n . Look to the nomes of
t hc South! No one was slain th ere, ex cept th e rebels who had
hlasphemed god; the traitors were ex ecuted ."
'~hey closed their fort. They sen t o ut troops ag ainst so me o f hi s
II lajesty's troops, co n sisting o f artisans, builders, and sa ilo rs (87) [who
had e nte red] th e harbor of Memph is. And th e Chief of Sais' " a rrived
ill Memphis by night to cha rge his so ld iers, his sailo rs, all th e best of
his a r my, consisting of 8,000 men , ch a rging them firml y:
." Loo k, Memphis is filled with tro o ps of all the best of Lo we r Egypt,
W ~ I h ba rley, emmer, and all kin ds of grain , the g ranaries overflowing;
wit h weapons [of war] ~f all kinds. A rampart [surrounds it]. A great
han lement .has bee~ built, a wo rk of skilled cra fts mans hip. The river
su r ro u nd s ItS east Side ; o ne ca n not fight there. The stables here are
lilled with ox en; th e storehouse is furni shed with eve ryth ing: silve r ,
flo ld, c.o p p e r, clothing, in cen se , honey, resin. I shall go to give g ifts to
Ihe ch iefs of Low er Eg ypt. I shall open their nomes to them." I sh a ll
I... (Hy) - - - , [in a few ] days I shall return ." He mounted a horse (for)
Iu- did no t tru st his chariot," and he went north in fear of h is majesty.
Al dawn of the next d ay his majesty arrived at Memphis. Whe n he
had moored on its no r th , he fo und th e water risen to th e walls and
h ips moored at [the houses of] Memphis. H is maje sty saw that it was
Imug , the wa lls were high with new co nstructio n , and the battlements
I I ~allll e~1 in ~trength . No wa y o f attacking it was found. Every man o f
III ~ m aj esty s arm y had his say abo u t some pl an of attack . Some
~, lid : " Le t us blockade (9 1) - - - , for its troops are numerous."
C)1 hers said : " Ma ke a cau sewa y to it, so that we ra ise the ground to its
wall. I:e l ~s co nstru ct a siege tower, setting u p ma sts and us ing sails as
wa lls 101' It. YOII sholl l~ d ivide it thus o n each of its sides with ramparts
,Ilid I ra c~ u sewayl] o n Its north , so as to raise th e g ro u nd to its wa ll, so
Ih al we hnd a way for 0 111' lc et ."
T he n his llI ~jest y raged aJ.:a inst th em like a panther, sayi ng: " I
_w,'a r, as Re lo ves me , as Illy ("alli e r AnUl1I fa vo rs me , acco rdi ng
76 ANC IENT EGYPT IAN LIT ERAT U RE
to the command o f Amu n! This is wh at people say : (93) ' - - - an d
the nomes o f th e So u th o pened to him from afar, th ough Amu n h ad
no t put (it) in th eir hearts , a nd th ey did not kn ow wha t he h ad
co m ma nd ed. H e (A m u n) m ad e him in o rde r to sho w his might, to let
hi s g ra n deu r be see n .' I sh all se ize it like a cloudburst , fo r [Am en-Re]
h as co m m a nded m e !"
Then he sent hi s fleet and hi s troops to attac k th e ha rbor of
Memphis. They brought h im ever y ship, every ferry, every shry-boat ,
all the many ships th at were moored in th e harbor of Memphis , with
the bow rope fastened to its houses . (95) [There was not] a common
so ld ier who wept a mo ng all th e troops of hi s majesty. H is maj esty
himself ca m e to lin e up the many sh ips.
His m ajesty co m ma nd ed hi s troops: " Forwa rd agai ns t it! Mount
th e wa lls! En te r th e h ou ses over the ri ver! Wh en o ne of you enters th e
wa ll, no o ne sha ll sta nd in hi s vicinity, no troops sh all re p ulse you! T o
p ause is vile . We have sea led Up per Egypt; we sha ll bring Lo wer
Egyp t to port. We sha ll sit d o wn in Balance-of-the Two-La nds!""
Then Memphis was seized as by a cloudburst. Many p eople we re
slai n in it, o r brou ght as cap tives to whe re his maj esty was .
Now (9 7) [wh en] it dawned o n th e next d ay his majest y se nt people
into it to protect th e temples of god for him. Th e arm was raised ?ver
the holy of holies o f th e gods. Offe rings were made to th e Council (of
the god s) o f Memphis. Memphis was cleansed with natron and
incense. The priests were se t in th eir places.
H is majest y proceeded to th e house o f [Ptah]. Hi s purificati on was
p erformed in th e robing room . There was perform ed for him e very
rite that is perfo r med for a kin g when h e enters th e te mple . A g real
offe ri ng was mad e to his fa the r Ptah South-o f-hi s-Wall of oxe n,
shortho rns, fowl , and all good th ings. T h en hi s majesty went to his
h ouse .
T hen all th e di st ricts in th e region o f Memphis heard (it). H ery-
p ederny, (99) Penin ewe , T o we r-of-Byu . Villag e-of-Byt , they opened
the ga tes and fled in flight, and it was not known wh ere th ey had go ne.
T hree rul ers surrender
T he n came Kin g luput." a nd th e Ch ief of th e Ma , Akanosh ." a nd
P rince Pediese ," a nd all co u nts of Lo wer Egy p t, bearing their tribute,
to see the beauty o f h is m ajesty.
Then the treasuries a nd g ra na ries of Memphis were alloca te d as
e n dowme n t to Amu n , to Ptah , and to th e Ennead in Memphis.
Piye visits the sanctuaries of Heliopolis
At dawn o f th e next d ay hi s majesty p ro ceeded to th e East. ( 10 I) An
o ffering was mad e to At u m in Kh e rah a." th e En nea d in Pcr-Pesdj ct ."
T EXT S IN T H E CLASS ICAL LAN G U AGE 77
an d the cave rn o f th e gods in it,"' co ns isting o f oxen, shortho rns, an d
lowl, that they might give life-prospe rity-h ealth to th e King of Up pe r
a nd Lower Egypt, P iye ever livin g.
Hi s m aj est y proceeded to O n o ver th at mountain of Kheraha on the
roa d o f Se p 70 to Kh eraha . His maje sty went to the ca m p o n th e west of
Ili. 7I His purification was d one: he was cleansed in th e pool of Keb eh ;
his face was bathed in th e river o f Nun , in whi ch Re bathes his face . He
p ro ceed ed to the High Sand" in On. A great oblation was made on the
II ig h Sand in On before the face of Re at his rising, consisting of whi te
o xe n , milk, m yrrh , incense, and all kinds of (10 3) sweet-smelling
plants.
Go ing in procession to th e temple of Re .73 Entering th e temple with
.ulo ratio n s. The ch ief lector-priest's praising god and repulsing th e
lebe.ls from the king." Performing th e ritual of the robing room ;
pllttmg o n the sdb-ga rment ; cleansin g h im with incense and cold
wate r ; presenting him th e ga rla nds of th e Pyramidion H ouse ; bring-
illg him the am u lets .
Mounting th e st airs to th e g re at windo w to view Re in the Pyramidi-
1111 Hou se . The king stood by himsel f alone . Breaking the sea ls of the,
1.0115, o pe n ing the doors ; viewing his father Re in the holy Pyrarn idion
l lou se ; radorningi 75 the morn ing-b ark of Re and th e even ing-bark of
Aru m. Clos ing the doors , applying the clay, (105) sea lin g with th e
king-'s o wn seal, and instructing the priests: "I have inspected the sea l.
No o ther kin g who ma y arise shall e nter here." They p laced them-
" '!vcs o n their bellies before h is majesty, sayi ng: "Abide forever
witho ut e nd, H orus bel o ved o f On!"
En te ri ng th e temple of Atum. Wo rshiping th e image of his father
Arum-Khe p ri, Great o ne o f On.
T he n ca me Kin g Osorkon" to see th e beauty o f his maj esty.
P iye holds COUTt at A thribis
A I d awn o f the next d ay his m ajesty p ro ceeded to th e harbor a t the
IIl'ad o f hi s ships. H e crossed over to th e har bo r of Kernwer." T he
I am p o f his majesty was set up on th e so u th of Keh eny, in th e east
( I ( 7) 0 f Kemwer.
Th en ca m e those kings a nd cou n ts of Lower Eg ypt, all th e p lume-
w..a ring- ch ie fs, all viziers , ch ie fs, king's fri ends fro m th e west , the east,
,II III th e isles in th eir midst , to see th e beauty o f his maj esty. Prince
I" 'di ese threw himsel f o n his bell y before his maj est y, say ing: "Co me
I" Arhribis, th at yo u may see Kh entikhety," th at Khuyer' " may protect
\'111 ', th at yo u ma y offer an o blat io n to Horus in his house , o f o xe n
III 11'1 horns, a nd fow l. Whe n yo u e nter my house , my treasury will be
" 1"'11 10 yo n . I s ha ll p resc n t you with my father's possessions. I sha ll
Hiv,' YOll g-old as mil ch as you wish, ( I (J!) tu rq uo ise heap ed be fo re yo u ,
78 ANCIENT EGYPTIA N LIT ERAT UR E
and many horses of the best of th e stable, the choicest of the stall. "
His majesty proceeded to the house of Horus Khentykhety. An
o ffe ri ng of ox e n, sho rt ho rns, and fowl was mad e to his fath er H orus
Khentykhety, lord o f Ath r ibis. His maj esty went to th e house of Prin ce
Pediese . H e (Ped iese) presented him with silve r , gold, lapis lazuli, and
turquoise, a great quantity of everything, and clothing of ro yal linen
o f every number;" couches laid with fin e linen , myrrh and ointm e nt
in j ars, a n d stallio ns and m ares , all the best of h is sta ble .
He purified himself by a di vin e oa th before these kings a nd great
chie fs of (Ill) Lower Eg ypt: "A nyo ne who hides his horses and
co nce als his rwealthl 81 shall die th e death of his father! I have said this
in order that yo u bear out yo u r servant with all that you kn ow of me .
Tell if I have concealed from hi s m ajesty any th ing o f my father's
house : go ld rba rs , precious stones, vessels o f all kinds, armlets,
bracelets of gold,' necklaces, co llars wrought with precious sto nes,
amulets for every limb, headbands , earrings, all royal adornments, all
vessels for th e king's purification o f gold and precious stones. All th ese
I have presented (11 3) to the Kin g , and garments of roya l linen by th e
thousands o f the very best o f m y house. I kn ow yo u will be satisfied
with it. Proceed to th e stable , choose wh at yo u wish , all the horses you
desire! " Then his majesty did so .
Then said these kings an d counts to his majesty: "Let us go to our
towns to open o u r treasuries , that we may choose acco rd ing to what
yo u r h eart m ay d esire, a nd b ring to you th e best o f o u r stables, th e
finest o f our horses." Then h is maj est y did so .
L ist of the northern rulers
List o f th eir names:"
Kin g Osorkon in Perbast a nd th e dist rict of Ranofe r ,"
Kin g Iup ut in T entremu a nd T aan,"
Count Djedamenefankh (11 5) in Per-Banebdjed et ' " and Granary-
of-Re ;"
His eldest so n, the general in Per-Thoth-weprehwy." Ankh-hor,
Count A ka nos h in Tj eb-n eter, Per-h ebyt , a nd Sema-behd et, "'
Count a n d C hie f o f th e Ma , Patjenfi in Per-Sopd and Granary-of-
Memphis,"
Count and Chief o f th e Ma, Pemai in Per-Usirnebdjedu ,"
Count a nd Chief o f th e Ma , Nesnaisu in H esbu ,"
Cou n t an d C h ief o f th e Ma , Ne khtho r- nes h n u in Per-gerer,"
Chief of th e Ma , Pentweret,
, Chief of th e Ma , Pentbekheru;"
Prophet of Horus , lord of Kh em;" (117) Pedihorsomtus,
Count H erbes in Per-Sakhrnet-n ebetsat a nd in Per-Sakhuu-t
nebetrehsa ,"
TEXT S IN THE C LASS ICAL LANGUAGE 79
Co u n t Djedkhiu in Khentnefer;"
Co u n t Pebes in Kh eraha a nd Per-H apy,"
\\'~I h a~l their g~od tribute [o f) gold , silve r, [precious sto nes), co uc bes
laid with fine linen, myrrh in (I 19) j ars, - - - - - - o f good value,
ho rses - - - - - - .
- - - [after) this o ne ca me to tell (121 ) his majest y: " - - - - - _
t hc wall. - - - - - - . H e.has se t fir e to [his] treasury [and to th e sh ips)
'"I the rrver. H e h as garrison ed Mesed ( 123) with soldiers-- - .""
Th en .his majesty se nt so ldie rs o f his to see wha t was happening th e re ,
Ill' bemg th e p rotector o f Prince Ped iese . The y return ed to re po r t
( 125) to his majesty, saying: "We ha ve slain e very m an we found
I here." Then his majesty gav e it (the town ) to Prince Pediese as a gift.
T efnaklu announces his submission
Th e C h ief of th e ~a , T.efnakht, hea rd it" ( 127), and a messenger
was .s ent to wh ere his majesty was with cajo ling word s, say ing : " Be
f\raClo u s! I cannot see you r face in th e days of sh am e ; I ca nno t sta nd
1...lore yo u r flame ; I dread you r g ra ndeu r ! Fo r you are N ubti,
I' :rc most of th e Southland ;' ?" and Mo nt , ( 129) the m igh ty bull !
\I hate ve r to wn yo~ tu rn your face to , yo u will not be able to find yo u r
,, ' rvan t there , until I have reached the islands of th e sea! Fo r I fear
l'o llr wrath on acc o u nt o f th ose fier y words whi ch are hostil e to me!
" Is yo u r majesty's heart (131 ) not cooled by th e things you did to
1I1l' ? While I a m unde r a j ust rep roach , yo u di d no t smi te me in
, " m rd a n ~e wi.th (my) crime. We igh in th e balance , co u nt by weig ht,
,1I1l1 multiply I~ a~a i nst me threefold ! (Bu t) leave the see d , th at yo u
Illay ga the r It m time . Do not cu t d own ( 133) th e grove to its ro o ts!
1I;,I,vc .m e rcy! Dread o f you is in my bod y; fear of you is in my bon es!
I Sit not at th e bee r feast ; the harp is no t b rou ght for me. I eat th e
h"'ad of th e h ungry; I drink th e wat er of (135) the thirsty, sinc e the
ria)' yo u hea rd m ~ nall~e ! ~Ilness is in my bon es , my head is bald , my
1101 hes a re :ags, till Neith IS a p peased toward m e! Long is the co u rse
\" " 1 Icd aga mst me , a nd you r face is against me yet! It is a yea r ( 13 7)
I ha l has purg~d my ka and clea nsed yo u r servant o f his fa u lt! I.et my
l\o," ls ~)e received mto the treasury: gold a nd all p recious stones , the
IlI'sl o f th e ho rses, and paym ent of e ver y kind. ' ?' Send me ( 139) a
1II, ' s s cn ~er ~ui ckly , to drive th e fear fro m my he art! Let me go to th e
1"llll'lc III his presence , to cleanse myself by a divine oath! "
II is majesty se nt th e chie f lector-p riest Ped iame n-nest- tawy and the
"'" l1 la lld e l' Pu rern . He (T e fna kht) presented (14 1) hi m with silve r
1II Il I, ~o l d , clo th ing an d all precious sto ne s. He we nt to th e temple ; he
1";lIsl'd ~o d ; 1.lc : Ica nsc d him sclf,hy a d ivine oat h , saying : " I will not
,1I,olll'y th ~ KII1 ~ s co nunn nd . I will not thru st aside ( 143) his majesty's
WOld s. I will 1101 d o w ro ll~ 10 a «o u nt wit ho ut y01l 1' kno wled ge . I will
80 AN C IENT EGYPT IAN LITERATU RE
on ly do what the King sa id . I wi ll not disobey what h e ha s co m -
m anded ." T hen h is majest y's h ea rt was satisfied wit h it.
Final surren ders, Piye returns 10 N ubia
One ca m e to sa y ( 145) to hi s m aj esty: " H u t-Sob k '?" h as o pened its
g a te ; Metcn'?" has thrown itse lf o n its b elly. No n ome is sh u t aga inst
his .m aj esty, of th e nomes o f th e south a nd the n orth. The we st , th e
e a st , and the islands in th e mid st a re on their belli e s in fea r of him ,
( 147) a n d are se n d ing th e ir goods to where h is m aj esty is. like the
su bj ect s of th e p al a ce. "
At d awn of the n ext d a y the re ca me the two rulers o f U p per Egy p t
a n d the two rulers of Lo wer Egyp t, the uraeus wearers.' ?' to kiss th e
grou n d to th e mi ght of (149 ) hi s maje sty. Now the kings a nd co u n ts of
Lo we r Egypt who ca me to see hi s majesty's beauty, th eir le gs were the
le gs of wome n . The y co u ld n ot e nte r th e pala ce becau se th ey were
u n cir cu m cise d ( 15 1) and were eate r s of fish , wh ich is an abom ination
to t he palace. Bu t King N amart e nte red the p a lace b ecause h e was
cle an and d id not eat fish . T h e thre e stood ( 15 3) th e re while th e one
e n te r e d the palace.
Then t he ships were lo ad e d with silver. gold , copper, a n d cloth ing ;
everyt h ing of Lower Egypt, eve r y p rod u ct o f Syria . a nd all p la nts o f
god's land .' :" H is majesty (15 5) sai led south, his h e a r t joyful, a nd a ll
tho se n e a r him shouting . W est a nd East took u p the an nou n ce m en t,
shouting a round h is maje sty . This was t heir so ng o f j ubi lation :
" 0 mighty ru ler, 0 mighty ru ler,
(157) Piye , m ighty ru ler!
You return h a vin g taken Lower Eg ypt,
You made bu lls into women !
Joyfu l is the m other who bore yo u,
The m an who b egot yo u!
The va lle y dwellers' :" wo r sh ip h er,
The cow (159) that bore the bull !
You are eternal ,
Your m ight a b ides ,
o ruler lo ved o f Thebe s!"
NO TE S
I. I.e ., born to be a rul er.
2. Ne tje r, not identified with cer tainty, may be the region of Buto;
see Yoyotte , op. cit., PI'. 154 f.
3 . The scribe did not fill in the nom e sign. Probably th e Harpoo n
nome, the 7t h nom e o f Lower Egypt , in th e northwest corner of 1111'
Delta , was meant; see Yoyotte , 01'. cit.. p. 154.
TEXTS IN THE CLASSI CAL LANGUAGE 81
4 . T he 6th nom e of Lower Egypt.
5. A name for the do ub le nom e of Sais: see Yoyoue, op. cit., p. 155.
6 . The sign is d estroyed ; a territory adj acent to Hapy must be meant.
7. A nam e for the marsh y regions o f 1mau (or, Iamu), the metropolis
o f th e 3d nom e o f Lower Egypt.
8. This town has not been identified.
9. The o ld residen ce o f the Midd le Kingd om . south of Memphis. It
marked th e southern boundary of T efnakht's dom ain s at the beginning
o f his new campa ign .
10. Meidum in the Fayyum .
II . " Ho use of Osorkon I," near El-L ahun a nd Gurob; see Yoyot te ,
op. cit., p. 135, n. l.
12. Crocod ilopo lis, th e cap ital of the Fayyum.
13. Ox yrhynch os, the metropolis of the 19th nom e o f Upper Egypt.
14 . A town in the 19th nome of Up pe r Egypt.
15. Le., o n th e west bank of the Nile. The town s are listed from north
to south.
16. A town in the 18th nome of Upper Egypt.
17. Town in the 18th nome of Uppe r Egypt , mod ern EI-Hiba.
18. An oth er town in the 18th nome.
19. Ap hrod itopolis (modern Atfi h) , the metropolis of th e 22d nome of
Uppe r Egypt. T hese four towns on the east bank ar e listed from south to
north, thu s show ing that Tefnakht had made a circular sweep.
20 . Heracleopolis Magna , the me tropolis of the 20th nom e of Upper
Egypt.
2 1. Lit ., "He mad e him self into a tail-in-the-mo ut h ," i.e ., he encircled
th e tow n like a coiled sna ke.
22 . I.e. , each chie f allied with him was encamped before a section of
the wall.
.23. I.e., the Egyptian petty ru lers of Upper Egyp t who were loyal to
Piye,
~4 . Narnart of Hermopolis was one of four Egypti an rulers who
claimed th e title "king" at th is time . His domain was the Hare nome, the
15th nome of Upper Egypt.
25. Hutweret is Herwer, an important town in the Hare nome.
26. Anot her town in th e Hare nom e.
27. The fortress o f Nefrusi.
28 . I.e. , Namart has joined T efnakht and re pud iated his allegi an ce
10 Piye.
29 . Piye's cha rge to h is army was ex plained by Gardiner , J EA , 2 I
( 1935), 2 19-223 .
.:~ O . I.e. , th.ey sho u ld not attac k by stea lth as in a game where one party
I roes to outwit the other.
:~ I. Th ~ .aim o f Piye's cha rge was th at his troop s sho uld fight a few
large d ecisive battles rather th an man y small skirmishes . And he was
co n fide nt th at Amun was on his side.
:12. I tak e th is to be th e word Ipy of Wb . 5,292.15- 16, rather than Wb.
5,29 1.17.
:1:1. Ga rd ine r re nde red, "Boast not of bei ng lords of might." But nb ,
"lo rd ," is in th e sing u la r. a nd the "lo rd of might" is Amun , who is re-
ferred ( 0 ill th e nex t sen te nce.
:1·1. l.c., 10 Napn in.
82 ANC IE NT EG YPTIA N LIT ERAT UR E
35 . Bu siri s, t he met ropoli s o f th e 9t h no me of Lowe r Egy pt.
36 . Me ndes, the met ropol is of t h e 16th nom e of Lowe r Egypt.
37. H ermopolis Parva, the metropoli s o f t he 15th nome of Lo wer
Egy pt.
38. The II th nome o f Lower Egypt.
39 . Kin g Osorko n IV a I' Bubast is.
40 . Ranofer has not be en d e fin itel y locali zed ; see Go rnaa, op. cit.,
1'1'.1 32 -1 34.
4 1. A bl ank sp ace.
42 . Khmun a nd U n toget he r for med H ermopoli s Magna.
43 . Le ., after celeb ra ting th e New Year's feast at Na pata, Piye wo u ld
proceed to Thebes in tim e for th e fea st of Ip et (O pet), o ne o f th e princi-
p al feasts of A m u n at Theb es.
4 4 . A fortress in the 18th nome; cf. AEO, II , 93 *.
45 . Priese, op. cii., p. 124 , discussed the va r iou s translatio ns o f this
sen tence a nd proposed to render: "Wh en the th ird d ay had begu n-
Hermopolis h aving be come r~ne n to th.e no se in th at it ~?cked th e fre e
bre ath o f its nose-Hermopohs pl aced itse lf o n rts bell y. I do no t find
this co nv inci ng . Neither the reading "th ree days" is p robable , no r th e
re ading m sp n ndm fnd.s, whi ch is too word y to sui t the te rsen ess ? n~
economy of this narrative st yle . I read m hmn fnd.s. Furthermo~e , it IS
not lik ely th at the d ecisive re sult of t~e siege , i.e. , th~ town's .tu rn m g too
foul to be h ab itabl e , would be told m a pare nthesis: a nd I W p ro babl y
introd uces t he m ain cla u se , since th is is classi ca l Egy ptia n . . 70 . A god of th e region , spe lled Se pa in ea rlier text s.
46. I. e ., King Narnart's crown . . .
47 . A long lacu na : lin es 35 -5 0 a re a lmos t e n tirely d est ro yed . This
mi ssing portion co nta ined the in tercession o f Piye's wo men , Piye's
acce p ta nce o f the su rre nder of H ermopo lis, a nd King Narna rt's ap pea r-
ance before him .
48 . Piye is sp ea king. . kin g is performin g .
49. Piye makes th e point th at h is rule o f Egy p t had been benign . H e
h ad not o p p resse d th e p eople and ha d co nte n ted h imsel f with the loyal ty
of their rulers.
50 . Perhaps restore: "Was it bad th at th e Kin g of th e Ha re nome
ca m e with gifts? "
5 1. Kin g Na rnart.
52 . T hi s is h ow Na rnart is d epict ed on the sce ne at th e to p of the stela.
o n ly the hands a re reversed. . 8 1. Assu m ing th at Hw , "wo rt h , value, we igh t," co u ld be used in t he
53 . The e igh t primeval go d s wh ose cult ce nte r was He rmopohs.
54 . In ZAS , 87 ( 1962), 115 -11 6 , E. H ornung di scu ssed th e me aning
o f kfi-ib a n d p roposed "p ro fligacy, rec klessness" f o r th is in stance . T his is
su ita b le here but not in so me ot her ca ses. In AnCIentEgyptian Literature, I,
77 -78, n . 2 7, I suggested th at two d ifferent roo ts of kfJ m ay be in volv ed .
55 . If this is th e cor rect translati on , th e meaning is obscure .
56. In a ll co nq ue re d tow ns Piye allocated pa rt of th e booty to Amun o f
Theb e s.
5 7. The ruler o f Heracl eopolis was o ne of th e fou r rul e rs wh o cla im ed
the title "king" a n d the o n ly o ne wh o h ad r emained loyal to Piye.
58. Modern EI-Lah u n ; cf. AEO, II , 116*.
59 . Ptah .
60 . T efnakht.
61. This probabl y means th at T efnakh t would res tore to t he norrhcrn
T EXTS IN T HE CLASS ICAL LANG UA G E 83
ch ie fs th e town s he had captured from th em , in ord e r to ga in th e ir h el p
for the d efe nse of Me mph is a nd th e Delt a.
62 . InJN E S , 36 (1977), 296 , M. Gilula pointed out tha t n(lt)' is th e root
nht , "believe , trust ," a nd not nhl, "wish , as k fo r. "
. 63. Me mphis. .
64 . Iuput II , rule r of Leo ntopolis (T3 -nm v, T nt-rmun, one o f th e fou r
"kin gs."
6 5 . This important Libya n ch ie f r u led in Sebe n ny to s (T b-nt r ), t he
m et ropoli s o f th e 12th nome o f Low er Eg yp t, a nd co nt ro lled a large
te rri tory aro u nd it, includ ing th e towns of Iseopol is (Pe r -heby t) and
Diospoli s Inferior (Serna-be hdet) see Yoyo tte , 0/'. cit., PI'. 159 - 161 , a nd
Go rnaa , op. cit., 1'1'. 69 -71. He had not joine d Tefna kh t's a lliance, an d
a lo ng with Iuput a nd Ped ie se , he no w ca me to make his sub mission .
66. The ru ler of At h r ib is. H e too a p pea rs to ha ve re mained neutra l;
see Yoyo tte, op. cit. , PI' . 162 -1 63.
67 . A town sou t h o f H el iopoli s ca lled "B abylo n" by th e Gre e ks. In
AEO , I I, 131 * - 144* Ga rd ine r di scussed it a t len gth.
68 . Ibid ., PI'. 141 *-14 2* Ga rdiner examined th e q ues tio n whe t her
Pe r-P esdjet , the " House o f the En n ead ," was a place d istin ct fro m
Kh eraha o r merel y another name fo r it, an d he leaned to th e latte r view .
6 9. The "ca ve rn" m eans a source of the inund ation. In addition to th e
"twin so u rces" o f th e Nil e at Elep ha nt ine, Kh eraha claimed possession of
a so urce .
7 I. Na me of th e ca na l of Helipoli s.
72. An o fte n- me ntioned sacred pla ce in H eli opoli s.
73 . The p r in cip al te mple o f Heli opolis.
74. A sym boli c act.
75. It is not clear wheth er t he word is dsr a nd just wha t r itua l act th e
76 . Osor ko n IV aI' Bubastis, th e last o f th e four kin gs to surre nder.
77 . T he 10th no me o f Lower Eg ypt , th e me tro pol is of whi ch was
At hribis.
78 . The prin cipal god o f Ath r ibis wh o was id entified with Horus.
79. A local god dess.
80 . Perhaps a re fe rence to th e num ber of threads in a fabri c by whi ch
its fineness was d e termined .
se n se o f a pe rson 's mat erial worth, i.e ., his wealth .
82 . The list is a rra nged according to ra n k.
8 3 . See nn. 39-40 and 76 .
84 . See n . 64 . Taa n h as not been id e ntified .
85 . Se e n . 36.
86 . Not locali zed with ce rtain ty; see Co maa, op. cit., p. 88 .
87 . Hermopoli s Pa r va , see n . 37 . O n th e two r ul ers see Comaa, op. cit.,
1'1'. 86 -89.
H8. Sec n . 65 .
H!!. Patj en fi's re sid en ce , Pe r-Sopd (mo de rn Safr e l-H e nna) was the
met ropoli s of t he 22 d no me of Lowe r Eg ypt. H is ot her town , "Gra na ry-
o f-Me m p his." h as no t been locali zed . T h is ch ie f had not pa rt icipa ted in
Tc fua kh r's a llia nce . On th e rul ers of Pe r-Sopd see Cornaa , op. cit.,
1'1" I () I - ICH .
84 AN CI ENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
90. Pemai was th e rul er o f Busiris. His pred ecessor, Sheshonq, had
been a member of Tefna kh t's coalition . On th ese d ynast s o f Busir is see
Yoyotte , op. cit., pp. 165 - 172, and Cornaa, op, cit., pp. fiO-fi7 .
9 1. See n. 38. Nesnaisu had been an important memb er o f Te fnakht's
coalition.
92 . Th is ch ief has not been mention ed pr eviou sly. His town in the
eastern Delta has not been localized with certa inty; see Co maa , op. cit.,
pp.105 -106.
93 . Two min or ch iefs not pr evious ly mentioned .
94 . Khem = Letopolis was the metropolis of the 2d nome of Lower
Eg ypt.
95. Two fortresses in th e 2d nome.
96 . A town in th e nom e o f Memphis; see Gard iner, AEO, II , 120*-
122*, and Co rnaa. op. cit., p . 5 1.
97 . Twin towns so ut h of Heliop olis; see AEO , 11 , 131*-1 44.
98 . I.e ., T efnakht had occupied th e town of Mesed (Mosdai) north o f
Athribis, on th e border of Pedi ese's realm .
99. Wh en Tefnakht heard th at th e resistan ce of Mesed had been
crus hed he surrende red but without appea ring in person.
100 . The go d Seth .
101 . Or, "eq uip ped with everyt hi ng ," referrin g to the horses.
102 . See n. 12.
103 . The nome of Aphrod ito polis, th e 22d nom e of Uppe r Egypt.
104. The four kings: Nama rt, Peftuaubast, luput II , and Osorkon IV .
105. This term for for eign regions south and east of Egypt see ms to
re fe r specifically to wooded areas. It could also be employed for wood-
lands with in Egypt , as in th e Vi ctDr), S tela of Psamtik If ; see p. 86, n. 2.
i os. The inha bitants o f Up pe r Egypt.
A VI CTORY STE LA OF KING PSAMTIK II
From Sheil a I
Found at th e village o f Sh ellal, near Assuan , in 1964, thi s stela turned
ou t to be th e duplicate of a previousl y known stela o f Psamtik II found at
Karn ak. Wh ereas th e Karnak stela is a fragm ent , the She llal stela is
com plete . It is a ro un d-to pped ste la of red gra ni te , 2.53 m hig h. In the
lu nett e, un d er the winge d sun- d isk, are the ca rtouches ofthe king. Below
is th e inscription in twelve colum ns.
It is an im porta nt monument, fnr it shed s furth er light on Psarntik II 's
Nubian cam pa ig n, a cam pa ign already known from other sources,
not abl y fro m Herod otu s II, l fi l , from a frag men ta ry stela found at Tan is
in 1937, from the Karnak stel a frag me nt mentioned above, and from the
graffi ti whic h th e king's foreign mercen ary troops inscr ibed on two o f the
co lossi of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.
T he histo rical situa tio n has been elu cidated by J. Yoyotte an d S,
Sa u ne ro n in two articles (see below). In the ea rlier a rt icle Yoyotte
point ed ou t that th e numerous era su res o f ro yal nam es o f the Nubian
Twenty-fifth Dynast y on th eir monuments in Egyp t must have been the
wo rk o f Psamtik I I. T hese eras ures and the campa ign are evide nce of
renewed hostilit y between Egypt and the Nubian kingd om .
TEXT S IN T H E CLA SSI CAL LAN G UA GE 85
Nu bian rul e of Egypt had collapse d under the onslaught o f th e
Assyri ans. In th e wake o f th at co llapse relati ons betwe en Nubia and
Egypt had been peac eful. In rebuilding a stro ng unified state , the
T we nty-sixth (Saite) Dynasty had at first viewed its Asiatic neighbors in
the east, and not Nubia in the sou th , as th e pot ential sou rce of tro uble.
Now , perhap s followin g a Nubian move, Psamtik II not only went to war
but u nd e rtook to wipe out the me mo ry of the Nubi an kings who had
ruled Egypt. T he time when Egypt cou ld dominate Nubia had long
passed, and the campaig n d id not cha nge the fact that Nu bia had becom e
a strong indepen~ent kingdom with the cap ability of invading Egypt. In
a ny event, Psarntik's erasures of Nubian ro yal names a nd his prideful
vIctory stela may be seen as th e som ewhat del ayed Egyptian reaction to
th e period of Nubian domination .
. In ad d itio n to its historical inte res t, the text has some noteworthy
~ ltera ry features, notably th e description o f th e king's sightseei ng tour
111 th e region of Elep hant ine with its evocation of a pleasant landscape
o f wat er a nd t~ees . The king had not himself led the army into Nubia,
but h ad rem ain ed in thi s peac efu l setting, and it was here that he
received the report of th e successfu l battl e, a report which contains the
rem arkable ex p ress ion "wadi ng in blood as in water,"
Publicat ion: H . S. K. Bak ry, Oriens Antiquus, 6 (1967), 225 -244 and
plates Ivi-lix.
Stud ies of th e historical background : J. Yoyotte, RdE, 8 ( 1951), 2 15-
239 . S. Sauneron and J. Yoyotte, BIFAO , 50 (1952), 157-207 an d
fou r plates .
( I) Ye a r 3, 2d m onth of su m mer, day 10 under the m ajesty of
Il o rus : M enekhib; King of U p p e r a n d Lower Egypt, T wo Ladie s:
~Iig-hty-o f-arm ; Gold -H o r us who g races th e T wo La n ds: N eferi bre;
S O li of Re, o f his bod y: Psamtik ever-living; belo ved o f Khnum , lord of
II... ca ta r ac t region , o f Saris, lady of Yebu , of A n u kis, presid in g over
Nu b ia , G o od god, effective of counse l; (3) va lia n t king, successful in
d C" 'd s; strong-of-arm who smites th e Nine Bows.
II is m aj e st y was roam ing th e marshes at lake N e fe r ibre,' circling its
III111 Hla ted land , tra versing its tw o isla n d s, viewing the syca mores o f
~ od 's lan d ' o n its mud bank , hi s h e art eager (5) to see the good ness
(III' , beauty), like th e Gre at God tr ave r sing th e primeval wat e r. Then
0 11C ' r. u n e to te ll hi s majesty:
"Th e troops yo u I' majesty sent to Nubia h ave reached th e h ill-
"" llIl ry of Pnubs." It is a land lackin g a b attlefield,' a place la cking
1'III5('s. (7) The N u bia n s o f e ve ry hill-country rose up agains t him ,'
II...ir he arts fu ll of rage a gain st h im ." H is a ttac k took pl ace ,' a nd it was
IlIi,, 'ry for th e r ebels. H is m aj esty h as d one a fighter's work. Wh en th e
b,II Ilc' was j o ined th e rebels turned th eir ba ck s. The a r rows did not
t l'a y from " pi ercin g th em . (9) The h and did not let 100 se .9 One waded
III lI ...ir b lood a s in wat er. Not o ne bound p air es caped o f th e 4, 20 0
I " I' lives . A success fu l d e ed ba s be en d one !"
86 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITERATU RE
T hen the h ea rt of h is majesty wa s h appy beyond an ything. H is
majesty presented ( I I) a great sa crifice of ox e n and shorthorns to a ll
the gods of Upper a nd Lo wer Egypt, and a n offering to t h e gods of
the p al a ce in the pa la ce c h a p e l. May h e be given all life , sta bility,
dominion , a ll health a nd h app iness like Re fore ver!
NOTES
I . Sin ce the titu lary invo kes the three gods of the border region , it is
clear th at the localit y of the king's sightseeing was the re gion o f Assu an
and Elephanti ne, and th at he had re maine d there to await the report o f
his arm y. T his is confirmed by the Gree k inscription which his ge nera ls
Potasimto and Amasis left at Abu Simbe l; see Sau neron and Yoyotte,
op. cit., PI' . 187- 188.
2. He re th e term "god 's land " can o nly refer to th e woodlands of this
a rea ; see p . 84, n. 105.
3. It see ms tha t Pnu bs was located in the region of th e th ird cataract,
see Sauneron and Yoyott e, op. cit., pp. 163 ff.
4. l.e., lacking a flat p lain .
5. Le ., aga inst King Psamtik. As so often in add ressing the king, the
report uses both th e second an d th e third person s.
6. I believe th at the word which Bakry left unread is a prepositio n ,
perhaps m-lpu.],
7. I.e ., the attac k of th e king's arm y.
8. Read nwdw , as clearly wri tten o n the Karn ak stela.
9 . Here , as in some ot her in stanc es , wn[l me ans "loosen: ' not "put o n"
(see A ncienl Egyplian Literatu re, II , 211 , n . I).
T HE NAUCRATIS STELA OF KING NECTA NE BO I
Cai ro Museum
Situated o n the east bank of the Canopic bran ch of the Nile, som e fifty
miles fro m th e o pe n sea and te n miles from Sais, Na ucratis had become
th e ch ie f Greek town in Egypt. It had risen to this pos ition as the res ult
of the monopoly on Greek trade bestowed on the town by King Am asis,
as we kn ow from Herodotus II , 177. Though the monopoly as such had
been ended by the Persian occupation of Egypt- for Persian dominion
ledto a dispersal of the Gr eek settlements th ere- Naucratis was still till"
for emost Greek town and a center of tr ad e and manufacture in th e tinu-
of the Thirtiet h Dynast y.
Besides Greeks th e town had a nat ive Egypti an pop ulation and,
bel on ging to th e nome of Sais , it had a temp le of Neit h , the god dess 0 1
Sa is, The stela o f Nectane bo was found in th e temple precinct.
It is a round-topped finel y carve d stela of black gra nite, measuring
1.58 x 0.68 m. I n the lunette, un der th e winged su n-d isk, King Necta m-
bo is shown p resen tin g offerings to the enthro ned goddess Neit h in tWII
symmetrica l sce nes . Below is the inscr ipti on in fourteen colu mns.
The orthographic pecul iarities o f th e inscriptio n , which impeded it,
understanding, wer e exp lain ed by the successive st ud ies o f Masp e ....,
Erma n , Set he, Piehl , Kuentz, Pose ne r, Gunn , and de Meu lcnaere whirh
TEXTS IN THE CLASS ICAL LAN GUA GE 87
are listed below. Thus it seem ed as if G unn's trans lation of 1943 repre-
sented a more. o r less d~fillltlve renderi ng, except for two additional
co rrec ted .readmgs contnbuted by de Meulenaere in 1959. Yet I have
h~d occasion to show that, a lo ng wit h all other tra nslators, Gu nn had
~n lsu n.d erstood. the cru ~ i al portion of th e text , th e passage in line s 8 - 10
m ~h lch the km g specified the terms o f his donation to th e templ e of
Ne ith . Th IS pass age had been taken to mean that the king was granting
to the te mp le the e ntire proceeds of customs dues levied at Naucratis o n
imported goods at a rate o f ten percent, as well as th e proceed s of a
tax, also assessed at th e ra te of ten percent, o n all goods manufactured in
the town . The true facts, however, ar e that th e king's decree gra nt ed th e
te mp le on e-tenth of the reve nue de r ived from the seaborne impo rt s
that were subject to a custo ms tax, an d o ne-te nt h of the re venue obta ined
from the tax o n locally manufactured goods , the rate at which the Iwo taxes
were levied remammg uns pecified . Hen ce th e belief of th e tr an slators
s.ubseq uent ly repeated in many books , th at th e Naucratis stela is evidence
lo r t he . existence of a ten percent custo ms tax and a ten per cen t tax on
trades IS erroneous.
Publication : G. Masp ero in E. Greba ut , Le M usre egyplien, Vol. I (Cairo,
1890- 1900), PI' · 40 - 44 and 1'1. 45, and in CR A lBL , 27 (1899 ) 793 -
795. A. ~rman and U. Wilcken , ZAS, 38 (1900), 127- 135.' H.
Brunner, H ierogiyphischr Chrestomath ie (Wiesbad en , 1965), pis. 23 -24,
exc elle nt photographs .
Translat ion : B. Gunn ,jEA , 29 (1943), 55 -5 9. Roeder, Gouenoelt ,
I'p.86 -94.
. Co m ments: K. Set he, ZAS , 39 (190 1), 121 - 123. K. Piehl, Sphinx,
f: [ 1902 ], 89-96 . Ch. Kuentz, BIFAO , 28 (1929), 103 -1 06.
l osene r, A SAE , 34 (1934 ), 141 - 148. H. de Meul enaere ZA S 84
G.
<,1 95 ~), 7~ -79. . M. Li~hthei m in. Studies in H onor of George R. HU~hes,
Studi es in An cient Orienta l Civilization 39 (Chicago 1977) PI'
139 - 146 . " , .
( I ) Yea r. I , fourth month o f summe r, day 13 under the m aj est y of
l lo ru s: M ighty-of-a rm: Kin g of Upper and Lower Egyp t, Two
I ,;." ltcs : Wh o benefits the Two La n d s ; Gold- Horu s who doe s th e god s'
II' I.slt: Klzeperk~ re; Son of Re, N ekhtn ebef,' e ve r- liv ing, bel o ved of Ne it h,
III ISI ress of Sais. Good god , Re 's im age , Ne ith's be n efi ce nt heir.
S ite raised his m ajest y above mi llio ns ,
Appointed h im ru le r of th e Two Lands;
S h e p laced her u ra e u s u p o n h is h e ad ,
Capt ured fo r h im th e nobles ' h ea r ts '
S h c e ns laved for h im the peopl e' s h earts,
A nd d estroyed a ll hi s en emie s.
Might Y mo na r ch g uard ing Egypt ,
( :oppcr wa ll (:{) c nclos ing Eg yp t ;
Powerful on c with ac t ive a n n,
S wo rd m a ste r who a u.uk s a IIO SI ;
88 AN CI ENT EG YPTIAN LITERATURE
Fiery-h earted at seeing his foes, .
H ea rt gouger of the treason-hearted .
Who d oes good to him who is loyal ,
T hey ca n slu mber u ntil dayligh t,
T heir h ea rt s fu ll of h is good nature ,
A nd they stray not from the ir path .
Who m akes green all land s when h e rises,
Who sates every man with h is bo un ty;
All eye s a re d azzled by seei ng h im ,
Like Re when h e rises in lightland .
Lo ve of h im greens in e ach bo dy ,
H e h a s give n life to th ei r bodies.
Who m the go ds accla im (5) when th ey have seen hi m ,
Who wak es to see k wha t serves the ir shri nes;
Wh o co nvo kes th eir prophets to co nsu lt them
O n all the fu nctions of th e temple ;
Who ac ts acco rd ing to th eir words,
And is not d ea f to their ad vice.
Right-hea rt ed o n th e path of go d ,
Who bu ild s their mansion s, foun d s th e ir walls ,
Supplies th e alt a r , heaps th e bowl s,'
Provides oblatio ns o f a ll kind s.
So le god of m an y wonde rs,
Se r ved by th e su n-dis k's rays;
Whom m ounta ins tell th ei r inmost ,
Whom ocean offe rs its 1I00d ;3
Whom foreign lands bring (7) the ir bounty,
Th at he m ay rest th e ir h ea rt s in th eir valleys .
Hi s majesty rose in th e pa lace o f Sais, a nd se t in the tem ple o f
Neith." T he kin g e ntered th e mansio n of Neith , and rose in the Red
Crown besid e h is mother ' H e poured a libatio n to h is fat h er, the lo rd
of e tern ity ," in the man sio n of Ne ith. Then h is majesty said :
" Le t th e re be given one in 10 (of) go ld, of silver, of timber, of (!)
worked wood , of everything com ing fro m the Sea of the Greeks,' of all
th e goods (or: bei ng all the goods ) that are reckon ed to the kin g'»
d o m a in in the town nam ed H en t :" and one in 10 (of) go ld , of silver, o f
a ll th e th ings th at co me in to bein g in Pi-ernroye , ca lled ( Na u ) cra tis,
o n th e bank o f th e A nti ," tha t a re rec ko ned to the kin g's domai n, to 1)('
a d ivine o ffer ing for m y mother Ne ith fo r all tim e (II ) in ad d itio n 10
wha t was th ere before." And one sha ll mak e o ne portion o f a n ox , o n«
fa t goose , a nd five measu res o f wine Tro m the m as a perpetu al d aily
TE XTS IN TH E CLA SSI CA L LANCUAGE 89
o ffe ring, th e d el ive r y of th em to be a t th e treasury o f m y mothe r
Ne ith . For she is th e mist ress of th e sea; it is she who gives its
ab u nda nce.
" My m aj esty has com ma nded to p rese rve and p rotect th e d ivin e
o ffe r ing of m y m othe r Ne ith , ( 13) and to maintai n everyt h ing d one by
t he a ncestors , in o rder that what I ha ve done be mai n tai ne d by th os e
who shall be fo r an eternity of years."
Hi s m aj esty said: "Let th ese thi ngs be recorded on this ste la, pl aced
ill Na ucra tis o n the ba nk of th e An u. T he n sha ll my goodness be
remem bered for all eternity!"
O n beha lf of th e life , p ro sp erit y, and health of the King of U p pe r
a nd Lowe r Egy p t, Khep erkare, Son of Re , Nekhtnebe], eve r-living. May
h.. be give n a ll life , sta bility, do minio n , all health and happiness like Re
lo rc ver!
NOTES
I . Nectan ebo I , the fou nder of the T hirt ieth Dynasty.
2: Lit., "who mult iplies the sacred vessels." T he Egyptian ph rase
consists of two word s, hen ce the lexically precise tra nslation would
destroy the rhythmic pattern.
3. T he usual mean ings of rdw are "liquid," "fluid," "moisture."
. 4. The king's exit from his palace and entry into the temple are told
In th e words denot ing th e rising and setting of the sun.
5. T he goddess Neith .
6. Osiris.
7. Wheth er !.3 w-nbw here means Greeks or Phoenician s, the Medi-
ter ran ean Sea is meant.
8. A town " Hent" (i.e., "canal" or "waterco urse") is not known from
ot her recor ds . Perhap s it was the harbor of Naucratis.
9. T he Canopic branch of the Nile.
10 . As I pointed out in the article cited abo ve, this passage means
that the temp le of Neith was to receive one-tenth of the royal revenu es
collected at Naucratis fro m customs du es on imported goods and from a
trades tax on locally man ufactu red goods . T he rate at which the taxes
were assessed is not stated .

III. T wo Pseudepigrapha
T he two monumen tal inscription s kn own as the B ent resli Stela an d the
Fam ine Stela are exam ples of a ge n re that a ppears to have bee n favor ed
in the Lat e Period . T he y are propagandistic works co mposed by priests
th at are d isgu ised as roya l inscript ions of much earl ie r times, the pu r-
pose o f the d isguise being to en ha nce the ir aut hority.
T HE BENTRESH STELA
From Karn ak
Lou vre C 284
A ste la o f black sa ndsto ne, 2.22 X 1.09 m , found in 1829 in a sma ll, no
lon ger extant, Ptolem aic sanctuary near th e temple of Khons er ected at
Karnak by Rarn ses III. The stela was brought to Pari s in 1844. T he scene
in th e lunette sho ws King Rams es II o ffering incen se be fore th e bark o f
Khon s-in-Thebes-Neferhot ep. Beh ind th e king, a pri est offers incen se
be fo re th e sma ller bark of Kho ns-the-Pro vider-in-Thebes. Belu w the
scene is th e text in twe nty-eight horizont al lines.
T ho ug h mad e to ap pear as a monument of Ram ses II , th e stela is in
fact a work of eithe r the Persian or the Ptolem aic period . It tells a won-
dro us tal e of healing perfor med by th e Theban god Khon s-the-Pro-
vider. If the tale had been writte n on pa pyrus it would ra nk with other
stories tol d about the gods . But in the gu ise of a mo nument of Ramses II
it possessed a pro pagandistic p ur pose. J ust what th e pu rpo se was does
not emerg very clea rl y. Was it meant to glori fy the two principal mani -
festations of the T heban go d Kh on s: Khon s-th e-Merciful (nf r-iJtp) and
Kho ns-the- Provider (P3 ir sbr)? O r did it project a riva lry bet wee n their
two p riesthoods? Was it also d esign ed to reca ll the glory of Egypt's native
kings at a tim e of foreign-Persian or Ptolemaic-domination ?
Publication: P. T resson , RE , 42 (1933), 57- 78 and pI. I. A. de
Buck , Egyptian R eadingbook (Leiden, 1948), pp. 106- 109. Kitchen , In ·
scriptions, II , 284- 28 7.
T ranslation : BAR III , §§ 429-447. Lefeb vre , R omans, pp . 22 1-
232. J . A. Wilson in ANET, pp. 29 - 3 1. Brunner-T raut, M drchen,
pp. 163-1 67 . Bresciani, Letteratura, pp. 533-536.
Comments: A. Erma n, ZA S , 2 1 (1883), 54 -60. W. Spiegel berg ,
RT, 28 ( 1906), 18 1. G. Pose ner, B IFAO, 34 ( 1934), 75 -81. G.
Lefebvre , CdE, 19 ( 1944), 2 14-21 8. S. Donad oni, M DlK, 15 ( 1%7)
47-50.
For ad d itio nal referen ces see Lefebvr e , R omans , pp. 224 -225 .
!JO
TEXTS IN T HE CLASS ICAL LANG UAGE 91
( I) Horus : Migh ty bu ll, beautifu l of c ro wn s; Two Lad ies : Abi din g
in k in g sh ip lik e Atum ; Gold -H o ru s: St rong- a rmed smite r of th e N ine
Hows; th e Kin g of U p pe r a nd Lo we r Eg ypt, Lord of th e Two Lands :
Userma re-sotpenre; the Son of Re , of h is bod y: R amesse beloved ojAnlllll, I
belo ved o f Arne n-Re , lord of T hro ne s-of-the-Two-Land s, a n d of th e
En n ead , m ist ress o f T h e bes .
Good god , A rn u n's so n ,
Offs p r ing of Ha rakh ti ,
G lo rio us seed of t hc A ll-Lor d ,
Be gotten b y Kamu te f,
King of Egypt , ru ler of Red La nd s,
Sovereign who sei ze d th e N in e Bow s;
W ho m vic tory was foretold a s h e ca me frorn th e womb,
W hom va lor wa s g ive n whi le in th e e gg,
Bu ll firm o f h ea rt as h e treads th e a rena,
God ly kin g goi n g forth like Mo nt o n victo r y d a y,
Great of stre ngt h like the Son of Nut!
Wh en hi s m aj esty wa s 'in Na h ri n acco r d in g to h is a n n ua l c ustom ,'
I he prin ce s o f every fo re ig n land ca me bowing in p e ace to the mi ght
0 1' hi s m ajest y from as far as th e farth est m a rshl ands. T he ir g ifts o f
go ld , silve r , lapis lazuli , (5) tu r qu oi se , a n d every kind of pla nt of go d's
3
land we re o n th eir ba ck s, a n d each was o u tdoi ng h is fe llow . Th e
p ri n ce o f Ba khtan ' h ad a lso se n t hi s g ift s a n d h a d pl aced h is eldest
c1:llIg hte r in fro nt of th em . worshiping his majesty a n d beggi ng life
I'r om him . T he woman pleased t he he art o f his m aj esty g rea tly a n d
I...yo nd a nyt h in g . So h e r titulary was esta b lished a s Great Ro ya l Wife
,\,,./ i·lI re.5 W hen h is maj esty returned to Egypt , she di d a ll th at a q ueen
c1ocs.
II h a p p ened in yea r 23: second m o n th of su mmer, d a y 22, wh ile
h is m ajest y was in T h ebes-the-v ictorious , th e mi st r ess of cities, pe r-
!o l"l lli ng the r ites for h is fa the r A rne n- Re, lo rd o f 'Thro n es-of-th e-
Two -La nds, a t hi s be a ut iful feast o f South ern Ipe t, hi s fa vori te pl ace
~ i ll ("(: th e bc ginning, t ha t one ca m e to say to hi s m ajest y: " A m essen ger
01' Ih e p r in ce o f Bakhtan h as co me wit h lllany gifts fo r th e qu e e n ." H e
W: IS h rou gh t befo r e hi s maj esty with hi s gifts a n d sa id , sa lu ting hi s
Illa;e sly: " H a il to yo u, Su n of the N ine Bows! Trul y, we live th rough
\ '111" " A nd kissing t h e g rou n d be fore h is majest y h e spo ke again
1,,'1'01'1' h is ma jest y, saying: " I have co me to yo u, 0 Kin g, m y lo rd , on
, " C'" 1111 01' Bentresh ," t h e yo u nger sister of Q ueen Nrfrure. A m a lad y
h as se il.ed h er hod y. Ma y YOll r m ajest y se nd a le arn ed man to se e
III 'I"! "
 AN CI ENT EG YPTIAN LITER AT UR E
92
His majesty said : "Bring me th e personnel of the House o f Life"
and the co u nc il ( 10) o f the resid ence. " Th e y were ush ered in to him
immediatel y. H is maj esty sa id : " Yo u ha ve been su rn rno ned in order to
h e ar this m atter: brin g me one wise of h ea rt with fingers ski lled in
wr iting fro m a mong yo u ." T hen the roya l scribe Thothemh eb came
before his m ajesty, a nd hi s m ajesty o r dered him to proceed to
Bakhtan with the m essenge r.
The learn ed man reache d Bakhtan. He found Bentresh to be
po sse ssed b y a spirit; he fo u nd him to be an enem~ who~ o ne c~uld
flght. 9 Th en t he prin ce of Bakhtan se nt again to hIS m ajesty, say mg:
" 0 King, my 10 1'd , may yo u r m ajesty co m mand to se n d a go d [to fight
aga inst this spirit! " The message reach ed] his majest y in year 26, fir st
m onth o f su m mer , durin g th e feast o f Am lin whil e hi s majes ty was in
T hebes. Hi s m ajes ty re ported to Kh on s-in -Thebes-N efe rho tep, say-
in g : " My good lo rd , 1 repo rt to yOll abou t th e da ugh te r o f the p rince
o f Bakhtan ." Then Kh ons-in-Thebes-N eferh otep proceed ed to
Khons-the-Provider, the g rea t god who ex pels di seas e demons." Hi s '
m aj est y spo ke to Khons-in-Thebes- Neferh otep: " My good lord , if yo u
turn yo u r face to (15) Kh o ns-the-Pro vid e r , the g reat god who ex pels
d iseas e d em o ns, h e shall be dispatch ed to Bakh tan ." St rong approval
twi ce." His majest y sai d : "Give yo u r magi cal p ro tecti on to him , a nd 1
sh all di spatch his m ajesty to Bakhtan to sa ve the d aughter o f th e
prin ce o f Bakhtan ." Ve ry strong a p p ro val by Khon s-in-The~es-~e­
fe r hote p . H e made magical pro tect io n for Kh ons-th e-P r ov id er-in -
T hebes fo u r times. Hi s m ajest y co m m a nd ed to le t Kh ons-the-Pro-
vider-i n-Thebes proceed to the grea t bark with five boats a nd a
c h a r io t , and m an y h orses from east a nd west. "
T h is god a rrive d in Bakhtan a t th e e nd o f one yea r a nd five
mon th s." T he p r in ce o f Bakhtan ca me wit h hi s so ldiers and officials
before Khons-the-Pro vid e r. H e placed himself o n his be lly, sa ying:
" Yo u ha ve co me to LIS to be gracio us to LIS, as co m man ded by t he Kin g
o f U p per and Low er Egypt , Usermare-sotpr nrr :" Th en th e god
proceed ed to th e p lace where Be ntresh was. H e mad e magical
protection for the d au gh te r of the p rin ce o f Bakh tan , a nd she became
we ll in stantl y.
Then sp o ke th e sp ir it wh o was with h e r !' to Kh ons-the-Pro vid cr-in -
T h e bes: " Welco me in peace , great go d wh o ex pels di sease d emons l
Bakhtan is yo u r h om e , its p eop le are yo u r se rva nts, 1 a m you r
servan t! (20) 1 shall go to t he pl ace fr om wh ich 1 came, so as to sc i
yo ur heart at rest about th at whi ch you ca me for. Ma y yo u r majesty
co m m a nd to make a feast d a y with me a nd the prince of Bakhtan !"
Then th e god motioned app r o val to his pri est, say ing: " Le t th e prinr«
o f Bakhtan m ake a g reat offer ing before this sp ir it."
T EX TS IN TH E CLASSICA L LANGUAGE 93
Now while this to ok place between Kh ons-the-Pmvider-in-Thebes
a nd the sp ir it, th e prin ce of Bakhtan stood by with his so ld ie rs and
was ve ry fr ig h te ne d. Then he made a great o fferi ng to Khons-the-
Pr o vid e r-in-Thebes a nd th e spirit; a nd th e p r ince of Bakhtan made a
fe ast d a y fo r th em . T he n th e sp ir it we nt in peace to wh ere h e wished,
as co m m a n ded by Khons-the-Prov ider-in-Theb es. The prince of
Hakhtan rejoiced very g reatly to geth er with eve ryo ne in Bakhtan .
T hen he sc hemed with his heart, say ing: " I will make th e god stay
here in Bakhtan . I will not let him go to Eg ypt." So th e god spent three
yea rs a nd nin e months in Bakhtan . Then , as th e prince o f Bakhtan
sle pt on his bed , he sa w th e god co me out o f hi s sh r ine as a falc on of
I-(o ld a nd fly up to th e sky tow ard Egy p t. (25) H e a wo ke in terro r and
sai d to th e priest o f Kh ons-the-Pro vid er-in-Thebes: "The god is still
he re wit h us ! H e sh all go to T hebes ! Hi s char io t sha ll go to Eg ypt!"
T he n th e prin ce of Bakhtan le t the god proceed to Egy p t, ha ving
I-(ive n him m an y g ifts o f eve ry good thin g a nd very many soldiers and
horses.
T hey a rrived in peace in Thebes. Kh ons-the-Pro vid er-in-Theb es
wen t to the h ouse of Kh o ns-in -Theb es-Neferhotep. H e placed the
gifts of e ve ry good thin g wh ich the prince o f Bakh tan had give n him
be fore Khons-in-Thebes-N eferhotep, without g ivin g a ny th ing to his
(o wn) house ." Khons-the-Provider-in-Thebes arri ved in his h ouse in
peace in year 33 , second month o f winte r , day 19, o f th e Kin g of
I l p per an d Lo we r Egy pt, Usermare-sotpen re, g ive n eternal life like Re .
NOTES
I . The two principal royal names are those of Ramses II , but the
Horus, Two-Ladi es, and Gold-Horus nam es are mistakenl y composed ,
being deri ved from the titul ary of Thutrnosis IV.
2. The land of Mitanni o n the Uppe r Euphrates had been reac hed
by T h ut mosis I and III , but Ramses II had never been ther e.
3 . On "god' s land " meaning wooded regions see PI" 84, n. 105 and 86,
II . 2.
4 . It has been surmised that the name "Ba kh ta n" is a corrupted
Egyptian versio n of the name of Bactria ; see Lefebvre , R omans , p . 222 .
5 . T he historical marriage of Ramses II with a Hittite princess who
was given the Egyptian nam e Maatn efrure is th e basis for th is fiction al
marriage .
Ii. The scribe wrote "year 15," but the easy eme ndation to "year 23,"
lirst proposed by Er ma n, is very probable in view of the dates given late r.
7. T his may be a Canaanite name (see Lefebvre, R oma ns, p. 222 ,
7).
II .
8 . O n the " Ho use of Life" see p. 36, n. 10.
!). T he learned scribe T ho themheb diagnosed the malad y as one
rh.u might be cured, but he him self could not effect the cure, i.e., expel
I he demon .
94 AN CI ENT EG YPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
10. The Theb an go d Kh ons was wors hipe d u nder seve ra l di stin ct
manifestations, with Khon s-in-Thebe s-Neferhotep occu pying the lead-
ing position , while th e most outstanding trait of Khons-p3-ir-s[lTwas that
of a healer. The e p ithe t p3 ir siJr has been tr ansl at ed in vario us ways, in-
cluding "he who determin es fat e." Bearing in mind th at we do not know
th e exac t sh ade of meaning, I have preferred "the Provider. " See also
p. 33, n . 4.
II . A mo vement on the part of the go d 's statue sign ifying a p proval.
12. The chariot a nd horses we re need ed for the ove rla nd part of th e
j ourne y.
13. T he remo te ness of the la nd of Bakhtan is indi cated in fairy-tale
manner by th e ex tre me len gth o f the journ ey.
14. I. e ., "who had been in her. "
15. I.e., Kh ons-th e-Provid er delivered a ll th e presents to his su pe rior,
Khons-in-Thebes-Neferhotep , with out keeping anyth ing for his own
temple .
TH E FAMI NE STELA
O n Se he l Island
The in scription is carved in th irty-two columns o n the face of a gra nite
ro ck where it was given the sha pe of a rec ta ngular stela. The roc k face is
split by a bro ad horizontal fissure, which already exis ted whe n th e in-
scr iptio n was carved. Aft er th e carving, further ruptu res occurred in the
ro ck, and th ey have ca used a number of textual lacunae. Abov e th e text
is a relief scen e sh owing King Djoser offeri ng to Khnum-Re, Saris, and
An u kis, th e gods o f th e cata ract region .
The stel a purports to be a decree by King Djoser of the T hird Dynasty
ad d re sse d to a "Go vern o r of th e South" statione d at Elephanti ne . In it
th e kin g informs th e governor tha t, d istressed over the country 's seve n-
year fa m ine , he had consu lted a priest of Imh ot ep , Afte r a stu d y of th e
sac re d bo oks, the priest had in formed him in detail about the temple of
Khnum at Elepha nt ine, and how Khnum co ntrolled th e Row of th e in-
undation . The priest had also nam ed to him all th e min erals, pr eciou s
sto nes, a n d building stones found in th e border region . In th e following
night the king had seen Khnum in his dream, and th e god had promised
him an end to th e famine . In gratitude to the god , the king now issues a
d ecr ee g ranting to th e temple of Khnum of Elephantine a sha re of all
th e re venue deri ved from th e region ex te nd ing from Elepha nti ne sout h
to Tako m pso, a d ist an ce of "twelve iter." In addition , a sha re of all N u-
bian imports was to be g iven to th e temple. The governor was charged
with ca r ry ing o ut th e decree.
In its present form , the text is undoubtedly a work of the Ptolem aic
peri od. Some scho lars have sur m ised th at it was based o n a ge n u ine Old
Kingdom decr ee from th e time of Djoser. Others take it to be a com-
plete fiction. In an y case, the text puts forth a claim to revenue on behalf
o f the Khnum temple of Elephantine.
Who stood behind thi s claim? According to P. Bargu et , it was Ptolem y
V wh o iss ue d the decr ee as a means o f proclaiming Ptol em aic control or
th is N u bia n region . H . de Meulen aere co unt ered th is suggestion by ask-
ing wh eth er th e "go vern o r o f th e south ," who bore th e non -Eg yptian
TEXTS IN TH E C LASS ICAL LANGUAGE 95
name Mesir , may not have been a Nu bian ch ief ru ling the are a in defi-
a nce. of the Ptolema ic king. T he most plau sible hypoth esis, it see ms to
me, IS th e o ne th at sees th e inscri ption as th e work of th e pri esthood of
th e Khnu m temple , wI,,;> were . anxious to st re ngth en th eir privileg es in
th e face of th e encroachmg claims mad e by th e cle rgy of Isis o f Philae.
The ex te nt of th e " 12-iter lan d " or, Dodekaschoinos has also been
mu ch d iscusse d , fo r th e location of T akompso, mentioned as its south-
er n limit, is not know n , a nd the len gth of th e iter a ppe ars to have var ied .
T he p ~oblem no w see ms to hav e been sett led in favo r of an iter usuall y
averagmg 10.5 km , exce pt for a much shorter iter ind icate a by th e
bo undary stelae of A kh en aten at El-Ama rna (see the ne w stud ies of A.
Schwa b-Sch lott). Thus, the " I 2-iter land " would designate the northern
hal f of Lo wer N ubia, extendi ng so uth fro m Elephantine for a len gth of
a bo ut e ighty miles.
. Barguet's good edition ? as grea tly ad va nced th e understandin g of this
diffi cult text. Th ere rernarn a number of problem s a nd un certainties .
Publicati on: H . K. Brugsch ,Die biblischen sieben J ah re der Hungersnotn
(L~lpZlg, 18 9/) . P. Barguet, La stete de la famin e Ii Sehel, Institut fra n-
ca rs d 'a rch eologie orientale, Bibl iotheque d 'etude, 34 (Ca iro , 1953).
Translatio n : G. Roed er , U rkunden zur R eligi on des alten Agypten (Jena,
1915 ), pp. 177-1 84 .
T~a ns la tio n of excerpts: J. Vandier, La f amine da ns I'Egypte ancienne,
l nstitut fran cais d'arch eologi e o rienta le, Recherch es, 7 (Cairo, 1936),
pp. 38 :-44 and 132 -1 39. J. A. Wilson in ANET, pp . 3 1- 32.
Stud ies a nd co m ments: K. Seth e, Dodekaschoinos das Zwolfmeilenland an
tler Grenz e von A egyplen un d Nub ien, U ntersuc h u ngen , 11/3 (Leipzig, 1901 '
reprint Hildesh eirn , 1964). K. Sethe, ZA S, 41 ( 1904), 58 -62 . W:
Sch u bart, ZAS, 47 ( 19 10), 154 -1 57. H . de Meul en aer e , B ibliotheca
Orientalis, 14 (195 7), 33- 34 , review of Bargu er's publicat io n. H.
.Br u n ne r , " Die Hungersnotstele" in K indler's Literatur Lexikon, III (Zur-
ich , 196 7), co ls. 225 5 -2256. D. Wildung, Die R olle iigypli<eher Konige
1111 Beuiusstsein ihrer Nachuielt, Vo l. I, Miinchner iig ypto logische St udien ,
17 (Berl in, 1 ~69l..pp. 85 -9 1. A. Schwab-Schlou , Die Ausmusse Agyp-
II'm nacb altagyptlSchen T exten . Dissertation , University o f T iibingen,
1969 ; idem, MDIK, 28 ( 1972), 109 -11 3; idem, "Do de kascho inos" in Lexi-
' {(111 der Agyplologie, Vol. I (Wiesbade n, 1975), cols. 1112 -111 3. M.
I.ichtheim in Studies in Honor of George R . Hughes, Studies in An cient
Oriental Civi lizatio n, 39 (Chic ago , 1977), pp. 142 -1 44 .
O n th e sto nes and metals co nsult: Harris, M inerals.
( I) Ye a r 18 of H orus: N eterkhet ; th e Kin g of U p p c r a n d Lower
I ~ ~ }'pt; Neterk het; T wo La di es : Neterk het ; Gold- Horus : Dj oser ; u nd er
t h.. Co u n t , Prin ce , Governor o f the d oma in s of the Sou th, C h ie f of
li n' N u b ia n s in Ye b u , Me sir.' Th ere was b rought to him thi s royal
d" CT..e . To let yo u kn ow ;
I was in m ournin g o n m y th ro n e ,
T hose o f t h e p al a ce we re in grie f,
Il ly h e art was ill grea t a m inio n ,
llecall se Il a p y h ad 1:l il..d to CO llie in rim e
96 AN C IENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
In a p e riod o f seven year s.'
G rain was sca nt ,
Kernel s were d ried u p ,
Sca rce was every kind of food .
Eve ry m a n ro bbe d (3) his twin ,'
T hose wh o e n te red did not go. '
C h ild re n crie d,
Youngsters fe ll,
Th e hearts of th e o ld were g riev ing ;
Legs drawn up, they hugged th e gro u nd ,
Th eir a r ms clas p ed abou t th em.
Co u rtie rs we re need y,
T e m p les were sh ut,
Shri nes co vered with dust ,
Everyo n e was in di stress .
I direct ed my h eart to tu rn to th e past ,
I co nsu lted o ne of th e sta ff o f th e Ibis,
T he ch ie f lecto r-priest of Irnh otep,
Son o f Ptah So u th-of-h is-Wall :'
" I n wh ich p lace is H apy born ?
Wh ich is th e town o f th e Sinuou s o ne?
Whi ch god dw ell s th ere?
That h e mi gh t j oi n with (5) m e ."
H e stood : " I sha ll go to Ma n sion-of-the-N et,"
rl t is d e sig ned to su p port a m an in h is deedsl :"
I shall e nte r the H ouse o f Life ,
Unro ll th e So u ls o f Re ,"
I shall b e g u ided by them ."
H e d e p a rted , h e re tu rned to me qui ckl y,
H e let m e kn ow th e flow o f H apy,
[rHis sh ores"] a nd all th e th in gs th ey co n tain.
H e discl osed to me the hidden wond ers,
T o wh ich the a nces tors had mad e their way,
A nd no king had eq ualed th em since .
H e said to me :
"T here is a to wn in the midst o f th e d eep,
Surrou n ded by H apy, (7) Ye bu by nam e ;
It is first of th e first ,
First no m e to Wawat ,'
Earth ly e levatio n, cele stial h ill,
Sea t of Re whe n he p re pares
T EXT S IN TH E CLASS ICA L LANGUAGE 97
T o gi ve life to eve ry face .
Its te mple's nam e is 'J oy-o f-life,'
'T win C averns' is the wat e r's nam e ,
T he y a re the breasts th at n ourish all.
It is the house o f sleep o f Hapy,"
H e grows you ng in it in [h is time] ,
[FIt is th e place wh ence'l] he brings th e flood :
Boundin g up he co p u lates ,
As man co pu lates with wom an ,
Renewing his manhood with j oy;
Co ursing twenty-eight cu bits hi gh ,
H e passes Se ma -beh det (9) at seve n .II
Kh n u rn is th e god [Iwho r u lesl] there ,
[FH e is e n th ro ned above the d ee pl]. "
Hi s sa n dals resti ng o n the flood ;
He h old s th e d oor bolt in hi s hand ,
O pe ns th e ga te as he wish es.
He is e te rnal th e re as Sh u ,13
Bounty-g iver, Lord-o f-fie lds ,
So hi s name is ca lled .
H e h as re ckoned th e land of th e South a nd th e No rth,"
To give parts to e ve r y god ;
It is he who gove rns barle y, (emm er],
Fowl a n d fish a nd all one lives o n.
Co rd a n d scri bal boa rd a re th ere ,
T he pole is th e re with its beam
ts
( I I) H is te m p le o pens southeastward ,
Re rises in its face eve ry d ay;
Its wa te r rages o n its so uth for an iter,
A wall against th e N ubians each da y."
T here is a mountain massif in its ea ste rn regi on,
With precious ston es a nd quarr y sto nes o f all kinds ,
All th e things sou ght for building temples
In Eg yp t, South a n d North,"
And stalls for sacred an ima ls, '
And p al aces for kin gs,
All sta tu es too th a t sta nd in temples a nd in sh r ines .
"T he ir ga there d p rodu cts a re set befo re the fa ce of Kh nurn and
,II li n lid him ; like wise ( 13) ta ll pla nt s and flowers of all kind s th at exist
1,,'l wccn Yeb u a nd Sc n nu u; " an d a rc there on th e east and the west.
98 AN C IENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERATUR E T EXTS I N T H E CLASS ICA L LA N G U A GE 99
"T h ere is in th e m ids t o f th e r ive r-co vered by wat er at its a n n ual Fash ioner of everybody ,
flood- a pl ace o f relaxatio n for every ma n who works th e sto nes o n its G uide o f each m a n in h is ho u r,
tw o sides . Tate ne n , fath er of gods,
"T h ere is in th e riv e r , befo re thi s to wn o f Yebu , a ce ntra l elevat io n G rea t Sh u , high in hea ven !
of d ifficult bod y wh ich is ca lled fJlf-3bw. i s
T he sh r ine I dw ell in has two lips,"
" Lea rn the nam es of th e god s a nd god d esses o f the te m ple o f
When I o pe n up th e we ll,"
Khnum : Satis, A n u kis, H apy, Shu , Geb , Nut , O siris, H orus, Isis,
I kno w H apy hu gs th e fie ld,
Neph thys. . . A hu g th at fills eac h nose with life ,
" Le arn the na mes o f ( 15) the sto nes that are th ere , Iymg i n th e bo r-
(2 1) Fo r wh en hu gged the field is re born !
d e r land .;" those th at a re in th e eas t and the west , those [o n the shores ]
I sh all m ak e H apy g u sh fo r you ,
o f Yebu 's ca n a l, those in Yebu , those in the eas t a nd west, a nd th ose in
No yea r o f lack a nd want a ny whe re ,
the r iver : M n ,2I m13y,22 m~tbtb, 23 1'15.1, wHy" in th e east : prrjn25 in th e
Plants will g row wei g hed d own by th ei r frui t;
west ; til · in the west a nd in th e r iver. . .
With Re nutet o rde ri ng a ll,
"T he nam es of th e p recio u s sto nes of th e q u arrI es that are in th e
All th in gs a re supplied in mill io ns!
u p p er region-so m e among th e m at a di stance o f four iter-are : go ld,
I sha ll le t yo ur people fill u p ,
silve r , co p per, iron, lap is lazu li, turquoise , !!.lIIt!' red j aspe r, ~ .!8
T he y shall grasp toge th er wit h you !
mnuii" e merald ;" tm- ihr:" In addition, /Llmt," t3 -m~ly;3 J.z m3gt," ( 17)
Go ne will be the hunger yea rs,
ibht," bks- 'ntl;· green eye-paint . , blac k eye- pa m. t, ca r ne I'ian,3' .Ih 1't ,38
Ended th e d earth in the ir bins.
mm 3. a nd och re?' a re with in this tow nship."
Egy p t'S people will co me stri di ng ,
W hen I h eard wh at wa s th ere m y hea rt rwas g ui ded ], Havin g h eard
Sho res will sh in e in th e excellen t flood ,
o f th e flood ( I) o pe ned the wrap p ed books." (I ) m ade a purifi cat ion:
H earts will be happier th an eve r befo re !"
( I) co nd u cted a process ion of th e h idden ones; ( I) mad e a comp lete
offering o f bread , beer, oxe n, a nd fowl, and all good th ings for th e
gods an d god d esses in Yebu whose nam es ha? been p ronoun ced . Th e Donation
As I sle p t in peace , I fo u nd th e go d sta nd ing be fore me . (I,>
p ro -.
I awo ke with speed ing heart. Freed o f fatig u e I mad e (23) this d e-
piti ated him by ad o rin g h im and praying to him. H e revealed himself
I " T o n be ha lf of m y fa the r Khnu m . A ro yal offe ring to Kh nu m , lord
to me wit h kindly face; he sa id :
" I t he ca ta rac t regi on a nd ch ie f o f N u bia :
III return fo r wh at yo u h ave done fo r me , I offer yo u Man u as west-
" I am Kh nu m , yo u r mak e r !
1'111 bord e r , Ba khu as eas tern bord e r ," from Yebu to Ke msat." bein g
My a r m s are a rou nd yo u,
I wolve iter o n the eas t a nd th e west, co ns isting o f field s and p astu res , of
To stead y yo u r bod y,
I lu: ri ve r , a nd of eve r y p lace in th ese m iles.
To (19) sa feg uard yo ur limbs."
" II ten an ts" who cu ltivate the fields, a nd th e vivifie rs wh o irrigate
I bestow on yo u sto nes upon sto ne s,
lit<' sho res a n d all the ne w land s th at are in th ese m iles, th eir h arvests
[Ff'h at we re n o t foundl] before ,
h.rll he taken to yo u r g ranary , in ad di tio n to (25) yo ur sha re wh ich is
Of whi ch no work was made ,
III Ychu .:"
Fo r bu ilding templ es ,
1\11 fish e rm en, all hunters, who catch fish a nd trap birds a nd all
Rebuild ing ruin s,
killels of ga m e, a nd a ll who tra p lions in th e d esert- I exact from them
In layin g sta tues' eyes.
I III<'-IC lllh o f th e ta ke of a ll o f th ese , and a ll the yo u ng ani ma ls bo rn of

For I a m th e m ast er who makes, III<' lcm ales in these m iles [in th eir tot a lity].
I a m h e who m ade himsel f, (lll c sha ll give the branded an im als for a ll bu r nt o ffe r ings a nd daily
Exalted N u n , wh o firs t ca me forth, .uri ficcs : a nd o ne sha ll gi ve o ne- te n th:" of gold, ivory, ebo ny , caro b
H apy wh o hurr ies at will; \\" " ,eI . orh rc , ca r nel ia n , slut; " ;1I'-(>lan ls, llfi ll-pla nt s, all kind s o f timber,
100 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
(b eing ) a ll the things brou ght b y th e N u b ia n s of Kh e nt-hen-nefer'"
(to) Egypt , a n d (by) every m an (2 7) rwho co m e s with a rrea rs from
th cm .l
No o fficia ls a re to issu e o rde rs in th ese pl a ces o r take a ny t h ing from
them , fo r e verythin g is to be p rotected fo r yo u r sa nc tu a ry .
I grant yo u th is d om a in with (its) stone s and good so il. No pe rso n
th ere - - - - - - an ythi n g fro m it. But the scribes t hat belong to yo u
a nd the ove rseers o f th e South s hall d we ll t here as accou nta n ts , list in g
everythi ng tha t th e kiry-workers, a nd the sm it hs, a nd the master
crafts men, a n d the go ldsmiths, a n d the . . . ," (29) a n d th e N u b ia ns,
a n d th e crew of Apir u ," a n d a ll co rvee lab or wh o fas h io n the stones,
s ha ll gi ve o f go ld, silve r , co p per, le ad , baske ts of . .. ,53 fir e wo od , th e
thin gs th at eve ry m an who wo rks with th em shall give as du es, n ame ly
o ne-te nth o f a ll th e se . A n d there shall be give n o ne-te n th o f th e
pre cious sto nes a n d quarryin g sto nes that are brought fro m th e
m ountain s id e , b ein g th e sto nes o f th e east.
And there sh a ll b e a n o ve rsee r wh o m e asures th e quantities o f go ld ,
s ilve r , co p p e r , a n d ge n u ine pre cious sto nes, th e th in gs which th e
sc u lp to rs sh a ll a ssig n to th e gold h ouse , (3 1) ( to) fashion th e sacred
im ages a n d to r efit th e sta tues t h at were damaged , a nd a ny imple-
m e nts la ck in g t here . Everything sha ll be p laced in th e store h ouse unti l
on e fa sh ions a new, when o ne k nows e ve r yth in g th at is lackin g in yo ur
temple , so that it sh a ll b e as it was in the beginn in g .
Engrave this d ecre e o n a stela o f th e sanctu ary in wr iti n g , for it
h a p p e n ed as sa id , (a n d) o n a tablet, so t hat th e d ivine writin gs sh a ll be
o n th em in the temple twi ce ." H e who spits (o n it) d e ce itfu lly s ha ll be
g ive n o ver to punishm ent.
The overseer s o f the prie st s a nd t h e ch ie f o f a ll th e temple person n e l
s ha ll m ake m y n a m e a b ide in th e temple o f Khnurn-Re , lo r d of Yebu ,
e ve r -m ig h ty.
NOTES
I. The readi ng of the nam e is not quit e certain , and th e na me is
probab ly no t an Egypt ian one.
2. Wh en the inscription was first published , th e descrip tion of a
seve n year famine was believed to be con nected with the biblical story 01
a seve n-yea r fami ne in Egypt (Genesis 4 1). Since th en it has bee n sho wn
th at a tradition o f seven years o f fam ine was wide spread in the lite ra
tures o f the ancie nt Near East; see C. H. Gordon , Orientalia, n.s., 2:.1
( 1953), 79-81.
3. Barguet , op. cit. , p. IS, too k !lIrLO be th e word for "reve n ue," while
I take it to be th e word for "twin."
4. The meaning see ms to be that thos e who had entered a hou «
were too weak to leave it aga in.
5. The "staff of the Ibis" desig nates the corpo ra tion of scribes whose'
TEXTS IN THE CLASSICAL LANG UA GE 101
patron was Thoth. As Barguet, op. cit., p. 16, pointed out , the king con -
su lts a pri est of Imhotep , not the god Imhotep himself, as previous
translators had thought. The earlier view is now argued anew by D.
Wildung , Imhotep und Amenhotep (Mu nich, 1977 ). PI' . 149 - 152.
6 . H tot-ibt.t, th e "Ma nsion of the Net," appears to have been a name
for th e temple of Thoth at Hermopolis Magn a. The logic of th e tale
wou ld seem to require that th e king's co nsu ltation with the priest of Im-
hot ep tak es place in the capita l, i.e., at Memphis, which was also the cult
cente r of Imh ot ep. Since the priest is said to have returned "qu ickly," or
"imme diately," poet ic license might str etch th is to include a qui ck trip
from Me m phis to Hermop ol is, but surely not a voyage to th e Khnum
temple of Elep ha ntine . Hen ce th e "Mansion o f the Net," if it does not
here re fer to the temple o f He rrnopolis, could only d esign ate a san ctuary
in, or close to, Memphis. _
7. A so mewha t obscure sente nce which rendered literally wou ld be:
"ga thered for the stea d fastness of everyo ne for what they do ," which I
tak e to refer to the sa nctua ry, whereas Barguet construed it as referring
to th e priest.
8. T he "Sou ls o f Re" are th e sacred books kept in the temple's
"Ho use o f Life."
9. I.e ., Elephantine, in the first nome of Upper Egypt , faces toward
Lower N ub ia (Wawat ).
10. T h e passage gives the traditiona l view that th e inundat ion rose
from twin cavern s at Elep hanti ne.
II. I.e ., by the tim e the inu nd ation has reached the Delta town of
Sema-be hd et, the metropolis of the 17th nome of Lower Egypt, its
heigh t of twenty-eight cubits above low water has d iminished to seven
cubits.
12. I have restored the lacuna merely to ind icate that some such
meaning is required. It is Khn um , the crea tor, who rel eases Hapy, th e
inun d ating Nile.
13. The identificati on of Khnum with Shu also occurs in othe r texts of
th e Pto lem aic period , notably at Esna.
14 . Lit. , "the la nd of Up per Egypt and Lower Egypt."
15. Despite Barguer's explanat ion I fail to understand the words used
to d escribe th e instrument, its location, a nd its re lation to Shu. Barguet ,
"I'. cit., PI" 20-2 1 translated : "II y a Iii un sup po rt d e bois et sa cro ix faite
de po u tres sun, pour son peson , qui sont sur la rive ; iI cela est affecte
Cho u , fils d e Re , en tant qu e 'maitre de largesse'," and he discussed the
instr ument fu rther in CdE, 28, no. 56 ( 1953) , 223-227.
16. I.e., the first cataract o f th e Nile, which was an e ffective boundar y
thro ug ho ut Egyp t's history.
17. Literally, "tem ples of Up per and Lower Egypt."
18. The island o f Biggah , south of Elephantine and opposite Philae.
19. The two elevati on s des cr ibed here, a pleasant one and a diffi cu lt
o ne , have been identified with the "two mountains called Crophi and
Mophi ," mention ed in Herodotus 11,28. See Bargu et , 01'. cit., p. 22,
whe re Cro p hi is ide nti fied with grJ-3bw.
20. Since man y of th e ston es have not been ide ntifi ed , it is not clear to
wh.u exte nt the list ma y have been accurate.
2 1. On the much discussed b!11l stone see now Harris, op. cit., Pl'. 78-
H2, whe re th e Ira nslation "gre ywacke" is favored .
102 ANC IENT EGYPTI AN LITERA T UR E
T EXTS IN THE C LA SSIC A L LAN GUA G E 103
22 . H a r ris (ibid ., p . 74) thi n ks it probable that ml3y was merely an- 52 . A recent a rt icle with ex tensive bibliog ra p hy o n th e m uch debated
othe r spe lling of m31, "gra nite ." Ap ir u IS?y M. B. Ro wton ,JNES , 35 ( 1976), 13 - 20.
23. An unidentified materi al seemingly of golden color; see ibid ., . 53. It IS ~ot clea r what word is wr itten , see Barguet , op. cit., p. 3 1.
p. 88. Since the e d ible produce has be e n listed se parately , a species of g ra in is
24. The sto nes r'gs and wtSy have not been identified ; see ibid , pp. 85 ha rdly SUI ta ble.
a nd 89. 54 . Wh at is wr itten is: "ill th e te mples twice on it."
25. Accord ing to Harris (ibid ., p . 105), this may be the Greek prason ,
"p rase."
26 . An unidentified ston e, see ibid ., p . 92.
27. This IS bo th a precious stone a nd a term for faience, glass , and
g laze , see ibid ., pp. 135-1 38.
28 . An unidentified stone, see ibid ., pp . 133 and 232.
29. H arris (ibid., pp . 110- 11 1) thinks it probab le th at this is "q uartz,"
30. O r per ha ps "beryl," see ibid ., p. 105.
3 1. A n unidentified stone, see ibid , p. 92 .
32 . According to Har ris (ibid ., p . 115), thi s term usu ally design at es
"green felspar."
33. According to Harris (ibid ., p. 154 ), this is a writing of [ml,.y and sig-
nifi es a species of "red och re ."
34. H arr is (ibid ., pp. 118 - 120) thinks it probabl e that th is is "garnet,"
35. An un id ent ified stone, see ibid ., pp. 96-97.
36 . H arris (ibid ., pp . 168 a nd 233 -234) conclude s th at thi s stone,
origina lly called bi3 !<sy, is haemat ite and possi bly also magn etite.
37. On ~TSt, "ca rn el ian," see ibid. , pp . 120 -1 2 1.
38 . H arris (ib id ., pp. 130- 131 ) conclude s th at this was a semip rec ious
sto ne probabl y of gre e n color.
39 . M m o r mimi is known as a word for seed-gra in , bu t that does not
sui t here .
40 . On .<ty and t3 -.<ty, "och re," see ibid ., pp. 150- 152.
4 1 I.e ., the kin g consulted th e manuals th at taught how to perform
the temple ritual.
42. The sp eech of th e god a bo unds in asso nances , which I have imi-
tated whenever possible.
43 . T he " lips" suggest som e kind of gat e or lid mad e of two section s
wh ich, wh en opened , rel eases th e wate r.
44. I tak e thi s to be the wo rd for "we ll" ra ther th an "sieve."
45. Lit ., "yo ur west as Manu , you r east as Bakhu ," th e two names fill
the mountain ranges bordering th e Nile valley o n the west and east.
46 . The Greek T akompso, the locality th at marked th e sou the rn limi:
of the . Dodekasch oin os .
47 . Ba rguet, op. cit., p. 29 , read imy .< nb; I wonder if it might be imy /I/i"
nb, meaning the nhb o f Wb. 2,293 . 15.
48. Barguet, ibid ., re ad th e nam e as "Ville du Piege" (Hermo po lis). I
think it is me rel y a nother writing of "Yebu ."
"1
49. Barguet , op. cit., p . 30 , read th e sig ns as ' r[, "sac k," ra ther than
r-IO. I ha ve ret ained th e reading di r-lO a nd have d iscu ssed th e prob lem
of the whole donati on in my article o n th e Naucratis Stela in Studies ;/1
H onor of George R . Hughes (Ch icago , 1977), pp . 142 -1 44.
50. A regio n of Nu bia sout h of the second catara ct; see C. Valid ,"
sle yen, Les guerres d'Am osis (Brussels, 1971 ), pp . 64 -68.
5 1. I wond er if th e unread word might be lm n », " priso ners"?

IV. Hymns and Lamentations
The h ymns translated in Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vols. I and II ,
came fr om p rivate fu nerary monumen ts-tombs, ste lae , an d statues-or
were preserved on papyru s. By contrast, the hymn s given here are in-
scribed on th e walls of temp les. That is to say, the y were cult hymn s that
formed part of th e temple cere mo nial. The well-preserved temples o f the
Creco- Ro rna n period , notabl y th ose of Ph ilae, Ed fu, Dendera , and Esna ,
are especially rich in such h ymns.
The Lamentations oj Isis and Nephthys, add ressed to Osiris, also came
from th e te m ple cult of th e god . But the work tran slated here is written
o n papyrus and adapted to th e use of an indi vidu al person.
A HYM N T O IMHOT EP
In th e Temple o f Ptah at Karn ak
In ad d ition to deifying the kings-that is to say, a whole class of per-
so ns-the Egyp tians accorded divine wors hip to a few deceased ind ivid-
uals who had been es pecially beneficen t a nd wise. T he beginni ngs o f
such deification of dec eased individu als lie in the Old Kingdom . In the
New Kin gdom th ese cults becam e promin ent, and in the Late Period
th ey ach ieved th eir fu llest ex pressio n.
The most p rominent of th e d eified indi vidu als were Imhotep , th e viz-
ier and arc hitect of King Djoser, and Amenhotep son of Hapu , th e archi-
tect and co u rt ier o f King Am e nho tep III.
Imhot ep was origin ally wors h iped at Mem phi s, where he had lived
a nd died . In th e Late Peri od he became a god of healing, was a ssociated
with the great god Ptah as his "son," and his cult spread throughout
Egypt. We have seen him as th e benefactor who gra nted a son to th e lad y
Taim hotep, and , in th e Famine Stela, as th e patron of the scribe to whom
King Djose r turned for instruction . T he h ymn in the Ptah temple at
Karnak d ocuments his worship at Thebes.
Amenhot ep son of Hapu had a rem arkab le career under Arne n ho tc p
II I. At his d eath he possessed a mortuary temple, locat ed behin d th ai 01
h is king, on th e west bank o f Thebes , and there he was worshiped by till'
populace as a be nefactor and healer . His cu lt, less widesprea d tha n thai
of lrnhot ep, appears to have bee n limited to the Theb an region . In IIII'
T heban a rea th e two d ivine healer s were worsh iped together a'
"bro thers."
The Hymn to Imhotep is inscr ibed in six colu mns on the right (sou t he rn )
d oorpost of th e fourth door o f th e temple of Ptah at Karnak. A hymn I"
Amen ho te p so n of Hapu is on th e left (nort he rn) post o f the sa uu
104
T EX TS IN TH E C LAS S IC AL LANGUA GE 105
d oor. Both hymn s a re works of the Rom an pe riod, and both end with
th e name o f the e m peror Tiberius. Un fort unately, the h ymn to Amen-
hotep son o f Hapu has su ffe red mu ch d amage , and it is ther efore not
translated here .
Publ icat ion : G. Legrain , ASAE, 3 (1903) , 6 1-62. Urk. VIll, p. 145.
S. Sauneron, BIFAO , 63 (1965), 73-87 a nd pI. V, text , tran slation and
commentar y.
On th e cu lt o f lmhotep and Am enhotep son of Hapu : K. Sethe, Imho-
te~ der As~/eplOs der Aegypter, Unte rsuchu nge n, 11/4 (Leipzig, 1902; reprint
Hildeshe irn, 1964 ). J. B. Hurry, Imhotep, the Vizier amJ' Physician oj
King Zoser (Londo~ , 1926; .2d ed . 1928). E. Otto, ZAS , 78 (1943),
28 -40. A. Va ri lle , Ins criptions concernant l'architecte Amenhotep fi ls de
Hapoll, .Instltut fra ncais d 'archeologie orientale. Biblioth equ e d 'etude,
~4 (Cai ro : 1968). . D. Wildun~, Imhotep und A menhotep, Miin chner
agy pto logische Stud ien , 36 (Mu nich, 1977 ), espec ially pp. 206 - 209.
(I ) H a il to yo u, kind-[hearted] god ,
Imhotep son of Pt ah !
Come to yo u r h ou se , you r temple in Thebe s,
Ma y its p e op le see yo u with j oy!
Re ce ive what is presented there ,
Inha le th e in cense ,
Refr e sh yo ur bod y with liba tio n !
This yo u r se at is yo u r fa vored se at,
More sp le n d id fo r you th an th e sea ts o f o ther tow n s;
You see A m u n in the seaso ns' feasts,
For you r se a t is n ext to h is.'
You j o in life in th e j oiner-of-life ,"
It face s yo u r house at Manu .'
You r arm is su sta in ed by Mont , lo rd of Thebe s,'
You catc h the north wind so uth bou n d b y yo u r house .
Yo u see the su n s h ini ng in r a ys of gold
A t th e upper doors o f the lo r d o f g lo ry!"
You vie w (3) the g o ds' hou se s o n yo u r h ouse's four sides, '
Yo u r e ce ive th e o ffe r ings th at co me fro m th eir a lta rs ;
You moisten yo u r throat with water,
Wh en your proph ets brin g this liba tio n .
Y ou ~' e n dowme nt prie sts offer to yo u of a ll good th in g s,
A ll fo od su p p lies for every d a y:
Wine , be er, milk,
I\nl"llt-offerin g s at ni ghtfa ll.
I\la y yo u r lin swo o p f rom h ea ven to yo u r house every d a y,
AI Ih e welcomin g vo ice of yo u r priestl y singer!
I\lay yo u h e al ' th e c h a n lin gs o f yo u r ste ward,
As h e se ts thing s heli 'l' e yo u r luI! "
106 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATU RE
TEXTS IN THE CLASS ICAL LANGUAGE
107
Men a p p la u d yo u ," 12. T he word "bo dy" an d th e word "ba" are bot h in the singu lar.
Wom en worship yo u, 13. I.e., T iberius .
O ne a n d a ll exa lt yo ur kindnes s!
Fo r yo u h e a l th e m ,
H YMNS TO HATHOR IN T HE TEMPLE OF DENDERA
Yo u r e vi ve them ,
Yo u renew your fat her 's (5) cr e a tio n . I. Dend era (Iu ne r), the metropo lis of the 6th nome of Upper Egypt, was
the cu lt center of the goddess Hathor. T he hu ge temp le of Greco-
The y b ri ng yo u the ir d o n a tions,
Rom a n d.at~ th at .has ~urvived th ere records in detail the worshi p of the
Bear to yo u their g ifts , go ddess in us da ily ritual an d du ring festivals. Amo ng the ma ny texts
Proffer yo u th eir goods ; that !1 cco m pany th e ritu al scene s the re are a number o f hymn s th at have
That yo u eat th e offering lo av es, poeti c merit. T hey were asse mbled , trans lated, and disc ussed by H.
That yo u swallow t he bee r , Junker. A cycle of fou r short hymn s ta ken fro m his edition is trans lated
he re.
With your brothers, the elde r gods,
The four hym ns fo rm part of a long tex t inscr ibed in vert ical columns
A nd fe e d the wort hy spirits wit h yo u r surp luses." on the rear wall of the Hall of Offerings. T he text accompanies a scene
T he le arned o nes p r a ise god for yo u , showing the king o ffering a wine j ug (the mnw-:i ug) to the ent hro ned
Fo rem ost a m o ng t hem yo ur b rothe r , god dess . T he first nine lines d escribe the con te nts o f the jug. With
line 10 begin the hymns.
Who lo ve s yo u , whom yo u lo ve ,
T he h ymns bring out that aspect o f Hath or whic h mad e her the
A men hote p son of H apu. counterpart o f Aphrodite: she is the "golden" goddess of love who is
H e a bi des with yo u, worshi ped with wine , music, an d da ncing.
H e p arts n o t from you ; Publication : Mariette, Denderah , I (Paris, 1870), 3 1. H. Junker,
Yo ur bod ies fo rm a single o ne, lAS, 43 (1906),10 1- 127.
You r ba's re cei ve the thin gs yo u lov e ," T ra ns lation of fou r of the hymn s: Scho tt, Liebeslieder, pp . 76 - 79.
On Hathor hymn s at Ph ilae: F. Daumas, zAs, 95 (1968), 1- 17.
B rought yo u b y yo u r son , Caesar A ugustus.13 0!1 H athor at Dendera: F. Daumas, Dendara et le temple de Hathor ,
Insutu t francais d 'arch eologie orientale, Recherches d'archeo log ie, de
NOTES p hilologie et d 'histo ire, 29 (Cairo, 1969).
I. I read th e word as '/j , "m ultitude of peo ple." Sauneron, op. cit.•
p. 78, note (e), pre fe rred to read shmur, "d ivine powers."
2. T his passage d escribes h,?w the te m ple of Pt~ h was su:rou nde d on
all sides by th e other sanctuaries o f Karnak , begmnmg with th e grea t T he Kin g , Ph a r a oh , co mes to d ance,
temple o f Amu n on its south. li e co mes to sin g ;
3. The necropolis on th e westbank. Mist re ss, see the d ancin g ,
4 . The weste rn mo unta in . O n snty= sty see Wb . 4 ,332.7-10.
5. Th e temple of Mont lay to th e north. . . Wife of H o rus, see the skipping!
6. I.e., the eas t side of the tem ple of Amun, which received the rays H e offers it to you ,
of the mo r ning sun . . . T h isj ug ;
7. Asso na nces abo u nd in th e who le tex t and are especially p ronn ·
nent in th e section which begins here. Bein g a j unior god , Irnhot ep Mist r e ss, see th e d ancing ,
receives o ffe rings tha t have first been presented to the great god s of tlu- Wi fe of H orus, see th e sk ip p ing!
temples arou nd h im .
8. Imhotep has h is own p r iesth ood co nsisting of "prop hets," "e n- II is h e a rt is st ra ig ht, h is in most ope n,
dowment priests," a "m usician-priest," and a "steward ." No darkn ess' is in his b r e as t;
9. H aving descr ibed the regular temple cu lt ,?f I m h ~>te p , the h YI.l ~n Mistress , see the danci ng,
now speaks o f the worshi p of the popul ace who brmg the ir perso na l gill.' Wifc o f H o ru s, see the s kipping!
to the go d and see k his help . . . .
10. As healer and "son of Ptah ,' Imh ot ep renews th e life-giving err - II
ativity o f Ptah,
II. T he "worthy spirits" are the d eceased persons whose temple ( ) (;o ldc n o ne, ho w good is 1h is so ng!
sta tues received o fferi ngs that had first bee n presen ted 10 the gods. I .ikc th e song of H o ru s h im scl f;
r
AN C IENT EGYPT IAN LITERATURE
108
Re 's son sings as m aste r singer ,
. , I'
H e is th e H o r u s-child , the musicia ru
H e dim inishes not yo ur bread ,
H e r educes not yo u r loa f ;
His h e a rt is straight, his in m ost ope n ,
No d ark n e ss is in h is b reast!
H e ab h o rs the sorrow o f yo u r ha,
H e abhors (you r ) hunge r and thirst ,
H e ab ho rs th e dist re ss o f t he god dess!'
III
o beauteous o ne, 0 cow , 0 g reat one ,
o great m a g ician , 0 sp le ndi d lad y, 0 queen o.f g~ds .
T h e K in g reveres yo u , Pha r a oh , gi~e that h e h~e.. I
o q ueen of gods, he rev eres yo u, gIve th at h e live !
Behold him , H a tho r , m ist r e ss , fro m h e aven,
See h im , H a tho r , m istress , from lightl and ,
H e a r h im , flami ng one , fr om ocean !
Behol d h im , que e n of god s, f rom sky, fro m e arth , 3
From N u bia , from Lib ya , fro m Manu , fro m Bakh.u,
From each land , from each p lace , where yo u r m aj e sty sh inesl
Behol d wh at is in h is in most,
T hough hi s m outh spe.a ~s n ot;
H is h e a rt is straight, Ills inmo st o pe n ,
No d ar k ness is in h is bre ast!
H e reve res yo u , 0 queen of gods ,
Give th at h e live !
IV
H e come s to d a n ce ,
H e co mes to sing!
H is b r e a d is in h is h and ,
H e defi les n ot the bread in h is h and ,
C le an a re the foods in hi s arms,
T hey h a ve come from the H orus Eye ,
H e has cleansed what h e offe rs to h e r !
H e comes to d an ce ,
H e comes to sing!
His bag" is of rushes ,
His b a sk et of reeds,'
H is s istru m of gold,
H is n e c klacc o f m alach itc ."
TEXTS IN T HE C LASS ICAL LAN GUA GE 109
His feet h urry to the mis tress of music,
H e dan ces for h e r , she lo ve s h is doing!
NOTES
I. Snk , "darkness ," in the se nse of "malice."
2. Reading the sig n as ij,y ra the r tha n ntr J; cr. Wb., 1,121.
3. The itn.t, th e "su n-god dess," title of H ath or.
4 . Or, "gold of go ds ."
5. Le., so uth, north , west, a nd cast.
6. Read BTf, see Wb., 5 ,12. 1.
7. I h ave rend ered the twn a nd nnt plants freel y as "rus hes" and
"reed s." It is not kn own what plants are meant by these terms. T he rela-
tion of the verse to Pyram id T exts ut terance 342 was stud ied by A.
Gutbub in M elanges M aspero 1, 4 ( 196 1), 3 1- 72.
" 8. On w3g, "ma lachite," see Harris, M inerals, pp . 102-104.
T WO H YMNS TO KH NUM IN T HE TEM PLE OF ESNA
lust as th e temple of Dendera record s the cult of Hath or , so the temple
of Esna (lu nyt, Latopolis), also of Greco- Roma n date, furnis hes a rich
documentation for the cu lt of Khn um. T he masterful publication of the
Esna temple by S. Saunero n p ro vides searching stu d ies of the ann ua l
festivals in which the cult found its fullest expression. This mo nu me nta l
. , work guides through the intricacies o f Egyptian temple cere mo nies
an d th e programs of the vario us feasts, and leads toward an over-
view of Egyptian religious tho ug ht and practice in the fina l centu ries
of paga n ism .
Fro m the large number of hymns sun g at the var iou s festivals, I have
selected two for tra nslation here , a Morning Hymn , which serve d to awak-
e n th e go d in his shrine, and the Great Hymn to Khnum, which glorified
Khn u m as creato r-go d .
T he morning h ymn is a genre kn own through a number of texts from
d ifferent temples and add ressed to various gods . It is characterized by a
clear strop h ic form , achieved by mea ns o f ana phoras and refrains, or
anaphoras o nly. T h is stroph ic arrangement distinguishes it from the
I{c ne ra l h ymn s of praise, for these lack stro phic structure , tho ugh dis-
tin ct ch anges of co ntent m ust have entailed pau ses in the recitation,
pau ses th at we indicate by paragraphs. T he tem ple of Esna conta ins
several morni ng hymns. T he o ne included here was ad dressed to
Khnum on the feas t of the 20th d ay o f the month o f Ep iphi.
T he o r igina l cu lt cente r of Khnum was the to wn of Elephantine ,
whe re , as the Famine Stela d escri bes it, th e god ru led th e cataract region
a lld co ntro lled th e cavern s from which sprang Hapy, the inundating-
Nile. Subseq uently, Khnum achieved the status of a cre ator-god, speci-
fically o ne who fashioned mankind on the potter's whee l. As a major
W" I, he was associated with ot he r great gods, not abl y Amun, Re , Shu,
a nd l lo ru s, In th e Mornillg Hymn he is first identified with Amu n, then
with Sh u , the wa rlik e son o f Re , who fights the bat tles that the su n-god
II II lSI wage. 11111 it is t he ro le of creator which is brough t out most for ce-
full y ill th e hymn s o f the ESlla temple , in particul ar in the Great Hymn
f o 1\11111111I , SIIIII{ at t he li':"1 of imiallilll{ Ihe potte r's wheel, which was
110 A NC IENT EG Y PTIAN LITER ATURE TEX TS IN T HE C LA SS IC AL LAN G UA G E III
celebrated on the first day of the month of Phamen ot. Dating from the Wh o co nq uers as h e wishes,
Roman period , the text is mod eled on a hymn of Ptolemaic date, also In p eace , awa ke peaceabl y!
inscribed in the Esna temple, but now in a poor state of preser vation .
Pub lication : A Mom ing Hymn 10 Khnu m: Esna, Vol. Ill, No. 26 1, 15- Wake , ve iled -face d one ,
18, pp . 157 - 158, text. Esna, Vol. V, pp . 364-366, translation . Who shuts his eyes to his foes,
Study of morning hymns: A. M. Blackman and H. W. Fairman in As he bears a r ms,
M iscellanea Gregoriana , pp . 397 - 428. Esna, Vol. V, pp. 84 - 87 .
The Greal Hymn 10 Khnum: Esna, Vol. Ill , No. 250,6 - 21 , pp . 130- 134, In pe ace, awa ke peaceabl y!
text. Esna, Vol. V, pp . 94 - 107, translation and commentary. J. Wak e , leader of herdsm en,
Assmann , Agyplische Hymnen und Gebele (Zurich, 1975), No. 145, pp . 344-
346, tran slauon of excerpts. Wh o g rasps th e stic k,
Smi tes h is attacker,
In pea ce , a wa ke peaceabl y!
A MOR NI NG HYMN TO KHNUM
Wak e , g rea t cro cod ile who says,
Awa ke n in gs o f Khnum ; say : " Eac h of yo u shall slay h is fellow,"
In pea ce awa ke, peaceab ly!
Wake we ll in p ea ce , wak e well in pea ce ,
Khnum-Amun , th e a ncien t, Wak e , Sh u , stro ng-a r med ,
Issue d from Nun , His fath er's cha m p io n ,
In peace , awake p eaceab ly! Slayer o f rebels,
In pea ce , awa ke peaceabl y!
Wake , lo rd of fie lds,
Great Khnum , Wak e , fightin g ra m who chases h is foes,
Who makes his domain in the meadow, He rd sm a n o f h is fo llowers,
In peace, awake peaceab ly! In peace, awa ke peaceably!

Wake , lo rd of gods and men , Wake , mu ltifo rm one,

Lord of the wa r cry,' Wh o ch a nges sha pe at will,
I n peace, awake peaceably! In peace , awa ke peaceab ly!

Wake , mi ghty p lanner, Wak e , Khnum wh o fashions as he wishes,

Great power in Egy p t, Wh o sets every man in his place!
In peace, aw ak e peaceabl y!
NOTES
Wake, lord o f life , I. Literally, "Stro ng of war cr y."
Woo er o f women , 2. An allusion to the sun-god's battles against his enemies in which he
T o wh om co me go ds and men as h e bids, is suppo rted by Shu an d other gods . Her e Khnum , ide ntified with Shu,
In peace , awa ke p eaceabl y! f i ~h ts o n beh alf of the sun-god . " His fellow" must mean his oppo nent in
hattie.
Wake , ram g reat of majesty,
T all-plumed , shar p- ho rned ,
In peace , awa ke peaceably! T HE GREAT HYMN T O KHNUM
T he hymn consists of three parts . In the first part Khnu m is viewed as
Wake, g reat lion, I he crea tor of mank ind who continually creates men and women on his
Slayer of rebels, port e r's wheel and endo ws the hum an bod y with all its parts and func-
In peace , awa ke p eaceabl y! I io ns. In th e second part, the god is adored as the creator of all peop les
and as the maker of all an imals and plants. T he thi rd part descr ibes the
Wa ke, crocod ile-king, d iffercnl man ifcslations of thc ~od hy virt ue of which he is identi cal with
Mighty victor, I he 0 1her crcator-gud s.
112 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
The par allelism of members underlying the metrical scheme is rein-
forced by num erous assonances.
Khnum creator oj bodies
(250 ,6) Another h ymn to Khnum-Re ,
God of th e potter's wheel ,
Who se tt led th e land by hi s h andiwo rk ;
Who j oins in secre t,
Wh o builds soundly.'
Wh o nourish es th e nestlin gs by th e breath of his mouth ;
Wh o drench es th is land with N un ,
While ro u nd sea an d great ocean surrou nd him .
He has fas hioned go d s a nd m en,
He h as formed flock s a nd herds ;
He m ad e birds as well as fishes,
He cre a ted bulls, e ngendered cows.
H e (8) knotte d th e flow of bloo d to th e bon es,
Formed in his rworkshopl as h is handiwork ,
So th e b reath of life is with in every th ing,
rBlood bound with se me n 1 in th e bon es,'
To knit the bon es fro m th e sta rt.
H e m ak es women give birth when th e womb is read y,
So as to o pen - - - as h e wishes;
H e soothes sufferi ng by h is will,
Relie ves th roats, let s eve r yo ne breathe,
To gi ve life to th e you n g in the wo mb.
H e mad e hair sp ro u t and tresses gro w,
Fastened the ski n over th e limbs;
H e bu ilt the sku ll, for med the chee ks,
T o furn ish sh ape to the image.'
H e o p e ned th e eyes, holl ow ed th e ea rs,
H e mad e th e bod y inhale air;
( 10) H e fo rmed the mouth for ea ting,
Mad e th e rgorge l for swall owin g .
H e a lso formed th e to ng ue to speak,
T he j aws to ope n , th e gu llet to drink ,
T he th roat to swa llow an d sp it.
T he spin e to give su p port,
T he testicles to rmovel,
T he ra rml to ac t with vigor,
T he re a r to p e r form its task .
TEXTS IN THE CLASSICA L LANGUAGE 113
The g u lle t to d e vour,
Hands and th e ir fingers to d o th eir work,
The h e art to lead .
The loins to su p po rt th e phallu s
I n th e ac t of begett ing.
T he fro n ta l organs to consu me things.
T he rear to aerate th e e ntra ils,
Likewise to sit at ease,
And sus ta in the e n tra ils at night.
The m ale m ember to beget,
T he wo m b to co nceive,
And in crease generatio ns in Egypt.
The bladder ( 12) to make wa ter,
The viri le m ember to eject
When it swells between th e thi gh s.
The sh ins to ste p,
T he legs to tread ,
T heir bo nes d oin g th eir tas k,
By the will of h is h eart.
Khnum creator oj all peoples and all life
Formed a ll on hi s potter's wh eel ,
T heir speech d iffers in each region,
And clas hes with th at of Egypt.'
He cre a ted p recious th ings in th eir land s,
That they mi gh t bea r th eir p roducts abroad,
For th e lord of the wheel is th e ir father too ,
T at enen" wh o m ad e all th at is o n th ei r so il.
T hey p roduce th eir su p p lies- th us th e people of Ibhat-s- "
To nourish th emsel ves a nd their chi ld re n .
As hi s m outh spat out they were born st raigh ta way,
Without pause henceforth th e wheel turns (14) every d ay.
All yo u r creatures give you th anks,
You a re Ptah-T atenen , creato r of creato rs,
Wh o in lunyt brought fo rt h all th at is.
H e fee ds th e ch ick in th e nest in its tim e ,
He m ak es its mo th e r eject it in time .
He m ad e m ankind , create d go ds,
He fashioned flocks a nd h erds.
He mad e bird s, fish es, a nd reptiles all,
By his will N un 's fish cs Icap from the caver ns,
To Iced men a nd go ds in h is lim e.
114 ANCIENT EGYPT IA N LI T ERAT U R E
He m ad e pl a nts in the fiel d,
H e dotted the shores wit h Rowers;
H e m ad e fru it t r ees bear their fru it ,
To fill t he need s of men a nd gods .
( 16) H e o pened seams in the bellies of mo u n tai ns,
He made the qua rries spew o ut their stones.
Th e diverse forms of Kh num
In "First-of-tow ns " he is Ba-of-Re ,'
Fashioning people t hroughou t this land ;
At Iun yt he is Ba-of-Shu ,
Modelin g people o n h is wh eel.
H e h as fas hio ned m e n , engendered go ds,
T he y live by that wh ich co mes from him ,
H e m akes breath e those wh o rest in their tombs.
I n Shas-hotep he is Ba-of-Osiri s,
Maki ng a ll herds by h is h and iwork ;
I n H erwe r h e is Ba-of- Ceb,
Fas hion ing all beings in t h is la nd .
H e is H orus-M etenu in Seme nhor,
Makin g birds from the sweat of h is body.
H e cha nges his for m (18) to Lord-o f-th e-b ooth ,"
T o wra p O sir is in the place of embalm me nt ;
H e m od el s all th in gs between his h ands,
T o g uard O siris o n his ri gh t side ,
Sa ve him from the wa ter by his T wins ,"
G uard the Kin g o n h is le ft side , ever- living.
H e cha nges hi s form to S u wadjen ba of Pi-n et er.:"
Who m akes all th ings in hi s field ,
H e g r o ws trees, h e raises c rop s,
To nourish all b y h is products .
H e al te r s his for m to ben efi cent No urisher ,
On top o f nestlin g-hill ,
T o fash io n all m en a nd beasts.
They!' h av e pl aced th e ir fo u r Mesekhnet" a t t he ir sides,
To r epel t he d esigns of evi l by inca ntatio ns;
T hey sta n d as lords o f the sh r in es of So u th a nd North ,
At the pl ace o f c rea tion of all that (20) exists .
Ben efi cen t god,
Conte n ting god ,
TEXTS IN T H E CLA SS IC AL LAN GU AGE 1 15
God w ho fo r ms bo d ies,
Go d wh o eq uips no strils,
God w ho binds t he T wo Lan d s,
So that they j oin thei r natu res.
When N u n a nd Tate ne n fir st ca me into bei ng ,
Th e y a p peared as lot u s o n his bac k,
As h e ir to Dje d- sh epsy a t th e start."
Thei r ka will no t p erish ,
None sh a ll hinde r th ei r actio n ,
No land is lack in g in a ll th at he mad e .
T hey a r e co nceale d a m o n g mank ind,"
Crea ting a ll beings since god's tim e ,
T hey a re a live a n d abid ing ,
Like Re r isin g a n d setting,
May yo u r fair face be kind to Pharaoh ever living!
NOTES
I. I p ro pose to re ad t'ws m swrJ3, taking the two fledglings as mer e
phonet ic compleme nt. T her e is th en a good parallelism with th e preced-
ing !<3s hnt .It3.
2. T'h e rea d ing of the signs is problem atic; cf. Sauneron's discussion,
Esna , V , 99 (I).
3. Ta king rnnw , "image" (Wb . 2,7 1.3-6) to sta nd for the hum an
figure as a creat ion o f the god .
4. O n th e passage see also Saune ro n, BIFAO, 60 ( 196 0), 37 -39.
5. As susta ine r of all peoples Khnum is identical with the ea rth god
Tate nen.
6. Ibhat desig nated a re gion of Lower Nu bia.
7. " First-o f-towns" is Elepha ntine becau se the Egyptian viewed the
ea rth facing south, hen ce Elep ha ntine was the first town insid e Egypt. In
all his cult centers-Elepha nt ine, lu nyt (Esna), Shas-horep (Hypselis),
Herwer, a nd Semenhor (nea r Atfih}-Khn um is mer ged with th e othe r
great go ds worshiped there by being viewed as their ba, i.e., their "soul"
o r "manifestatio n."
8. Anubis .
9. Or, the "Eye-Twins," i.e., Shu a nd T efnut.
10. Pi-neter was th e name of a sanctu ary located to th e north of the
main tem ple; see Saun eron , Esna, V, 3 16 -322 and 334 -33 7.
I I. "T hey" are the various manifestat ion s of Kh num .
12. T he bricks on which wome n sat whe n giving birth , person ified as
godd esses.
13. Djed-shep sy, "Aug ust Djed Pillar ," was a Memphite god who is
he re viewed as th e pri meval mo u nd fro m which rose Khnum as creator
god at th e start of crea tion.
14. As above, "The ir" a nd "T hey" refer to the man ifestat ions of
Khnum .
116 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE TEXTS IN THE CLASSICAL LANGUAGE 117
THE LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS Iather's throne, and give life-stability-dominion to the Osiris Tentru-
Pap. Berlin 3008 ty, born of Tekhao, called Persis, the justified!
This text in hieratic script is appended to a hieroglyphic papyrus of It benefits the doer as we ll as the gods . Recitation:
the Book of the Dead that belonged to a woman whose name, variously
spelled, was Tentruty or Teret. The papyrus dates from the Ptolemaic (2,1) I sis speaks , she says:
period. The hieratic text is written in five columns (or pages) of vary ing Come to your h o u se , come to your house!
size. It consists oflamentations addressed to Osiris by Isis and Nephthys.
The text ends with instructions for its use, which show that the lamenta- You of On,' come to you r house ,
tions were to be recited by two women im personating the two goddesses. Your foes are not!
A rough sketch on the bottom margin of column 5 shows the two women
seated on the ground, each holding a vase and an offering loaf. o good musician , come to your house !
T he text belongs basically to the ritua l of the Osiris mysteries as per- Behold me, I am your beloved sister,
formed in the temples. But by being incl uded in a Book of the Dead it You shall not part from me!
was adapted to the funerary service of a private person, an adaptation
made possib le by the traditional associat ion of every dead person with
the god Os iris . The text resembles a longer work found in Papyrus
o good youth , come to your house!
Bremner-Rhind (Pap. Brit. Mus . 10188), known as "The Songs of Isis Long , lo n g have I not seen you!
and Nephthys." This work, dating to the fourth century B.C ., was clearly My heart mourns you, my eyes seek you ,
designed for performance in the temples of Osiris on certain feast days . I search for you to see you !
Comparison of the two compositions shows that the shorter work, the
Lamentations, was not an abridgment of the far more elaborate Songs, but Shall I not see yo u, shall I not see you,
a different version . R. O . Faulkner published both texts and discussed Good King, shall I not see you?'
their relationship. It is good to see you , good to see yo u ,
T he two texts should also be seen in conjunction with a group of texts
embodying the Osiris ritual, namely, the texts from the temples of Edfu, You of On, it is good to see you!
Dendera, and Ph ilae wh ich H . Junker published under the title Die
Stundenwachen in den Osirismysterien. All three works express the basic Come to your beloved, come to your beloved!
ideas that governed the Osiris ritual. They reenact the life, death , and Wennofer, justified, come to your sister!
resurrection of the god ; they record the lengthy laments over his death ; Come to your wife , come to yo u r wife,
and they dwell on the elabo rate protection which the gods give to Osiris, We ary-hearted, come to your ho u se- m istre ss !
who , though resurrected, vind icated , and worshiped as a cosmic ru ler,
retains a particular passivity and vulnerability.
I am your sister by your mother,
Publ ication: R. O . Faulkner, "The Lamentations of Isis and Neph-
thys," Melanges Maspero I, I (1934), 337 -348 and 4 plates. ( 10) You shall not le a ve me!
T he related texts (not translated here): R. O . Fau lkner, The Papyrus Gods and men lo o k for you,
Bremner -Rhind (Brit . Mus. No . 10188), Bibliotheca Aegyptiaca, III (Brus - Weep for you together!
sels, 1933), pp. 1- 32: "The So ngs of Isis and Nephthys," text. Idem,
JEA, 22 (1936), 12 1-140, translation . H . J unker , Die Stundemoachrn While I can see I call to you,
in den Osirismysterien, Akademie del' Wissensch aften , Wien , Philoso- Weeping to the height of heaven!
phisch-historische Klasse, Denkschriften, 54/1 (Vienna, 1910).
But you do not hear my voice,
Though I am your sister whom you lo ved on earth,
(1,1) Re cita tio n of blessings made by the Two Sisters in the house 0 1
You lo ve d none but me , the sister, the sister!
Osiris-Khentarnenti, ·t h e great god , lord of Abydos , in the fo urth
month of I n u nd a tio n , day 25 , when th e same is done in every pl ace 0 1 (3 , I ) Nephthys speaks , she says :
Osiris, at every feast of his : o good King, come to your house !
To bless his ba, steady h is body, exalt his ka, give breath to th e nose ' Please yo u r heart, all .your foes are not!
of him who lacks breath.' Your Two Sisters beside you guard your bier,
To soothe the heart of Isis and N ephthys, place Horus on II is ( :a ll fill' yOIl in tears!

liS AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Turn around on you r bie r!
See the women , speak to us!
King our lord , dri ve all pain from our hearts!
Your court o f gods and men beh old s you ,
Show them yo ur face , King our lord !
Our fa ces live by see ing you r face!
Let yo u r face not shun o u r faces!
(10 ) Our he arts a re glad to see you, King!
Our hearts are happy to see you!
I am Ne p hthys, yo ur beloved sister!
Your foe is fallen, he sha ll not be!
I a m with yo u, yo u r bod y-guard ,
For all et ern ity!
(4, I) Isis speaks, she says :
Ho yo u of On , yo u rise for us daily in he aven! '
We cease not to see yo u I' rays!
T hoth , your guard , raises you r ba,
In the day-bark in this your nam e of "Moon ."
I have co me to see yo ur beauty in the Horu s Eye ,
In your name of "Lord-of-the-sixth-day-feast. "
Your courtiers besid e you shall not leave you,
You conquered heaven by you r majesty's might,
In this your name of "Lord-of-the-fifteenth-day-feast. "
You rise for us like Re eve ry d ay,
You shine for us like Atum,
Gods a nd men live by you r sight.
As you rise for us you light th e T wo Lands,
Lightland is filled with your presen ce ;
Gods a nd me n look to you ,
No evil befalls the m whe n yo u shine .
(10 ) As you cross th e sky your foe s a re not ,
I am yo u r guard eve ry d ay!
You co me to us as child in moon a nd sun,
We cease not to behold you!
Your sa cred ima ge, Orion in heaven,
Rises and sets eve ry d ay;
I am Sothis wh o follows him,
I will not d epart from him !
TEXTS IN THE C LASS IC AL LAN G U AG E 119
(5 , I) Th e noble im ag e issued from you
Nourish es go ds a nd men ,
Repti les a nd herds live by it.
You flow from you r cave r n fo r us in your time ,
Pou r in g o ut wate r to your ba ,
Mak in g offeri ngs to your ka ,
T o nourish go ds and men alike.
Ho m y lord ! T here is no go d like yo u !
Heaven has yo u r ba, ea rth you r for m,
Netherworld is filled with your secrets.
Your wife is you r gua rd ,
Your so n H orus rules th e lands!
Ne p h thys spea ks, she says:
a good Kin g, co me to you r house !
Wennofe r , justified , co me to Djed et ,
a lusty bull, co me to Anpet! "
a lo ve r o f women,' come to Hat-m eh yt,
Come to Djed et , th e place your ba lo ves!
T he ba'« o f yo ur fathers are your co m panions,
Your youn g son Horus, the Sisters' child , is before you ;
I am the lig h t that guards you every d ay,
I will not leave you ever!
a you of On , come to Sais ,
"Sa ite" is yo ur nam e ;
Co me to Sa is to see you r mother Neith ,
Goo d child, you sha ll not part from her!
Co me to her breasts that overfl ow,
Good b rother, you sha ll not part fr om he r!
a m y so n, come to Sa is!
Os iris Tentru ty, ca lled Ny n y, born of Persis, justified. '
Co me to Sa is, your city!
You r p lace is th e Palace;
You sha ll rest fore ver beside yo u r mother!
She prot ects YO lll' body, re pels you r foes,
Shc will g uard you r body forever!
() good Kin g, come to yo u r house,
I.o nl o f Sa is, co me to Sais !
Isis spea ks. shc says:
Con ic 10 you l' ho usc , comc 10 your hou se,
120 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
TEXTS IN T HE C LASS ICAL LANG U AG E 121
Good Kin g , co m e to yo u r house ! 5. In th is section Os iris is viewed as a cosmic god man ifest in both
Co m e, see yo u r so n H o r u s su n an d moon. He has a feast o n th e sixth day of the lu nar mont h and on
As King of gods a nd m e n ! the fifteenth da y when the moo n is full. He is also Hap y, the inu ndat ing
Nile, who nou r ishes the land .
H e has co n quered to wns an d names 6. Djedet and Anpet are names of the town of Mendes, and Hat-
By the greatness of h is g lo r y! meh yt is the nome of Me ndes , th e 16th nome of Lower Egypt.
( 10) H ea ven a nd ea rth a re in a we of h im , 7. O f the vario us meanings of th e roo t /.}ni/!Jnr, Faulkn er , op. cit.,
T he Bow-land' · is in dread of h im . p . 344, chose "tomb" and rendered , "tho u whom th e tomb (?) d esired ."
In view of the preced ing "lusty bull ," I think it more likely that "harem"
Your co u r t o f god s a nd men is h is or "wome n of th e ha re m" was mean t.
l n th e Two Land s, in d oing yo u r ri tes ; 8. Again the nam e of th e de ceased wom an is inserted her e.
9. O n the Saite sanctua ry called "ma nsion of the bee" see p. 40 , n. 2.
Your Two Sis te rs besid e yo u libate to yo u r ka , 10. N ubia.
Your son H orus presents yo u offerings I I. T he "Four Sons of Horus" were the gua rdia ns of the Cano picj ars
Of b r ead , beer, oxe n , a nd fo wl. in which th e embalme d in ne r organs were buried.
Thoth r ecites yo u r litu r gy,
And ca lls yo u wit h his spells ;
T he So ns of Horus guard yo ur bo d y,"
A nd daily bl ess yo ur ka.
Your so n H orus, c ham p io n of yo ur name a nd yo u r shrine ,
Makes o b latio ns to you r ka ;
T he g ods, with wate r-jars in the ir hands ,
Pour water to yo u r ha.
Come to yo u r co u r tie r s, Kin g o u r lord !
Do not part fro m t hem!

Now whe n t his is recited the pl ace is to be com p le te ly seclu ded, not
se e n a nd no t hea rd b y anyone ex cept the ch ief lector-p riest a nd th e
setem-priest. O ne shall bri ng two wome n with bea uti ful bodies. T hey
sha ll be made to sit on t he grou nd at th e main porta l of the H all of
Ap pea r ings . O n thei r arms shall be written the n a m es of Isis a nd
Ne p h t h ys. J a r s of fa ie nce filled with wa ter shall be pl aced in th eir
r ig ht h ands, o ffe r ing loaves m ad e in Memphis in the ir left h ands, a nd
th ei r faces s h all be bowed. To be d one in the th ird ho u r of the d a y,
a lso in the e ig h th hou r o f the d a y. You sh all not be slack in recit in g
this bo ok in the h our o f fest ival.
It is finished .

NOTES

I. Lit. , "th e one whose th roat is constricted."

2. By inserting the name of the owner of the book, the temple ritua l
of Osiris was made to app ly to this de ceased person.
3. O siris is called the "Heliopolita n" becau se of his association with
the su n-god Re of Heliopolis.
4. Probab ly a ph on etic ren de ring o f in nn iw.i r 7IlJ .k.
p

T HE STO RIES OF SETNE KH AMW AS

This is a seq uence o f two stor ies bu ilt aro u nd th e pe rsona lity o f Pr ince
Kh amwas, th e fourth so n o f King Ramses I I. T h e h isto rica l Prince
Kha m was ha d bee n h igh p riest of Ptah a t Me mphis, a nd in th at ca pac ity
he h ad be e n in charge o f th e Me mph ite tem p les a nd ce me ter ies. We
po ssess a numbe r o f o bjects inscribe d with h is nam e that bear witness to
h is ac ti vities as bu ild e r a nd re sto r e r o f sac re d mon u m ents. In his life time
he a lso ac q u ire d fame as a ve r y learned sage. After h is d eath, the pop u-
lar im ag in at io n sha p ed h is me mo r), into th at o f a powerfu l magician.
And th e kn o wledge of h is d e vo tio n to th e exa mini ng a nd restoring o f
m o n u me n ts formed th e basis fo r a tt rib uti ng to him a consum ing passion
for th e stud y of ancie nt wo r ks. These tr a its o f cha r acte r, bo th real a nd
im ag in e d , p ro vid ed the motiva tio ns a nd mo tifs of th e ac tions a n d a dven -
tu res whi ch the De m otic tales sp u n aro u nd h is name .
T h e prin cipal title by wh ich th e h isto r ical Kham was ca lled hi msel f
was th a t o f .<plplIl-pries t o f Ptah . In the De motic tales th e title is spelled
stme o r stne an d is used as if it we re a pe rso na l name. He nce it is cus-
to mary to ca ll th e h e ro o f these Dem oti c tales Se tne Kh am was, and to
refer to th e two sto r ies abo ut h im as Se tne I a nd I I, o r as I a nd II
Kh am was.
T h e two sto ries a re p rese r ved o n two d iffe rent papyr i; a nd th e y a re in
fact a cycle ra th e r th an a seq uence. T h is is so becau se th e second story
co n sists o f two d ist in ct ta les th at have been link ed togethe r. Further-
more, the re exist text fr agments that co ntain variants and add itio nal
e p isod es.
The fi rst sto ry , SpI IIP I , is preserv ed in the Ca iro Mu seum Pa pyr us
No . 30646 . The papyr us orig inally had six pa ges, but the first two hav e
been torn awa y a nd a r e lost. A part o f th e m issing beg in n ing, o r a vari ant
o f it, is p r ese rved o n a no ther Ca iro Papyrus (No . 30692). T his fragme nt
a nd r elat ed fr agm enta r y text s h ave not been included he re. T he text o f
Se tne I is written in a ca re fu l h and a nd the wr itin g is of Ptolema ic d ate.
It belon gs to th e best period o f Demot ic wr iting a n d is free o f co rr up-
tio ns a nd missp e llin gs. An unusu a l fea ture o f the papyru s is th at th e
page s a r e n umbered , so we know that cxactly two p ages arc m issing in
th e be g in ni ng . T h e third page is d am aged at th e begi n nin g o f e ac h line.
T he o ther three pag es a re in good co nd itio n.
T he seco nd sto ry , Setne II , is wri tten o n the vasa o f th e Br itish Mu -
se u m Papyrus No . 604 . T h e wr iting d ates fro m th e Ro ma n period a nd is
ca reless, a bo u ndi ng in e rrors a nd om issio ns. Her e, too, the beginni ng of
th e p apyru s is lost , bu t since th e pages a re not numbered it is not possi-
h ie to sa y j us t how m uch is m issin g . Large portion s o f what is now the
lirst pa ge a re a lso lack ing .
Bo th stories a re remarkabl e for the co lor a nd vivid ness o f the ir narra-
rio n. In p a rti cu lar, th e e p isode o f Se tn e a nd Tabu b u is a masterpiece o f
sus pe n se fu l sto ry te lling. The ce nt ra l th e me of Se tne I is the d esire o f
Pr ince Setn e Kh a rnwa s to possess a boo k of ma gic th at had been wr itte n
hy the go d T hoth h imself. T h e book had been acq u ire d by force b y
Na ne fe r ka p ta h, a p r ince who had lived lo ng before Setn e , who had
u i kc n th e ho o k with him to h is gra ve , ha vin g paid fo r th e possess ion o f
I he boo k with h is life a nd th e life o f h is wife a nd so n. Wh e n Set ne finds
III<' to m h a nd ro bs the boo k, th e two princes, bo th pow e rfu l mag ician s,
126 ANCIENT E GYPTIAN LITERATURE
en gage in a contest of skills until Setne is vanq~ish ed and retur~s ~he
book . The tale exe m plifies th e tr aditional Egyptian view that magIC IS a
legitimate weapon fo r man , but th e ultimat e secre ts of life and th e world
belon g on ly to the go ds and may no t be acqu ired by man .
S etn e II co nsists o f two d istinct tales th at are linked through the person
of Si-Osire th e son o f Setn e Khamwas , who is th e true hero of both
ta les and overshadows his father. The centerpiece of the first tale is
Setne's visit to the netherworld , to which he is guided by his son Si-
O sire. Th ere Setne witn esses th e blessed ex istence of the just who find
th e reward of thei r go od deed s, an d th e tortures of th e sinners who suf-
fer everlastin g punish ment.
H . Grossma n n' s penetratin g study , "Vom rcic.hcn Mann u nd ar.mc n
Lazarus," has mad e it plausible that the co ntrasting sce nes of th e nc~l y
buried nob leman who is tortured in th e netherworld and th e curson ly
buri ed poor man wh o becom es an honored noblem an in the neth er -
world were ge n uine ly Egyptian mot ifs th at formed th e basis for the
parabl e of j esus in Luke 16,19 - 31 , and for the rel ated j e."'lsh legends,
preserved in man y variants in T a lmud ic and medi eval J eWISh so ur ces:
The Egy p tian conception of th e netherworld, as found here m a late
form , had a lso absorbed eleme nt s o f Greek origin, notably the tortures
of Oknos and Tantalos, and th e cent ra l th em e itself, the visit to the
netherworld by a living person , which recalls Orpheus des cending into
Ha d es an d Odysseus conve rsing with the shades of .th e.dead . The a.b.
sorption o f Gr eek mot ifs also .u ? derlines the co m b ~n a tl o n ? f t~o dIS-
tin ct views of the netherworld : It IS both a place m wh ich the hfe hved on
ea rt h cont in ues in a rel ated form , and a place ofjudgment and retribu-
tion . T he people whom Setn e sees plaiting ropes th at are a lways chewe.d
up by donkeys, and the people who are prevented by pitS under their
feet from reach ing th e food su spended above them (O knos and Ta~ta~(~s
motifs) are not great sinners but ra ther persons who wer e lu ckless m hie
and receive similar fates in the netherworld.
The presence of Gr eek motifs in S etne II is one of many testimonies to
th e int ermingling of Egyptian and Greek cu ltures III Gr eco-Roman
Egypt. As the known materials beari ng on this phenomenon are mor e.
intensivel y studied, a nd as new sourc es come to light, th e symbIOSIS 01
the two peoples and their cu ltu ra l syncretism will becom e ever man'
tangible.
Setn e I: Pap . Cairo 30646
Publicat ion : F. Ll. Griffith, St ories of the H igh Pr iests of M emph is, Vol. I
(O xford, 1900) . W. Spiegelberg , Die demotischen D.e nkmaler: Vol. ~ I:
Di e demot ischen P apyrus, Catalogue gen eral . . . du mus ee du Caire (LeII"
zig, 1908), p . 88 and pIs. 44 -47. Erichsen, L esestiicke, PI' . 1-40.
Tran sla tion: B. Gunn in B. Lewis, ed .. Land of Enchanters (Londo n.
1948) , PI' . 67 - 83. Brunner-Traut, M drchen , PI' . 171-192. li n "
sciani, L etteratura, PI'. 615 -626.
Setne II : Pap . British Museum 604 vers o
Pub lication : F. Ll. Griffi th , St ories of the High P riests of M em/,iI;', .
Vols 1-2 (Oxford , 1900). Erichse n . Lesestucke, PI' . 41- 49. excerpt s,
Translation: Brunner-Traut, Miirchen , PI'. 192 -214 . Brc sciaui,
L etteraturn , PI' . 627 - 64 1.
DEMOTI C LITERAT URE 127
Comments to either tale: H . Gressmann , Vom reichen Mann und aTmen
LamTUS, Abhand lungen der Berliner Ak adernie der Wissenschaften,
philosophisch-historische Klasse , 1918, No . 7 (Berlin, 1918) . M.
Pieper, lAS, 67 (193 1), 7 1-74. K.-T. Zauzich, Enchoria , I (1971),
83-86. M. Gilul a, Enchoria , 6 ( 1976), 125.
On th e his torical Prince Khamwas: F. Gornaa, Chaemwese, Sohn Ramses'
II. u nd Hoherpriester von M emphis, A.gyptologische Abhandlungen , 27
(Wiesb aden , 1973) .
References to ad d itional older publi cations and to the fragments of
the Setne cycle not translated here are to be found in the literatu re
cited, and see K.-T. Zauzich , Enchoria, 6 (1976), 79 -82.
SETNE KHAMWAS AND NANEFERKAPTAH (SETNE I)
Th e lost beginning rnay be reconstructed as f ollows:
Prince Kh amwas , son of King Ramses II and high p riest of Pt ah a t
Memphis , was a very le a rned scribe a n d m agician who spent his time
in th e study of ancient monuments and books. One day he was to ld of
I h e ex iste nce of a book of magic written by the god Thoth himse lf and
kept in the tomb of a prince named Naneferkaptah (N a -n e fe r-ka -
prah), who h ad live d in the distant p ast and was buried so m e wh e re in
I he vast necropolis of Memphis. After a lo n g search , Prince Khamwas,
accompanied by his foster brother Inaros, found the tomb of Na-
u eferkaptah a n d entered it. H e saw th e magic book, which radiated a
sl rong lig h t , a n d tried to seiz e it. But the sp ir its of N aneferkaptah and
III" hi s wife Ahwere rose up to defend the ir cherished possession.
Ahwere and her son Merib were not bu ri ed in this Memphite tomb
luu rather in dista n t Coptos , where they had lo st the ir live s. But the
sp ir it of Ahwere was with h e r husband at this cr itica l moment, and
s h e now sto o d before Prince Khamwas a n d told him how h er h usband
had ac q u ir e d the magic book a n d how they had a ll p aid for it with
t lu-ir live s. She begins her story by re lating that sh e and Naneferka-
pl a h had been brother and sist er and the only ch ildren of a Pharaoh
n.uu cd Merne bptah . They had loved each other very much and had
wa n te d to m arry . But Ph araoh wished to m arry his son to the
d all g ht er of a general and his daughter to the son of a general. In her
:lIlg llis h Ahwere h ad a ske d the steward of Pharaoh 's p alace to p lead
wi t h Ph araoh in h er behalf. The stewa r d had done so and Pharaoh
h ad be com e sile n t a n d d istressed. To the steward's question, why he
was distre ss ed, Pharaoh a ns we r e d:
( / / 1'1"1' begins the story on page 3 of the papyrus)
" II is yOIl who distress m e . If it so h appens that I h ave only two
r h ild rc n, is it r ig h t to m arr y th e one to the other ? I will marry
Nn uc fc rk a p ta h to th e dau g ht er or a general, a n d I wi ll m arry Ahwere
III I h e SO ll of a noth er ge ne ra l, so rh.u 0 111' fa m ily m ay in cre ase! "
128 ANCIENT EGY PTI AN LIT ERAT U R E
Wh e n th e time ca me fo r the banquet to be set be fo re Ph araoh, they
came for m e an d took me to the ba nquet. But my h eart was very sad
a nd I d id not h ave m y former look s. Ph ar aoh said to me: "A hwc re,
was it you who se nt to me wit h those foo lish words , 'Le t me marry
[Nane fe rk aptah , m y] elde r [broth er]'?"
I sa id to him: " Le t m e ma rry the so n of a ge ne ra l, a nd let him marry
the d aughter of a nothe r general, so th at our fam ily may in crease!" I
laughed and Ph a raoh laughed.'
(5) [When the ste ward of th e p alace came ] Pharaoh [said to him]:
"S te wa rd, let Ahwere be tak en to th e hous e of Na ne fe rkapta h
tonight, a nd let all so rts of beautiful thi ngs be tak en with her. "
I was tak en as a wife to th e h ou se of Na ne ferka p ta h [that ni gh t, a nd
Ph a raoh] se nt m e a prese nt o f silver an d go ld, a nd all Ph araoh 's
h ousehold sent me p resents. Na neferkaptah made holiday with me,
an d he e nterta ined a ll Ph araoh's hou seh old. He sle pt with me th at
n ight a nd fo u nd m e [pl easing. He slep t with] me agai n and again, and
we lo ved each o ther.
When m y time of pu rificati on came I made no m o re pu rificatio n.'
It wa s reported to Pharaoh , a nd h is h ea rt was very happy. Ph araoh
h ad m an y things tak en [ou t of the treasu ry] a nd se nt me presents o f
silve r , gold , a nd royal lin en, all very beautiful. Wh en my tim e o f bear-
in g ca me, I bore this bo y who is befo re you, who was named Merib. He
wa s e n te red in th e regi ster of th e Hou se o f Life."
[I t so happened th a t] my brothe r Naneferkaptah [had no] occu pa-
tio n o n ear th but wa lking on th e d esert of Memphis, readi ng th e
writi ngs that were in th e tombs of the Ph a raoh s and on th e ste lae o f
the scribes of th e House of Life' a nd the writings that were on (10)
[the othe r m o n u m e nts, for h is zeal ] co ncerning writings was very
g reat.
A fte r th is the re was a p ro cessio n in honor of Ptah , a nd Na nefer-
kaptah we nt into the temple to wo rs hi p. As he was walking be h ind th e
proce ssion, reading th e wr itin gs o n the sh r ines of th e go ds, [an old
priest saw] him a nd lau gh ed. Na ne fer ka p ta h said to hi m : "Why an'
yo u laughing at me ?" He sa id: " I am not laughing a t you . I am lau gh -
in g because yo u a re reading writin gs th at have n o [importan ce (JI '
a nyo ne ]. If yo u d esire to read writings, co me to me and I will have '
yo u taken to the p lace wh ere th at book is th at Thoth wrote with h i ~
ow n hand , when he ca me d ow n fo llowing th e other gods. T wo spe lls
a re writte n in it. Wh en you [reci te the firs t spe ll you will] cha r m rlu-
sky , the ea rth , the ne the rwo rl d, the mou ntains, and the wate rs. Von
will d iscove r wh at all the bir ds of the sky and all the re pt iles an'
say ing. You will see the fish of th e deep [t ho ugh there are twe n ty-om -
di vin e cu bits of water] over [the m].' Whe n you rec ite the seco nd s pel],
it will happen th at, whet her yo u are in th e neth erworld o r in y'" 11
DEMOTIC L I TERATURE 129
form o n eart h , you will see Pr e a p pearing in the sky with his En nead ,
a nd the Moo n in its for m o f rising."
( 15) [Na ne fe rkapta h said to hi m ]: "As he (the kin g) lives, tell me a
good th in g that yo u d esire , so that I may d o it fo r yo u, and you send
me to the place whe re this boo k is!"
The p riest sa id to Na ne fer ka p ta h: " If you wish to be se nt [to th e
place where th is book is] you.mu st give me a hundred p ieces' of silver
fo r m y burial , a nd yo u must e n dow me with two priestl y stipe nd s tax
fr ee."
Naneferkaptah called a se rv ant and had th e hundred pieces o f
silve r give n to th e p riest. He added the two stipe nds and had [th e
pr ies t] e ndowed with them [tax free].
T he priest sa id to Na ne ferkap ta h : "The boo k in questio n is in the
m id d le of th e wate r of Coptos in a box of iron. In the box of iron is a
bo x of [co p per. In th e box of co p per is] a bo x ofj un iper wood. In th e
box of ju ni per wood is a box of ivory and ebony . In the box of ivory
and ebony is a [box of silver. In the box of silver] is a box o f go ld, an d
in it is th e book. [There a re six miles of]' serpe nts, scorpions, and all
kinds o f reptiles arou nd th e bo x in whic h the boo k is, a nd the re is (20)
Ian ete rna l se r pent a rou nd] th is sam e box."
Wh en th e priest h ad th us spoke n to Na ne fer ka pta h, he did not
kno w wh e re on ea rth h e was. He ca me ou t o f th e temple , he to ld [me
every th ing that had h appen ed to h im] . He [said ] to me : " I will go to
Co p tos, I will bring this boo k, h asten ing back to th e no rth agai n." But
I ch id ed th e p riest, sayi ng: "May Ne ith curse you for having told him
I hcse [d read fu l thi n gs! You h ave brou g ht] me combat, yo u have
hro ught m e stri fe . T he region of T he bes , I now find it [abhorrent]." I
did what I co u ld with Na neferka ptah to p revent h im from going to
Co ptos: h e di d not liste n to m e. H e we nt to [Pharaoh and to ld]
l'h a raoh everythi ng that the pries t had sa id to h im .
I'h araoh sa id to h im : "What is th at [you want]?" He said to h im :
" l .e t th e sh ip o f Ph araoh be give n to me with its equi p ment. I will ta ke
Ahwe re [a n d her boy Me rib] to th e so uth with m e , I will bring this
I" ,o k with ou t delay."
Th e sh ip of Ph araoh was given [him] with its equipme nt. We
hoard ed it, we se t sail, we arr ived (25) [a t Co p tos]. It [was ann ounced]
10 l he p riest s o f Isis o f Co ptos a nd th e chie f pri est o f Isis. T hey came
dow n to m eet us, hast ening to m eet Na ne ferka p ta h, and the ir wives
r. u uc d own to mee t me. [We we nt up from the shore and we nt int o]
I hc' tcmple of Isis a nd Ha rpocrates. Na neferkaptah sent for an ox, a
Koo se . a nd wine. He made bu r nt offering a nd libat ion before Isis of
( :0I'IoS and Ha rpocraies. We were ta ken to a very beautiful hou se
IIjllcd with a ll good th ings ].
N anc fc rkupurh SpCII! « JIl l' d a ys lIIakill g hol ida y with the p riests of
130 AN C IENT EGYPTIAN LIT ER AT UR E
Isis o f Co p tos , and the wives of the priests of Isis ma de holid ay with
m e . Wh en th e morning of o ur fifth d ay ca me, Na neferka p ta h had
[m u ch ] pure [wax b rou ght] to h im. He mad e a boat filled with its
rowers and sa ilors . H e recited a spell to th em, he made the m live , h e
gave th em breath , h e p ut the m o n the wat e r. He filled the ship of
Ph araoh with sa nd , [he tied it to the ot he r boat ]. H e [went] on board ,
a n d I sat above the water of Co p tos, saying : " I sha ll lea rn wha t
h a ppens to h im ."
He said to the rowers: "Row m e to the place whe re tha t book (30)
is!" [The y rowed h im by n ight] as by d ay. I n three d a ys he reache d it.
H e cast sa nd before hi m, and a ga p forme d in the r iver. He fou nd six
mil es of serpents, scorpions, and a ll kinds of re ptiles a ro u nd [t he place
where the boo k was] . He fou n d an ete rnal serpent around th is same
bo x. He recit ed a spe ll to th e six miles of se r pe n ts, scorpions , and all
kinds o f reptiles tha t we re aro u n d th e box, a nd d id not let the m come
up . [H e we n t to th e place whe re] the e te rna l serpe n t was. He fo ug h t it
a n d killed it. It cam e to life again a nd resumed its sha pe. He fo ug ht it
aga in, a seco n d tim e , a nd killed it ; it came to life agai n . He [fo ugh t it
aga in, a third] tim e , cut it in two pieces, a nd put sa nd betw een one
piece a nd th e o the r. [It d ied] a nd n o longer resumed its sha pe.
Naneferkaptah went to th e place where the box was. [H e found it
was a box o f ] iron. He ope ne d it a nd found a box o f co ppe r. He
o pe ne d it a n d found a box ofjuniper wood. He ope ne d it a nd found a
box of ivory a nd ebo ny . (35) [H e o pe ne d it and fou nd a box of] silver.
H e o pene d it a nd found a box o f go ld . He ope ne d it and found thc
book in it. H e brought th e book u p ou t o f th e box of go ld .
H e recit ed a spell fro m it ; [h e ch a r med th e sky, th e ea rt h, thc
netherworld , the ] m ountains, th e wate rs . He d iscovered what all th e
b ird s of th e sky a nd th e fish of th e dee p a nd th e beast s of th e desert
we re saying. H e recited another spe ll; he saw [Pre a p pear in g in th«
sky with his En nead], and th e Moon r ising, and th e sta rs in th ei r
forms . H e saw th e fish of the dee p, tho u gh there were twe nty -one
di vine cu bits of wat er ove r th e m . He re cite d a spe ll to the [wat er; lu-
m ade it resume its fo rm] .
[H e we nt o n] board, he sa id to th e row ers : "Row me back to tlu-
p lace [I ca m e ] from ." T he y row ed h im by n igh t as by d ay. He reache d
m e a t th e pl ace where I was; [h e fo u nd me sitt ing] abo ve th e water 01
Cop tos, not h avin g drunk nor ea ten , not having done anyth ing o n
e arth , an d lo oking lik e a person who has reached the Good Hou se."
I said to Na nefe r ka p ra h : (40 ) ["Welcome back! Let me] see thi s hook
for wh ich we h ave taken these [great] pain s!" He put th e book int o Illy
h and . I recited one spe ll fro m it; I char me d the sky, (4 , 1) th e ea rt h, th l'
n ethe rworld , th e mountain s, th e wat ers. I di scovered what all th e birds
D EM OTI C LIT ER A T U RE 131
of the sky a n d th e fish o f th e d eep and th e beasts were saying. I recited
a nother spell; I saw Pr e a p pea ring in th e sky with his En nea d . I saw th e
Moon risi ng, a nd a ll th e sta rs of th e sky in th ei r for ms . I saw th e fish o f
th e d eep, though th ere were twenty-on e di vine cu b its o f water ove r
th em .
As I co u ld not wr ite-I mean , co m pared with Na ne fer ka pta h,' m y
hrother, who was a good scribe a nd very wise man - he had a sheet of
new papyru s brought to him. H e wrote on it every word tha t was in th e
hook be fore h im. He soa ked it'" in beer , h e dissolved it in wate r. When
he kn ew it ha d dissolved , he d rank it and kn ew what h ad bee n in it.
(5) We retu rned to Cop tos the sa me d ay an d mad e holid ay be fore Isis
o f Coptos a n d H arpocrat es. We we nt on board , we trave led north , we
rea che d a po int six m iles north of Co p tos.
Now T hot h had fo u nd ou t everythi ng th at had happen ed to
Na ne fe r ka p ta h regard in g th e book , a nd Thoth hastened to report it to
Pre , sayi ng: " Lea rn o f my right and m y case aga ins t Na nc ferka pta h ,
the son of Ph araoh Mernebptah ! He went to m y sto re house ; he
plund~red it ; he seized m y box with m y d ocu men t. He killed m y
g nard la n wh o was wat ch ing o ver it!" He was told : " He is you rs"
together with eve ry person bel onging to h im ." They sent a d ivine
power from h ~aven , s.aying : "Do not allow Naneferkaptah a nd any
pcrson belongmg to him to get to Memphis safely!"
At a ce rtain moment th e bo y Merib came out from under th e awn in g
o r Ph araoh's sh ip, fell into the water, and drowned." All th e people on
hoar.d cri ed o u t. N a n~ fe rka pta h ca me ou t fro m his tent, recited a spell
10 him , a n d m ad e hi m rise up , th ou gh th ere were (10) twenty-on e
di vin e cu bits o f water ove r him. H e recited a spell to him and made him
re late to h im everyth ing th at had happened to him , a n d th e nature o f
thc acc usa tio n that Th oth h ad m ad e before Pre.
We returned to Co ptos with him . We h ad him tak en to the Goo d
! louse. We h ad him te n ded , we h ad him embalmed like a prince and
1111 po rta nt p e rson. We laid him to re st in his coffin in th e d esert of
Co p tos. Naneferkapta h , my brothe r, said : " Let us go north , let us not
d el ay, le st Ph araoh hea r the thin gs th at h ave happe ned to us and his
hea rt be come sad because o f the m ." We we nt o n board , we went north
witho u t dela y.
Six m iles north of Coptos, at th e place where th e bo y Merib had
fa lle n int o th e rive r , I ca me out from und e r the awn ing of Ph araoh' s
ship , fe ll into the r iver, a n d drowned . All th e people on boa rd cr ied out
a nl ~ told Na ne fe r ka p ta h . He ca m e out from th e te nt of Ph araoh 's ship ,
1'l' '' ll e~ I :1 spell ~o me , a nd mad e me rise up , th ou gh the re were twen ty-
o ne d ivin e cu bits ( 15) of wate r over me. H e had me brou ght up , recited
a spe ll 10 me , a nd m ad e me re late to h im eve rythi ng th at had happened
132 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
to me, and the nature of the accusation that Thoth had made before
Pre .
He returned to Coptos with me. He had me taken to the Good
House. He h ad me tended , he had me embalmed in th e man ner of a
prince and very important person . He laid me to rest in the tomb in
which the boy Merib was resting. He went on board, he went north
without delay.
Six miles north of Coptos, a t the pla ce where we had fallen into th e
river, he spoke to his he art say ing: "Could I go to Coptos a nd dwe ll
there also ? I f I go to Memphis now and Pharaoh asks me about his
children, what shall I say to him ? Can I say to him , 'I took your ch ild re n
to the region of Thebes; I killed them an d stayed alive , and I hav e com e
to Memphis yet alive'?"
H e sent for a scarf of royal lin en belonging to him , a nd made it into a
bandage; he bound the book, placed it on his body, (20) and made it
fast. Naneferkaptah came out from under the awning of Pharaoh's
ship, fell in to the water, an d drowned. All the peop le on board cried
out, saying: "G re a t woe , sad woe! Will h e return, the good scribe, th e
le a rned man whose like has not be en ?"
Pharaoh's sh ip sai led north , no man on earth knowing where
Naneferkaptah was . They reached Memphis and sent word to Ph a-
raoh . Ph araoh came down to me et Pharaoh's ship; he wore mourning
and a ll the people of Memphis wore mourning, including the priests of
Ptah, the ch ie f priest of Ptah, the council, and all Pharaoh's household.
T hen they saw Naneferkaptah ho ld ing o n to the rudders of Pharaoh's
ship th rou g h his craft of a good scribe . They brought him up and saw
the book on his body.
Pharaoh said : "Let this book that is on his body be hidden." Then
said the council of Pharaoh and the priests of Ptah and the ch ie f priest
of Ptah to Pharaoh: "O u r great lord-O may he have the lifetime of
Pre-Naneferkaptah was a good scribe and a very learned man! "
Pharaoh had (25) them give him e ntry into the Good House on the
sixteen th day, wrapping on the thirty-fifth, burial on the seventieth
day. And they laid h im to rest in his coffin in his resting place .
T hese are the evil things that befell us o n account of this book of
which you sa y, "Let it be given to me." You have no claim to it, whereas
our lives on earth were taken on account o f it!
Setne takes the book
Setne said to Ahwere: "Let me have this book th at I see between yOIl
and Naneferkaptah, or else I will take it by force!" Na neferkaptah rosr -
from the bier a nd said : "Are you Setne, to whom this wom an has to ld
these dire things and you have not accepted them ? The said book, will
DEMOTI C LIT E R A TU RE 133
you be able to seize it through the power of a good scribe, o r through
skill in playing draughts with me ? Let the two of us play draughts for
it !" Said Setne, "I am ready."
They put before th em th e game board with its pieces, and th ey both
played. Naneferkaptah won one game from Setne. H e recited a sp ell to
him, struck his he ad with the game-box th at was before him, and m ade
him sink into the ground as far as h is legs. He did th e same with the
seco nd game. He won it (30) from Setne , a nd made him sink into the
g'l'O u nd as far as his phallus. He did the same with th e third gam e , and
mad e him sink into th e ground as far as his cars . After thi s Setne was in
g' re a t straits at the hands of Nan eferkaptah.
Se tn e called to his foster-brother In aros, saying: " Ha ste n up to th e
«a rth an d tell Ph araoh everythi ng that has happeried to me; an d bring
th e am u le ts of my fath er Ptah and my books of sorcery." He hastened
lip to th e ea rth and to ld Pharaoh everything that h ad h appened to
Setne. Ph araoh said : "Take him the am u le ts of his fathe r Ptah and his
hook s of sorcery." Inaros hastened down into the tomb. He put the
:I III u lets on the bod y of Setne, and hejumped up in that very moment.
Se tne stretched out his hand for the boo k a nd seized it. Then , as Setne
,':lme up from th e tomb , ligh t went before him , d arkness went behind
him , and Ahwere wept a fter him, saying: " Hail, 0 dark ness! Farewell,
() light! Eve r yth ing th at was (35) in the tomb has d eparted!" Nanefer-
k.ip ta h sa id to Ahwere : "Let yo u r heart not gri eve . I will make him
hring this book back here , with a forked stick in his hand and a lighted
brazier on his h ead !""
Se tne ca me up from the tomb and made it fast behind him, as it had
k en. Setne went before Pharaoh and related to h im th e things that had
happened to him on account of th e book. Pharaoh said to Setne : "Ta ke
I his book back to the tomb of Nan eferkaptah like a wise man , or else he
will mak e you take it back with a fork ed stick in yo u r hand and a ligh ted
hra zie r on your head ." Setne did not listen to him. Then Setn e had no
,,,,('u patio n on earth but to unroll th e book and read from it to
c'l'('ryo ne .
Setne and Tabubu.
i\ Iter th is it happened one d ay that Setne was strolling in the
I'oreco urt of the te m p le of Ptah. Then he saw [a woman ] who was very
lu-uutiful , there being no ot her woman like her in appearance. She was
ka ulifu l and wore many go lden jewels, and ma id servants wa lked
IlC'hind her as we ll as two men servants belongin g to her household.
(Ii, I) Th e moment Setne saw her, h e d id not know wh ere o n ea rt h he
was . Il l' ca lled his man se rvant, saying: "Hasten to th e p lace where th is
wo ma n is, a nd find out wh at her po sit ion is." The man ser vant
F
134 A NC IENT EG YPTIA N LITERATURE
hast ened to th e place where th e wom an was . He called to th e m ai~
se r va n t wh o was followin g her a n d asked h er, saying , "What woman IS
this?" Sh e told him : " It is T abubu , th e d aughter o f th e 'prophet o f
Bast et, mistres s of Ankhtawi. She h as co me here to wors hi p Ptah , th e
g rea t god."
Th e serva n t returne d to Set ne and rel at ed to him every wo rd she had
sai d to him. Seine sa id to th e se rva n t: "Go, say to the maid , ' It is ,~ et~e
Kh amwas, th e so n o f Ph araoh Usermare, wh o has se nt me to say , I WIll
g ive yo u ten p ieces of gold-spe~d an h~u r with me. O r d o (~) yo u h ave
a co m p lain t of wron gdoing? I WIll h ave 11 settled for yo u . I WI~~ ~,~ve you
taken to a hidden place wh ere no o ne o n earth sh all find you .
T he servan t return ed to th e place whe re T abubu was. He called her
m a id an d told he r. She crie d o u t as if wh at he said was a n insul t.
T abubu said to th e servant: "Sto p talkin g to this fool ish m aid ; come
a n d spea k with me ." T he serva n t h astened to where T abubu. was and
sa id to her: " I will give yo u ten pieces o f go ld; spend an hour WIth ~etne.
Kh amwas , the son o f Ph araoh Use rmare. If you ha ve a co m p la.mt 01
wrongdoing, he will have it sett led for you. He will tak e you to a hidden
p lace where no one on ea rth shall find you: "
T abubu said: "Go, tell Setn e , 'I am of priestly ran k, I am not a low
perso n . If yo u d esire to d o what you w.ish with m~, yo u must co me to
Bubastis, to m y h ouse . It is furnis h ed With e veryth m g, and you ~hall do
what yo u wish with me , withou t a nyo ne on earth (I,~! findm g me
a nd without my actin g like a low woman o~ the street: . ;11 11 of priestly rank; I a m not a low person. If you d esire to do wh at you
Th e serva n t returned to Setne and told h im everythmg she had said
to him. He sa id , "That su its (me)!" Everyon e around Sein e was
indi gnant.
Setne h ad a boat b rou ght to him . He went o n board and hastened to
Bubastis. Wh en h e ca me to th e west o f th e su~urb he found a ve r.~ lo ~t y
h ouse th at h ad a wall arou nd it, a garden o n its north , an~ a sea t . at us
d o o r. Seine asked, "Whose h ouse is thi s?" They told h im , " It .IS thr
h ouse of Tab u b u." Setne went insid e th e wall. Wh ile he turned hISfan'
to the storehouse in th e garde n they an nou nce d h im to Tabu b u. Shr
ca me d own , to ok Se ine's h and , and said to him: "B y ~he w.elfare of till'
h ouse o f the p roph et of Bastet , m istress of An kh taw i, whic h you hav«
re ach ed , it will please me greatly if you will ta ke th e trouble to co me III'
with m e."
Se tne walke d up ( 15) th e sta irs of th e house with T abubu. He fOIl~ 1I 1
the upper story o f th e h ouse swe pt and ad orned, its floo r a~o:ned Will,
real la pis-la zu li and real turqu oise. Man y couches were III It , sp rea d
with royal lin en , a nd m an y go lde n cu ps were on th e ta~le . A ~ol(~~ n W!'
wa s filled with win e a n d put into Seine's h and . Sh e sa id to h im , May 1,1,
p le ase you to ea t so me th ing. He sa id to her, " I co u ld not do thaI.
DEMOTI C LITERAT UR E 135
Incense was put o n th e brazier; ointment was brought to him of the
kind provid ed for Pharao h. Setne m ad e holiday with T abubu, never
ha ving see n a nyo ne like h er.
Se tne sa id to T abubu : "Let us acco m p lish wha t we have co me here
lo r. " Sh e sai d to him : "Yo u will return to yo u r house in wh ich you live. I
a m o f priestl y ra n k; I a m not a low person. If you desire to d o wh at you
wish with me you must make for m e a deed of maintenance and (20) of
co m pensatio n in mon ey for everyth ing, a ll goods bel ongin g to you .'?"
li e said to h er: "Se nd fo r th e sch oolteac her. " He was brought at once.
He made fo r her a deed of maintenance and of co m pensation in
mon ey fo r e veryth ing, all goods bel on ging to him .
At th is moment o ne co me to a n no u nce to Setne, "You r ch ild re n a re
below ." H e sa id, "Let th em be brought up. " Tabu bu rose and put on a
l{a r men t of royal line n. Serna saw all he r limbs through it, a nd h is
d esire becam e even greate r than it h ad been before. Setne said:
"Tabu bu , le t m e accom p lish what I have co me here for!" She sa id to
h im : "You will return to you r ho use in whi ch you live. I am of priestly
rank ; I a m n ot a low person. If yo u desire to do wh at yo u wish with me ,
you must m ak e yo u r ch ild re n subscr ibe to m y d eed, Do not leave them
10 co n te n d with m y ch ild re n over your property." He h ad his ch ild re n
hro ugh t a n d made the m subscribe to th e d eed.
Setne said to T abubu : "Let m e accomplish (25) what I h ave come
lor! " She sa id to h im : "You will re turn to yo u r house in whi ch you live. I
wish with m e , you must have you r ch ild re n killed. Do not leave them to
ro nte nd wit h my chi ldren over you r property." Se tne said : " Let the
abo m ina tio n th at ca me into you r head be d on e to them." Sh e had his
ch ild re n killed be fo re him. She h ad th em th rown d own from th e
window to the dogs a nd ca ts. The y ate th eir flesh , a nd he hea rd th em as
he d rank wit h Tabubu.
Setne sa id to Tab ub u: "Le t us acco m p lish what we have co me here
I'or! All th e things tha t you have said , I ha ve d one th e m a ll for yo u." She
sa id to him : "Come now to th is sto re house ."! Se ine wen t to th e
sto re hou se . He lay do wn o n a co uc h of ivory an d ebo ny, his wish abo ut
10 he fu lfille d . 17 Tabu b u lay d own besid e Setne. He stre tche d ou t his
ha nd to to uc h h er, a nd she open ed he r mouth (30) wid e" in a loud cry.
S" lne awoke in a state of great heat , h is phallus in a . . . ," an d th ere
we -re no clo t hes o n him at all.
1\1 th is moment Se tne saw a noble perso n borne in a litt er, with many
IIlI 'n nmnin g besid e him , an d he had th e likeness o f Ph araoh. Set ne
was abo u t to rise hu t co u ld not ris e for sha me because he had no clothes
O il . Pharao h sa id: "Seine , wha t is this sta te th at you a re in ?" He said :
" II is Nan e fcrkaptah who has d o ne it all to me !" Ph araoh said : "Go

136 AN CIENT EGYPTI AN LITERAT UR E
to Me m p h is; your ch ild re n want you; th ey stand in th eir ra n k before
Pharaoh." Setne said to Ph ara oh : " My grea t lord-O may he h ave t~~
lifetime of Pre-how ca n I go to Memph is with no clo thes on me.at al.\.
Pharaoh calle d to a se rvan t who was sta ndi ng by a nd mad e h im gtv.e
clothes to Setne. Ph araoh said: "Setne, go to Memphis; (35) your
ch ild ren a re a live; the y stand in th eir rank be fore Ph araoh."
Seine returns the book
When Se tne came to Memphis he e mbraced his chi ld re n , for he
found th em alive . Ph araoh said to Se tne : "Wa s it a sta te of drunkenn~ss
yo u were in before ?" Se tne rel at ed ever yth in g th at had ~appened with
T abubu an d Nanefe rkaptah. Phar aoh said: "Setne , I did wh at ~ cou ld
with you before , sayi ng, 'They will kill you if you d~ not take this boo~
back to th e place yo u took it from.' You h ave not hst en ed t? ~e until
now. T ak e this book b ack to Na nefe rka p ta h, with a fo rked stick m your
h and an d a ligh ted brazier o n your he ad ." . T hey se t a wat ch over the old m an , an d they found th e res ting place
When Set ne came o u t from before Ph araoh, th ere was a fo r ked suck
in hi s h and a n d a lighted brazier on his head. He w.ent ?own i ~t? the
to m b in wh ich Na nefe r ka p ta h was . Ahwere said to him : ' Seme, It ISth e
great go d Pt ah wh o h as b rought yo u back safely." (6, 1) Na ne fe rka ptah
la u g h ed , say ing, "It is what I told you before ." Setn e greet ed Na ne fer-
kaptah , a nd he found one co u ld say th at Pr e was in th e wh ole tomb.
A h were and Na ne fe r ka pta h greeted Setne warm ly.
Se tne said: "Naneferka p ta h, is the re any matte r which is sha me -
ful ?"'. Na nefer ka p ta h said: "Se tne , yo u know th at Ahwe re a nd he~'
so n Merib ar e in Co p to s; here in th is tomb th ey are through th e cra ll,
o f a good scribe ." Let it be asked o f yo u to u nde rta ke th e task 01
goi ng to Coptos a nd [bringin g th em] (5) here ."
When Se tne had co me u p fro m th e tomb, he went before Pha~aoh
a n d rel ated to Pharaoh eve ryth ing th at Na neferka p ta h h ad Said 10
him. Ph araoh said: "Setne, go to Co p tos , bring A hwere a nd h er S',lIl
Merib.' H e said to Ph araoh : "L et th e sh ip o f Ph arao h and 11 ~
eq ui p ment be give n to me ." . '
T he sh ip of Ph ar aoh a nd its eq ui pmen t were ~Iven to him. He wenl
o n board h e set sa il, he reach ed Co p tos WIthout del ay. It wa:
a n n ou nced to th e priests o f Isis o f Co p tos, and th e ch ief priest o f I si~ ,
T hey came d own to me et him , th ey co nd uc ted him t.o th e shore.
H e went up from it, h e went into th e te m ple ~f ISIS o f Co p tos and
H arpocrates. He se nt for an ox, a goose, and wine, and made bu rn t
o ffe ring a n d libat ion before Isis of Co ptos a~d H arpo crat~s . H ~ went
to the d esert o f Co p tos with th e priests of ISIS a nd. th e. ch ief p nesl 01
Isis. T hey spent three d ays and three n ights sea rc h ing in a ll.th e to~ nh~
o n th e d esert of Cop tos, tu rning over th e ste lae of th e scribes 01 IIIl'
D EM O TI C LIT ERA T U RE 137
Ho us e o f Life , an d reading th e inscriptions on th em , T hey did not
lind th e re sting p lace (10 ) in wh ich Ah were an d h er son were .
Wh en Na ne ferka p ta h found tha t they di d not find the restin g place
of Ahwere and h er son Me rib , h e rose u p as an o ld man , a very age d
pri est , a nd ca me to m ee t Setne. Wh en Setne saw him h e said to th e old
ma n: "Yo u h ave the ap peara nce o f a man o f great age . Do you know
t he restin g place in wh ich Ahwere a nd h er son Merib are?" Th e old
man said to Se tne: " My great-grand fat her said to m y gra ndfather,
'The resting place o f Ahwere an d he r so n Merib is at th e south co rner
of the h ouse of th e [chi ef of pol ice] .' ''
Se tne sa id to th e o ld m an : " Pe r ha ps th e re is so me wrong th at th e
r:h ie f o f po lice d id to yo u, on accou nt o f whi ch you are tr ying to hav e
his house torn d own?" T he o ld man said to Setne : " Have a wat ch se t
ove r m e , a n d let ( 15) th e hou se o f th e chief of police be d em olish ed . If
I he y d o n ot find Ahwere and he r so n Me rib u nder th e so ut h co rner o f
his house , le t punishment be d one to m e."
o r Ah we re a n d her so n Merib under th e so u th co r ne r of the house o f
I he ch ief o f police. Setne let the two noble persons e nter into
Pharaoh's sh ip . He h ad th e house of the chief of pol ice bui lt as it had
bee n be fore. Na ne fe r ka p ta h let Setne lea rn th e fact th at it was h e who
had co me to Coptos, to let th em find th e resting p lace in whi ch Ahw ere
a nd her so n Merib were. Setn e went o n board Ph araoh 's ship. He
went no rth a nd withou t d elay h e reach ed Memphis with all th e people
who were with him. Wh en it was announced befo re Ph araoh , he came
d own to meet the sh ip of Ph ara o h . He le t th e nobl e person s e nter into
t hc tomb in wh ich Naneferkapta h was . He had it closed over (20)
I hem all tog eth e r.
Colophon
T h is is the co m p le te tex t, a tale of Setne Khamwas a nd Na nefer ka-
plah , a nd his wife Ahwere a nd her son Merib. It was copied by
- - - - - in year IS, first month o f winte r.
NOTES
I. By her pert qu otation of the king's own word s Ahwere won the
king over , so that he permitted her to mar ry her brother.
2. I.e., her menstru ation period had failed to come.
3. If that is the correct rendering it implies that members of the
royal hou se were registered in the House of Life.
4. I.e., the inscripti ons composed by the scribes of the House of Life.
5. Restored in accorda nce with the recurrence of the sentence in line
:1/:17. T he correct und er standin g or the passage is from K.-T . Zau zich,
pi
138 AN CI ENT EG YPT IAN LIT ERAT UR E
En chon a 1 (197 1),83-86. T he "d ivine cubit" app ear s to have been i.den-
tical with the "royal cubit" of 0,525 m; see E. Liiddeckens, "Demotische
T exte " Papyrologia Coloniens ia, 2 (1968), 19- 20.
6. ' Lit., "hund red deben ;" the deben being a weight of9 1 gra m,:;.
7. I.e ., the measure Jr = iter; on the length of t? e iter see p. 9:>.
8. The house of embalming; i.e., she looked hke a d ea~ person.
9. Lit ., " I was spea king with reg ard to Nane ferkaptah.
10. T he new copy.
11. Lit., "He is befor e you."
12. Lit., "He beca me one praised of Re ."
13. These mu st have been symbols of re penta nce. . " yea rs old ." [Setne did not spe n d an hou r] without looking at th e bo y
14. NsJ .t: Gu nn , "terra ce"; Brunner-T raut, "rece p tion han ; Glossar,
p. 228, "seat, ben ch ." See also Cerny, Copt. Die:, p. 110.
15. I.e., he was to make over to her every t~mg he owne~. .
16. Th e same building that had been mentioned befor e 111 hne 5, 13.
Appare ntly the meanin g here is not an or di nary storehouse but rather a
seclud ed cha mber.
17. Lit., "his wish receiving gold ."
18. Lit., "to the gr ound."
19. T he meaning of .f/!yJ is not known . . ,"
20. I.e., "Is there anything wrong that I could set TIght for you .
21. On this senten ce see K.-T . Zauzich, En choria I (197 1),86, and
M. Gilula, Enchorta, 6 (1 976), 125.
SETNE KHAMWAS AND SI-OSIRE (SETNE II)
The beginning is lost and cann ot be reco1l.ltructed. But it is clear th~lt il~l:
mediately befo re the present begin ning it had been told that Setne and Ins wit"~
M ehuse khe had been praying to the gods Jo r a son .
( 1, 1) - - - - - - [One night] she dreamed th at on e ~po~e to her,
[sa yin g: "A re] you Mehusekhc, [th e wife] of Setne , who IS lying [rhen'
in the temple'] so as to receive h ealing? - - - [Wh~n ton;orrow h'.IS
co me] go to [the pl ace wh ere yo ur husband] Setne bat~ es : You Will
fin d a melon vine g rown th ere . [fBreak o ff a branchl] With It S ~oUl:ds
a n d g rin d it. [M ak e it into] a rem ed y, pu~ it [in wa t~r and dn.nk 11 1,:
__ _ [you will rece ive the flu id o f co nce p tio n] from hi m that [n ight ],
Mehusekh e awo ke [from] th e d ream in wh ich she h ad seen these
th ings. Sh e ac te d in acco rdance with (5) [everyth ing she h ad been to ld
in the d rea m. She lay d o wn by] th e side of h er husband [Setn~]. SIll'
received [the fluid of ] co nce p tio n from him. Wh en [her t~ me "I
p u ri ficat ion came she h ad ] the sig n [o f a wo man who h as conceive d . II
was a n nou nced to Se tne , a nd ] hi s heart was very h appy o n acco u n t " I
it. H e [hun g] a n a m u le t [o n h e r] a nd recited a spell to he: . . (:10) - - - - - - .' [The y e n te r ed th e fo u rt h hall , and Se tne saw]
On e ni ght Setne sle p t [and dreamed that o ne spoke ] to hlll~ , sa ~IIl~ :
" Me h u se kh e, yo u r wife, h as received [the fluid o f . con~epuon Iroru
yo u ]. The bo y th at shall be born [sh all be nam ed] SI-O slre . Man y :II C'
[the wonders th at h e sh all do in Egy pt." Se tne awo ke ] fr om the d ream
DEM OTI C LI T ERATUR E 139
in whi ch h e had see n th ese things, [and hi s heart was] very [h appy].
[Mehusekhe] mad e [h er months of pregnan cy] - - - . [When her
tim e o f be arin g ca me] she bore a male child . Wh en Serne was
informed o f it [h e nam ed him] Si-O sire , in accorda nce with wh at had
be en sa id in the d ream . - - - (\ 0 ) - - - , th e y crad led [h im] and
nursed hi m .
When th e boy [Si-O sire was o ne year o ld ] people sai d o f h im , " He is
I WO yea rs o ld ." Wh en h e was two [years] old , th ey sa id , " He is th ree
Si-Osire, fo r hi s lo ve [of him] was ve ry g reat.
H e g rew big a nd stro ng; he was put in school. [After a sho r t time he
surpassed] th e scribe who h ad been give n him for instruction. The
boy Si-O sir e began to recite writings with th e scribes o f the House of
I.ife in [Iih e temple o f Ptah1 . All wh o h ea rd him th ought him] th e
wo nder o f th e land . Setne wish ed very much [to h ave him] tak en to
I he banq uet before Ph araoh, - - - and to present him to all - - - .
IOn a ce rtain d ay it h appened that] Setn e was being purified for th e
banquet - - - [in hi s house] (15) - - - and th e bo y Si-Os ire [was to go
10 th e] banqu et [with him. At that moment] Setne heard th e sound of
wa iling - - - . H e looked [down from the window] o f his house [and
sa w the co ffin o f a rich man] being ca r r ied o u t to the ce metery with
1 very lo ud ] wai ling - - - , and great were the h o n o rs - - - . [I n
.m o the r moment] as he was loo kin g down , he saw [the body of a po or
uum being ca r ried o u t of Memphis] wrapped (o n ly) in a mat - - -
wit hout an yone wa lking [behind him].
Se tne [sa id ]: " By [Pt ah , the grea t god , h o w much h appier is th e rich
Ina n wh o is h onored] with th e sound o f [wailing] th an th e poor man
who is ca r r ied to th e ce me te ry - - - - - - ."
(2 0) [Si-Osire sa id to his father: " May it go with yo u in th e
m-rhc rworld] as it will go with th is poor man in th e netherworld ! [May
il 1I0t go with yo u as it will go with this rich man] in the netherworld !"
IWh en Setne heard the words o f Si-Osire his] h ea rt [became] very
[s:u ]. He sai d : " Do I] hear th e vo ice [of m y son]?" [The boy Si-Osire
.u iswc red h im : " If yo u wish I will sh ow yo u th e poo r m an wh o was not
mourned, and th e rich m an fo r who m all th e wailin g was d one ]."
(2 5) [Setn e as ked h im , " How co u ld you d o th is?" Si-Os ire took his
l.uh c r by th e hand ; he co nd uc ted ] Setne to a place [in th e we stern
oIc 'se n] - - - - - -.
pl'ople who were [pl aiting ropes , wh ile d onkeys we re chewi ng th em
li p I.
(2, 1) Th ere were o the rs wh os e p rovi sions of wate r a nd bread were
hlln g a bove th em , a nel whi le the y scra m bled to bring th em down,
140 AN CIENT EG YPTIAN LIT ERAT U RE
other pe ople were digging pits at th eir feet , to prevent th em fro m
gett ing a t them .
They e n te red th e fifth hall, and Setne saw th e noble spirits sta nd ing
in their ranks. But th ose who were accused o f cri mes were sta n di ng at
the d oor p lead ing, a nd th e pi vot o f th e d oor of th e fift h hall was fixed
in th e right eye o f a m an wh o was p lead in g a nd lam e nt ing loudly.
They e n te red th e sixth hall , an d Setne saw th e gods o f the [tribu na l]
of the inhabitants o f the netherworld sta ndi ng in th ei r ranks, while
th e servants of th e n ethenvorld stood ma king acc usa tions .
They e nte red th e seve nt h h all, a nd Se tne saw th e mysterious form
of O siris, the g reat god , (5) seated on his thron e o f fine go ld , crowned
wit h the ateJ-cro wn . A n u bis, th e great go d , was on his le ft, th e grea t
god Thoth was on his right, and th e gods o f th e tribuna l of th e
inhabitants o f th e n e th erworld stood o n his left a nd righ t. The
bal ance stood in th e ce nter be fo re th e m , an d th ey weigh ed the good
d eeds again st the mi sd eed s, Thoth , th e gre at god, writing, while
An u b is gave th e info r ma tion to h is colleague.
He who would be found to h ave more misd eed s th an good d eeds [is
h anded ove r] to th e Devourer, who be longs to the lord o f th e
n ethe rworld. His ba is destroyed togethe r with his bo d y, a nd he is nOI
a llowed to breathe ever again .
H e wh o would be found to h ave more good deeds th an misd eed s is
taken in a mo ng th e go ds o f th e tribun al of th e lord of th e nether-
wo rl d, whi le his ba goes to th e sk y together with th e a ugus t spirits.
H e who wo u ld be fo u nd to ha ve good d eeds equa l to his m isd eed s is
taken in a mong th e excellent spirits wh o ser ve Sok ar-Osiri s."
Then Se tn e saw a rich man clothe d in a ga r me nt o f royal linen ,
sta nd ing n ear th e spot wh ere Os ir is was, a nd he was o f very hi gh
rank . Setne was asto u nded by th e things h e saw in th e netherworld.
Si-Osire walked o ut in fro n t of h im a nd said: "My father Setne, did
yo u not see (10 ) th at rich man clo the d in a ga r me n t o f royal lin en ,
sta n d ing ne a r the spot where Osiris is? He is th e poor man wh om yon
sa w being ca r r ied o u t fro m Memphis with no one wa lking beh ind h im
and wrapped in a m at. They brought h im to th e netherworld. They
weighed his m isd eeds agai nst th e good d eeds he h ad don e on ea rth,
They found his good d eeds more numerous th an his misd eed s in
rel ati on to hi s lifespan, which Thoth had assign ed him in writin g, and
in rel ati on to his lu ck o n ea rt h . It was ordere d by O siris to give till'
burial equipment o f th at rich man , whom you saw being ca rried out
from Memph is with great hon ors, to th is poor man , a nd to place him
among th e n obl e sp iri ts, as a m a n of god who serves Sokar-Osiris mul
st ands near the spot wh ere Os iris is.
"T hat rich man who m you saw : they took h im to the neth e rworld ,
Th e y weigh ed h is misd eed s aga ins t his good d eeds. T hey found hi,
D EM O T I C LIT ER A T U RE 14 1
misdeeds m ore num e rous th an th e good d eed s he h ad don e on ea rt h.
It was o rde red to imprison h im in th e ne th envorl d . He is [th e man
wh om yo u sa w] with th e pivot o f th e d oor of the nethenvorld fixe d in
his right e ye, so that it o pe ns a nd sh uts o n h is eye, a nd h is mou th is
o pe n in g rea t lame n ta tion. By O siris, the grea t go d , lord o f th e
ne t? erwo r l.d ,wh en 1 said to yo u o n ea rth, ( 15) '[May it go] with you as
It ~vlll. go with ,th is p oo r ma n; ma y it not go with yo u as it will go with
this rich m an , I kn ew wh a t wou ld happen to him !"
Se tne sa id: " My son Si-Os ire , m an y are th e ma rvels th at I have see n
in t he ne therwo rld . No w le t me learn [wh at is happe nin g] to th ose
people wh o are pla itin g ropes whil e d o nk eys chew the m up ; a nd thos e
othe rs ~vhose p ro visions o f wa te r and bread are hung above them ,
a nd whi le th e y scra m ble to bring th em d o wn , o thers d ig pit s a t the ir
lcet , to prevent th em fr om ge tting at th em."
Si-Os.i~e sa id: " In t~uth, m y fa ther Se tne , th ose peopl e who m you
S:.II V p laitin g ropes whil e d onkeys we re chewi ng the m u p, they a re the
kind of p eople o n ea rt h wh o a re under a cu rse of th e go d . T hey labo r
nig h t a nd d a y for th e ir livelihood , whil e the ir wome n rob th em
behind th ei r backs, a n d th ey find no bread to eat. Wh en th ey ca me to
t hc neth erwo rld in the ir turn , thei r misdeeds were fo u nd to be more
num erous th an th eir good d eeds. It was ordered tha t wh at had
happen ed to th em o n ea rt h sho u ld happen to th em in th e nether-
world . So to o with those people whom yo u saw, whose p ro vision s o f
w:~ le r a nd bread we re hung above the m, a nd while they scra m bled to
bri ng the~ d o wn, (20) ot he rs d ug pi ts a t the ir fee t, to prevent th em
110m ge tt mg a t th em . Th ey are th e kind of people o n ea rt h who have
i lu-ir life' be fo re th em wh ile th e go d di gs a pit under th eir feet , to
p reve nt them fro m findi ng it. Wh en th ey ca me to th e neth erworld in
Ihe ir tur~ , wh at had h appen ed to th em o n ea rt h was mad e to happe n
I " Ihem III th e neth e rworld a lso, while the ir 1m's were received in th e
n r-t herworld .
"T a ke it to yo u r h eart, m y father Setne: He who is beneficent o n
" a rl h, to hi m o ne is bene ficent in the netherworld. An d he who is evil,
10 .h im o ne is e vil. It is so decreed [and will rem ain so] fo r e ver. The
IllIngs t~a t yo u ha ve see n in the netherworld at Memphis, they
happe n III th e fo rty-two nom es [in which a re th e j u dges] o f Os ir is, th e
fln 'at go d . - - - - - - ."
Whe n Si-Osi re had e nded th e words spoken to his fat her, he came
d ~ " VII from .th e .des~rt of Memph is, [his fath er Setn e] em braci ng him ,
h ~ s !Iand bem g III his hand. Setne as ked [him] : "My so n Si-Osi re, is it a
'~ ,III( ' I:e n t \~a y we a re go ing d own (25) tha n th e way we went up ?" But
, I O si rc did not a nswer Set ne a t a ll.
S('lne ma rveled tal th e ] th ings he had e x pe rie nced , saying: " He will
I", a hle 110 become] o ne o f the :Il1g llsl xpi ri rs, a man o f go d, [and r

AN C IENT EGYPT IAN LIT ERAT UR E
142
shall] go with him , saying, 'T h is is m y so n!' " Setne re cited [a spell
from the] book o f exo rcising sp irits, whil e he was still full of wonder at
[the things] h e h ad seen in the neth erworld . And those th ings
weighed very h eavily [on him] because h e co uld not rev eal (th em) to
any [man on ea rt h].
[When th e] boy Si-Osir e [reached] twel ve yea rs of age, it ca me to
p ass th at there was no [scribe and learned m an] in Memphis [who
co u ld co m par e] with h im in reciting spells and perfo rming ma gic.
The Nubian sorcerer
[After these th ings] it happen ed one d a y that Ph araoh Us e r[ma re
went] to the co u rt o f the p ala ce o f Memphis, [and th e co u ncil] o f
nobles , ge n e r als, and grandees of Egypt [stood in th eir] ranks in th e
co u rt. [Then o ne ca me to a n nou nce : "T h ere is a com m u n ication
being m ade b y a ch ie fta in o f N ubia [whi ch is bound] to hi s body in a
" d ocu m en t." When h e h ad bee n an nou nce d (30) [be fo re ] Pharaoh, he
wa s brought to the co urt. He salu te d [and said: " Is th ere anyone who
will ] re ad this document [that I h ave brought] to Egypt before
Ph araoh, without breaking its seal, one who will read the wri ting th at
is in it with out o pe n ing it? If [there is no good scribe and learn ed man
in] Egypt wh o can read it without opening it, I sh all take th e sh ame of
Egypt to th e land o f Nubia , m y cou ntry ."
[When] Pharaoh [and th e nobl es] heard th ese words [th ey did not
know wh ere o n ea rth ] th ey were. T hey said: " By Ptah , d oes a goo d
scribe and le arned m an h ave th e powe r to read writin gs o f whic h lu-
sees o n ly [t heir] ou tside , and co u ld o ne read a d ocument [witho ut
o pe n ing it]?" Ph araoh [said] : "Su m mo n to me Se tne Kh amwas, my
son !" They ran , th ey brou ght him a t o nce, (3, I ) H e bowed to till'
ground, he saluted [Pharaoh; he straightened up] , stood on h is fct 'l
and sp oke th e worshipful greeting o f Ph araoh,
Ph araoh sa id to him : " My [son] Setne , h ave you h eard th e words
th at th is chi efta in [of N ubia ] spoke before m e , sayi ng, ' Is th e re a goo d
scri be a nd learned m an in Egy p t who ca n read this d ocument th at i
in m y h and , withou t break in g its sea l, an d sha ll learn wha t is wri uc n
in it withou t o pe ni ng it?' "
When Sein e heard th ese words he did n ot kn ow where [on ea rt h ]
h e was. H e sa id: " My great lord , wh o is h e who co uld read wl'itillfl
without openin g it? But let me be given ten d ays' time, that I ma y S. '.'
wh at I ca n (5) d o to prevent the sh ame of Eg ypt fr om bein g takcn tu
the land of N ub ia, th e co u nt ry of gum ea te rs." Said Ph araoh : "T ht·\
are gra nted to m y so n Setne ."
They gave rooms to re lax in to the N ubia n and they prcpu rr- l
muck" for him in the Nubia n manne r. Ph araoh ros e from th e CO li n with
DEMOTIC LIT E R AT URE 143
a ve ry sa? h eart. ~ e lay down without drinking a n d eating . Setne
went to h is h ouse WI thout kn owing where on earth h e was go ing H
w:apped him~elf in hi s gar me n ts fro m h ead to foot and lay d~w~
WIthou t knowmg where on ea rt h he was.
When his wife Mehusekhe was told of it sh e ca me to th e place
wh ere Sein e was",She .put her h and insid e his clothes; she found no
wa r m t.h as h e lay m .hi s clothes, She sa id to him : " My brother Setne ,
th e re IS no wa r. mth m the brea st, no IStrir ring1 in the flesh . T h ere IS '
s~)rro w a n d g rief in th e heart. " ( 10) He sai d to h er: " Leave me , my
sls,te r Mehusekhe . The matter over wh ich my heart grieves is not a
tilin g fit to be revealed to a woman ."
, T~ ~ bo y Si-Osire ca me in , sto od ove r his fath e r Se tne , and sa id to
h~l.n . My fath ~r Setn e , why are you lyin g down with a grieving h eart?
I c~ l me the"thmgs ,t ha,~ a re co nc ealed in your heart , that I m ay mak e
t hern ceas~. H e sa id : Leave m e , m y so n Si-Os ire, yo u a re too you ng
lo r th e thm gs th at are in my he art ; you a re not o ld e no ug h [to hav
I hcm told] to yo u ." Sa id Si-Osi re : "Tell th em to me ; I sha ll relieve
)'0111' heart o f th em !"
. Se tne ~ai d : "M y so n Si-O sire , a ch iefta in o f Nubia has com e d own to
I'.p;ypt ~lth a d,:)Cu~ent fastened to his bod y. sayi ng, ' Is th ere anyone
lV.h(~ Will re a~ It Without ope n in g it? I I' th ere is no good scribe and
I., , II ned m an m Egyp t (15) who can read it, I shall take the shame of
I ,, ~ ~pt to the land of N~bia , m y country.' I lay down because m y heart
p; l lcves o n accou nt o f It, my so n Si-Osire. "
, Th e m omen.t Si-Osire heard these words he laughed fo r a long
ru ne . Setne sa id ~o him: "W hy d o you laugh ?" H e said : " I laugh
1,,'Cause yo u are lym g d own wit h a grievin g heart o n acco u nt of such a
'1 1101 11 matter! Rise up , my fath er Setne! I ca n read th e d ocument
~ " . ~u g~t to Egypt without open in g it, a nd I shall learn what is written
III II Without breaking its sea!!"
,, ',I'I ~ e ~noment Setne heard th ese word s h e rose up a t on ce and said:
\~ hat is ,the r.roof for th e words you have said , m y son Si-Os ire?" H e
11 11 1 to him : My father Setne, go to th e g ro u nd -Ooo r rooms o f you r
I ~ "II SC , Eve ry ~<.>o.k th a t yo u s ha ~ 1 ta,ke (20) ou t o f th e chest, I shall tell
\ " " what book It IS. I sha ll read It Without seeing it, stayi ng above your
fll ou ud -floo r rooms."
, St' I" ~IC. ros e and .s too ~ o n. hi s feet. H e did everythi ng e xac tly as
1·( )SII c had to ld him. Si-Os ire read all th e books th at his fath er Setne
II lled lip before him without opening th em , Setne ca me up fr om the
fl llllllld -floo r m oms of hi s house in th e g re atest j oy. He hasten ed to
IIIl' p.l.acc ~vh ere Pharaoh was. H e relat ed to him all th e words th at th e
Ill,)' S i-Os ire h :I ~1 spo ke n to him , a nd h is h eart was exceed ingly happ
1111 a....o unt o f It. At th e sa mc time Ph a raoh clean sed him sel f fo r ~
144 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
banquet with Setne a n d had Si-Osire brought to him to th e ba nq ue t.
The y d rank a nd m ad e holid ay. . ch ie ftains of N ubia, he had them brou gh t before him and sa id to
O n th e morning of th e next day (25) Pharaoh appeared in the cou rt
a mo ng h is g ra ndees . Ph araoh se nt fo r th e chieftain of Nu bia. He was
b rought to the co urt with the d ocument faste ned to his bod y. Wh en
h e stood in th e ce nter of the court, the bo y Si-Osire came to the
ce nter, stood with th e chieftain of N ubia, and ad dressed h im , sayi ng:
" H o yo u fiend o f N u bia whom A m u n, his god, may sm ite! You who
ca me down to Egyp t, the beautifu l garde n of Osi ris, the footrest of
Re-H arakhti , th e beautiful h ori zon of Sh ay: saying, ' I will tak e [its]
shame to th e la nd of N ub ia,' m ay th e wrath of Am u n, you r go d, smite
yo u! The wo rds tha t 1 sha ll p ronounce a re the ones that are wr itte n in
the d ocume nt. Do n ot tell lies abo u t the m before Ph araoh , yo u r lord !"
When th e chieftai n (30) o f N u bia saw the boy Si-Os ire, as he stood
in the co u rt, h e bowed h is head a nd said: "All words tha t yo u sha ll say,
I will not tell lies abo u t th em."
Th e contents of the document
H ere begin th e stories th at Si-Osire relat ed befo re Ph araoh a nd his
nobles, with the people of Egypt listen ing to his voice . He said : Wh al
is writte n in the letter of th e chieftain of N u bia, who stands he re in till'
ce n te r, is th e followin g :
It came to pass o ne day in th e time of Ph araoh Menkh -Pre-Sia
m lin ," wh o was (4 ,1) beneficent kin g of th e whole land , [with Egypt]
ove r flowing with all good things in his tim e , for he was ge ne ro us ill
giv ing ex pe n d itu re a nd wo r k in the great tem ples of Egypt- that d ay
it h appened that th e ruler of th e land of N u bia was 'resting' [in , I
p a vilion] in the wood la nds of A m u n, wh en he heard the voices of
th re e ch ieftains of N ubia [in the] backroom .
One o f th e m was talk in g in a loud voice and sa id amo ng ot ln-i
th ings: "Were it not th a t Am u n m ight find fault with me , and the lord
of Egy p t mi ght [pun ish me], 1 wo u ld cast m y so rce ries u po n Egypt (r.l
a n d would m ake th e people o f Egy pt spe nd th ree d ays and thrr
n ights seeing no light, o n ly d arkn ess."
A nothe r o f th em sa id among other thi ngs: "We re it not th at Anu ut
mi ght acc use m e , and th e lord of Egy p t might punish me , 1 would I"a I
m y so rceries upo n Eg yp t, and wou ld h ave Pharaoh brought 1'1"11111
Egy p t to the land of Nu bia, a n d wou ld have him bea te n with r,ll ll
blow s o f the stick in public before th e Rul er, a nd woul d ha ve him
retu rned to Egyp t, a ll with in six hou rs."
(The third sa id: "Were it no t tha t Am u n might accuse me , a nd Iii
lord o f Eg yp t migh t punish me , 1 would cast my so rce ries upon EgY l'1
a n d wou ld ca use th e land to be ba rre n fo r three yea rs)."
D EM O TIC LIT ERAT U RE 145
Whe n th e ruler of N ub ia had h eard th e words spoken by th e th ree
th em : "Wh o of you is he who said, ' I would cast (10) my sorceri es
upon Egy p t a n d not let th em see th e ligh t in three d ays an d th re e
nig h ts'? " Th e y sa id, " It is Horus-son-of- th e-Sow."
He sai d : "W ho is h e who said , ' I wou ld cast m y sorceries upon
Egy p t , and wo u ld bri n g Ph a raoh to the la nd o f N u bia, a nd wou ld
ha ve him be at en with 500 blows of the stick in pu blic befo re the Ruler,
and wou ld have hi m returned to Egy p t, all within six hou rs'?" T he y
said , " It is I-I o rus-son-o f-th e-N ubian-wom an."
H e said: "Who is h e who sai d , ' I wo uld cast m y so rceries upon
Egyp t, a nd would ca use th e la nd to be barren for three yea rs'?" T he y
sa id, " It is I-Iorus-son-of-th e-P rin cess."
T he ruler said ( to I-Iorus-son-of-th e-Nubian-woman): "Carry ou t
yo u r feat of ( 15 ) sorcery! By Arn un , the bull of Me roe, my god , if- your
han d su cceeds, 1 will d o fo r yo u ma ny good th ings !"
Horus-so n-of-the-N u bian-wo m an m ad e a litter of wax wit h fou r
hearers. H e recited a spell to th em, he gave the m bre a th , he mad e
1hem live , H e co m ma n d ed th em , say ing: "Yo u are to go to Eg yp t, you
are to bring Ph a raoh of Egyp t u p to the p lace where th e Rule r is. He
sha ll be beate n with 500 blows o f th e stick in p ublic befo re th e Ruler ,
.m d you sha ll re tu rn him to Egy pt, a ll within six h ou rs." T hey said ,
"Ce rta in ly, we sha ll not omit an ything."
T he sorce r ies of th e N u bian flew d own to Egy p t by nigh t. T hey
o verpowered Ph araoh (20) Menkh-Pre-Siamun . T hey too k him to th e
lan d of Nubia, to the place where the ru le r was . T he y bea t him with
r,oo blows of th e stick in publ ic before th e rul er, a nd th ey re tu rn ed
him to Eg yp t, a ll within six hou rs.
T hes e we re the events th at Si-O sire related in p ublic be fore
Pha raoh a n d his nobl es, while th e people of Egypt listen ed to h is
voice. He sai d : "May the wra th of Am u n, yo u r god , smi te you ! T hese
wo rds that I ha ve spo ke n, are th e y not the on es that a re wr itte n in the
document th a t is in yo ur hand ?" Said th e ch ieftain of Nubia : "Go on
Il·ad ing . All th e words th at yo u h ave spoke n are tru e." Si-Osire spo ke
ht·fOJ'e Pha rao h :
Wh en they h ad re tu rned Ph araoh (25) Siarnu n to Egypt, his bac k
sm in c n with very g re at beating , he la y d o wn in th e p rivat e cha mbe r'
of I he pa lace , h is back greatly smitte n. O n th e mornin g o f the next
d a y Pharaoh sa id to h is co u nc illors: "Wh at has occurre d in Egypt
wh ile I was awa y from it?" As ha med o f their th ou gh ts, wh ich we re,
' Pt' rha ps Pharaoh has lost h is mi nd ?', the co u nc illo rs said : "You r
IlI'allh , yo u r h ealth , Ph a raoh o u r great lord ! Isis, the grea t go ddess,
will d rive aw a y yo u r a fflictio n! Wh a t is the mea ning o f the words yo u
146 ANCI ENT EGYPT IAN LIT ERAT UR E
h av e spoke n to us, [0 Ph araoh ] our grea t lord ? Yo u a re lyin g in the
pr ivat e cha mber of th e palace a nd th e go ds protect you!"
Ph araoh rai sed h imself; (30) h e let [t he cou nc illo rs] see h is back ,
sm itte n wit h a ve ry g rea t [beat ing] . He sa id : "By Pta h , the great god ,
(5 , 1) I was take n to th e la nd of Nu bia thi s ni gh t. I was beate n wit h 500
b low s o f th e st ick in public be fore th e ru ler, a nd I was returned to
Egypt , a ll with in six h ours." Wh en th ey saw the back of Ph arao h
sm itte n with a ve ry g reat beati ng , they o pe ne d th eir mouths in loud
cnes.
Now Me n kh -Pre-Sia m un h ad a [m agician] who was called Horus-
so n -of- Pa nes he, a ve ry [learned] man . H e ca me to where Ph araoh
wa s, uttered a lo u d cry and said: " My [great lo rd ], th ese a re th e
sorceries o f th e Nubians ! By th e life o f you r - - - I will ma ke them
enter - - - - - - execu tio n !" Pharaoh sa id to h im : " Make haste fo r
m e . Do not le t m e be taken to th e land o f Nu bia (5) a no the r night!"
T he [m ag ician Horu s-son-of] Panesh e ret urned [quickly]; he
b rough t h is book s a nd h is am u lets to [where Pharaoh] was. H e rec ited
a spell to him a nd bound a n a mule t o n him , to prevent th e so rceries o f
th e N ubia n s fro m ga in ing power over him. H e [we nt ] o u t fro m
Ph araoh 's p re sence , took his o ffe ri ngs a nd libat ions, went o n board a
boat, and h a ste ned to Khmun. He went to th e temple of Khmu n,
[m ade hi s] offerings a n d h is liba tions before T hoth , the eight- times
great ,· the lo rd of Khmun , th e great go d . He made a p raye r before
him say ing : "T urn yo ur face to me , my lord T hoth ! Let not the
Nubians take th e sh ame o f Egy pt to th e la nd of N ub ia! It is you who
[crea ted ] m agic [spells]. It is you who sus pended th e sky, who
founded th e ea rt h a n d th e netherworld, who pl aced th e go ds with
- - - . Let m e kn ow how to save Ph araoh [from th e so rceries o f the I
N u b ia ns!"
H orus-son -of-Pa nesh e lay down ( 10) in th e temple . That nigh t hI'
d r e a m ed a d ream in whi ch the mysterious form o f th e great god
Th oth spo ke to h im , sa yin g : " A re you Horus-son-o f-Pan esh e , tln-
[m a gician] o f Ph araoh Menkh -Pre-S iamun ? Wh en th e morning of
tomorrow h as come, go into the library of the te m p le o f Khmun. V OII
will find a cha m be r" th at is locked a nd sea led. O pen it and you will
find a chest in th is ch a m be r, an d in it a papyrus scroll wh ich I wro u-
with m y o wn h and . Take it ou t, m ak e a co py of it, a nd put it back in il.
p la ce . Its n am e is " th e book of magic." It has prot ected me from tlu-
e n em ies , a n d it will protect Pharaoh a nd will sa ve him fr o m II\('
sorceries of th e N ubia ns ."
H orus-son-o f-Panes h e awo ke from the dream in whic h he had sccu
these things . ( 15) H e u n derstood th at wh at had h appen ed was III<'
D EM O TIC LIT ER A T URE 147
d o in g o f th e god . H e ac te d according to every wo rd th at had been
said to him in th e dream. H e h asten ed to the place where Ph araoh
was ; h e m ad e fo r him a written am u let o f sorceries.
W hen th e second d a y ca me, the sorceries o f Horus-so n-of-the-
Nubia n-woma n re turned to Egypt by night, to th e p lace where
Ph araoh was. I n the same hour th ey returned to the p lace wh ere th e
ru ler was, for th ey were unabl e to ga in power over Pharaoh , owing to
the am u le ts with so rcer ies wh ich the magician H orus-son -o f-P an es he
had bound on h im . O n the morning of the ne xt day Ph araoh to ld th e
magician H orus-son-o f-Pan esh e eve ryth ing he h ad seen by night,
how th e sorceries o f th e N ubia ns had turned back becau se th e y we re
un able to gain power over him .
H orus-so n- of-Panes he had qu a n tities of pure wax brou gh t to h im .
l ie m ade a litt e r a nd four beare rs. H e recited (2 0) a spe ll to them , h e
gave them breath, he mad e them live . H e com ma nd ed them , saying:
"Go to the la nd o f N u bia thi s night. Bring th e ru ler d own to Egy p t, to
I he p lace wh ere Ph araoh is, H e sha ll be beated with 500 blows o f th e
stick in p ublic before Ph araoh, a nd you shall return h im to th e land of
Nu bia, a ll within six h ours." T hey said , "Certain ly, we sha ll not omi t
a ny th in g."
T he sorcerie s of Horu s-son-of-Pan esh e flew wit h the clouds of the
sky a nd h a stened to th e lan d of Nubia by night. T hey overpowered
I he ru ler , they brought him down to Egy pt, they beat hi m with 500
blo ws o f th e stick in public before Ph araoh, and they returned h im to
I he lan d of N ubia, all within six hours,
T hese were th e e ve nts wh ich Si-O sire re lated in pu blic be fore
Pharaoh a n d hi s (25) n obl es, wh ile th e people of Egy p t listen ed to hi s
voice. H e said : " May the wr ath of Am u n, your go d, smite you, you
lu -nd o f N ubia ! T he words th at I have spo ke n, a re they not th e ones
rhnt are written in this d ocu m e nt ?" Said the Nubian, his head bo wed
down : "Go on reading. All the words th a t you have sp oken are wr itten
ill I his document," Si-Osire said:
Whe n a ll th is had h appen ed a n d the ruler had been re tu rned to th e
land o f Nubia within six hours, they put h im d own in his p lace, He lay
do wn , h e rose in the mo rning, g reatly sm itten by the blows he had
Il'n:ived in Egyp t. H e sa id to hi s nobl es: " I have been beat en with 500
hlo ws o f th e stick in public befo re Ph araoh of Egypt, an d they
u- ru rncd m e to th e lan d o f N u b ia again." H e showed his ba ck to the
uu hlcs , a nd th e y o p en ed th ei r m ou ths in a lou d cry .
T he ru ler se n t for H orus-son-of-th e- N ub ian -wom an; he sa id : "M ay
' \ 11 11 111 , (30) th e bu ll o f Me ro e , m y go d, curse yo u! It was you who
W(' 1I1 10 th e peop le of Egy pt. No w co nside r for me what: you will do to
148 ANCI ENT EG YPTIAN LIT ERATURE
sa ve me from the h and of Horus-son-o f-Pan esh e !" He m ad e his
sorceries, he bound them o n the rul er, in order to protect him from
th e sorceries o f H orus-son-o f-Pa neshe.
On the night of the second d ay, the sorceries of Horus-son-of-
Pane sh e fle w to the land of Nubia. T hey brought the ru ler down to
Egypt, they beat him with 500 blows of the stick in public before
Pharaoh, and they returned him to th e la nd of Nubia , all within six
hours. This happened to the ruler for three days, for th e sorceries of
the Nubians were unable to protect th e ru ler fr om th e hand o f
Ho rus-son-of-Panesh e.
The ru ler was g rea tly di stressed . He se nt for Horus-son-of-the-
N ubian-woman, he said to him: "Woe yo u fiend of Nubia! You have
ca used me to be humiliated by (35) th e people of Egypt! You cou ld
not save me from their hands! By Amu n, the bu ll of Meroe, my god, if
yo u ca n not make me [sa fe ] from the sky-boats of the people o f Egypt,
I sha ll make yo u suffer a ha rsh death wh ich shall be pain ful to you!"
H e said : "M y lord the Ru ler, let me be se nt down to Egypt, th at I ma y
see him who d oes so rc e ry there , that I ma y do sorcery against him a nd
le t him taste the sco rn I h ave in my heart for him !"
Horus-son-of-the-Nubian-woman was sent off by the ru ler. I-I e
went to the p lace where his mother, the N ubian woman, was . ( He to ld
h e r a ll that h ad h ap pe n ed to h im . Sh e said to him): (6, 1) "If you go
down to Egypt to do sorcery there , beware of the people of Egypt! YO II
will not be able to co nt end with th em . Do not get caugh t in thei r
h ands , for then yo u will not return to th e land o f Nubia ever!"
H e said : "There is nothing to th e words you have said . I ca n not
avoid going d own to Eg ypt if I want to cast my so rce ries into it." T Ill"
Nubian woman, his mother, said to him: " If it is so that yo u will ~o
down to Eg ypt, set some signs between me and you , so that if you an'
d e fe ated , I shall come to you and see if I ca n save you ." H e said 10
h e r : "If it happens that I am defeated , then when you are drin king
[and ea tin g], th e water will take o n the colo r of blood before yo u, IIw
food before yo u th e co lor o f me at , (5) a nd the sky will have th e coku
o f blood before you ."
When H o rus-so n- o f-the-Nu bia n- wo ma n had set the signs between
him and his m other, h e hurried down to Egypt, crammed with
sorcery. H e traversed th e land Amun had mad e to Memphis, to tlu -
place where Pharaoh was , sea rching for h im who was doing sorcery ill
Eg ypt.
H e cam e to th e co urt before Pharaoh and said in a loud voice: "W,"'
to you who makes so rc e ry aga inst me in the cou rt, in the p lace wlu -u
Pharaoh is, with the people of Eg ypt looking to him! You two scrih, ',
o f th e House of Life, (or) you scribe o f th e Hou se of Life , who de....
so rce ry against th e ruler, brin ging h im d own to Egy pt inspit e o f n11'1"
D EM OTI C LIT ER AT URE 149
Wh en h e h ad said these words, Horus-son-o f-Panesh e stood in th e
co u rt before Pharaoh an d said: "Woe you fiend o f N u bia! Ar e yo u not
Horlls-son-of-the- Nubian-woma n , whom I rescued in th e ga rde ns o f
Pre, when your companion ( 10) from Nubia who was wit h yo u and
yo u were drowning in the wa ter, ha vin g fa llen down from the
m ountain in the ea st of On? Do you not repent o f ha ving ca r ried off
Pharaoh, yo u r lo rd , a n d having be at en his back in th e p lace where th e
rul er is? Do yo u now co me to Egypt , say ing, ' Is h e here who do es
so rce ry aga ins t me ?' By Aturn , lo rd of On, th e go d s o f Egy pt h ave
hrou ght yo u here , to pa y you back in th e ir land ! Beware, I co me to
you! "
Wh e n Horu s-son-of-P an eshe had spo ke n these words, Horus-son-
of-the-N ubian-woman answered h im , saying: " Is it he whom I taught
I he la nguage of wolves who does sorcery against me?"
Th e ch ie fta in o f Nubi a then did a feat of sorcery: he mad e a fir e
bre ak ou t in the court. Ph araoh and th e nobles o f Egypt cr ied out
a lou d , say in g : " Haste n to us, yo u magician , Ho ru s-son-of-Pan cshe !"
l Io r us-so n -o f-Pa nesh e mad e ( 15) a magic for mul a a nd mad e the sky
pour a southern rain on to p o f the fire. It was extingu ishe d at o nce.
The Nubian did a no the r feat of sorcery: he cas t a big cloud on the
ro u rt , so that no man co u ld see his brother or his co m pan io n. Horus-
so n -of-Paneshe re cited a spell to the sky an d made it van ish a nd be
Sl illed from the evil wind in which it had been.
Il o rus-so n-o f-the- N u bian-wo m an did a nothe r feat of sorce ry. He
mad e a great vau lt of stone , 200 cubits lo ng and 50 cu bits wide , above
Pha ra oh and his nobles , so th at Egypt wou ld be se pa ra ted fro m its
king and the land deprived o f its lord . When Ph araoh loo ked up at
I he sky a n d sa w a vau lt of sto ne above h im , he o pe ne d his mouth in a
" rea t cry , to gether with th e people who 'we re in th e co u r t. (20)
l Io ru s-so n- o f-Pa ncsh c recited a m agic spe ll: he cre a ted a sk y-boat o f
pa pyrus and m ade it car ry away th e vau lt of stone. It sailed wit h it to
"( .reat Lake ," th e big wat er of Eg ypt.
Th en th e ch ie fta in of Nubia knew th at he co u ld not co nte nd with
I he Egyptian . He did a feat o f sorcery so as to become invisible in th e
i o u rt , in o rder to esca pe to th e land of Nu bia, his home. Horus-son-
uf- Pane she recited a sp ell against h im , re vealed th e sorceri es o f th e
Nu bia n, and le t him be seen by Ph araoh and th e people of Egypt who
slood in the co u rt : he had assumed th e shape of a wild gand er and
was abo ut to d e p art . Horus-son-of-Paneshe rec ited a spell ag ainst him
,1I 1e 1 mad e hi m turn on his back, whi le a fow ler stood over h im , his
ha rp knife in his hand , and about to d o h im harm.
Wh en a ll this happen ed , the signs th at Horu s-son-of-the- Nubian-
wo ma n h ad se t (25) bet ween him a nd his mother a ll h appened be fore
ln -r. She h ast en ed d own 10 Egyp l ill th e g u ise o f a goose. Sh e stood
150 ANC IE N T EG YPTI AN LIT ERAT U RE
above th e palace of Ph araoh, he r vo ice screami ng to her so n, who was
in th e g uise of a wild gander, wh ile the fowler stood over him .
H o ru s-so n-o f-Pan esh e looked up at th e sky; he saw the Nubian
woman in th e g u ise in which sh e was ; h e knew th at she was th e Nubian
woman . He recited a sp ell agai ns t h er and ma de he r turn o n her back,
with a fowler st andi ng over h e r , his kni fe abo u t to give her death .
She cha n ged the g uise in whi ch sh e was, assu m ed her sha pe o f a
Nubian wom an , a nd pleaded th us : "[Do not mak e an e nd ] of us,
Horu s-son-o f-Panes h e ! Forgive us thi s misdeed! If you will give us a
s ky-boat, we will n ot return to Egyp t e ver aga in !" H o rus-son-o f-
Pane sh e made a n oa th by Pharaoh and th e go ds (30) o f Egyp t, saying:
" I sh all not [let go o f ] my fea t o f sorc ery until yo u make a n oa th to me ,
n ot to co m e back to Egyp t for a ny pu rpose !" T he Nub ian woma n
rais ed her h a nd , not to come d o wn to Egypt ever aga in. Horus-son -
o f-th e-Nu bia n-w om a n swore a n oa th , sayin g: "I sha ll not co me d own
to Eg ypt for 1,500 yea rs !"
H orus-son-o f-Panesh e let go o f his fe at of so rce ry. He gave a
sky-boat to H orus-so n-of-the-Nubi an-woman and th e Nu bia n wo-
m an , his moth er, a n d the y flew to th e la nd o f Nu bia, th eir home.
S i-Osire reveal, himself
T h ese were th e eve n ts that Si-O sire re lated be fore Pharao h, with
th e people o f Egyp t liste ning to his voice , while Seine, his father, saw
e ve ry th ing , a n d the h ead o f th e ch ie ftain o f Nu bia was bowed d own.
H e sa id : " By yo u r life , my g re at lo rd , this o ne before you is
H orus-son-o f-the-Nubian-woman , who se sto ry I h ave told , an d who
h a s not re pe nted of th ose thin gs he did previously, a nd ha s co m,'
down to (35) Egyp t at the e nd o f 1,500 yea rs to d o so rceries he re ! Il y
Osiris, th e great god , lo rd of th e netherworld , with wh om I rest, I alii
H orus-son-o f-P ane sh e , I who sta nd be fore Pha rao h ! Wh en I found
o u t in the ne th erworld th at the fiend of N ubia was goi ng to cast his
so rce ries h e re , wh ile th e re was no t a go od scribe a nd learned man in
Egy pt at this tim e wh o wou ld be able to cont e nd (7 ,1) with him , I
begged Osiri s in th e n etherwo rld to let me co me u p to th e ea rt h again,
so a s to prevent him from takin g the sh a me of Egy p t to the lan d of
N u b ia. Th e o rder was given by Os iris to let me co me to th e ea rth.
" I awo ke, I flew up , so as to find Se tne, th e so n o f Pha raoh , o n rlu-
d e se rt o f On , o r th e d esert of Me mphis. I grew as that melo n vin e, s"
a s to re turn to th e bod y again a nd be born in th e land , in ord er to d"
so r ce ry ag a ins t thi s fiend o f N ubia who sta nds in the cou rt ." Ho rns
so n- o f-Pa neshe di d a feat of so rce ry , while being in the sha p.. " I
Si-Os ire , ag a in st th e ch ie ftain o f Nubia. He mad e a fire aro u nd him : II
co nsu med h im in the midst o f th e co u rt, (5) wh ile Ph araoh saw h,
toget her wit h h is nobles an d th e peopl e of Egypt.
D E M O TI C LIT ERA T URE 151
Si-Os ire va nis he d as a sha d o w from the presence o f Ph araoh and
Se tne, h is fath er, wit h out th eir seeing h im. Ph arao h marveled greatly,
to get he r wit h hi s g ra ndees, at the th ings they h ad seen in th e cou rt .
T he y sa id : "T he re is not a good scribe a nd learned m an like H orus-
so n-o f-Pa n es he ! Neve r, never will the re be h is like again ! Setne
o pe n ed h is m outh in a grea t cry, because Si-Osire h ad vanis he d as a
sha d o w wit ho u t his see ing h im .
Ph araoh rose from the cou rt , his heart excited by th e things he had
see n . Ph arao h com ma nded to ma ke preparations o n beha lf of Seine,
so a s to rece ive him , becau se o f Si-O sir e , his son , so as to sooth e his
he art. When night ca rne Se tne went [to] h is house with a ve ry sad
hea rt. Me h use khe lay down a t his side , ( 10) a nd she re ceived the fluid
o f co nce p tio n from h im th at ni gh t. At th e right tim e she bore a male
ch ild, wh o was n am ed User-Mo n t-Hor.
Se tne nev er fa iled to ma ke b urn t o ffer ings an d libatio ns to th e
sp irit o f H orus-so n-of-Paneshe a t all tim es.
Colophon
T h is is th e e nd o f the book , written
NOT ES
I. In the lines now lost it was told that they entered the neth erworld
and saw seven halls.
2. I.e., these peop le remain in the neth erworld and may not go up to
the sky.
3. Perh aps "livelihood," rather than "life," was intended.
4. A coarse word designed to exp ress the Egyptian conte mpt for
Nubian food .
5. T he god who personifies fate.
6. A ga rbled thro ne name. It is not clear which king the Demotic
author had in mind.
7. K nh.t must mean something else besides "shrine, cha pel." Here it is
pro bably a "private chamber" or "bedroom." See also Instru ction of
A nkhsheshonq, 2/19 (I' . 162, below), and the suggested meanin g "dark
(place)" in Cern y, Copt. Die., p. 60!. based on E. Hornung's remarks on
knl), "grow dark, make dark " in ZA S , 86 (1961), 113 - 114.
8. So, according to Griffith's restoration .
9. Again the word is ~n~. t.
PRINCE PEDIKH ONS AND QUEEN SERPOT
From Vienna Demotic Pap yrus 6 165
T he text translated here is an episode in the tale called Egyptians and
A ll/awn>, a tale belonging to the group of texts known as the Stor y-Cycle
" I' King Pctu bastis, Incompletely preser ved in many fragmentar y de-
1II0tic pap yri of Greco-Roman date, the Story-Cycle of Petubastis is a
sequence or tales woven around the persons of certain rulers, notably
152 A N CI EN T EG YPT IAN LIT ERATURE
King Pedibast of T anis , Prince Inaros of Heliopolis, th eir kinsmen Pemu
and Pedikhons, and others.
The central th emes of th e cycle are contes ts and combats between the
var ious her oes and their adversaries , the combats being pr eceded by
lengthy cha llenges a nd speec hes. T he tales seem to be roo ted in the
histor ical situation of the Post-Imp erial Epoch, when Egypt was rule~ by
numerous petty princes who fought each othe r for power and prestige.
But as literary topi cs, the d uels between heroes and thei r e1~bora~e chal-
lenges p rob ably owe more to a knowled ge of th e Homenc epics and
other works of Gree k literature. Moreover, certa in th emes are clear ly
in spired by Greek mod els, nota bly th e tale Eg)ptians and Amawns, which
ech oes th e story of Achilles and Pe nth esilea.
Six distinct stories are presently known to belon g to th e Petubastis
cycle, all of th em unfortun ately in a very fra gmenta ry state. T hey are :
( I) Ina ros and the Griffin , (2) The Contest fo r the Benefice of Amun, (3) The
Contestfor the Breastplate ofIna ros, (4) Egyptians and ~ma~,lS, (5) Naneferka-
sokar and the Babylonians, and (6) a fragment mennorun g Pemu and two
o the r heroes.
The papyru s co ntai ning Egyptians and Amawns is in tatters, with less
tha n half of th e text preserved and without the beginning. In its preselll
form it starts with th e arrival of Prin ce Pedikhons in the land o f Khor,
th e term Khor bein g a n old designation of Syria which her e also den otes
Assyria. A region within the land of Khor is ruled by Amazons und er
th eir Queen Serpot. Prin ce Pedikhons has invad ed th e land ,;,1' the Ama-
zons and is encampe d near th eir prin cipal fortress. The episode trans-
!ated below begins with Qu een Serpot's war council and her decision to
send he r you nger sister Asht eshyt, dressed as a man , to s~y out the
Egyp tian camp with its army, consisting of Egyptian and Assy.nan troops.
Aft er Ashtesh yt has accomplished her mission. Serpot decides to ta.ke·
th e offensive. She mar shals her troop s, exho rts them , attacks, and m-
flicts he a vy losses o n the Egyptian and Assyrian t roop~ . Pr ince Ped!-
khon s has watche d th e fighting witho ut taki ng part. At mght he tells IllS
tro op s th at on th e morrow he will fight Q ueen Serpot in sing le ~omba l.
On th e next d ay he cha llenges the qu een and they fight the e ~ltl re d:ly.
At sunset th ey agree on an ar mistice and engage in a conversation which
becom es in creasingly fr iend ly; and when at last they look at eac h othe
closely they fall in love. T his is th e end o f th e episode tra nslated. hen ',
Publ icati on : A. Ve lten, Agypter und Amawnen, MPON, n.s., 6 (Vienna,
1962).
Com me nts: A. Ve lten , Ahten des 8. Internationalen Kongresses fur Palry
rologie, M PON, n.s., 5 (Vienna, 1956), 147-1 52, relation to Greek ~ite r; ~
tu re. Kitchen , T hird Intermediate, Excurs us G, Pl' . 455-46 1, hisuui
cal background of the Petubastis cycle and list of the six stories . t\ .
Spa linge r , JARCE, 13 (1976) , 140 -1 47, historical backgrou nd .
(2,8) Serpot, the Quee n ' of the land of the women , sa t - - - o f h,"
tent, [with the leaders]' of the land o f th e wo men sta nd ing to th e h'll
a n d ri ght of h er." She r aised he r face [and look ed at he r troo ps] who
were not num erous , being ( 10) - - - th e fortress of th e land o f tl,, '
women. She sa id : "Give m e help ,' 0 Isis, m y [m istress], g reat go d clc,ss ,
a n d O siris, g reat god! Do yo u no t see as I d o how the army has m;"h
ca m p ---?"
D EM O TI C LITERATUR E 153
(12) - - - she ca lle d As h tes hyt, he r yo u nger sis ter, a nd sai d : "Do
not d ela y [t o go to the place] wh e re th ose milli ons of troops [a re
e ncam ped], so as to learn the situatio n insi d e th e ca m p . Take [m en 's
clo t hi ng] - - - the m anner (1 4 ) - - - . .. the a r m y. Learn every
m a tt e r a nd e ve ry p urpose for [wh ich] t he troops ha ve co rne . [Learn
t he n am e of ] th e ch ie f a t their h ead a nd th e [cir cumsta nces unde r]
which th e y h a ve co m e."
As hteshyt , t he yo unger sis ter of Serpot, the q ueen of [t he land of
the women] , we nt out. She cha n g e d ( 16 ) [her m ode of dress] a n d we nt
o u t a mong th e arm y. T hey did not notice he r going abo u t - - - - - - ,
no r tha t she was a wo man . [She learned] t he natu re of eve ryt hing that
we nt o n in the ca m p . She learned that it was the Eg yp tian [Pr in ce]
Ped ikh ons (18) [who was] a t their head . She so ught o u t ho w he had
corne a lone to the fort ress [o f the land of th e wo me n] - - - - - - . Sh e
learned [th e n atu re] of every t hi ng, withou t a n yo ne o n ea rt h recog-
oi zin g he r .
She returned to th e pl ace - - - wh ere Se r pot was. (20) She [told]
her th e n ature of everythi ng she had see n and the [facts abo u t Prince]
l'edikhons - - - , wit ho u t a ny t h in g being changed in it. As soon as
Sc r pot , [the queen o f th e land of] the wom en , had heard these things
(~ 2) [sh e sa id: "Give ] m e help , 0 Isis , gre a t goddess, a nd O siris, great
140 d , (an d) g reat gods - - - - - - [the] e vil [serpent] of a n Egyp-
ri.m . . . Lo , for m an y d a ys we have heard o f hi s d eeds! [H e has gone
to war] ag ainst the king - - - (24) th e land of Kho r ." H e has fought
wit h o ne c h ie f o ne d a y a nd h as battled with another [the ne xt d ay, a
chie f] wh o se gods [did not] know how to rece ive him . We will know
ho w to rece ive him , we will, we will! Th e r ight pl an is th at we shall
fo resta ll t he m! [I t is better to forestall] them th an to let th em (26)
lo re st all u s. I shall m arsh al the a r my o n th e battle field [aga inst th e
arm y] of the Egyptian . [Le t] th e tru m pet [sound ], le t the horn so u nd in
I he land o f t he wo m e n with [all] its regions, [a nd le t it be] sai d, ' Ma ke
)' 0 11r (28 ) [ prepa r at io n] fo r combat wit h a fo re ign pe o pl e whi ch stands
o u rside.' Do n o t [delay ] - - - - - - ."
A short [tim e] a fte r this, t he arm y of a ll the wo m e n fro m th e
' ,",.:io ns of t he la nd of [t he women was assembled]. T hey ca m e (30) [to
rlu-] fortress - - - the g reat 'tomb'· of t he la nd of the wo men, wit h
IIu' ir a rmy - - - battle[field ]. Se r pot - - - through th e army; she
ins pecte d th e women [equ ipped with their] armor a n d th e ir wea po ns
(:\2 ) [ofa tta ck ]: - - - - - - th o se wh o were mo u nted on - - - , [those
who were m oun ted o n ] - - - , a nd th o se who harn essed - - - - - - ,
Iwa r ing a n nO I' - - - - - - [h el]mets with bulls' fa ces. (34) - - - - - -
tI,,· o p po ne n ts - - - who hu rry to wa rd th e ir - - - - - - breastplat es ,
whi le th e y a rrayed a nd m arsh al ed , c re a ting fea r a nd sta ndi ng (36)
- - - - th eir m anli er o f d oin /{ halli e .
154 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Serpot made her pre paration - - - - - - she in spected thei r man -
ner of setting up ca m p, and h e r hea rt was happy (38) - - - - - - .
[She sa id ]: " May yo u no t ha ve the evi l eye!' T he a r my" is beauti fu l.
T he recrui ts - - - - - - . Osiris, th e g reat go d. o ur good bull, our good
Mne vis, he will not - - - - - - ."
(40) - - - - - - [They sa id: "Serpot, our Queen] is with u s; she will
not aba ndo n us. - - - - - - what is fitt ing - - - with th e Q ueen (42)
- - - - - - . [We sha ll show] Pe d ikhons h ow we co me a mong th e
- - - - - - ." [Serpot sai d ]:" - - - [wh en I] see yo u . You sha ll seize
th e m (44) - - - - - - . Do not be di st ressed - - - - - - . [I sis], th e
grea t god dess, a r rays th e arm y of the (4 6) [women]. - - - - - - , he
ca n not sit." Se r po t - - - - - - th at ca m p . Se r po t said : (48)" - - - - - -
who are at th e ga te of the fortress - - - - - - the lead e rs outside th e
ca m p (50) - - - - - - [n o o ne ] at a ll go o u t of th ei r ca m p - - - - - -
th e . .. of fig h ting (52) - - - - - - ." Th ey acted according to eve ry
wo rd tha t (3 , I ) Se r pot had co m ma nded . - - - - - -
T hey we nt to the pl ace where [Prince Pedikhons was] - - - - - - (3)
of the fig h t against th e - - - - - - . Prince Pedikh ons sent - - - - - -.
[Th ey ca lled o u t] (5) curses an d taun ts, th e speech of [warriors]
- - - - - - fro m the first to the last. - - - - - - . [Se r po t went] (7) o ut
into th e army of th e - - - - - - a multitude . She dest royed - - - - - -
(9) suddenly against th em . T hose who wished - - - - - - she slaug h-
tered - - - . [The sla ugh ter of a bird of prey] (I I) amo ng th e bird s
[wa s what Serp ot did a mong] - - - - - - . [The raging] of A popis was
what Se r pot d id - - - - - - ( 13) grasped th e ir hand s - - - - - - with
h e r , in th ei r eyes - - - - - - ( 15) th at d a y.
Ped ikho ns - - - - - - , he u tt ered a lou d cry - - - - - - ( 17) the
du st - - - - - - of th e Assyrians - - - - - - . [They sa id ]: " - - - - - -
(19) against u s - - - - - - with us , a nd we - - - - - - . (2 1) - - - - - -
them - - - - - - ." [Ped ikhons sa id ]: " I have no t strive n - - - - - - .
[Tomorrow will] be (23) beau tifu l, afte r th e bitterness [of today],
- - - - - - to the [ba ttl e]field to day - - - - - - to the ba tt le[fie ld] ill
o rder to - - - - - - the land of th e women without - - - - - -
(25 ) shall h ap pen - - - the land of th e wo men . You shall find
g lo ry, th e g lo ry of - - - - - - h is co mrade. - - - - - - you shall do
to m orro w. T he arm y of [the women] - - - - - - (27) a harsh d eath
which sha ll be pai n ful to [th em]."
T he Assyrians we nt to their tents - - - - - - ve ry mu ch . Prino -
Pe dikho ns we nt to hi s te nt. He d rank like a he ro a nd ate - - - - -
(29) 'In' th e wa ys o f warfare - - - o n h is eye. Wh en th e mo rni ng 01
th e n ext d ay came [Prin ce] Ped ikh o n s [donned] hi s armor a nd too k "I'
hi s we apons - - - of a warrio r - - - [fro m th e firs t (3 1) [to the] last. I Ie-
too k . . . - - - a scimitar - - - of a warrior - - - - - - o f fig ht ing, hiN
D EMOTI C LITERATU RE 155
he ad bent to th e shafts of his lances. H e gave - - - - - - (33) d oing
battle . H e was like a. roa ring lion, like a bull bu rsting with strength,
- - - - - - an nou nc mg a ttack.
It was repo rted a nd a n nou nced at th e fo rtress, a t th e place wh ere
Se r pot was , [saying: "T here h as co me] (35) a single Egy p tian to the
battlefield to d ay ." She sa id : "G ive me h elp, m y m istress [Isis , grea t
god dess]! Sa ve me fr om th e slau ghte r o f thi s evi l ser pe nt o f a n
~gyptia n!" ~he:.e ste p ped [up to h~r] (37) Ash tes hyt, her yo u nger
SIste r , an d sa id : You did much fightmg yes te rday. [N ow let m e go] to
t h e battlefi eld to fig h t with this Egy ptia n to day!" [Serpot sai d ]: (39 )
"That d oes n o t .su it me !" It is th e cowa rd ly manne r of th e Assy ria ns
- - - - - - begi n on th e battle fie ld today. You know their [m anne r ,
Y(~II ha ve fo ught ] (4 1) again st th em . By Isis, th e grea t goddess, th e
mi stress o f th e land o f th e wom en , it is I wh o sha ll d on [armor a nd go]
10 the battle field agai nst th e evil se r pent of an Egy p tia n toda y!"
She - - - - - - (43) left her <withou t) a nother word. They brou ght
her a r mo r a nd weapons to [h e r] ." [Sh e] don ned he r armo r, she took
lip th e wa rrio r's wea pons - - - - - - (45) accord ing to her cus tom .
T hey o pened the bolts befo re her, she we nt o ut, she an no u nced
com ba t - - - - - - Pedikhons. Each was ready to m ee t the o the r.
T hey sp read th e - - - - - - (47) o u t before th em. T hey beat th e
e ngraved wo r k of th eir o rnate sh ields" - - - . [They ca lled out curses
a nd ] taunts , th e speech o f wa r riors. T hey too k d eath to th emselves as
neighbor , as being greater th an life. - - - - - - (49) duel, th eir blows
were bea u tifu l, th ei r stro kes d eceitful , - - - - - - . They rush ed to
I he [sla ugh ter] like vu ltures - - - - - - , (4 , 1) th ey attacked like
pa nt hers , th ey made - - - like - - - - - - Sob k. The g rou nd '
resou n ded - - - fr om - - - - - - . (3) They mad e feints, they
.s l ru ck , th ey j u m ped . [Neith er gave way] to the o the r , his op po ne nt.
- - - - - - . Ne ither gave way to th e o ther, [hi s opponent]. _
(!i) [th e] tim e o f [light] of th e m orning until the [setting o f th e su n ]
in the eveni ng.
IS.erpo t, th e qu een of th e] land of the women, called to Prince
I'ed'khons [sayi ng]: " My broth e r , you fig hter o f E[gy p t] _
(7) [th e su n ] h as gone d own ; it will rise over us agai n to morrow."
I'riuce [Pedikh ons] said : " - - - - - - . O ne does not fig h t in th e d ark ."
Se r pot, [th.e qu een o f th e land of th e women], sa id to him : (9) "[My
broth er Pedikhons, th e sun] has go ne d own and rests . - - - rest
- - - - -:- ." ' " [Said] (II ) Ser po t: " - - - - - - m y mistress, th e
)ucen , ISIS the great, th e mother o f th e [gods] - - - - - - my brother
[l'cd ikhons] - - - - - - fig h t tonight!" - - - - - - ( 13) stood
- - - - - . [Se rpot sa id: " My brother Ped ikhons, why ha ve you
mille ] here to th e regions of [the land of th e women] ?" - - - - - - fat e

156 AN CIEN T EGY PTIAN LITERATU RE
o f com ba t - - - - - - ( 15) - - - - - - if yo u wish - - - - - - betwee n
u s ( 17 ) - - - - - - b etwe e n u s - - - - - - ." Sh e lau g h ed - - - - - -
(1 9 ) - - - - - - in the r e gi o n s - - - - - - (2 1) - - - - - - we d o not
_ __ __ _ (2 3) - - - - - - gre at - - - - - - am o ng us - - - - - -
Serpot - - - - - - brought them into (25) - - - - - - th e prin ce
- - - - - - h a rd sto n e .
[A s so o n as Serpo t, th e q uee n o f the land of th e wo men , lo oked a t
h im ] she d id not kno w where o n earth [she was , o win g to] t h e g: eat
lo ve th a t had e n te red (2 7) [into he r ] - - - [As soo n as] Pnnce
[Pedikh o ns ] himsel f [looked ] a t h e r [h e d id n o t kn ow] where o n earth
h e was - - - - - - . [H e sa id ] to h e r : " My siste r Serpo t - - - - - -
NO T ES
I. The word is "Ph araoh" with th e fem inin e endi ng .
2. All th e restorati on s are guesswor k.
3. The sig ns look more like i3by wn m th an like Vo lte n's readi ng tp-r3 ,
"door."
4. O r , "Give me p ro tection"; the ph rase occu rs several times in P.
K ra ll, where the sign for n~t h as a mor e conventiona l form. .
5. " K hor " here is Syria as well as Assyria; see Volten, op. a t., p. 7.
6. Ow in g to th e sma ll lacun a a fter " fo r t re ss.' the con nectio n between
the "fortress" and the htJ wh ich Volt en ren dered "to mb" is not clear. If
thi s is th e word hy{, " pit," the mean in g "to mb" see ms possible but not
ce rtain.
7. The same phrase occu rs in P . K rall 2/9 and 17/1 8.
8. The noun a tby.t was ap pa rently used both for "co mbat" a nd ."com.
bat force , army." T he latt er meani ng ap pears suita ble here and It pre-
vails in P . K rall.
9. The same ex pression as in Setne II , 5/36 .
10. T he same id iom, here in th e ne gative, as in S etne I , 5/1 O.
II. Compare P. K rall 12/24.
12. Read ipy.t st.t, "engraved work ," and see Glossar, p . 472 .2. 1 h.,'
meaning is they beat ~he orna me ntal .me tal work on t~~ surfa~e of th.ell
sh ields so as to make It resound. Similarly i n P . K rall 2317: gl n sty n '!,y,
"shield o f engraved work,"
T HE LIO N I N SEARCH OF MAN
From Leiden Dem ot ic Pa pyru s I 384
T he long Demo tic story kno wn as Th e M yth of the Eye of the S un (Leideu
Dern . Pap. I 384) tells how T e fnut , the daughter an d "eye" of th e 5 1111
god Re, wh o a fte r qu arreling with her father had left Egypt a nd sellI.."
in Nubia, was persu ad ed to return to Egypt. T he su n-god had St'lIt
T hoth the cou nsellor and mediator amo ng the gods , to a ppe ase till'
a ngry go ddess and bring her back. T cfnut at first re sisted the bland ish
ments of T hoth , a nd ther e ensued len gthy debates m the co urse 01
which T'hoth told her severa l a nima l fables, each d esign ed to lead , .,
moral lesso n . Even tually, the god dess rel ent ed and , o n thc j ourney ha, ~
DEM OTIC LIT ER AT URE 157
to Egypt, Thoth cont in ued to ent ertain her with fables. Th us the main
story serves as a narrat ive fra me for the fables, of which th e fable o f Th e
Lion in ..earcb of M an is translated here.
An imal fables may have been cu rrent in Egypt since the Ne w King-
dom , fo r we possess a number o f illustrated pap yri a nd ostraca of New
Kingdom d ate which d epict an ima ls acting in hum an situ ation s, such as
festivities, labo rs, a nd combats. But no fable texts ha ve come down to us
fro m be fore the Greco-Rom an period .
The fable of Th e L ion in Search ofM an is especially remarkab le, because
here the Egyp tia n ste pped out o f himself, looked at man, and fo und him
ev il. T h e fina l e piso de of the fab le, the e ncounte r o f lion a nd mouse,
occu rs in a sho r ter vers ion amo ng the Fab les of Aeso p.
T he fab le of Th e L ion in Search of M an occupies pages 17/9 - 18/34 of
th e Leid en papyrus .
Publi cati on o f the who le m yth : W. Spiegelberg, Der agypttiche M ythus
v om Sonnenauge (D er Papyrus der T ierfabeln "Knfi ") nacli dem Leidener Demo-
ti..chen P apyrus f 384 (Strassbu rg, 1917 ).
Frag me nts o f a Greek tran slation o f the myth : S. West, "The Gr eek
Vers ion of the Lege nd o f T efnu t," J EA, 55 (1969), 161-1 83.
Related stu dies : H . J u nker , Der AU.5zug der H athor-T efn ut OIL< Nubien,
A PA W, Phil.-h ist. Klasse , Anhang, 191 1, No. 3 (Berlin , 19 11). K.
Set he , Z u r altagypttichen Sage vo m Sonnenauge das in der Fremde war, Unter-
such u nge n, V/3 (Leipzig , 1912), reprint , Hildesh eim, 1964.
Th e L ion in Search. of M an : Sp iegel berg, op. cit., pp. 43- 47 , text and
translatio n . Erichsen , L esestiicke, pp. 59- 67 and 69 -72, tex t.
Brunner-T raut, M drchen , pp. 133-1 36, translation.
O n Egypt ian a nima l fables: E. Brunner-Traut, "Alragy p tische T ierge -
schichte und Fabe l: Gesta lt und Strah lkraft,' Sa ecu lu m, 10 (1959), 124 -
185.
( 17, 9) The r e was a [lio n on th e ] mou n ta in wh o wa s mi g hty in
st re n g th a n d wa s good at h u n tin g. [T h e s mall game o f the] m o unta ins
knew fea r of h im a n d ( I I) terror of h im. O ne d a y it h appen ccl th at h e
. rnct a p anthe r whose f u r was stri p ped , whose ski n wa s to rn , wh o was
half d ead a nd h alf a live [because of hi s] wounds. ( 13) The lion sa id :
" I lo w did yo u ge t in to this co n d itio n? Who scra ped yo u r fUI' a nd
st ri p p ed you r skin?" The p ant he r [said to him] : " It was m an ." ( 15)
Th e lion said to hi m : " Ma n , wh a t is th a t ?" T h e p a nther said to him :
"T h ere is n o o ne m ore cu n n in g than m an . May yo u not fa ll into th e
h.u u l o f m an !" T h e lion be came e nraged agains t m an . H e r a n away
lru m ( 17) th e p anth er in o rde r to search for [m an ].
The lion e ncou n te re d a te am yo ke d - - - - - - . . . so t h at o n e
II h il'l wa s in t h e m outh of th e h o r se , th e other Fbitl [in th e ] m outh of
IIll' d onke y. ( 19) T he lion sa id to th em : " W h o is h e wh o h as d on e this
to YOII?" Th e y sa id : " It is m an , o u r mas ter," H e sa id to th em : " Is man
t m n g-c r' than yo u?" The y sa id : " 0 111' lo rd , th e re is n o o ne mo re
, n n n ing- t ha n llla n . Ma y yo u n o t fall int o (2 1) th e h a n d o f ma n!" T he
lion beca m e e nraged agai ns l ma n ; hc ran a way fr om th em .
158 ANCIENT EG YPTI AN LIT ERATURE
The sa me h ap pe ne d to him with a n o x and a co w, whose horns
were clipped, whose noses (23) were p ierced, and whose heads were
ro ped . He q u estio ned them ; th ey to ld him th e sa m e .
The sa me h appened with a bear wh ose claws had been removed
a n d whose (25) teeth had been pulled . H e as ked him , say ing: " Is
man stro n ge r th an yo u?" H e said: "T hat is th e tru th. I had a se rva n t
who prepared my food. He sa id to me: 'Truly, (27) your claws stick
o ut" from yo u r fles h ; yo u ca n no t p ick up food with them. Yo ur teeth
protru d e ; they do no t let the food re ach (29) your m ou th . Release me ,
a n d I 'will ca u se you to pick up twice as much food! ' W hen I released
him , h e re moved m y cla ws a nd m y teeth. I have no food and no
strength (3 1) withou t th em! He stre wed sa nd in my eyes and ran away
from m e ." T he lion becam e e n raged agai ns t man. H e ran away from
th e bear in order to search for man.
(33) H e m et a lio n wh o was [tied to] a tree of the d esert, the trunk
be ing closed o ver h is paw, a nd he was ve ry d istressed because he
co u ld not ru n away . The lio n (18, 1) said to him : " H ow did youget
in to th is ev il co nditio n? Wh o is h e who did this to yo u?" T he lion said
to him : " It isma n! Be wa re , d o not trust him ! Man is bad . Do not fall
(3) in to the h a nd o f m an! I had sa id to h im : 'Wha t wo rk d o yo u d o ?'
H e sa id to m e : 'My work is giving old age. I can mak e for you an
amu let, so t hat you will never di e . Co rne, (5) I will cu t a tree fo r yon
and pl ace it o n yo u r bod y as an amulet, so that you will never di e .' I
went with him. H e ca me to thi s tree of th e mountain , sawe d it, and
sa id to me: 'Stre tch o u t (7) yo u r paw.' I put m y paw between till'
tr u n k; h e sh u t its m outh on it." When he had ascerta ined of me thai
m y p aw was fasten ed , so th at I co u ld not run after hi m , he strewed (9)
sand into my eyes a nd ran awa y from m e ."
T h en th e lion laugh ed a nd said: "M an , if you sh ou ld fall into my
h and , I sha ll give yo u th e p ain th at you in flicte d o n ( I I) my
co m pa n ions o n the m ou ntain !"
Th en, as th e lion was walki ng in search o f man , th ere strayed inlo
his paw a littl e mo u se , sma ll in size , ( 13) tin y in sha pe. Wh en h e was
about to cr us h h im , th e mouse sa id to h im : "Do not [cr ush ] me , my
lo r d th e lion! If yo u ea t me yo u will no t be sated . ( 15) If you release'
m e yo u will n ot hu nge r fo r m e ei ther. If yo u give me my breat h (01
life ) as a gift , I sha ll give you you r own breath (of life) as a gift. If yon
spare me fr om you r d estru ction , I sh all mak e you ( 17) esca pe from
yo u r misfortun e ." Th e lion lau g hed at th e mouse a nd said : " Wha t is it
th a t yo u co u ld [do] in fac t?' Is the re a nyone o n ea rt h wh o won ld
a tt ack me ?" ( 19) But he swo re a n oath before him , saying: " I shall
make you esca pe from you r m isfortune on yo u r bad da y!" Now
a lthough th e lion co ns idere d the words o f the mou se as ajoke , (2 1) hI'
DEMOT IC LIT ER AT URE 159
reAe cted , " I f 1 ea t him I sha ll indeed not be sa ted," a nd he re leased
h im .
Now it h a ppe ned tha t there was a hu n tsman with a net who set
traps (23 ) a nd had du g a p it before th e lio n. The lio n fell into the pit
a n d fe ll into the h and o f man . H e was placed in th e net, he was bound
with (25) dry (leathe r) stra ps, h e was tied with raw stra ps . Now as he
la y su ffe r ing o n th e mounta in , in th e seve n th hour o f the night , Fate'
wished to m a ke h is j ok e" co me true , (27) because of th e boast ful words
tha t the lio n h ad sp o ke n , and m ade the littl e mo use stand before th e
lio n . H e said to hi m : " Do you re co gnize m e ? I am to e little mouse (29)
to whom yo u gave h is breath (o f life) as a gift. 1 have co me in ord er to
repay yo u fo r it today, a nd to rescu e yo u from your mi sfortune , since
yo u a re suffe r ing. It is beau tiful to do good (3 1) to him who d oes it in
tu rn. " T h en th e mouse set his mouth to th e fette rs of the lion . H e cu t
th e d ry stra ps; he gnawed through all th e ra w straps (33) wit h wh ich
he h ad been bou nd, a n d released th e lio n from his fetters . T h e mou se
hid hi mse lf in h is ma ne , and h e we nt o ff with him to th e mou n tain o n
ih at d ay.
NOTES
I. T he phrase ir 3w '3(. !) occurs six times, and in all but the last occur-
rence it is construe d with n tr.t. While the meaning "suffer at the hand of
~ an " would also be possible here and in the next instance (17/2 0 - 2 1), it
IS un likely in the third instan ce (18/2 -3) and impossible in the fourth
( 18/ 10). Wit!1OUl "at the hand of," it mean s "to suffer" (18/30); cr. Glossal',
p. 22, and Cerny, Copt. Die., p. 14 I.
2. T his is the required meaning but it is not clear what word is writ-
en; perhaps ft;y, "high," in the sen se of "long"?
.3. Le., th e man sawed the tree tru nk lengthwise, held the cleft open
WIth a wedge, and whe n the lion had inserted his paw he removed the
wedge , and the cleft snapped shut.
4. Lit., "in the end ."
5. T he god Shay, the personified fate.
6. T he promi se of the mou se which the lion had treated as a joke.
THE INSTRUCT IO N OF AN KHSHESHO NQ
P. British Museum 10508
Acq ui re~ .by the B:itish Museum in 1896, the pap yrus was in a dam-
aped condition and Its provenance is unknown. It consists of twenty-
eight columns (or pages) with lar ge part s missing fro m pages I and 2.
From pages 24 onward holes and considerable rubbing of the surface
have ma? e much of the lines ill~gib le. In add ition, the top edg e of the
pap yr us IS damaged throughout Its whole length, so that all first lines are
I ~ l i ssi.n g. T he hand wri.ting is of late Ptolemaic date, while the composi-
lion Itself may be ea rlier: no firm dating has yet been achieved.
160 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERAT UR E
Like earlier Instru ctions, the text has an introductory narrative which
purports to describe th e circu mstances th at led to th e compositio n of the
maxims, a nd, like its protot ypes, th e introduction is a literary device and
a fiction . The inventor o f thi s introduction must hav e striven for origi-
na lity, for he placed th e composition of th e maxims into the setti ng of a
foiled plot against the life of a Pharaoh .
Ankhshesh onq , a priest o f Re at He liopolis, has co me to visit his boy-
hood frie nd Harsies e at Memphis, where th e latter has recentl y obta ine d
the po sition o f ch ie f ro yal ph ysician. Ankhsh eshonq has a personal prob-
lem for whi ch he seeks the help of his friend . Ha rsiese invites him to stay
with hi m for a lo ng tim e and co nfid es in him that he and ot her co urt iers
a re plotting to kill Ph araoh . Ankhsheshonq trie s unsu ccessfully to di s-
suade his friend fr om the p lo t. Their conversa tio n is overheard by a ser-
vant who reports it to the kin g. Harsiese 'a nd th e other plott ers are exe-
cuted, and Ankhsheshonq is sent to prison for having failed to inform
the king. Languishing in prison he composes th e I nstru ctio n fo r the
benefit of his yo u ngest so n.
The m ax ims th at follow th e introd uc tion d iffer co nsidera bly from
earlier Instructions. Whereas th e o lder Instru ctio ns were com posed of
interconn ected groups o f sentences that taught moral lesso ns through
drawing vignettes of life , th e Instruction of Ank hsheshonq and other
Demotic Instructions as well co nsist o f single, sel f-co ntained prose sen -
ten ces , ea ch occupying o ne lin e on th e page . Several success ive se ntences
may, but n eed not, deal with th e same topic; and no attempt is mad e to
bring all sta teme nts on o ne topic into one seque nce . Thus th e content is
diverse and misce llaneous .
The particu lar flavor of the Instruction o f Ankhsheshonq co mes from
its com bina tion o f pragm atism and humor. The morali zing is down-to-
earth an d ut ilitarian rather th an lofty and idealist ic, so mu ch so th at
so metimes ex pe d iency takes the place of moral principle. The sayings
are either p hrased as commands or as genera lized observations, and
man y o f them, especially of th e latter type, may have been proverbs. Bu t
unless th e y are repeated more th an once in this text or elsewhere,
we ca n not be sure th at they were prov erbs. Like all Instructions, th is
one must have been co mpo sed, or co m piled, by a member o f th e scribal
class, and the say ings are ad d r essed to everybody , especially to the
average man. P. Walcot's attempt to find signifi cant resemblances be-
twe en the I nstru ctio n o f Ankhsheshonq a nd Hesiod's Works and Days is
unconvin cin g.
The text presents numerous diffi cu lties. Glan ville's first edi tio n mu st
be stu d ied in co nj u nctio n with Stricker's anno tate d Dutch translatio n
wh ich contains many improvements. In particu lar, Stri cker ado pted a
n umber o f textual readings differing fr om Glanv ille's, alm ost all 0 1
which I h ave accepted. They are ident ified in my notes.
Publicat ion: S. R. K. Glanville, Catalogue oj Demotic Papyri in the B ritlsl,
Mus eum, Vo l. II, Th e Instructions oJ'Oncksheshonqy (British Mus eum Pa!'Y'lII
10508) (London, 1955) .
Translati on: B. H . Stricke r , " De Wijsheid van Anc hsjesjo nq, " OM I/(} ,
39 (1958), 56- 79 , an no tated Dutch tran slati on . Idem, Voo razia tis..h
Egyptisch Genootschap Ex O riente Lux ,Jaarbericht, 15 ( 1958) , I I - ;IH,
same trans lation without notes. Ilresciani, Letteratu ra, pp. 563 -fiH '1
D EM OTI C LI T ER AT UR E 16 1
Co m ments: A. Vo lten, OLZ, 52 , No . 3/4 (195 7), cols. 126 -1 28.
H . S. Smith ,JEA , 44 (1958), 121 -1 22. B. Ge mser in Congress Volume,
Oxford 195 9, Su p ple me nts to Vetus T estam entum , 7 (Leide n , 1960 ),
102 - 128. R. A. Parke r, RdE , 13 ( 196 1), 133- 135. P. Walcot ,
J N ES , 2 1 ( 196 2),2 15 - 2 19. J. H.Johnson , Serapis, 2 (1970 ), 22-28.
( 1,9) . . . - - - - - - . Phara oh aske d h im m any [things] a nd ( 10) he
a nswe red th em a ll. - - - - - - . . . ( I I) o f the ch ie f ph ysician ; and th e
ch ie f physici an did nothing without co n su lting (12 ) H a rsiese son of
Ramose about it. A few d a ys late r it happen ed th a t the ch ie f physician
went (1 3 ) to his fathers. ' H arsie se so n o f Ram os e .vas m ade ch ie f
ph ys ician , a n d h e wa s given ever yth ing that belon ged to the ch ie f
ph ysi cian (14 ) entirely, a nd hi s brothers were mad e prie sts without
fe e . And Ph a r aoh did not hing wit h o ut ( 15) consu ltin g Harsi ese so n o f
Ramose about it.
A fter this it h appened o ne ( 16) d a y that A n k hs hes hon q so n o f
Tjainufi - - - was in g r ea t trouble. H e thought ( 17) to himself,
sayin g ; " W h a t I shou ld like to do is to go to Mem[p h is] and sta y wit h
( 18) H arsiese son o f Ramose. I h a ve been told h e h a s been m ade chie f
ph ysician [a n d h a s be en given e ve ry th ing) that bel onged to th e ch ie f
ph ysician ( 19) e nti rely, a n d h is brothers have be en m ade priests
wit hout fee . Perhaps the god wi ll put it [in his h e art] to do for me
what is r ig ht. "
H e we nt a way (2 0) f rom H eliopoli s without [in fo r m ing] a ny m an o n
ea rt h o f hi s going. He found a s h ip which was sailing (2 ,x) - - - - - -
(2 , I ) - - - - - - . (2 ) " - - - - - - [st ay] here in Memphis with m e . (3)
- - - - - - yo u r p eople three tim es a m onth. :" (4 ) [A nkhsheshonq
so n o f Tjainufi stayed with] H a rsie se so n of Ramo se ; and h e (5)
- - - - - - to Heliopoli s (to ) h is p eople th ree tim es a mon th .
(6) - - - - - - co n su ltin g a bo u t an evi l 'de sti n yl 3 (7 ) - - - - - -
II a r siese son of Ra m o se , the ch ie f p h ysici an , co n su lte d (8) - - _
A u k h shes h o n q son of T j ainufi a bout it. Then sa id (9 ) A n k h [shesho nq
SO li o fTjai n u fi] to him; " - - - m a y yo ur life p rospe r !' Pharaoh is th e
im a g e of Pre ! ( 10) - - - - - - ' agree to the misfortun e of Ph arao h ?
Pharao h h a s done for yo u m an y good things , [more than to] a ll [th e
ro u rtie rs o f ] the p a la ce . You we re brought to the p a lace when yo u
( I :! ) h ad n oth ing in th e wo rld. H e a p pointed yo u c h ie f ph ysici an. H e
1"1 yo u b e gi ve n e ve ryt h ing that be lon ged to the ch ie f ph ysician
1'111 i rel y. ( 13) H e had yo u r brothers mad e priests without fe e . Is what
' O il a rc doi n g in r eturn to h av e h im ki lled ?" Sa id h e ; " Let go ( 14) of
u u-, A n k h s hes honq so n o f Tjai n u fi. The r e is n othin g to th e wo rds yo u
ha vc said . T he co u ncillo rs." th e genera ls , ( 15) th e g ran dees o f the
pala t c a re a ll a greed to do it. "
162 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
Now it happened that everyth ing ( 16) Harsiese so n o f Ramose was
say ing to A n khs hesho nq so n of Tjain u fi, a nd th at Ank hshes ho nq said
to h im ( 17) in reply- th ere was a ma n of the house hold fJ nsid e' 7 a
[pl ace] wh ere he he ard the voices of th e two men who was called
W ahibre-(l8 )m akh y so n of Ptah ertais. It was th e turn of th is same
m an " to lie d own tha t night in the ves tibu le ( 19) o f th e privat e
cha m be r" wh ere Ph a raoh was. When [night ] came h e lay d own in th e
vesti bu le o f the (20) pri vat e cha mber whe re Pharaoh was.
In th e 8t h hour o f th e night (2 1) Pharaoh awoke, un covered his
fa ce , a nd ca lled o ut, sayi ng, "Who is ou tside?" Wahibre-makhy (22)
son o f Pta hertais answered h im . Ph a rao h said to h im : "Woe - --,
wo e a t th e h and of Pre a nd th e gods who are (3 ,x) - - - - - - (3, 1)
___ _ _ _ .' 0 (2) - - - - - - wh en h e had [rsaid 1 ] - - - - - - , he said :
"S hall I (3) be saved , sha ll I be saved, Wahibre-makh y so n of
Ptahertais. sha ll I be saved?" He said : "Yo u will be saved by the hand
of Pre a nd (4) th e gods who a re with him , a nd great Neith, the
m other, the great go d dess , sha ll place th e peopl es o f th e wh ole (5)
ea rt h beneath th e feet o f Ph araoh ." He rel at ed to Pha raoh every th ing
he h ad o ver hea rd (6) Ha rsiese so n of [Ra]mose say ing to An khshe -
sh on q so n of Tjainu fi a nd what An khshes honq had sa id to hi m (7) in
re p ly, with out a lte r ing a single word . Ph araoh was unable to slee p till
m ornIng.
Wh en (8) th e morn in g of th e n ext d ay had come , Ph araoh to ok his
se a t in th e h all o f the pal ace in Me mphis . (9) T he m agistrat es stood in
th e ir sta tion a nd the ge nerals in th eir ra n ks. Ph araoh look ed to till'
statio n ( 10) of Harsiese so n of Ramose , Ph araoh said to h im:
" H a rs iese so n of Ramose , you we re br ought to th e palace (II ) whe n
yo u had noth in g in the wo rld . I ap poin ted you ch ief p hysician and Icl
yo u be given everythi ng tha t belonged to th e ch ie f physician (12)
e n tire ly; an d I h ad yo u r brothers mad e pri ests with o u t fee. Wh at hav«
you d one , co ns p iri ng aga inst me to h ave me killed ?"
( 13) He sa id to Ph a raoh: "My grea t lord ! On the d ay o n wh ich 1'1'1'
co mma nded to do good to me he pu t Ph a raoh 's good fortune ( 14) in
m y h eart. On th e d ay o n whi ch Pre co m ma nded to d o harm to mc Ill'
put Ph araoh's mis fortune ( 15) in my heart."
Ph araoh sa id to him : "T he words , since they were said to us," did
yo u say them to a ny man at all?" He said : " I said the m ( I Ii) I"
Ank hs hesho nq so n ofTja inufi , a p riest o f Pre who is here in Memph is
with m e." Ph araoh sa id to him : "A n kh( 17)sh eshonq so n o f Tjainuh ,
wh a t is h e to yo u?" H e sa id: " H is fath er was th e fr ie nd of m y fat h"1
H is h eart ( 18) was much rattache d ' to him ."
( 19) Phara oh sa id: " Let (20) Ankhs h eshonq son of Tjai nu li h
brought!" They ran for (A n khs hes ho nq so n) of Tjai n u fi; th ey mil
a n d retu rn ed brin gin g him (2 1) bef ore Ph a raoh a t O Il CC.
DEMOTIC LIT ER A T UR E 163
Ph araoh sa id to him : "Ankhsh eshonq so n of Tj ainufi , did yo u ea t
m y bread a nd h ear evil against m e withou t com ing to inform me o f it,
sa ying, 'Th e y a re co nsp iring aga inst you to kill you' ?" (4,x) - _
(4 , I ) - - - - - - ' Is wh at yo u are d oin g in return, to hav e him
killed ?'" By yo ur face, m y g rea t lo rd , I did all I co u ld with him , but h e
did not g ive m e (3) a n a nswer. I knew th at th ese matters wou ld not be
hi dden from Ph a raoh ."
As soo n as he h ad sa id thi s, Ph araoh (4) had an altar o f ea rt h built at
th e d oor of th e p alace . He h ad H arsiese so n of Ramose placed in (5)
13
th e fire tog ether with all his people and e very man wh o had
consp ire d in Ph araoh 's d oom . Ph a raoh had (6) An khs hes ho nq so n of
Tja in u fi tak en to th e houses o f d et ention of Daphnae.: " A pe rsonal
se r va nt, a sta ff-(7)bea re r , a man o f Pharaoh 's hou seh old, was assigned
10 him , a n d his food was brought fro m th e palace (8) d aily.
After th is th ere occurred the accessio n-day of Ph araoh . Ph araoh
re leased eve ryo ne wh o was (9) (in) the prisons at Daphnae excep t
An kh sh esh onq so n of Tjain u fi.t" H is heart sank ( 10) o n acco u nt o f it.
li e sa id to th e sta ff-bearer wh o was assigned to him : "Let a favor be
d on e to m e by yo u . Let ( I I) a palette and a scro ll be brought to me .
For I ha ve a boy whom I have no t yct been able to in struct. ( 12) I sha ll
wr ite a n In stru ctio n for him a n d h ave it tak en to Hel iopolis to ins truc t
him with it. " The sta ff-b earer said : " I will ( 13) re po rt it before
Pharaoh first." T he staff-bea rer re ported (14) it be fore Ph araoh first.
Ph a raoh co m m a nd ed, saying: " Le t a palette be ta ke n to h im ; do not
leI a scroll be ta ke n (15) to hi m ." T hey too k a palette to him ; th ey did
not take a scroll to h im . He wr ot e o n th c sherds of j ars th e matters
wh ich h e co u ld ( 16) teach his so n in wr iting.
( 17) T h is is th e Ins tructio n whic h th e divi ne fat her Ank hshes ho nq ,
w hose mothe r' was - - - , wro te for his so n o n the sherds (18) of th e
;;II 'S th at we re brought in to him co nta ini ng mi xed wine , while he was
im p riso ne d in th e house o f d et ention o f Daphnae. He (19) said :
Mistreat me nt and misery, m y g reat lord Pre ! Imprisonment, rnis-
I n'at ment' 6 is wh at is d on e to m e in return for not ha ving killed a
IlIan ! T h is is what yo u d espise;" m y great lord Pre ! Is th is not how Pre
is a II gry with a land ? O h (2 1) you people wh o sha ll find th ese
pu rshe rds. hear fro m m e how Pre is a ngry with a land !
(!i, X) - - - - - -
(!i, I) [Wh en Pr e is a ngry ] with a land h e causes - .
(2) [W he n] Pr e is a ngry with a la nd its rule r neglects th e law.
(:\) Wh cn Pre is a ng r y with a lan d he ma kes law cease in it.
('1) Wh en Pre is a ng r'y with a land he mak es sa nct ity" cease in it.
([.) Wh cn Pre is a ngr'y with a land hc mak es justice cease in it.
164 AN CIENT EGYPTI AN LITERAT URE
DEMOTIC LIT ERAT URE 165
(6) When Pre is a n g ry with a land he mak es value scarce in it." ( 18) Do not pamper yo u r body, lest yo u become wea k.
(7) When Pre is a ngry with a land he d oes not let o ne be tru sting in ( 19) Do n ot p am pe r yo u rself wh en yo u a re yo u ng , lest yo u be wea k
it. whe n yo u a re o ld .
(8) When Pre is a ngry with a land he does not let o ne rreceive ra nsom1 (20) Do n ot h ate a ma n to his face wh e n yo u kn o w no thi ng of him.
[in] it. (2 1) Do not fr et so lon g as yo u ow n so met hi ng.
(9) When Pre is a ng ry with a land he makes great its humble people (22) Do not worry so lo ng as yo u ow n so me th ing .
a nd humbles its great people. (23) Do not fret at all.
(10) When Pre is a n g ry with a la nd he se ts the fools o ver th e wise . (24) Do not fret abo u t yo u r occupati on.
(II) When Pre is a n g r y with a la nd he orde rs its ru ler to mistreat its
(7,x) - - ----
people.
(12 ) When Pre is a ngry with a la nd he a p poin ts its scri be to ru le it. (7 , 1) - - - - -- .
( 13) When Pre is an gry with a la nd he ap poin ts its wash erman as (2) Force [yo ur so n ], d o not le t you r se rva nt force him.
ch ief of police ." el) Do not spa re yo ur so n work wh en yo u can m ak e him d o it.
( 14) H ere foll ow the wo rds th at A n khs he sho nq so n o f Tjainufi (·n Do not in struct a fool , les t h e hat e you.
wrote o n ( 15) the she rds of the j ars th at we re brou ght in to him con- (5 ) Do not in struct him who will no t liste n to yo u .
ta ining m ixed win e , so as to give th em ( 16) as a n 1nstruction to his (li) Do not re ly o n a foo l.
son , a nd which were reported before Ph araoh and ( 17) his great mcn (7) Do n ot rely o n the p roperty of an idiot.
d ail y. An kh shesho nq son o f Tjain u fi had realized ( 18) th e fact th at he (il) Do no t hide a nd th en let yo u rself be fo u nd ."
was to linger in prison since th ey had not re leased him, ( 19) a nd he (9) Do not hide whe n you ha ve no food .
wrote o n th e sherds of th e j ars the matters that he co u ld tea ch his so n ( I0) H e who h id es whe n he has no food is in th e p lace of o ne who
in writing. see ks it.
( I I) Do not go away a n d then co me back of yo u r own acco rd .
(6 ,x) - - - - - - ( 12) Do not run aw ay a fte r yo u h ave been beaten , lest your punish -
(6, I ) S[erve yo u r] god, that he m ay gu ard yo u . ment be doubled .
(2 ) Serve yo u r brothers, th at yo u may have good repute . ( 13) Do not insult yo u r su pe r io r.
(3) Serve a wise m an , th at h e m ay se r ve you . ( 14) Do not neglect to se rve yo ur god.
(4) Serve him who serves yo u. ( 15) Do no t neglect to serve yo ur maste r.
(5) Serve a ny man , th at yo u m ay find profit. ( I li) Do not neglect to serve him wh o ca n serve you .
(6) Serve yo ur fa ther a nd mothe r , th at yo u may go and prosper. ( 17) Do not neglect to acq u ire a ma nser vant and a m aid se r van t when
(7) Exa m in e every m atter, th at yo u may understand it. yo u a re able to d o so.
(8) Be ge n tle a nd p at ient," th en you r heart will be beautiful. ( I il) A serva nt wh o is not beat en is full o f cu rses in his hea rt.
(9) It is in maturity" th at in struction succeeds . ( I~ ) A sma ll man with g reat wra th mak es much ste nc h .
(10) Do not rely o n the property of ano ther, sayin g , " I will live o n it"; ( ~ () A g reat man with sma ll wrath gets much prais e .
( ~ I) Do not say "yo u ng man" to o ne wh o is old .
acqUIre you r o wn.
( I I ) Do not abuse" when you fare well, lest you fare bad ly. ( ~~) Do not be little an o ld man in your heart.
(12 ) Do not send a lo w woman" o n a business of yo u rs; sh e will II" ( ~ :l) Do not speak h asti ly, lest yo u give o ffe nse.
after h er own . ( ~ · I) Do n ot say ri gh t aw ay wh at co mes o ut o f you r heart."
( 13) Do not se nd a wise man in a sma ll m atter wh en a big matt e r i, (H,x ) - - - - - -
waiting. (H, I ) - - - - - - .
( 14) Do not se nd a fool in a big matter whe n there is a wise mall ( ~) I.earnin g a nd foo lish ness bel ong to th e p eop le of yo u r tow n;
who m yo u ca n se n d . respect the people of yo u r town .
( 15) Do not se nd into to wn wh en you may find trouble in it. (:1) Do not say " I a m lea rn ed " ; set yo u rself to become wise .
( 16) Do not long for yo ur hom e wh en yo u do a n erra nd. (,I) Do 1I 0t do a th in g th at yO ll have no t firs t 'exa m ined .
( 17) Do not lo ng for yo u r hom e to drink hee l' in it in midd a y. (!i) Exam illill g ma kes YOll r good fort uu c .
166 ANCIEN T EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT U RE DE MOT IC LITERA TU RE 167

(6) If yo u exam ine three wise man abo u t a matte r it is perfect ; th e ( 17) H e who d oes not gather wood in su m me r will not be warm in
o u tco me lies with the great god ." winter.
(7) Do well b y your body in yo ur d ays of well-bein g ." ( 18) Do not d well in a house in wh ich yo u get no in come."
(8) There is no o ne wh o d oes n ot di e . ( 19) Do not e n trust yo ur wealth to a 'h ouse o f p rofit!
(9) Do not withdraw from a scribe wh o is being take n to th e house of (2 0) Do not pu t yo ur wealth into a house only.
d et ention. (2 1) Do not pu t yo u r wealth in a to wn rto wh ich you must se nd"! 3 3
( 10) If yo u withd raw fro m him th ey will tak e h im to his h ouse o f (22) Wealth tak es hol d o f its o wner.
ete rn ity . (23) The o wne r of a 'co w gets to run.
(I I) Do not go to co u r t against your superior wh en you d o not have (24 ) Do n o t spend before yo u h ave se t up yo u r storehouse.
p rotecti on [again st] him. (25) Spen d acco rdin g to the size o f you r me ans.
(12) Do not take to yourself a woma n wh ose husband is alive, lest h e be- (I O,x) - - - - - -
co me yo u r ene my. (10, 1) Do not say - - - - - - .
( 13) In strait times or happy times wealth g rows because o f spreading
(2 ) Do not say " I a m good at wri ting" - - - - - - .
it. n ) A scr ibe (in) a shipya rd, a craftsma n (in) a . . .
( 14) May yo u r fat e not be th e fa te o f o ne wh o begs a nd is given .
(4) When th e crocodi le sh o ws itself its reputati on" is measured.
( 15) Wh en yo u work th e land d o not pamper yo u r body.
(5 ) A crocod ile d oes n ot di e o f worry," it di es o f hunge r.
( 16) Do n o t say " He re is my brother's acre" ; look to yo ur own. (fi) " What th ey d o insults me ," say s th e fool wh en o ne instru cts him.
( 17) The we alth o f a town is a lord wh o does justice . (7) You m ay trip o ve r yo u r foot in th e house o f a great m an ; you
( 18) The wealth o f a temple is th e priest. shou ld not trip o ve r you r tongue .
( 19) T he we alth o f a field is th e time wh en it is wo rked. (H) If yo u are thrown o ut o f th e hou se o f you r master , be his door-
(20) T he wealth of a sto rehouse is in sto cking it.
keepe r.
(2 1) T he wealth of a treasury is in (be ing in ) a sin gle h and ."
(9) If yo ur m aster is sitting by th e river, d o no t ( 10) immerse your
(22) The we alth o f property is a wise woman. h ands in fro n t o f h im .
(23) The we alth of a wise man is hi s sp eech.
( I I) May m y bro th er be a groom! When he mounts I would boast."
(9,x) - - - - - - ( 12) Ma y m y co m pa n io n say r"Thoth knows not. "l
(9 , 1) The we alth - - - - - - . ( 13) May he n ot d ie for wh om I wo uld rend m y clo th ing !"
(2) The we alth o f a n a r my is its [lead er] . ( 14 ) May the "e lder brother" o f the town be th e o ne to whom it is
(3) The we alth o f a to wn is n ot taking sid es . e ntr us ted!
(4) The wealth o f a craftsm an is his eq u ip me n t. ( 15) May the kindly brother of th e fam ily be th e o ne who ac ts as
(5 ) Do n ot sco rn a d ocument that h as a claim on yo u . "el der brother" fo r it!
(6 ) Do n ot sco rn a r emed y that you ca n u se . ( I Ii) May I h ave som ething an d my brother hav e something , th at I
(7) Do not scorn Pharaoh 's bu sin ess. may eat m y o wn with out abstai n ing!"
(8) Do not scorn a m atter th at co nce r n s a cow. ( 17) May th e floodwa ter never fail to co me!
(9) H e wh o sco rns m atters too o ften will d ie of it. ( I H) May th e field ne ver fail to flourish !
( 10) Do n ot qua rrel" over a m atter in whi ch you a re wrong . ( I !}) Ma y th e poor pl o t o f land be th e o ne that grows fodder III
( 11) Do n ot say " My land thrives" ; d o not cease to in sp ect it. abu nda nce!
(1 2) Do not dw ell in a house with yo ur in -laws. ( ~ ()) Ma y th e co w recei ve her bull!
( 13) Do no t be a n ei ghbo r to yo u r (miste r. ( ~ I) May the son d o h onor to h is fath er!
( 14) Do no t say "I h av e plowed th e field but th ere h as bee n no pay ( ~ 2 ) May it be a m aster's so n who becomes master!
meri t." Plow again, it is good to plo w. (2:\) Ma y my mothe r be my h ai rdresser, so as to do for me wh at is
( 15) Mo re j o yous is th e face o f h im wh o rests above th e field th au 01 pleas ant!
him who spends the d ay in tow n ." ( ~ · I ) Ma y the m oon foll ow th e su n a nd not fai l to rise !
(1 6 ) Do n ot say " It is su mm e r"; the re is win ter 10 0 . ( ~ r,) Ma y ex iste nce a lways foll ow d ea th !
168 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATU RE D E MOTI C LIT ER AT U R E 169
( l1 ,x ) - - - - - - ( I I ) A g rea t crime is what o ne despises,
(11, 1) Ma y I - - - - - - . ( 12) T he wo r k of a fool d oe s not succeed in a house wh e re a wise ma n
(2 ) May I stretch o ut m y h and to m y - - - . . . IS.
(3) May I get to kn o w my ne ighbo r , th at I may give h im m y goods . ( 13) Le t yo ur wife see you r wealt h ; d o no t trust he r with it.
(4) May I get to kn o w my bro th e r , tha t I may o pe n m y heart to him. ( 14) Do n ot trust he r with her pro visio ns for o ne year.
(5) Do n ot be a h indrance" often, lest yo u be cu rsed . ( 15) As long as m y brother d oes not absta irr" from stea ling, I d o no t
(6) Do not ge t d runk ofte n , lest you go mad . absta in from restrai ning him .
(7) Ta ke a wife whe n you are twenty yea rs old , th at you may have a ( 16) Do not retaliate ; do not let one retaliat e aga in st you .
so n while yo u a re young. ( 17) Let yo u r benefacti on rea ch him wh o ha s need o f it.
(8) Do not kill a sna ke and th en leave its tail. ( 18) Do n ot be sti ngy ; wealth is no secu rity .
(9) Do not hurl a la n ce if yo u ca n no t hold its aim ." ( 19) Eve n a kind maste r will kill to have peace.
( 10) H e wh o se nds sp itt le" up to th e sky will have it fall o n h im . (20) T he prudent kille r d oes not get killed .
( I I ) A m an's characte r is h is fa m ily. (2 1) Do no t undertak e a matter if yo u ca n no t ca r ry it o ut.
( 12) A m an's characte r is hi s rdestiny) 42 (22) Do not sp eak harshly to a m an if yo u can no t make h im yield by
( 13) A m an's characte r is on h is face . it.
( 14) A m an's characte r is one of h is limbs. (23) Lo ud is th e vo ice of him wh o ac ts (o r , has ac te d ) becau se he has
( 15) The fisherman rt h rows o n bo a rd ' withou t kno wing that it is the been co m m and ed.
god who se nds to eve ry h ouse . (24) Do no t sa y somet hi ng whe n it is not th e time for it.
( 16) Do not stay o n th e road till eve ni ng, say ing " I a m su re of th e (13, x) - - - - - -
houses ." You d o not kn ow th e hea rts o f th ei r in ha bita n ts.
(13 , 1) - - - - - -
( 17) A magistrate who stea ls, hi s so n will be poo r.
(2) A wise man seeks [a fr iend; a fool] see ks an e ne my .
( 18) Do not 'tie yo u r d onkey's fo ot to th e palm tree' lest h e sha ke it.
e l) H e to wh om a good d eed was done in th e past ca n not re pay it."
( 19) Do not laugh at yo u r so n in front of his moth e r , lest yo u learn
('I)
th e size of his fa ther.
(5) Do not gi ve yo u r so n to th e we t n u rse an d so cau se her to set
(20) It is not o f a bull th at a bull is bo rn .
asid e h er ow n .
(2 1) Do n ot say "The e nem y of the god is alive to d ay"; look to tlu- (li) Th e frie nd of a foo l is a foo l; th e fr iend of a wise man is a wise
en d .
man.
(22) Sa y "Go od fa te " at the end 0 1'43 old agc.
(7) T he frien d of a n idi o t is a n idi ot.
(2 3) Pu t yo u r affairs in the h a nd o f th e god.
(X) The m o ther makes a ch ild, the wa y mak es a co m pa n io n ."
( 12 ,x) - - - - - - (~ l) Eve r y man acq ui res property; it is a wise m an who kn ows ho w to
( 12, 1) Do not - - - - - - . p rotect it.
(2) Do not - - - - - - suffer. ( I 0) Do not h and ove r your property to yo u r younger brothe r a nd
(3) Man d o cs not kn ow th e d ays o f hi s misfortune. the re by mak e him act as yo ur eld e r brother.
(4) Do not e n tr us t yo ur pcoplc" to one wh o h as not ex pe rie urcd (I I) Do not prefer o ne of you r ch ild re n to a no the r ; you do not know
di stress. whi ch o ne of th em will be kind to yo u.
(5) Do n ot d elay to ge t yo u rse lf a tomb o n th e mou nta in ; yo u d o 11 111 ( 12) I I' yo u find yo u r wife with he r lo ver get you rse lf a brid e to su it
kn o w the length o f yo u r life . yo u .
(6) Do not d o e vil to a man a nd so ca u se a no ther to d o it to yo u. ( I :1) Do not ge t a m aid servant fo r you r wife if yo u do not have a man-
(7) Do not be d isco u raged" in a m atte r in which yo u ca n ask (adv io- ) se r va n t.
(8) H appy is th e he a rt of him who has mad e ajud g me n t bc forc a wi. ( 1'1) Do no t spea k in two voices.
man. ( I :,) Spca k tru th to a ll men ; le t it cleave to yo ur speech .
(9) A wise m aste r wh o as ks (ad vice) , his h ouse stands fo rev er, ( I (i) Do no t o pe n yo u r heart to yo u r wife ; what yo u h ave sa id to her
( 10) Disdain ru ins a g re at man . gocs to the stree t,
170 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITER AT URE DEM O TIC LITERATURE
171
( 17) Do not o pen yo u r h eart to yo u r wife o r to you r se rva n t. (3) There is no - - - reach es th e sky.
( 18) Open it to yo u r mother; she is a woman of 'di screti on: (4) There is n o - - - without crying .
( 19) A wom an kn ow s h er own business. (5) Do not say" - - - a good d eed to th is man but he did not ac k-
(20) Instructing a wom an is like having a sack o f sand whose sid e is nowl edge it to m e. "
split open. (6) There is no good d eed except a good d eed whi ch yo u have done
(2 I ) H er sav ings a re sto len goods. for him wh o has need of it.
(22) Wh at she does with her husband tod ay she d oes with a no the r (7) If yo u ha ve reached yo ur prime a nd gained mu ch property let
m an tomorrow. you r brothers be great with you.
(2 3 ) Do not sit down beside yo u r superior. (8) Need , if its co n d itio n becom es known in th e street, is re ckoned a
(24) Do not take a yo u th for yo u r co m pa n ion . di sgrace .
(9) Wh en a yo u th wh o has been taught thinks, thinking o f wrong is
(14 ,x) - - - - - - wh at h e does.
(14 ,1) - - - - - - . ( I 0) When a man has earned his fir st money he spends it o n drinking
(2) H e will m ak e him g ive - - - whil e th e co nde m natio n o f th e god a nd e ating. "
is ye t a fte r him . n :) Wh en a m an smells o f m yrrh hi s wife is a ca t before him.
(3) Do not h ave a thief for a co m pa n io n [lest] he ca use yo u to be ( 12) When a m an is su ffering his wife is a lioness before him .
killed . ( 13) Do not be afraid to do that in whi ch you are right.
(4) Even a small co nce rn has a man in its grip." ( 14) Do not co m m it th eft; yo u will be found o ut.
(5) Shut up a house a nd it will perish as a result. ( 15 ) Do not let yo u r son rparry a woman from a no the r town , lest he
(6) H e wh o is patienr" in a bad situ ation will not be harmed by it. be taken from yo u.
(7) H e who steals from th e property of a no the r will not p rofit by it. ( 16 ) Muten ess is better than a hasty tongue .
(8) If yo u become the co m pa n io n of a wise man whose heart you do ( 17) Sitting still is better than doing a mean er ran d ."
not know , do not o pe n yo u r heart to him. ( 18) Do not say" l undertook the matter," if you did not undertake it.
(9) If you d o good to a hund red" men and o ne of th em ac kno wl- ( 19) Being evil" will n ot p rovide for yo u .
edges it , no part o f it is lost. (~ ()) Glutt o ny will not give yo u food.
(10) Make burnt offering and libation before the god ; let the fear 01' ( ~ I ) If you are sent to get ch aff" and you find wheat , do not buy [it].
h im be g reat in yo u r heart. ( ~~) If yo u trade in straw wh en it is wanted , yo u should not go around
( I I) A thi ef steals by ni ght; h e is found by d ay. with wh eat.
( 12) Do not m ake m an y word s. Do not d o to a man what yo u dislike , so as to ca us e an other to do
(1 3) A house is open to him who h as goods in his hand . it to you .
( 14) H e who is bitten of th e bite of a snake is afraid of a co il of ropl·. Do not consort with a man who is di scouraged a nd who may say
( 15) The m a n wh o looks in fr ont o f him d oes not stumble an d fall. " I a m discouraged right now .....
( 16) Do not aba ndon a woman o f you r h ousehold wh en she has not ( ~ !i ) A hundred m en are slain through o ne moment of di scourage-
con ceived a ch ild. ment.
(17 ) Good fortun e" turns away d estructi on by a great god .
( lI i. x) - - - - - -
( 18) H ono r yo u r (fe llo w)m an .
( 19) Do not let yo u r serva nt lack his food and clo th ing . ( lIi. l) Do not - - - [lest yo u be] poor forever.
(~) Do not - - - - - - .
(20 ) Do not cas t glances at an other's property lest yo u become poor."
(21) Do not trespass on the territory of a no the ... (:\) Do not let yo u r schoolboy son go to the door of the storehouse in
a lean yea r.
(22) Do not put a house o n farmland .
(23) Do not ca u se a man to sue you . ( I) Do not go to yo u r broth er when yo u are in d istress ; go to you r
fri end .
(15,x) - - - - - - (r.) Do nOI drink water in th e house of a merchant; he will charge
(15 ,1) Do not - - - - - -. yo u for it.
(2) Do not - - - so me thi ng wh ich YOll r - - - - - -. (II) /)0 not d el ive r a se rva nt int o t he hand o f h is mast e r.
172 ANCIENT EG YPTI AN LITERATUR E
(7) Do not say "My m ast er dislikes me , I will not serve him."
(8) Zealous se rv ice remo ves disl ike.
(9) Borrow money a t interest a nd p ut it in farmland .
(10) Borrow money at interest and take a wife.
(I I) Borrow mone y at interest a nd celeb rate YOllr birthday.
( 12) Do not borrow m oney a t interes t in o rd er to live well o n it.
( 13) Do not swea r fa lsely wh en yo u are in d istr ess, lest you becom e
worse off th an yo u are .
( 14) Do not ask advi ce from th e god a nd th en negle ct what h e said .
( I S) Do not laugh a t a cat.
( 16) Do not speak o f Ph araoh's bu siness wh en drinking bee r.
(17) Do not m ake a judgment in whi ch yo u are wrong .
( 18) Do not be fainthearted in a bad situation .
( 19) Do not co nceal yo u rsel f fr om a stra nge r who co mes from ou tside .
(2 0) If the re is nothing in yo u r hand th ere may be so meth ing in his.
(2 1) Do not lend m one y at interest with out obtain ing a sec u rity .
(22) Do not be too trusting lest you become poor.
(2 3) Do not dislike one who says to yo u "I am you r brothe r."
(24 ) If m y share in m y father's hou se is sma ll it will not increase."
(25) Do not di sdain a sma ll d ocument, a sma ll fire , a sma ll so ld ier.P"
(17 ,x) - - - - - -
(17,1 ) - - - - - - .
(2) - - - - - -
(3) [Do not] in sult a woman whose husband is yo ur subord ina te.
(4) [Do not rscornl] to do th e work by whi ch you ca n live .
(5) Do not acq u ire good s if you d o not h ave a storehouse.
(6) Do not accep t a gift if yo u a re not go in g to m ak e a co nt rac t.
(7) Do not say "M y illn ess has passed, I will not use medi cati on."
(8) Do not go away (from work) o ften, lest you become di sliked .
(9) Do not cast a weary glance at th e door bolt."!
(10) Do not h asten wh en you spea k before your m aster.
(II ) Do not run too h ard lest you must h alt.
( 12) Do not o fte n clean you rsel f with wat er onl y.
( 13) Wat er rg rindsl ' 2 the stone.
(14 ) Do not walk the road with out a stick in you r hand.
(15 ) Do not .. . a m an before his op po nen t at th e trial."
( 16) Do not walk a lo ne at night.
( 17) Do not scorn yo u r master before a n in ferio r.
( 18) If yo u h ave g ro wn up with a man and are faring well with him ,
d o not aban don h im whe n he fares badly.
( 19) Let him attain his house of ete rnity.
(20 ) He wh o co mes a fte r him will su ppo rt you.
D EM O TI C L ITERATU R E 173
(2 1) A woman wh o is loved , wh en o ne a ba nd o ns her she is (tru ly)
aba n do ne d .
(22) In spect yo u r hou se at a ll times a nd yo u will find its thi ef.
(23) T each yo u r so n to writ e , plow , fowl a nd tr ap against a yea r o f
low Nile , so th at he will re ap th e profit o f wh at he has don e."'
(24) Ga ther dung , gat he r clay, bu t do not make a n occu patio n a lit of
scave nging."
(25) Do not talk much before yo u r maste r.
(26) Be gen tle and yo u r reput ati on '" will increase in th e hearts o f all
m en.
( I S,x) - - - - - -
(I S, I) - - - - - - .
(2) [I f] a ga rde ne r becomes a fisherman his [trees] perish ."r
(:1) If yo u have acq ui red - - - g ive o ne part of th em for protection .
(4 ) [If you ] wo rk the land d o not pract ice dece ptio n.
(5) Better a n hon orable failure th an a half success .
(6 ) If yo u a re powerful th row yo u r d ocuments int o th e river; if you
a re we ak th row th em also.
(7) I f a n inferior says " I will kill you ," he will surel y kill yo u.
(8 ) I f a su pe r-io r says " I will kill yo u," la y your he ad o n his doorstep.
(9) Give a hundred silver pieces to a prudent wom an ; do not accep t
two hundred fr om a foolish o ne .
( 10) He wh o battles to gether with the people of his town will rejoice
with th em.
( I I) The c h ild re n of th e fool wander in th e street, th ose o f th e wise
man rstand before him"} ·8
( 12) H e who hides from his m ast e r will ge t a hundred masters.
( 13) A m an who ha s no town , h is characte r is his fa m ily.
( 14) A m an who has no p roperty, his wife is his pa rtner.
( 15) Do not rejoi ce in your wife's beaut y; her heart is se t on her lover.
( 16) Do not sa y " I have this we a lth. I will not se rve god nor will I
se rve m an ."
( 17) Wealth co mes to a n e nd; se rving th e god is wh at creates (it).
( 18) Do not se nd to someon e wh om yo u d o not kn ow at all.
( I !)) He who loves his house so as to dw ell in it warms it to its beam s.
(20) He who hat es it build s it a nd rmortgagesl .9 it.
(2 1) Do not be d espondent wh en you a re ill; you r landing is not mad e
yet. to
(22) Do not say " I sha ll g ive this p ropert y to th is man ;' if you are not
go ing to give it to him.
(~
- .
' I ) T a k.e a su pe n.o r to your h o use , tak e a n in ferior to you r boat.
(2'1) Wh en Hapy co me s he sets lim its fo r eve ryone .
r
ANCI ENT EGYPT IAN LITERATURE
174
(25) When th e fish is brought up from the water r:It se n d s
71h '
im wh 0
would eat i t~
(19,x) - - - - - -
(19, 1) - - - - - - .
(2) I f you sa y - - - - - - . . , . '
(3) Sweete r is th e water of h im wh o h as gIVen It th an the win e o f him
[Iwh o h as rece ived" ] it. . ( 12)
(4) If a cow is stole n fro m th e field o ne - - - Its ow ner to th e tow n.
(5) If yo ur e nem y seeks yo u d o not hid e ~ro~ him .
(6 ) If a bird" flies to th e pl ace of another It will lose a feather.
(7) The re is n o so n of Pharaoh at night.
(8) If a fool foll o ws hi s h eart h e acts wisely .
(9) A man does n ot lo ve what he h at es."
( 10) Do a good deed a n d th row it in th e wa te r ; wh en it dries you will
find it.
( I I) When tw o brothe rs qu ar rel d o not co me bet ween th em. .
( 12) He who co mes b etween two brothers wh en they qu arrel Will be
pl aced between th em wh en th ey are reconciled . . (20)
( 13 ) If the daughter of th e strong man is th e one wh o eat s, h er rival
is th e d aughter of th e . . .
( 14) If th e son of th e master we re to act as mast er, the people wou ld
not worship before th e god. . (24)
(15 ) Do not be impatient" wh en you are suffering, so th at you pray
for d eath.
75
(1 6) H e who is alive, hi s herb grows.
(17) There is none wretch ed exce pt h im who h as died (or, is d yin g).' "
( 18) With a thousand servants in th e merchant's house th e m erch anl
is one of them.
( 19) If yo u r m aster speaks wise wo rds to yo u , you should ~ear him.
(2 0) A wise m an is o ne who kn ow s wh at goes o n be fore hun .
(2 1) Give yo ur words with yo u r goods , a n d it will make two gifts.
(22) Beer m atures o n ly o n its m as h .
(23) Win e m atu res as long as o ne d oes n ot o pe n it. . . .
(24) A remedy is effe ctive o n ly th rough the h an d of It S p~ys~ctan .
(25) I f you are given b read for being stu pi d you m ay d esp ise m strui
tion.
(20 ,x ) - - - - - -
(20, 1) - - - - - - .
(2)
(3)
(4) End by pl antin g a ny tree , be gin by planting a syca more .
(5) The wa rp d oes not stray away fro m th e woo f.
DEM O T IC LITERA T URE 175
(6) A ll good fortun e is from the hand o f th e god .
(7) A sin g le" plowin g does not produce .. .
(8) A single 'measu r ing" is not adequat e .
(9) The h issing of th e sna ke is m ore effec tive th an th e bra yin g o f th e
d onke y.
( 10) The re is a runn ing to wh ich sitting is preferabl e.
( II ) There is a sitt ing to wh ich sta ndi ng is p refe rabl e .
Do no t d well in a house wh ich is d eca ying ; d eath does no t say " I
am co m ing ."
( 13) A sna ke th at is eating has no venom .
( 14 ) A win dow wit h a la rge o peni ng gives more h eat th an coolness .
( 15) All kind s of ca tt le" a re we lco me in a house ; a th ief is not welcome.
( 16) Comi ng close to a foo l is to flee h im .
( 17) If yo u h arness a big team yo u ma y lie d own in its shade .
( 18) H on or th e old m en in your heart , a nd you will be honored in the
hea r ts of all m en .
( 19) A woman lets h erself be lo ved acco rdi ng to the characte r of her
husband.
A m an d oes not ea t wh at is under hi s eyes .
(2 1) Even if filled with soap, a storehouse yields a profit.
(22) The waste o f a house is not dw elling in it.
(23) The wa ste o f a wom an is not knowing her.
The waste of a donkey is ca r r ying bricks.
(25) The wast e of a boat is ca r r yin g stra w.
(2 I,x) - - - - - -
(2 1, 1) The r e is no - - - - - - .
(2) There is no - - - - - - .
(:\) The re is no - - - - --.
(.1) The re is no too th th at rots ye t stays in p lace .
(:,) There is no N u bia n wh o leaves his skin."
(Ii) The re is no fr iend wh o goes by alo ne .
(7 ) T here is no wise m an who co mes to g rief.
(H) T h ere is no foo l wh o find s profit.
(!I) T here is n one who in su lts hi s su perior who is not in turn ins u lted .
( 10) T here is none who abandon s his travel ing co m p an io n whom th e
god does no t hold to accou nt fo r it.
( I I ) T here is none who d eceive s wh o is not dece ived .
( 12) There is none wh o sins yet goes and prosp ers.
( I:\) Do n ot h asten to reach a m agistrate and the n d raw back from
him ."
( 1·1 ) He who is as ha med to slee p with h is wife will not have ch ild re n .
( I:') Do not be g reedy , lest you be sco lded ."
( I Ii) Do not be sti ngy, lest yo u be hat ed .
 AN CIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE DEMOTIC LITERAT URE 177
176
(17) Do not steal copper or cloth from the house o f you r m aster. (24) Killing does not occur withou t the god knowing.
(18) Do not violate a m arried woman. (25) Nothing occurs exce pt what the god ordains .
( 19) He who vio late s a married wo man on the bed will h ave his wife
(23,x) - - - - - -
violated on the ground.
(23,1) - - - - - - .
(20) Better a statue of stone than a foolish son .
(2) - - - - - -
(21) Better no brother th an one who is evil.
(3) - - - - - -
(22) Better death than want.
(2 3) If you are thirsty at night let your mother give you to drink. (4) Silence conceals foo lishness.
(5 ) One uses sunlight - - - - - - .
(24) Do not stay in a town in wh ich you have no o ne . .
(25) If you stay in a town in whi ch you have no on e , you r ch aracte r IS (6) Do not make love to a m arried woman.
your fami ly."
(7) He who makes love to a married woman is killed o n her doorstep.
(8) It is better to dwell in your own sm all house than to dw ell in th e
(22,x) - - - - - - large house o f a n oth er.
(22 ,1) - - - - - - (9) Better is small wealth whi ch is kept together than large wealth
(2) Do not - - - - - - wh ich is dispersed .
(3) Do not start [a fire if you ] can[not put] it [out] . ( 10) A slip of the tongue in the royal palace is a slip of th e helm at sea .
(4) Give yo u r d aughter in marriage to a goldsmith (or, go ld d eal er ); ( I I) A bu ll does not be llow at a ca lf; a great stable is not d estroyed.
[do not] give - - - [to ] h is d aughter. ( 12) The way of th e god is before all men (but) th e fo ol ca n no t lind it.
(5) He who shakes the stone will h ave it fall on his foot. ( 13) "Am I going to live ?" says the dying.'·
(6) He who makes lo ve to a woman of the street will have his purS(' ( 14) Eve ry hand is stretched out to the god (but) he acce pts (only) th e
cu t open on its side." h and of his be loved.
(7) One does not load a beam on a donkey. ( 15) A ca t that love s fruit hates him who ea ts it.
(8) If a woman love s a crocodile she tak es on its charac te r. ( 16) "Your word is my word" sa ys th e weakling.
(9) A woman at night, praise in m idday. ( 17) Do not be active in a ll sorts o f bus iness and slack in your own .
( 10) Do not slander a woman who is be loved. ( 18) He wh o is not slack, his fa th er will be active for him.
(II) Do not praise a woman who is dis liked. . ( 19) The builders bui ld houses , the musicians inaugurat e them."
(12) A foo l wanting to go with a wise man is a goose wantmg to ~" (20) The frogs praise Hapy, th e mice eat th e em me r.
with its slaughter knife , (2 1) The ox en ha rvest the barley and emmer, th e donkeys ea t it.
(13) A foo l in a house is like fine clothes in a win e cellar. (22) Do not rgrovefl ' · before a g reat man.
( 14) A decaying house does not get hold of a stran ger. (2 :~) Do not drink th e water o f a well and th en throw th e pit cher into
( 15) A cr ocod ile does not get h old of a townsman. it.
(16) When you are hungry eat what you despise ; wh en you are sall'd (2 4) Be lly of woman , heart of horse .?"
despise it. .
( 17) He who h as not got his eye o n the river should pay atte n tio n 1" (24 ,x) - - - - - -
the water jugs. . (24, 1) - - - - - - .
( 18) If you com e to say something to your master count on your II" (2) - - - - - -
(:\) - -----
gel's till ten." . . ,
(19) Give one loaf to your laborer, receive two from (the work 0 1) I". (,I) If much wea lth acc r ue s to you - - - - - - .
ar ms. (:,) - - - . . . - - - yo u di e.
(20) Give one loaf to the on e who labors , give two to th e o ne wh« (Ii) Do not m arry a n ailing woman."?
gives orders . . (7 ) I f a donkey go es with a horse it adopts its pace.
(21) Do not insu lt a co m mon man." (H) If a crocod ile loves a d onkey it puts on a wig."
(22) When in sult occurs beating occu rs. (\1) O ne uses a horse to go a fte r a - - -; o ne d oes not take a donkey
(23 ) When beating occurs killin g occu rs . to au ai 11 it.
178 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E D EM OTI C LITER ATU R E 179

( 10) Man is even m o re eager to co p u late tha n a do n key; h is p u rse is ( 16) Spen d o ne yea r ea ting wh at you po ssess, so th at you spen d three
what re strain s h im ." yea rs - - - the bank.
( I I) One g ives bread to th e in specto r for in spectin g ; if he d oes not ( 17) Do no t m a r ry a n im pio us woma n, lest she give you r ch ild ren an
insp ect o ne cuts it off. im pious upbrin ging .
( 12) Yesterday's d ru nke n ness does not quench today's thirst. ( 18) If a woma n is at peace with her husban d they will ne ver fare
( 13) Be tter to - - - hun ger than to die of want. badl y.
(14 ) Do not be asha med to d o yo u r - - - witho u t blam ing it. ( 19) If a wo ma n Whis pers abo ut h er husband [they will never] fare
(15) If yo u qua rrel with you r - - - d o no t tell him yo u are patien t." well.
( 16) If a tow n comes to . . . - - - - - - . (20) If a woman d oes no t desire the p rope rt y of he r h usban d she has
( 17) If a tow n co mes to ru in - - - - - -. a nother m an [in her] hea rt .
(18) He who d oes no t ca r ry h is fat her's wheat will carry ch a ff''" f tol (2 1) A low wo rnan'" does not h ave a life.
their storehouses . (22) A ba d wo ma n d oes not h ave a husband .
( 19) Do not ta ke ch a rge o f a ma tter if yo u ca nnot tak e ch a rge to its (23) T he wife ofa foo l . . . - - - - - - .
en d . (24 ) - - - - - -
(20) A wo ma n is a sto ne q uarry; th e . .. exploits he r.
(2 1) A good woma n of noble cha racter is food ' " tha t co mes in time o f' (26,x) - - - - - -
hunge r. (26, I ) - - - - - - .
(22) My son is useless if I do no t . .. - - - . (2) - - - - - -
(23) My servant is usel ess if he does not d o my work . (3) [There is] - - - [for fthrowingl] a m an o u t.
(24) My brother is usel ess if he d oes not take ca re o f me . (4) Th ere is a stick fo r bringing h im in.
(25, x) - - - - - -
(5) There is imprisonment for giving life.
(6) There is release for killing.
(25 ,1) - - - - - -.
(2) - - - - - - (7) There is h e wh o saves and d oes not p rofi t.
(8) All a re in th e h and o f th e fat e an d th e go d .··
(3) -- - ---
(9) All sic kness is troublesome; the wise m an kn ows how to be sick. '?"
(4) More nu[merous a re the] - - - o f th e god - - - th an th e ap-
( 10) A d eed happens to its d oer.!"
pearances o f Pre in the great hall .
( I I) The go d look s in to th e h eart.
(5) If [a wo ma n is at peace] wit h her husband it is th e influences o f'
( 12) [It is] in battle tha t [a man] finds a brothe r.
th e go d . .
( 13) It is o n the road tha t a m an find s a co m pan io n.
(6) Do not se ll you r house an d you r income for the sake of o ne d ay
( 14) The plans of the go d are one thi ng, th e th ou gh ts o f [m en] are
a nd the n be poo r fo reve r.
anothe r. 10 2
(7) Do not remove a common man'" from the property of Ph araoh ,
( 15) T he pla ns of the fish e rmen are one th ing, - - - - - - .
lest h e d est ro y yo u and yo u r fami ly.
( 16) If a merch a nt fin ds a me rc ha nt - - - - - - .
(8) Do n ot ta ke - - - of a woman to yo u r heart.
( 17) T here is one who plows yet d oes not [reap] .
(9) She is a h a rm ful wom an who does not leave a tree unda m aged .
( 18) T here is he who rea ps':" yet does n ot [rear ].
( 10) Lea rn h ow to send (a report) to the palace of Ph araoh .
( 19) He whose . . . - - - - - - .
(I I) Learn h ow to sit in the p rese nce of Ph araoh.
(20) He who bea rs . . . - - - - - - .
( 12 ) Learn t he co nsti u uion'" of th e sky. (2 1) He who d igs a p it .'0.
( 13) Learn the constitution o f th e earth.
(22 ) I lo ve m y fr iend - - - - - - .
( 14) Ma y th e h eart of a wife be the heart of her husba nd , that the y
(2 :~) T here is no grea t prot ection - - - - - - .
may be free of st rife.
( 15) C hoose a pruden t husban d fo r you r d aughte r ; d o not ch oose fill (27,x) - - - - - -
he r a r ich h usba nd . (27 , 1) - - - - - - .
180 ANCIENT EGYPT IAN LITERATURE DEMOTI C LITERATURE 181

(2) NOTES

(3) A foo l who does not know - - - - - - 1. I.e. , he died .

(4) Do not cause another to be well off - - - you are badly off your- 2. In th e missing lines it will have been told th at Harsies e invited
self. Ankhsheshonq to stay with him for a long time and ad vised him to com-
municate three tim es a month with his family in Heliopolis.
(5) If - - - - - - to the ground .
3. The word 3brt, not known from other texts, recurs in line 11/12
(6) where the meaning ~ d esti ny" would be very suitable. The missing lines
(7) If a wife is of nobler birth than her husband he should give wa y will have told how H arsiese got involved in the conspiracy against
to her. Pharaoh .
(8) - - - - - - say to him "Do not," he says "I will ." 4. Read p3y .k 13w my wr/J as proposed by Stricker.
5. The missing words will have been something like "How can you ,
(9) If one orders you - - - - - - your flesh . . .
Harsiese," and so on .
(10) Another's instruction does not enter the heart of a fool ; what is 6 . Read knb .t rather th an s3w. t, also in lines 3/9, 11/17 , and 21/1 3
in his heart is in his heart. (Stricker) . •
(II) Do not say - - - - - - . 7. I read hr ibn; see Glossar, p . 624.2.
(12) - - - - - - because of the god . 8. The words rn 1'3 rmt rn.f form th e beginning of the sentence .
9. On ~n~.t, which I take to be "private chamber," see my n . 7 on
( 13) A m an who reviles the people of his town is wretched forever.
p. 15 I.
(14) Do not dwell in a house cu r sed by the god ,'OS lest his destruction 10. Pharaoh had a bad dream in which his life was threaten ed .
turn a g a in st yo u. 11. Read n .n (Stricker) .
( 15) Do not - - - - - - . 12. Ankhsheshonq defends hims elf by quoting the words with which
(16) If one leaves a wise man - - - he perishes. he had tried to dissuade Harsiese .
13. Read 1'3 'b, without hmt (Stri cker ).
(17) If I make - - - - - - I find my right.
14. InJEA , 54 (1968 ), 2 12 n . I , H . S. Smith identified th e pla ce-n am e
(18) If I fear - - - - - -. as Daphnae .
( 19) If you do not - - - - - - . . . 15. Smith (ibid., pp. 209-2 14) showed that t, ·-nsw was th e term for
(20) Do not - - - - - - your enemy - - - . the accession of Pharaoh and also for its a nn iversa ry, and he dis cussed
(21 ) If you - - - - - - the god . the practice of amnesty .
16. On hbr, "abuse, mistreat , torment," wh ich recurs in 6/11, see
(22) Do not ca ll - - - if he is [not] with you.
Glossar, p . 273 , and Instruction of Papyrus Insinger where it is used six
(23) times .
17. Bty.t, "abomination, contempt," recurs in 19/25 and 22/16, and
(28,x) - - - - - - the verb in 12/11 and 22/16 . It is the old word bw.t (Wb . 1,453) and it is
distinct from btui, "crime," derived from bt3 (Wb . 1,483) ; see G. R. Hughes,
(28,1) - - - - - -.
JEA , 54 (1968), 18 I.
(2) Do not say " I am [rich] in goods" - - - - - - one greater th an 18. Or, "priesthood ."
you. 19. Compare P . Ins inger 31/13.
(3) Speak kindly [to your] servants - - - - - -. 20. The reading tp-mr-ms : was proposed by G. R. Hughes in G . Mattha
and G . R. Hughes, Th e Demotic Legal Code of H ermopolis W est (Cairo,
(4) Do not have a merchant for a friend ; [he] lives for taking a slice .'?"
1975) , p. 68.
(5) Do not let - - - linger - - - without inquiring after her. 21 . Lit., "Be small of wrath, wide of heart." "Small of wrath" re curs in
(6) 7/20 and 17/26 , and "wide of heart" in 14/6 and 24/15. Both terms are
(7) Do not often speak wrarhfully'?" to a common man, le st you 1)(' common in P . Insinger, where "wide of heart" clearly means "patient."
scorned . 22 . Stricker identified 13y-3my.t with Bohairic Ii-maie, "grow in size,
(8) Do not often speak - - - to a common man , lest he be ruin ed . . , increase"; se e also Cerny, Copt. Die., p. 77 . This id ent ificatio n throws
light on the original me aning of 3my .t: it is "shape, form, kind ," hence
(9) Do not - - - - - - find out what you are doing. came to mean "character" and "behavio r. " Its Egyptian antecedent is
(10) Do not weary of ca lli n g to the god; h e has his hour for h earing probably im, im3 , "shape, form" (Wb . 1,78.1 and 80.10) rather than imy,
the scribe. " insid e" (Wb . 1,72). The evo lu tion of me aning is identical with th at o f
(II) Written . Greek tmpos.
182 ANCIENT EG YPT I AN LITERATURE
23. On hbr see n . 16, above.
24. Read nds.t, also in 25/21 (Stri cker).
25. Le ., do not act incons istently. The sam e point is made in a num-
ber of say ings, e.g ., 7/11 , 11/8-9, 16/14 ,23/17 .
26 . T his is th e Eg yptian way of saying "Do not say the first thing th at
comes int o your head."
27 . Read n p~ . w nIT '3 (Stri cker) ; lit., "in the end th e great god."
28 . Read n3y.k (Stricker) .
29 . Read w'.1 (Stric ker).
30 . Read tm! (Stri cker).
3 1. Read !.Ip I' ~ry, "rests ab ove" (Stricke r) . I am rendering th e parti-
cip le iiI' as the present tense; see nn . 76 a nd 86, below .
32. Adopting Stricker's rend ering of n3.w nkt as "income."
33. Le ., "in a town which is far from you"?
34. Sf".I, " repu tatio n, respect," as in 17/26.
35 . The word th at Glanvi lle re ad 311 is in fact 3rt. The horizontal line
of the a llege d I be longs to the determinat ive . The shortness of the I' be-
fore I is common in words containing the pair 1'1 (also short first I jn the
pair Il). The word 31'1 is surely Coptic aIM, "be worried ," for which Cerny,
Copt. Dic., p. 5, sup p lies a very p lau sible Lat e-Egyptian anteced ent in 3rr,
"frustration (?)" of P. Brit. Mus . 10083,25. No te the identical determina-
tives in 3 1'1 and 3rT. The meaning "worry" may not be qu ite accurate but
th e re ad ing is certain .
36. Read iw.1 'b' (Stricker) .
37. Read hhs (Stricker).
38. I take this to be the word rim, "be still" of Glossa r, p . 678 . It re curs
in 12/1 5, and as rim' in P. fm inger 25/24 .
39. For sal = s[lt. " hinder ," see GIOJsar, pp. 458 and 461 , a nd sy!ll in
P . l ns inger 26/9 .
40 . I.e ., be co nsiste nt; see n . 25, abov e.
41. Read tJ3 (Str icker).
42. On Ibr; see n . 3, above.
43. Read n pi•.w and compare P. Insinger 19/20 .
44 . Read ms: (Str icker).
45. The co ntext here and in 15/24- 25 sho ws th at.5"/-h3.I, "trimmed 01'
h eart," ca n be a temporary co nd itio n ; hen ce it is likely to mean "d is-
couraged" rather than "heartless."
46 . On dm see n . 38, above.
47 . On Iy sp me aning "repay" see Stri cker and Mylh'''' 15/ 12.
48 . A pun on mui.t, "mo ther," and my.t, "way, teaching."
49 . Lit. , "A man who has a small mat ter, it is that which grips him."
50 . On " wide of heart" = "patient" see n. 2 1, abo ve.
5 1. Read " 100 ," also in 15/25 (Stricker) .
52. I do not think th at .'s-sim nfr means a "good d eed ." The text co u
sistently uses mt.t nfr .1 for "good deed ," while '.i-s/.!n nfT means "good
fortune ," in co ntrast with ~s-s~m bin," which is "misfo rtune, doom ," St '( '
2/10, 3/1 3 -14 , 8/5 a nd 20/6 . Wt.t , "d estruction," recurs in 27/14, a nd s(','
Glossal', p . 106. The meaning of th e saying mig ht be that a state of good
fortun e is a charm that ca n protect ag ainst an ill-d isposed god .
53 . For if', "po or," see Westendorf, Kopt . H w., p . 56 2.6.
54. Lit. , "the drinking of it, th e eating o f it is th e spe nd ing 0 1' it ," (In
13y, "spe nd ," see Glosser, p. 668 .
DEMOTIC LITERATURE 183
55 . Read hb sf (Stricker).
56. I read bin3.! and ta ke it to be the infinitive of bin.
57 . T his is s', "chaff," which recurs in 24/18; see Coptic do, so in Cern y,
Copt. D lC., p . 40 and Westendorf, Kopt. H w., p. 43.
" :;8. Read n?-s'!, a nd at th e end of th e line t3 nty mtw.i (Stri cker). On
dIscouraged' see n . 45 .
59. Read 11~y.1 instead of mW.I and bn instead of In (Strick er) . I take it
t? mean that If a son's inheritance is small becaus e he has brothers and
sist ers he sh ould be co nt ent.
60 . Rea d gl-si (Stricker) .
61. So , following Volten, OLZ, 52 (1957) , 127.
62 . St ricker, !JI, "grinds," Glanvi lle, !It, "flows down ."
63. The meaning of s~ ~ as not been est ablished. Wpy.1 is spelled as in
12/8 a~d .1~/~ 7 a~d h~nce ISth e ~ord fo r "trial,j udgment," not the word
wpy.I, rejoicmg, which occurs m 18/1 0. 'l ry n wpy.1 is likely to be the
"o p po n en t at a tri al"; cf. iry n dd in Glossal', p. 38 .
64. The last words are written below the line
65 . On sksk, "scav enge," see Cerny, Copt. Die.: p. 150.
6 , On "small of wrath " = "gentle" see n . 2 1; on if'· I, "reputation ,"
n. 364.
67 . Read [1.11'] k3rn II' w/.! iw n3yf [m y.w] !if (Stricker).
68. See Glanville's n. 224 .
69. T he. meaning of sr:is not clea r; cr. Glossar, pp. 583 and 589.
70. T./.lT m ~he sense of "be ill," as in 17/7 , provides th e right sense in
co nnectio n with mn, "land ing ," i.e., "death." See also 19/15 -1 6.
7 1. It IS n? t clear what sense shou ld be assigned to WI.
72 . Re ad 'pI, "goose , bird ," a lso in 22/12 (Strick er). -
73. Or, "whom he hates"? Meaning?
74. Lit. , "small of he art."
75 . I. e .: ':a healing herb"; cr. Volten , op. cit., p . 127.
76 . ThIS IS on e of several cases in which it seems to me th at the parti-
cip le iiI'. ma y sig nify th e present ten se; see also 9/15, 12/23, 19/3, and
23/ 13 WIth n . 86 . P. I nsinger has numerous instances of the particip le iiI' in
w ha~ seems.to be the present tense. I have discussed the matter in a fort h-
com mg article.
77. Read ur.t here and in the next line (Stricker).
78. Read Ip n i3w.1 (Str icker) .
79 . Read !JnY;I, "sk in ." Stricker suggested it meant an ima l skin worn as
clothm~ ; Cern y ~ CopI: pie., p . 287, proposed "leather thongs." But the
say mg m j eremiah xlII:23, "Can the Nubian change h is skin ?" suggests
a sense akin to th e bib lical pass age.
8~ . T ak i.ng3n! to be the verb inty, "draw back , hinder" ofWb. l , 102.2- 7
(Stric ker); It re cu rs in 24/1 O.
81. On i tm, "scold , qu arrel" see Stri cker and Wb. 4,55 7. 13.
82 . <?ompare 11/11 and 18/1 3. The repetition is a good indic ation that
the saymg W?S a proverb. A sim ilar saying is P. lminger 25/ 16.
83 . Read 'w 13yf 3sw.1 n n 't.s (Stricker) .
84 . Stricker r.ead ip hr tr.t.k H ' l Ot), which I have adopted exce pt for
th e n u me ral which I re ad as 10 . Compare the writing of 100 in 14/9 and
15/25.
85. R mt '.,3, th e "m ass man ," is the "co mmo n man" ; see also 25/7,
28/7 -8, and Clo....ar , p. 72.
184 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT UR E
86. T his senten ce has been rendered" 'Am I alive ?' asks th e dead
man," or, " 'Sha ll I live?' asks he who has d ied ." But is it plau sible th at in
a wholl y pragmatic In structio n a dead man is mad e to spea k? It see ms to
me th at the participl e iiToould have th e mea ning of a g no mic present ; see
n . 76 . It goes without saying th at as th e question of a d ying perso n , the
phrase "Am I going to live ?" r ecords o bser ved re ality.
87. Read i. ~t. w, "builders," and 13y-'yk, "ina ug urate" (Stricke r) .
88 . Co m pare th e d ifferent re nderings of Glanvi lle, Stri cker, and
Volte n . I ve ntu re th e sug gestion th at ty 3byn might mean "act th e poor
man ," o r , "be ha ve humbly, gr ovel," in contrast with ir 3byn, "beco me
poor," in 16/22.
89 . Does th is mean , j ust as a horse thinks of food so a wo man is by
nature g re ed y?
90 . On t/lr see n. 70, th ough a mean ing like "sad " wou ld also suit here.
9 1. Read hrk, "wig" (Stricker).
92. O n 3n! see n. 80 .
93 . Fo r the phrase m-ir rid nf 'w ~3 .!. k com pa re P. Insingrr 10/1 5.
94. S', "chaff," as in 15/21.
95 . Read tfw (Stricke r).
96 . Read rmt 's3 and see n. 85 .
97 . Read sru (Stri cker).
98 . On nds.t see n . 24 .
99 . Or, "the fate of the go d ." T his se ries of paradoxes, and th e con-
clusion that such paradoxical co nd itio ns are the wor k of fate recall the
ex te nsive use of simil ar paradoxes in P . Insinger.
100. Re ad sn (Stricke r).
101. O r , to bring o ut th e seco nd ten se , " It is to its doer th at a deed
h appens." Here too th e pa rt icip le iir makes goo d sense iftaken as a gnomic
present.
102. This is the proverb, "Ma n proposes, God disp oses," kn own from
Amenemope 19/16 -17. On w!' "differ," see Glossar, 1'. 104.
103. Read 'wy (Str icke r) .
104. As Stri cke r noted , this is the biblical proverb, " He who di gs a pit
fo r another will fall into it." (Proverbs xxvi :27) .
105. Read n p3 ' .wy [nty] S(lW T (Stricke r) .
106. I am guessing that 13y S'! is literally "take a slice" in th e se nse o f
"profiteer,"
107. Read t3y.k b3.t (Stric ker) .
TH E INS TRUCTION O F PAPYRUS IN SIN GER
In 1895, when J. H . Insinger purchased on be half of th e Rijksmuseum
in Leide n the Demotic papyrus wh ich was to bear his nam e, th e 6 13-cl1l'
long papyrus lacked a considerable po rtion of its beginning, a mo unt ing
to abo ut eight colu m ns (or pages). We are thus depriv ed of its introd uc-
tio n and of th e first five and a hal f of its cha pters. The handwriting dates
fro m th e first century A.D. , whi le th e com posi tion itsel f may go back 10
th e latter part of th e Ptolemaic period .
Four fragme nta ry papyri in th e Ca rlsberg collectio n in Co pe nhagen ,
and som e sm alle r fra g me nts in othe r co llec tions, co ntain variant versio ns
o f th e tex t. Hen ce we know tha t this Instr uctio n was a popu lar wo rk
DEMOTIC LIT ER AT URE 185
tran sm itt ed in numerou s copi es, th e tran smi ssion entailing deliberat e
cha nges as well as errors . The version th at we have before us in th e copy
of P. Insi nge r is in fact re plete with omissions, tra nspositions, misunder-
sta nd ings , and ot her kind s of erro rs.
Textual co rru ptio n in th e tran smission of th e te xt was foster ed by th e
fact th at, like th e Instruction o f Ankhshesh onq , the In struction of Pap y-
rus In sin ger co nsists of ind ivid ua l single-sentence maxims , each occu py-
ing o ne line o n the page. But in cont ra st with the very miscellaneous
character of A n khshes ho nq , th e au thor-com piler of P. Insin ger ar-
ran ged the individual maxim s into gr ou ps accord ing to conte nt , a ffixed
suit able d escr ipt ive headings, a nd thus created cha pters whi ch he la-
be led "te ac h ings" a nd to which he gave n umbers. Furthermo re, it look s
as if many of th e maxims were th e author's own formu lations , for the In-
struction as a who le has a di stincti ve and co herent po int of view.
In so me respects th e In struction of P. In singer is u niq ue , es peci ally in
th e use of parad oxical formul ation s whi ch appea r at th e end of each
chapter. Wh ere full y preserved and not ga rbled in tran sm ission , th e
pa radoxical chapte r en d ings co nsist of seven sen te nces made up o f two
pairs of o f paradoxes followed by two fina l conclusions and a refrain .
The whole seq ue nce is designed to qu alify the teaching of the chapter
by pointing out th at th rough th e age ncy of fate and fortune th e god may
bring abo ut co ndi tio ns which are contrary to th e ex pecta tion e mbod ied
in the moral teach in g . For exam p le, th e eighth cha pter warns aga inst
glutton y, recommen d s frugality, and heaps scorn on the glutto n a nd the
rec kless spe nder . Yet th e cha pter ends by observi ng tha t he who lives
wisely an d frugally may nevertheless become poor, a nd he who lives
re cklessly may yet be wealthy, suc h reversals being th e wor k of fat e and
fortu ne sent by th e god .
In th e teaching of P. In singer mo rality a nd piet y have bee n co mp letely
fu sed and th ey are exemplified in th e character o f th e " wise man " who is
capa ble o f e nd u ri ng reversals of fortune andrema ins confide nt of vindi-
ca tion. H is cou nter part is th e "foo l" o r "impious man" whose d isr egard
of th e di vine co m mands makes him co mmit crimes which, inev itably,
res u lt in h is punishment. Like all earlier Egypt ian sag es the a utho r of P.
In singe r be lieved in an all-e mbracing di vine o rder which gov erned
nature a nd human exi sten ce . T o th is basic and tradition al view he adde d
his spec ific notion of fate and fortune as age nts o f change which arc part
of the d ivine orde r th ou gh th ey con fou nd man 's understan di ng.
In its p resen t inco m plete state, P. Insinger begi ns with a page of which
o nly a fe w words remain, and its seco nd page has a n um ber of lacunae.
T he reafter , all pag es are co m plete a nd , includ ing th e fragme nta ry
page I, a mo u nt to a tot al o f thirty-five pages. Volten's imp ortant stu d y
and partial translati on has d on e mu ch to ad vance th e u nderstand ing of
this very d ifficult text beyo nd the level of is first ed itio ns by Boeser and
Lexa. But not all of his emendatio ns are plau sible, and many o f his trans-
lat ion s o f individual passages require mod ification . T ho se of Ve lten's
e me ndatio ns th at I have adopted are ind icated in th e notes.
Publicati on : W. Ple yte and P. A. A. Boeser , Su ten-Xeft, le livre royal;
pafryTlls demotique Insinger, Mo numents egyptiens du Musee d 'An tiquites
des Pays- Bas a Leid e, 34 (Leiden, 1899). Suten-Xeft, le livre royal;
Miti,m en phototypie, Supplem ent a la 34e livraison des Monuments egy p-
tien s du Musee cl'Antiqu ites des Pays-Bas a Leide (Leiden , 190 5).
186 ANC IENT EGY PT IAN LIT ERAT UR E
D EM OTI C LITERAT U R E
187
P. A. A. Boeser, "Tra nskription und Ubersetzu ng des Papyru s Insinger ,'
I nt ernationales Archi v [iir Et hn ogra phie, Vol. 26 (1925) = OM RO, n. S., 3/1 ( 12) T he ren ew al of life before the d yin g' is lea vin g his name o n
(Leiden, 1922). F. Lexa, PaflJrw Im inger: LeJ en.~eignem en u mom,lX ea rth [b eh ind] him .
d'u n scribe egyp tien du premier siecle apres J. -C. Texte demotique avec tran - ( 13) [The] n ame a nd th e burial a nd th e time o f feebleness . . . _
scription, traduction [rancaise, co~mentaiTe, uocabulaire et introdu ction gram-
maticale et litteraire. 2 vols. (Pans, 1926 ).
Study: A. Volten, K openh agener Tex te zum Demotischen W eisheiu buch, ( 14) [There is he] wh o em p loys his life for th e h onor o f hi s fat he r
Analecta Aegytiaca, 1 (Copen hage n, 1940) . Idem, Das D~motuche
Weisheiubuch, Analec ta Aegytiaca, II (Cope nhage n, 1941 ), partial tran- ( 15 ) [There is h e] who ac qu ires blame through cursi ng h is _
scription , tran slation , and study. Hereafter cited as Volten, W elJhelt,bu ch I chara cte r.
and I I. R. J. Williams, Th e M orphology an d Syn tax of Papyrus Ins inger, ( 16) [He is not] m erciful wh o is benefi cent to a son .
Ph .D. dissertation , University of Chicago, 1948. ( 17) Nor is h e evi l who lets hu nger - - - nourish ed h im .
Translation o nly: P. A. A. Boeser, "Demotic Pap yru s from ~OI~a n
Imperial T ime," Egyptian Religio~, 3 ( 1935), 27-63 . F. W. von B 1S~1lI~, ( 18) Retali ation a nd - - - of th e foo l are caused by his own judgment.
A ltiigyp tische Lebens ioeisheit (Zunch, 1955), pp. 9 1- 120 . Br esciani , ( 19) T he [good] fa te of th e good man is given him by his o wn hear t.
Letteratura, pp . 585-6 10. . (2 0) The fate [and] th e fortune th at come , it is th e god wh o sends
Comme nts: W. Spiegelberg, OLZ , 19 ( 19 16), 70-72 ; a nd idem, OL Z , 3 1 th em. [T o tal] : 52.
(1928), 1025- 1037 . P. A. A. Boeser , Acta Orientalia, 1 (1923),. 148-:-
15 7. H . Junker, OLZ, 28 (1925) , 37 1-375. F. Le~a , Arc~, ~ On- (2 1) [ T HE SEVENTH I NSTRU CTIO N]
entalni, I (1929) , 111 -146 . P. A. A. B oes~r , EgyptUln R elIgIOn, 2 (22) [The teaching) to be measu red' in eve ryth ing, so as to do nothing
( 1934) , 1- 5. A. Volten in M iscellan ea Gregoria na, pp . 376- 379 . but wh at is [fitting] .
H. Kees, O LZ, 46 (1943), 16- 19 . R. J . Williams, J EA , 38 (1952),
62 -64. G. Botti and A. Volten, Acta Orien talia, 25 (1960) , 29 - (23) - - - - - - the wise man o f ch a racte r without a p ortion of .
42 . A. Volten in L es sageSJeJ du proche orient an cien , colloq ~ e de Stras- (24) - - - - - -i n the hea rt of th e peopl e [rgi ves1] p rotection rand'
bourg 17 - 19 mai 1962 (Paris, 1962), pp . 80-85 . M. Gilu la, J AO S , respect.
92 (1972), 46 0 - 465 . K.-T. Zauzich , E nchoria , 5 (1975), 119-122. (25) - - - - - - listen in g without blam e .
(3, 1) Do n ot rage aga ins t him wh o re prima nds you becau se h e re p ri-
[THE StXT H I N STR UCT tO N] ma nds yo u in pu blic.
(2 , 1) Good food in hi s time a nd his - - - - - - .' .
(2) Do no t let yo urself be ca lled " the bad man " because of me rciless
(2) Good slee p in th e tim e o f feebl eness - - - - - - because of It. evild o ing.
(3) rw eigh his wish with good n ature j 2 d o not - - - wh at he !co m-
(:{) Do n ot let yo u rse lf be called "the rude o ne" because o f ig noran t
mand s.l sha meless ness.
(4) Do not eat yo u r fill of wha t you lo ve at [the mome nt whe n] he
(4) Do not ( le t ) yo u rself be ca lle d "fool" beca use o f you r th ou ghtless
d esires it. g lu tt o ny .
(5) Do not o u tdo him in d ress in th e street, so th at o ne looks [at yo u
(.'l) Do not let yo u rself be ca lled "who co llects by abuse'" becau se o f
m ore tha n a t him] . violence .
(6 ) Do no t . . . - - - . . . - - - , (! i) D o not Ie t yo u rse If be ca lled "t he prattle r" beca use you r tongue
(7) Do no t sin agains t him in th e days o flife , fo r th en you a re h ead ed is eve rywhe re .
[for] d e ath .
(7) Do n ot let yo u rse lf be ca lled "id iot" becau se o f silence wh en it is
(8) Doin g good to him wh o looks to it is better th a n go ld a n d fine tim e to speak.
lin en.
(Il) Do no t le t (yourself) be ca lle d "st u pid" because o f th e weariness
(9) Do no t fo rget the buria l, d o no t be rta rdf3 about the [honors] wh ich yo u r words ca use.
whi ch the god h as co m ma n ded .
(!) Do not d o wh at yo u d esi re with a woman by cajoling her.
( 10) T houg h th e burial is in th e ha nd o f th e go d a wise man co nce rns
( 10) Do no t speak a rroga nt ly when co u ns eli ng in public.
h im sel f wit h it.
( I I) Do not speak ru d el y whe n a su perio r hea rs yo ur speech.
( I I) T he g race of th e god fo r the man of god is his burial an d h is
( 12) Do no t lead th e way insultingl y be fore o ne wh o is old .
resting pl ace .
( I:\) Do not sit d own be fore a dignitar y.
18 8 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN UTERATURE
(14) Do n ot tie you rs elf to o ne who is [g reater] th an yo u , fo r then
yo u r life will be ruined.
(15 ) Do not go abo u t much with th e fie nd becau se of h is n ame .
(16) Do not consort with [a woman] wh o co nsorts with you r su pe rio r .
(17) If she is beautiful rplace yo ursel f away' from her.'
(18 ) Do not fo rget him wh o m ak es haste and him wh o is strong in his
wo r k .
( 19) In th e h and of the wise man rewa rd and th e stic k are m easu red .
(2 0) Do not be co ncerned abou t vengeance; do wh at is be fo re you.
(2 1) Better th e small (d ee d) of h im who is quick th an th e lar ge o ne o f
h im wh o d elays.
(22 ) Do not m ak e yo ur weight heavy wh en your bal an ce is weak .
(2 3) The fool who is vengeful to th e wretch is o ne wh o falls o n the
battlefield.
(24) rOo no t hurry to fight a master wh ose stick is quick.!"
(4, I ) [He who] is viole nt [like ] th e wind will founder in the sto r m .
(2) Do not h asten to seek a quarrel with a powerful ruler.
(3) H e who thrusts hi s [chest] at the spea r will be st ruck by it.
(4) Do not speak o f royalt y a nd di vinity with hostilit y when yo u are
angry.
(5) The foolish to ngue of th e stu pid m an is his knife fo r cu tt ing ofl
life .
(6 ) Do not sq ua nder th e littl e yo u have if th ere is no storehouse be-
hind yo u .
(7) Do n ot eat th e profit of so meth in g be fore th e fa te h as given it.
(8) Do n ot be g reedy fo r wealth in a lifetime which yo u can not know.
(9) T he impious m an leaves hi s savi ngs at death a nd ano ther ta kes
th em.
(10) Do not by yourself adopt a custom wh ich d iffers from those of th e
land.
( I I ) H e wh o raves with th e crowd is not ca lled" a fool.
( 12) Do not say "th e cha nce is good" a n d forget the fa te in it.
( 13) The impious m an who is proud of himself is harmed by hi s OW Il
h ea r t.
( 14) T he be am th at is longer th an its right measure , its excess is CIl I
off.
( 15) T he win d that is g reate r th an its r ight measure wrec ks th e sh ips.
( 16) All things th at a re good th rough ri ght measure, th eir O W IlC I
d oes not give o ffe nse .
( 17) The great god T hoth has se t a balance in o rder to m ak e ri ~hl
measure o n ea r th by it.
( 18) H e pl aced the h e art hidd en in the Hesh fo r the right meas ure " I
its o wner.
D EMOTIC LITERATU RE 189
( 19) If a learned man is no t ba la nced !" h is lea rn in g d oes no t avail.
(20) A fool who d oes no t know balance is not far fro m troubl e.
(2 1) I I' a fo ol is not bal a nced h e ca n no t live ro ffl a nothe r.
(22) Prid e a n d a rroga nce are th e ruin of th eir ow ner.
(23) H e wh o kn ows h is o wn heart , th e fate kn o ws h im.
(5 , I ) He wh o is ge ntle by virt ue of his good cha rac ter creates hi s ow n
fa te .
(2) H e wh o is wrathfu l abo ut a m istak e is o ne whose death will be
hard.
(3) T here is th e man wise of hea rt whose life is h a rd .
(4) T he re is he who is co ntent with (h is ) fa te, there is he wh o is co n-
tent with h is knowledge .
(5) He is n ot a m an wise in charac te r wh o lives by it (the charac ter) .
(6) H e is n ot a fool as such " whose life is hard.
(7) T he god lays th e heart o n th e sca les o p posite the weigh t.
(8) H e kn o ws the impious a nd th e p ious ma n by h is hea rt .
(9) T here is cu rse o r blessing in the ch aracte r th a t was give n him
(i.e. , the m ).
( 10) T he com man ds that th e god has co m ma nded to th ose wh o are
. good a re in the characte r.
( I I ) T he fat e a nd th e fortune th at co me, it is the god wh o sends
th em . Tota l: 62.
(1 2) T HE EI GHTH I NS TRU CTIO N . Do not be a glu tton, lest you becom e
th e com panion of poverty.
( 13) T he fool who d oes no t co ntrol himsel f will be in wa nt" through
g lu tto ny .
( 14) The fool who h as powe r , wh at happe ns to him is bad .
( 15) It is th e god who gi ves wealth ; it is a wise m an who gu ard s (it).
( 16) The virtue o f a wise man is to ga the r with out g reed .
( 17) T he g reat glo ry o f a wise m an is to co ntrol himself in h is manner
of life.
(18) T he foo l is in bad odor in th e street because of g luttony.
( 19) It is no t o n ly in one way that he beco mes miserable.
(20) T here is h e who (cannot) ea t ye t in h is hea rt desires mu ch food.
(2 1) T~e re is h e who is wea r y from yesterday yet has a craving for
wme.
(22) [Th ere is] he wh o di slikes interco u rse yet (s pe nd s) h is su r p lus on
women.
(2:\) [There is] he who di es in mis ery o n accou nt of glu tto ny .
(6 , 1) [Th e] ev il th at be falls th e fool, his bell y a nd his phallus bring it.
(2 ) [O ne] hu nt s o n th e rive r after the go d (i.e ., the crocod ile) be-
ca use or 3 h is rfrightfu lness:-J
190 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITE RATU RE
(3) Death " comes to the sna ke because of its love of biting.
(4) The one among the cattle th at is the firs t to be sated is the one
th at is suitable fo r slaugh ter.
(5) [One ca tches] th e bird th at Aies o nto th e fish in order to fill its
belly.
(6) T he pigeon brings harm o n its yo u ng" beca use of its be lly.
(7) T he swa llow co mes to grief for its littl e food.
(8) T he life that co n tro ls excess is a life acco rd ing to a wise man 's
h ea rt.
(9) Vegetables and natron are the bes t foods that can be fo und .
( 10) Weal th <f(hroughi } savi ng is the equivalent of labor . ( 19) T he fa te and th e [fortune] that come, it is th e go d who sends
( I I) Illness be falls a m an because th e foo d harm s hi m.
(12) H e who ea ts too much bread will su ffer illness.
(13) H e who drinks too m uc h wine lies d o wn in a stu po r.
(14) All ki nd s of ailme nts are in the lim bs beca use of overeating.
(15) H e who is m od e rat e in hi s manner of life , hi s Aesh is not di s-
turbed .
( 16) Illn ess d oes no t burn h im who is moderate in food .
( 17) Pove rty does not take hold of h im who controls himself in p u r-
chas ing. . (23) T~le foo l who ~ooks at a wo ma n is like a At · o n blood .
( 18) His bell y d oes n ot reli eve itself in th e stree t because of the food
in it.
(19) The foo l h as neither shame no r fidel ity because of his glu ttony.
(20) H e' who is insolent a mo ng men becomes the first among women .
(2 1) H e wh o eats fo r the sa ke o f h is belly is violated by his co mpanions.
(2 2) H e who is glu ttonous through lack o f sha me draws all kind of
bla m e to h im sel f.
(23) H e who eats whe n there is no reserve is one who sleeps while
d eath is before hi m .
(24) H e who spends with out an in come must pay in te rest on inte: csl.
(7, 1) It is a n illn ess wit hout reco ve r y; one reaches d ea th through It.
(2) It is an imprison ment witho ut a future; one is confined forever ,
(3) An o ld man without su bsiste nce, that is an undesired life .
(4) A n o ld man'" wh o h as p ro visions is stro ng for what confro nts him ,
(5) rSavi ngs in th e h ouse are e ffective for eve ry need: 17
(6) T he foo l who forgets the morrow will lack food in it.
(7) T he littl e he h as is good (i.e ., see ms good) if he is sated with
pl enty o f food .
(8) Hunge r is good fo r him who can be sa te d so th at harm docs 1101
befall hi m .
(9) Lawful pu nishment" attains the man who is foo lish becausc 01
h is bell y. . .
(10) A sha meless glutto n draws all kinds o f hlam c to him self.
DEM OTIC LIT ERAT URE 191
( I I) A wise m an is h a rmed beca use of a woma n he loves.
(12) H e who is abstemious with h is be lly and guarded with h is phallu s
is not b la med at a ll. .
( 13) T here is o ne wh o lives on littl e so as to save, yet he becomes
poo r.
( 14) T here is one who does not know, yet the fate gives (him) wea lth .
(IS) It is not th e wise man who saves who finds a surp lus.
( 16) Nor is it th e o ne who sp e nds who becomes p oo r.
( 17) T he god g ives a wealth of supplies witho ut a n in com e.
( 18) H e a lso gives p o ve rty in the p u rse wit ho ut spendi ng.
th em . Total: 55.
(20) THE N INTH I NSTRUCTIO N . T he teach ing not to be a foo l, so that
one d o es not fai l to receive you in th e house.
(2 1) Wrongdoing [occu rs]" to the heart of th e fool th rough h is love
of women.
(22) H e d oes not think o f th e m o r ro w for th e sa ke of wronging th e
wife of anothe r.
(24) HIS - - - attai ns the bedroo m , unless th e h and o f another at-
tains him .
(8, 1) th: [fo ol] brin gs. d is~urbance to - - - beca use of h is p hallus .
(2) HIS lo ve of fo rnicati on does harm to his livelihood.
(3) H e w~o kn ows h ow to hold h is hea rt ha s the eq uivalent of every
teaching ,
(4) I f a woman is beau tiful yo u sho u ld show yo u a re su perior to
her! '
(5) A.good wo ma n who does n ot love another man in he r fam ily is a
wise woman .
(6) T he. women who follow th is teach ing are rarely bad .
(7) T hei r ~ood co ndition comes about through the go d's command .
(R) Th~re IS she who fills he r h o use with wea lth wit hout. there bei ng
an in come .
(9) T here is she who is th e p raised m istress of the hou se" by virtu e
of he r character.
( I0) T here is she whom I hold in co nte mpt as a n evi l woma n ."
( I I) Fear her o n acco u nt o f the fear o f H athor.
( 12) T he foo l wh o wrongs th e mi stress of th e house ," h is portio n is
to be cu rsed.
( 1:1) H e wh? is worthy before the go d will have respect for them .
( I' I) T he re IS he who fo rgets a wife whe n he is yo u ng because h e loves
a nothe r wom an .
 DEMOTIC LITERATURE 193
192 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
(20) Th e fa te a nd the fo rt u ne th at co me, it is th e go d who d et ermines
( 15) Sh e is not a good woman who is pleasin g to a no the r (ma n).
th em." T ot al : 25.
( 16) Sh e is not th e fool o f the street wh o m isbehaves in it.
( 17) H e is not a wise m an who co nsort s with th em ." (2 1) T~E ELEVENTH INSTRUCTION. The te aching how to acqu ire p ro -
( 18) T he wo r k of Mut a nd Hatho r is wha t acts a mo ng wome n. tection for yo urself so tha t yo u are not harmed .
( 19) It is in women that good fortu ne and bad fo rt u ne are u pon (22) To serve by virtue of [h is] character is protectio n for him who
earth ;" seeks p rotection .
(2 0) Fat e a n d fo rtu ne go and come whe n he (the go d) co m ma nds (23) Small wrath, sha me, an d care m ak e th e p raise o f the wise man.
th em. Total: 23. (10, 1) [It is the god who] gives protection to th e wise m an because of
(h is) service .
(2) A w~se m an '."ho ~as a m ortgage gives service for fSec u riti'
(2 1) THE TENTH INSTRUCTION. T he teaching not to weary of in-
(3) A wise man m quie tu d e gives service fur a livelihood.
str uctin g yo ur so n.
(4) T h e foo l who does not give service, his goods will belong to
(2 2) A sta tue of sto ne is the foolish so n whom h is father has not
a nother.
in struct ed."
(5) T he fo ol who h as no 33 protect ion slee ps in p rison.
(23) It is a son's good a nd blessed portion to receive instructi on and
(6) H e wh o h as found his asy lu m is not tak en away by force.
to as k.
(7) He who spends so me th in g o n p rot ection slee ps safe ly in th e
(24 ) No in struction ca n succeed if th ere is d islike;"
street.
(9 , 1) T he yo uth [who] is not spoi led by his belly is not bla med.
(8) He who gives bread (or, a gift) whe n there is an accusation is
(2) H e wh o is abste mious wit h his ph all us, his name does not stin k.
vindica ted with out be ing q uestio ned.
(3) H e wh o is perse ve r ing" and th o u ght ful is ch ose n among th e
(9) He who is parti al in bene factio n a n d partial in service causes
people.
a n noya n ce.
(4 ) He who listens to a reprimand protect s himsel f from a nothe r.
( 10) Do no t withhold yo ur name , lest yo u spo il your reward .
(5) The fa u lt in every kin d o f characte r comes from not listening .
( I I) Do n o t va u nt what you h a ve done as a se rvice, fo r the n you
(6) T hoth h as placed th e stick o n ea rt h in order to teach the fool by
a n noy.
it.
( 12) Do no t approach when it is not the time for it, for th e n YOlll'
(7) He gave th e sense of sha me to the wise man so as to esca pe all
m aste r will dis like yo u.
punishment ."
( 13) Do not be far, lest o ne m us t sea rc h fo r yOll a nd you becom e a
(8 ) The you th who h as respect through sh ame is not scorned with
ste nc h to him.
punishment.
( 14) Do n ot m u ltip ly co m p lain ts abo ut obta in ing a reward wh ich yOll
(9) A so n d o es not d ie fro m bein g punished by h is fat her.
d esir e .
( 10) He who loves hi s spoiled so n will spoil himsel f with him.
( 15) Do no t te ll h im yo u were pa tie nt at the time of his bene factio n.
(I I) T he stick and sha me p rotect their ow ne r from the fien d.
( 16) Do not make free in spea king to him so th at he shou ld kn o w yOll
( 12) The so n who is n ot ta u gh t, his ( . . .)'. ca uses astonishme n t.
we re patie nt."
( 13) Th e hea rt of his fath e r d oes not d esi re a long life (fo r him).
( 17) Do not slight h im in the street, lest hi s stick" ad mo nish yo u.
( 14) The sensible o ne amon g th e ch ildre n is worth y o f life .
( 18) Do ~ 0.t say so me thi ng ev il to him when h e re p roaches you r
( 15) Better th e son o f a nothe r tha n a so n who is an accursed fool.
stu pidi ty. .
(16) There is he wh o has not been tau ght , yet h e knows how to in-
( 19) Do no t say so met hi ng good to h im out of co nce rn for h is enmity."
struct another.
(2 0) Do not say anythi ng to h im when th e re is anger in h is h ea rt.
( 17) There is h e who kn ows th e ins truction , yet h e d oes not know
(2 1) Do n o t sit o r' stand still in a n undertak ing whi ch is u rgen t.
how to live by it.
(22) Do n ot tarry whe n he gives a n o rder, lest his tim e be wasted.
( 18) H e is not a tru e son wh o acce p ts in struction so as to be taugh t.
(23) 0 o no t [h aste n to J d 0 a n evil d eed becaus e h e said so m ethin g
(19 ) It is the go d who gives th e heart , gives th e so n, and g ives Ih,-
tha t sho u ld not be listened to .
good character.
194 A N CI E N T EG Y PTI A N LIT ERAT URE DEMOTIC LITERATURE 195
(11, I) Do not be forget ful at th e tim e o f questioning;" (7) The work o f th e fiend succeeds aga inst th e wise man through
(2) Do not report a t a ll when so me thi ng e lse is in his heart. cu n n ing.
(3) Do not a nswe r wh en he questions you abo u t a n undertaking (8) Do not trust yo u r enem y, lest his heart bring forth cu rsing.
whi ch yo u d o n ot kn ow. (9) The foo l who is in solent is o verpowered by th e fiend.
(4 ) Do not va u n t yo ur livelihood when h e knows it. (l0) The ev il m an tak es two-thirds a nd see ks th e ot her third.
(5) Do no t le t your name co me be fore h im in a ny m atter co nce rn ing ( I I ) Do n ot trust a fool because o f an oa th.
a woma n . ( 12) Do n o t tru st a foo l at any tim e in a n undertaking.
(6) Do n ot carry a word int o th e street from a co ns u lta tion in h is ( 13) The property of a wise m an is lost th rough bein g left in th e hand
house. o f a fool.
(7) Do not acc use h im to ano ther person by blam in g h is cha racter. ( 14) One d oc s not di scover th e h eart o f a man in its cha rac te r if one
(8) Do not be ashamed at th e time of an accusatio n whe n h e qu es- has not se n t h im (on a mission).
tio ns yo u a nd exa m ines yo u . (l 5 ) One d oes not di scover the h eart of a wise man if o ne has not
(9) ryou shou ld serve h im whe n he is near as well as when he is fa r tested h im in a m atter.
from YOU) 3. ( 16) One d o es not di scover the heart of a n hon est man if o ne h as not
( I O) Kn ow th e co n d itio n of h is cha rac te r, d o not d o what h is heart co ns u lte d him in a deliberation.
d espises. ( 17) One d o es not dis cover (t he he art ) o f a trustworthy man if o ne
( I I) If he finds fault with you, go a nd plead with h im un til he is re- has not so ug ht so me th ing from him.
co nc iled to you . ( 18) One d oes not di scover the h ea rt o f a friend if o ne has not con-
( 12) If he gives you a gi ft, tak e it to th e god and he will le t yo u hav e su lted h im in a n xie ty.
it. ( 19) One d oes not d iscover the heart ofa brother if o ne has not begged
( 13) There is no tru e protecti on exc e pt the work of the god. (from him) in want.
( 14) There is no true servant e xce p t the one who se rves him . (20) One does not discover the heart of a son until th e day when one
(l5) He is a wa ll of co p pe r for h is lord in the darkness. seeks goods fr om h im.
( 16) He brings punishment to th e imp io us without protection behind (2 1) One d oes not discover the he art of a servant as long as h is mas-
him. ter f1s not attacked:
( 17) There is he wh o is tormented , a nd it is his m ast er who question s. (22) One d oes not e ve r discover the heart o f a wom a n any mo re than
( 18) He is not a pow erfu l lord wh o gives protection to a no ther. (one kn ows ) th e sky.
( 19) Nor is he a powerless ou tcas t who is tormented . (23) When a wise m an is tested few di scover his perfection.
(2 0) Before the god the strong a nd th e weak are a joke. (24) One wh o is foo lish with his tongue is surely di scovered by many.
(2 1) Fat e a n d fortun e go a nd co rne when he commands th em. T ota l: (25) There is h e wh o trusts th e moment, a nd it go es we ll with him
47. fore ver.
( 13, I) There is h e wh o trusts no one but himself.
(22) T HE TWELFTH I N STRU CT ION .
(2) He is n ot a m an "? o f he art who is test ed in every kind o f behavior.
(23) Do not trust o ne whom yo u d o not kn ow in yo u r hea rt, lest Ill'
(:\) No r is h e a fool wh o is dis covered by exa m in ing it (the behavio r).
ch eat yo u with cu n n ing.
('I) The se nse o f sha me is the gift of god to him in whom o ne trusts.
(24 ) T he blind one wh om th e go d blesses , his way is open.
(!i) He d oes not a p port ion it to th e evil ma n nor to th e impious one.
(12 , I ) T he lame o ne wh ose h eart is o n th e way of th e god, his way j,
(/i) Falseh ood d oes not d epart from th em nor th e cu n ning which he
sm oot h.
lo ves (i.e ., wh ich th ey love).
(2) T he god blesse s trust" with p rotection .
(7) The fat e a nd th e fortune that co me , it is th e god who d et ermines
(3) The ev il man is ev illy punish ed because o f (his) d ecei t.
th em . T otal : 35.
(4) Do n ot trust a f()01 because he brings you (so me th ing) with , I
blessing. (H) T HE T H I RTEENT H INSTRUCTION.
(5) The foo l who see ks to d eceive , his ton gu e brings him ha rm , (!}) Do not trust a thi ef, lest yo u co me to gri e f.
(6) Do not trust anoth er o n the way if th ere a rc no people ncar yOIl ( I O) Beucr a se rpe n t in the ho use th an a foo l wh o fr equents it.
196 ANCIENT EGY PTIA N LITERAT U R E
(II ) H e who fr equents a fool is drawn into crime .
(12 ) H e wh o lives with a fool d ies in prison.
(1 3) The friend o f a fool sleeps bound to him.
(14) The cri mes of a fool harm his own brothers.
(15) A crocodi le in fury harms its di vine brothers.
(16) A fool wh o lights a fire goes close to it and burns.
(17) A fool wh o starts a fight go es close to it a nd falls .
(18) Wh en a thief commits a th eft his co m pa nions get a be ating.
(19) H e who walks with a wise man sh a res his praise .
(20) H e who goes by with a fool makes a stench in th e street.
(2 I) There is he who meets grief because h e has met a fool.
(22) There is h e wh o is far from him , yet he gets into cr ime with out
knowing it.
(2 3) He is not one who co nsorts with a fool who pe rish es through
foolishn ess."
(14 ,1) He is not a wise man wh o sh ows theway to another.
(2) The fate and th e fortun e th at come , it is the go d who determines
them. Total : 17.
(3) THE FOU RTEE N T H INSTR U CTION. Do not let th e inferior man
rule , lest he make you r name th at o f a fool.
(4) If the food is rightl y measured" and th e work fixed, th e servant
is humble be fo re its master.
(5) To slay the fool is to draw him away from his evil cha rac te r ."
(6) A foo l before wh om the re is no stick h as no co nce rn in his heart.
(7) A fool who h as no co nce rn gives co ncern to him who sends him
(on a n e r ra nd ).
(8) The pay due the inferior m an , let it be food a nd the stick .
(9) The inferior m an wh ose face is downca st is o ne who h as been
well instructed .
(10) A fool who has n o work, his phallus does not let him rest.
( I I) If th e stick is far from th e m aster, th e serva n t d oes not listen to
him.
(12 ) The god blesses him who punish es lawfully.
(1 3) And h e is an ge re d if th e fool is left to his stupidity.
(14 ) The ruler is punished for letting the impious man h ave power.
(1 5) The god leaves his city during th e r u le o f an evil master.
(16) Law a n d justice cease in a town when there is no stick."
(17) Grief co m es to th e pe ople th rough the disord er caused by the
fool.
(1 8) Evil counsel comes to the fool whe n th ere is no contro l."
(19) The go d gives power to th e wise man for th e sak e o f co m ma nd .
(20 ) A grea t temple is ruined becau se its lead ers a re in d isco rd.
D EM OTI C L I T ERATURE 197
(2 1) Do not absolve o ne who co m mits a crime."
(22 ) Do not leave th e fool o r th e evil man to th e behavio r th at he likes.
(23) Do n ot leave th e ignorant m an or th e fool at a wo rk th at he does
no t kn ow .
(15, 1) Do not let a n im p ious or inferior man com ma nd the people.
(2) The r e is a tr ace of th e inferior man in the character o f the god ly
m an .:"
(3) H e is n ot a great man wh o is chosen because o f cha ra cter."
(4 ) Nor is h e an inferior man wh o leaves th e way be cause o f foolish -
ness .
(5) The heart an d th e cha rac ter an d th eir owne r a re in the h and of
th e go d.
(6) Fate a n d fortune go a nd co me whe n he com ma nd s th em . Total:
28 .
(7) THE FIFTEENTH INSTRU CTION . Do not be greed y lest you r name
stin k.
(8) A m ortgage with gre ed is coal th at burns its owner.
(9) Theft with greed brings a law ful killing..•
( 10) The god gives we alth to th e wise m an because o f (h is) ge ne ro sity.
( I I) T he wealth of th e generous m an is g reater th an th e wealth o f th e
gre ed y.
(12 ) Greed puts strife and co m bat in a h ou se.
( 13) Greed rem oves shame , mercy, and tr ust from th e hea r t.
( 14) Gree d ca us es disturbance in a fam ily.
(1 5) He wh o is greedy d oes not like to give to hi m who ga ve to him.
( 16) He d o es not think of th e mo rrow because he lives for the mom en t.
( 17) H e d oes not eat his fill o f a ny th ing becau se o f (h is) stu p idi ty.
( 18) Money with greed , its wrong does n ot end .
( 19) Money is th e sn are th e go d h as p laced on the ea rt h for th e im-
pious m an so that h e shou ld worry d aily.
(20) But h e gi ves it to his favorite so as to remov e worry fr om his
h eart.
(2 I ) He who is genero us in giving food th ro ugh it (money ) is o ne to
wh om th e fa te gives it.
(22) Wealth goes to him who gives food through it.
(16 , I) Burn t o fferi ng a nd libation are ap p ro priate for (giving) food.
(2) A fun er al is a pprop riate for giving foo d in it.
(:~) The h e art o f th e go d is co ntent whe n th e poor man is sated be-
fore hi m .
(01) If p rope r ty accru es to you give a portion to th e go d ; th at is th e
portio n o f th e poor.
 A NCIENT EG YPTIAN LI T ERATUR E
198
(5) If much property accru es to you sp end for yo ur town , so th at
th ere is n o to rment in it.
(6) If it is in your p ower, in vite him who is far as well as him who is
near yo u . . one who will (ha ve to) beg his sh are of it.
(7) H e wh o in vites him wh o is far, his n ame will be great wh en he IS
fa r.
(8) H e who loves h is neighbor finds fa mily aro u n d h im .
(9) The go od repute of th e good man co nveys a g re at n ame fr om
one to a n othe r.
(10 ) (Givin g) food without di slike removes all dis like.
(I I) The god gives a thousandfold to him who gives to anothe r at a
feas t.
( 12) The god lets one acqui re wealth in ret u rn fo r d?ing g~od . . bod y.
(1 3) H e who gives food to the poor, the god tak es 111m to himself in
boundless mercy.
( 14) The he art of th e god is pleased by th e givin g of food (mo re than)
th e h eart of the r ecipi ent.
( 15) He who loves to give food to anothe r will find it before him in
e very house. . .
(16) H e wh o hides because o f avarice is like a stran ger who IS hidden .
(17 ) H e wh o is m ean to his people di es without prayers being said for
him .
( 18) A fa m ily of wise me n accru es to him who thinks of rewa rding it.
( 19) The death of the evil man is a feast for th e hou sehold left
behind.
(20) Praise in th e street is the exch ange fo r th e good s of th e sto re-
house."
(2 1) Small wealth with blessing is H apy in h is time of rgrowth} 51
(22) The goods of the greedy are ashe s driven by the wind.
(23 ) There is he wh o buries them wh en they are ga thered, and th en
th e ea r th conceals them.
(17, I) He is n ot greedy a nd stin gy wh o h as a reserve in th e s~orehousc .
(2) It is th e god wh o gives wealth and po verty" acco rd in g to th ai
wh ich h e h as d ecreed.
(3) The fat e and the fortune th at come, it is th e go d who d et ermines
th em . Total: 42 .
(4) TH E SIXTE ENTH INSTRU CTI O N . Do not let yo u r flesh su ffe r
wh en you have something in th e storehous e.
(5) The heart ca n n ot r ise up wh en th ere is afflictio n in it.
(6) Death an d th e life of tomorrow, we d o not know th eir ( nature ),
(7) T oday with its livelihood is what th e wise man asks for.
(8) He who loves to h oard wea lth" will die ro bbed o f it.
DEMOTI C LITERATURE 199
(9) T he good life of him wh o h as become old is provided by rwhat is
in1 his hand .
( 10) H e who is wret ch ed although th ere is wealth in th e storehouse is
(II) He wh o has p assed sixty years , everything h as p assed for him.
(12) If h is heart love s win e , h e ca n not drink to drunkenness.
(1 3) If h e d esires food, he cannot eat as he used it.
(14 ) If his h eart d esi res a woman , he r moment d oes not co me ,
(15) Wine , women, a n d food gi ve gladness to the heart.
(1 6) He who uses th em without loud shouting" is not reproach ed in
the street.
(17 ) H e who is d eprived of one of th em be comes the enemy of his
( 18) T he wise m an wh o utiliz es provisions, his tim e will not become
poor.
( 19) Better is th e short tim e of him who is old than th e long life o f
him who begs (or, h as begged) .
(2 0) The life of one wh o save s (or, has saved) is one th at passes (or ,
h as passed) without its h aving been known .
(2 1) The life th at approaches th e peak, two-thirds o f it are lost. 55
(22 ) He (m an) sp ends ten (years) as a ch ild before he understands
d eath and life .
(23 ) He spends another ten (years ) acq u iring the work o f instruction
by which h e will be able to live.
(18, 1) He spends a nother ten yea rs gaining and ea rn ing po ssessions
b y which to live.
(2) He spends another ten yea rs up t0 5• old age before h is heart takes
co u nse l.
(3) Ther e r e m ain sixt y yea rs of th e wh ol e life whi ch Thoth has as-
sign ed to th e man o f god .?"
(4) One in a million , th e god g iving his bles sing, is he who spe nd s
th em with fate consenting .
(5) Neithe r th e impious nor th e go d ly man can a lte r the lifetime th at
was assign ed him.
(6) He who is fortun at e in his days thinks of death in them.
(7) He wh o th inks o f it (death) fo r the sake of gain , th e riches will
bring about his e nd .
(8) Th e ch ie f d emon is the first to pu n ish (h im) after th e taking o f
th e bre ath .
(!)) Cedar oil , incense , natron, a nd salt are rsmall158 remedy fo r he al-
in g his wounds.
( 10) A merciless infl arnmat iorr" burns his bod y.
r
200 AN CI ENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT URE
(11 ) He ca n no t say " Re mo ve your hand ," during the punishment by
him who deals out beatings.
(12 ) The end of the godly m an is being buried on th e mountain with
his burial equipmen t.
( 13) The owner o f millions wh o acquired th em by hoarding can no t
take them to the m ountain in his h and.
( 14) One does not give a lifetime to h im wh o ho ards (o r, h as hoarded )
in order to leave th em (the millions) to ano th er afte r him .
(1 5) He who thinks o f th e go d a n d his powe r is one wh o d oes wh at he
(the god ) wish es o n earth.
( 16) The gift of the god to th e m an of god is mak ing him pat ient in
his time o f me r cy.
( 17) Great is the affli cti on o f th ose who left th e path at leavin g th eir
savings to another.
(1 8) He who knows wh at is within th e man of god d oes not hoard
riches.
(19) Eat and drink wh en no brother is hungry, wh en no fath er and
mother 'beseachl you.
(20) Make holiday generously as lo ng as no one begs from you .
(2 1) Enjoy yourself with wh om yo u wish as long as no fool joins you.
(22) As for a good woman of proven good character, you will not be
able to blame her on account of it.··
(2 3) A timely remedy is to prevent illness by having th e gre at ness of
the god in your heart.
(19, I) There is h e who uses his portion for himself in a lifetime with -
out blame.
(2) There is he who hoards rich es until death arrives.
(3) He is not the owner of millions in wealth who uses h is portion
th ereof.
(4) H e is not a greed y o ne who is co nce rned for his next d ay's food .
(5) Fate a n d fortune go a nd co me when he (the go d) co m ma nds
them. Total : 5 1.
(6) THE SEVENTEE NTH I NSTR U CTIO N. Do not let worry flou rish lesr
yo u become distraugh t.
(7) If the heart worries abo ut its owne r it crea tes illness for him .
(8) When worry h as a risen th e he art see ks death itself.
(9) It is the god who gives pat ience to th e wise man in misfortune.
( 10) The impious m an wh o forget s th e go d dies stric ke n in his heart .
( I I) A short d ay in mi sfo rtune is many (days) in th e h eart o f th e im
patient man.
( 12 ) The su p p ort of the go d ly man in misfortune is th e god .
( 13) The fool does n ot call to him in trouble becau se of (h is) impiet y.
DEMOTIC LIT ERAT URE 20 1
(14 ) He who is perse vering" in hard ship, his fate goes a nd comes 011
accou nt o f it.
(1 5) The fate together with the god brin g happiness a fte r anxiet y."
( 16) Do n ot be heartso re in (yo u r) town because yo u a re weak.
( 17) He wh o is weak in (h is) town becomes stro ng in it aga in.
( 18) Do not prefer d e ath to life in m isfortune o ut o f d esp ai r.
( 19) Th e god returns co nt e nt me nt, th e d ead d o not re turn.
(20) He creates th e good through th e fat e at th e e nd o f· 3 o ld age .
(2 1) The wea k man who has n o resentment, his foo d is not hard .
(2 2) Wh at is good fo r a man is not to be venge fu l when th e fate is
hard .
(2 3) Do n ot be heartsore abo u t a matte r if its co u rse" comes to a hah .
(20, I) The d a y o f loss is lost ffo r its very gai n}
(2) Do not sa il th e co u rse o f the evil man eve n wh en fat e favors him.
(3) The impious man does not di e in th e fortune wh ich he likes.
(4) Do not be h eartsore durin g an imprisonment ; th e work of th e
god is g reat.
(5) Ihe man o f god is in. prison 'ror his very ga in}
(6 ) De ath sav es from pnson be cause of prayer}
(7) Do ~ ot worry your heart with th e rbillerness'" of o ne who is dying
(or, IS d ead) .
(8) No on e turns away from life because of anot her's dyin g .
(9) Nor is th ere a nyo ne who liste ns because o f yo u r praying to th e
sky .
( 10) He wh o d ies (or, has died ) in th e middle of life , th e g-od know s
what he ha s d one .
( I I) The go d does not forget th e punishment for a llY crime .
( 12) Wh at passes by (or, has passed by) o f vexa tio ns tod ay, let th em
be yes terday to yo u.
(13 ) Wh at co mes (or, has co me) o f hardship, lea ve yoursel f in th e
h and of th e go d in it.
( 14) One d ay is not like a no the r for him whose heart cares.
(15) One hour is not like an othe r in a lifet ime with out blame .
( 16) It so befell in th e beginni n g when th e go ds were on ea rt h .
( 17) Wh en Pre h ad weaken ed be fo re th e e ne m ies , th ey weak e ned
be fo re him in tu rn .
( 18) Wh en Horus h ad been h idd en behi nd th e papyrus, he beca me
ruler of th e ea rt h in turn .
( 19) Happin ess ca m e to Isis o u t o f misfortune a fte r'" what she had
undergone .
(20) Go od stcer ing" co me s out o f troubl e a fte r g r ief.
(2 1) Th e god turns a way fear in th e straits when d eath is ne ar.
(2 2) He sa ves th e ox a fte r whose brandin g is th e slau ghter block.
 ANC IEN T EGYPTI AN LITERAT UR E
D EM O TIC LITERATURE 203
202
(2 3) The fe ar of the man of god is th at whi ch goes just as it came , (8) Gentlen ess in eve ry kind of behavior'" makes th e praise of the
(2 1, I) Ha rdship wh en th ere is no fault is not to be feared '. wise m an .
(2) A time in misfo rtune d oes not mak e th e man of ~od gIve.u p . (9) T he p o wer o f a fool in co m mand is o ne th at goes to a swift d eath .
(3) T he re is h e who is pe rseveri ng abou t tomorrow withou t hIS hand (10) Do n ot mak e yo u r voice h a rsh , d o no t spea k loudly with you r
tongue.
succeed in g. .
(4 ) There is he who d oes not take ca re a nd fat e cares for him . ( I I) A loud voice ca uses harm to the parts of th e bod y just like an
(5) H e is not th e wise m an in misfortune who tak es his h eart for a illness.
co m pan ion. ( 12) Do not be impati ent whe n you inquire so tha t you ge t angry
(6) T he fate and the fortune tha t co me , it is the god who sends when list en ing .
them . Total: 48 . ( 13) Do n ot reveal wh at is sec ret to a wise man fo r th e sake of (his)
listening.
(7) TH E E IG HTEE NT H INSTR UCTION. ( 14) Hi s prai se is g rea t before th e people becau se he listens.
(8) The teaching o f being pati ent until you have taken co u nse l, lest ( 15) Wat er goes into th e temple a ltho ugh th ere is no wat er before it.
you give o ffe nse. . ( 16) Do not be vengefu l to him who is (or, has been ) vengefu l until
(9) T he p ati ence o f a wise m an is to co nsu lt Wlt~ th e go d . his d a y h as come.
( 10) Pati en ce with out blam e results in good stee rmg. ( 17) He who fares d ownstream with th e roar row s' wh en it is time to
(II ) rThe enem y o f the evil m an becomes th e first of Th orh in his rrow~
h eart} ( 18) Do n ot re veal wha t is in yo ur heart to your master when (he is)
( 12) H arm atta ins th e fool because h e d oes not tak e cou nse l. deliberati ng.··
( 13) He who listens to th e j udgme nt of his heart slee ps untroubled . ( 19) The co unsel th at occ urs to th e fool is as weigh tless as th e wind .
( 14) He wh o guards h is heart a nd his to ngue slee ps withou t a n enem y. (2 0) Do not gi ve wa y o fte n to yo u r tongue to ad vise wh en you have not
(1 5) H e who revea ls a secret m atter, his house will burn. be en ask ed.
( 16) He wh o repeats it (bec ause o f) im pa tie nce is o ne who d efi les his (2 1) H e wh o hastens with his voice whe n h e spea ks gives a fal se
tongu e .:" . a nswer.
( 17) He who turns away fro m h is anger is o ne who IS far fr om th e (22) One d oe s not list en to th e voice of a rcha tterbox' 70 in an accusa-
a nge r o f th e god. . . ' . tion.
( 18) The fool who is im patie nt , th e go d IS im pa tien tly after him. (23) One does not judge according to the com p laint of a fool becaus e
( 19) Wh en a fool is patient tim e drag s for h im. . it is loud .
(20) T he pati ence of a fool is like a flame th at A~ re s and the n d ies, (23, I) One d oes not torme nt someone unless he has been found ou t
(2 1) T he p ati ence (of a foo l >equ als a wa ter tha t IS h eld back and th en th rough (his ) pleading .
its d am gives way. . (2) One d oes not pi ty the impiou s man during punishment becau se
(22) The patien ce of a fool is suc h th at wh en h is mast er sen ds him h e he cries loud ly.
who h as se nt him must go afte r him. (3) One does not prai se a donkey ca r ry ing a load be cau se it brays.
(23) Pati en ce a nd impati ence , fate is th ei r m aste r who mak es th em . (4) A foo l does not obta in a portion o f so meth ing becau se h e b rings
(22 . 1) All th eir tim e is examined by the wise man. . (somethi ng) ."
(2) Their dete rmin ati on is through th e co u nsel wh ich the go d has (5) Better is th e portion of him who is silent th an the portion of him
decreed . wh o sa ys "G ive m e."
(3) H e wh o find s co u nsel is not a wise m an who ta kes cou nse l. (6) It is better to bless som eone th an to do harm to one who h as in-
(4) No r is h e whose m anner a n no ys a fool or an id iot. sulted you .
(5) T ak in g co u nsel, thought, a nd pa tie nce are in the hand of the (7) If a wise man is not calm hi s m ann er is not perfect.
god . (8) If th ere is no '" ca lm in co m ba t its a r my d oes not ge t a rest.
(6) Fat e a n d fo rtune 'go and co me whe n h e com ma nds the m . (9) If th ere is no calm in a feast its ma ste r can no t e nj oy himself.
(7) T HE N INETEENT H I NSTR U CTIO N . Th e teachin g o f makin g YOllr ( 10) If the re is no ca lm in a temple its god s are th e ones who aba ndo n
speech ca lm. it.
204 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
(I I ) One pl aces a cha pel unde r a god becaus e of its nam e."
(1 2) Praise is given to th e wise man because of (hi s) ca lm .
(1 3) Old age is th e good (time) in life because of (its) ge nt le ne ss.
(14) H e wh o mak es h is behavior harsh goes to a bad d eath .
( 15) The r e is th e evi l man who is calm like a crocod ile in water.
( 16) The re is the foo l who is ca lm like h eavy lead .
( 17) H e is not a restl es s foo l who is gri p ped by u nrest.
( 18) It is th e god who gi ves ca lm and unrest through his co m mands.
(19) The fate and th e fortune th at co me , it is th e god wh o sends
th em . Total : 36 .
(20) THE TWENTIETH tNSTRUCTION . Do not sligh t a sma ll thing lest
yo u suffer fr o m it.
(2 I ) Deadl y h a rm " co mes to the foo l fo r slig hti ng g reatn ess in hi s
h eart.
(22) In turn h arm is done to a great m an for slighting sm allness .
(23) It is the god who gives th e heart to th e wise m an fo r the sake o f
ha vin g respect.
(24) It is h e wh o lea ve s the im pio us ma n to har m becaus e of (his)
brutality.
(25) Do not slig ht ro yalty and d ivinity in order to injure th em.
(24 , I) H e wh o fears h arm escapes all harm ."
(2) Do no t slight a small illness fo r wh ich there is a remed y; u se th e
r em ed y.
(3) H e to whom a n illness re turns day after d ay, h is recovery is
d ifficult.
(4) Do not slig ht a small am u let at a tim e wh en it is needed.
(5) An a m u le t th at does no h arm protects its ow ner from it.
(6) Do not slight a small go d, lest h is reta liat io n teach you .
(7) T he small sh rew m ouse ve nts its anger.
(8) T he sm a ll scarab ( is g rea t) through its secret image.
(9) The small dwarf is great be cause of hi s name."
( 10) The small sna ke h as poison.
( I I ) The small river h as its d emon.
(12) The small fir e is (to be) feared .
(1 3) The sm all d ocument has g reat benefi t.
(1 4 ) The small of age (the yo u th ), h is name is mad e in co m bat.
(15) The small cord binds its roarJ
( 16) T he small truth , its ow ner rdestroys (by it )}
( 17) The sm all fa lse h ood makes trouble fo r him wh o com m its it.
( 18) The littl e food giv es he alth to its ow ner.
( 19) The small se r vice , if it is steady , removes di slike .
(20) A littl e savi ng creates wealth .
(2 I ) A littl e bread sto ps killin g .
DEMOTI C LITERAT URE 20 5
(22) The h ea rt in its sma llness su stains its owner.
(23) A small worry break s" th e bones.
(24) A small good ne ws mak es th e heart live .
(25) A littl e d ew makes th e fie ld live .
(25, I) A little wind ca r ries th e boat.
(2) T he littl e bee brings the honey.
(3) T he sma ll skl 7 8 ca r r ies awa y th e field.
(4) The sma ll locu st d est ro ys th e g ra pe vine .
(5) A sm all wron g hastens toward d eath.
(6) A sma ll ben e faction is not hidden fr om th e god.
(7) Ma n y are th e small th ings that are worthy of respect.
(8) Few a re th e great th ings that a re worth y of admiration.
(9) T here is he who fears blame. ye t he co mm its a great crime.
( 10) T here is h e wh o shou ts o u t of sco rn , yet he g ives se rvic e .
( I I ) H e who g ua rds himsel f is not a wise a nd respectful m an .
( 12) Nor is h e to whom harm comes a d eceit ful fo ol.
( 13) T he fat e a n d the fortun e that co me, it is th e god who de te r mines
them. Total: 44 .
( 14) THE TWENTY-FI RST INSTRUCTION. T he teaching not to be mean ,
les t yo u be slig h te d .
( 15) The h and th at is not g reedy, its owner is not re proache d .
( 16) In a to wn in wh ich you have no fa mi ly you r hea rt is your family."
( 17) A m an 's good ch a racte r m ak es co m pa n y arou nd him .
( 18) Do not lo ve yo ur bell y, kn o w shame in yo u r h ea rt , do no t scorn
the vo ice of yo u r hea rt.
( 19) H e wh o sco rns o ne of them mak es a ste nch in the st reet.
(2 0) Do n ot d ance in the crowd, do no t m ak e face'" in the multi tud e.
(2 1) Do not let your ton gu e differ fr om yo ur heart in co u nse l whe n
you are asked .
(22) A d ece itful m an d ocs not tell a nother man what is in his hea rt.
(2 3) What h e d esires d oes no t co me abo u t through hi s counsels.
(24) Do not fear, d o not be lazy, d o not worry excessively.
(26, I ) The rewa rd of th e fool a nd th e infe rio r man is the lau ghter th at
falls o n him (i.e ., o n th em ).
(2) Do not d emand som eth in g th at belon gs to a nother o ut of sco rn
for hi m.
(3) Do no t scorn a n in fe r io r ma n because he stretches o ut hi s hand '"
whe n it is no t the time for it.
(4) The foo l m ak es hi s qu est ione r host ile by h is n ot listenin g.
(5) Do no t flatter nor be rude in a ny house because o f lo ve o f yo u r
bell y.
(6) H e who goes without havin g bee n in vited is o ne to whom the
ho use is na rro w (i.e ., in hos pitable).
206 AN CI ENT EGYPTIAN LIT ERAT URE
(7) When the evil m an has well-being he as ks for d eath in it.
(8) When the wise m an su ffers, death is a n asto nis h me n t to him.
(9) Do not think o f h inder in g" a foo l o r o ne bereft ofj udgme nt.
( 10) H e who lo ves wo rry d oes not listen to reproof of what h e has
d one .
( I I) Do not do a work whic h is scorned if yo u can live by ano th er.
( 12) Do not be close to one in wh ose h eart there is h atred.
( 13) The fool with hi s bad ch aracter d oes not ceas e to hat e.
( 14) Do not be g for a g ift from an evil brother in th e family. . .
(1 5 ) T h e re is no b rother in a family exce p t the brother wh o IS kind-
h earted.
( 16) Do not borrow m oney at in terest" in order to pro vide plenty o f
food with it.
( 17) H e who co ntrols hi m self in h is manne r o f life is not re proached
o n acco u n t of h is be lly.
( 18) Do n o t a lter yo u r wo rd wh en spe ndi ng, do no t cheat at th e time of
sealing (a n agree ment).
( 19) A wise m an who is truste d , hi s pled ge is in o ne 's hand .
(20) His word in a m atter is a pledge without an oath .
(2 1) Do not set a du e d at e fo r someone whil e anothe r (date) is in your
heart.
(22) Wh at is in th e h eart o f th e wise m an is wh at o ne find s on his
ton gu e .
(23) Do not draw back from wh at you hav e said exce pt fro m an un-
lawful wrong ." . .
(24) T he h onor of the scri be is h avin g a wise m an 's honest y In hIS
wo rd s.
(2 7, 1) Do not cheat whe n you are qu estioned, th e re bei ng a witn ess
be h in d yo u (i.e ., the go d).
(2) Do not steal o u t of hunger , for yo u will be in vestigat ed .
(3) Better d eath in wa nt th an life in sham eles sness .
(4) Do n ot ra ise yo u r h and , th ere be in g o ne wh o listens.
(5)
(6) i-i ~ who is silent under wron g is o ne who escapes from harm.
(7) Do not desire to take revenge o n yo u r m ast er in o rde r to seek
justice .
(8) Do not a p proach" th e stron g man eve n wh en you h ave pro-
tection behind yo u.
(9) When a wise m an is strip pe d he gives his clothes and blesses.
( 10) Do not underta ke an y work and then fa il to be satisfied by it.
( I I ) Do not re nde r judgment to the peop le if you have no stick ( to
m ak e th e m ) listen to you .
( 12) T he fo ol who is in th e righ t IS mo re an noyi ng th an he who
wronged him .
D EMOTI C LITERAT URE 207
( 13) Do not be brutal to o ne who is silent , lest his hea rt beget con-
te ntio n .
( 14) T he sna ke on whi ch o ne steps ejects a st ro n g po ison.
( 15) T he foo l wh o is brutal to a nother is sco rned for (h is) brutal ity.
( 16) T here is he wh o is sco rned for (h is) ge n tlenes s, yet he is pati ent
towa rd a no the r through it.
( 17) There is he who is a r roga nt, a nd he mak es a sten ch in th e street.
( 18) H e who is chose n a mo ng th e people is not a wise m an .
(19) Nor is he a great man who is respected by another.
(20) It is th e god wh o gives th e praise a nd th e blameless cha racter.
(2 1) The fate and th e fortune that co me, it is the god wh o sends
th em . T otal : 57.
(22) T ilE TWEN TY-SEC O ND I N STRU CTIO N .
(23) The teaching not to aba nd o n th e pl ace in whi ch you ca n live .
(2 8 , 1) Lowly work a nd lowl y food are bette r th an being sa te d fa r
away.
(2) The occu patio n o f o ne who is fo olish abo u t h is bell y is to run
afte r a violent d eath .
(3) Wh en a wise an d god ly man has a n illness clos e to d eath he will
ye t recover from it.
(4) The go d who is in th e city is the o ne by whose co m ma n d are the
d eath a nd life o f hi s people.
(5) T he impious m an who goes abroad pu ts him self in th e h and of
th e fiend .
(6) T he god ly (man) wh o is fa r from hi s town, his worth is not better
kn own than that of another.
(7) H e wh o d ies fa r fro m his town is bu ried ' " o nly out of pi ty.
(8 ) The wise man who is unkno wn is o ne who is sco rned by the
fools.
(9) The to wn of the fool is hostile to him be cause of his wa nde ring
abo u t."
( 10) The impious man wh o leaves the way o f his town, its go d s a re the
o nes who hate him .
( I I) H e who lo ves wrongful roaming is o ne who gets lawfu l punish-
ment.
( 12) The croco d iles ge t th eir portion o f the fools becau se of (their)
roam ing.
(13) Suc h is the way of life of people wh o roam .
( 14) H e wh o goes awa y saying " I shall co me back" is o ne wh o returns
by the h and o f the go d .
( 15) H e who is fa r whil e h is prayer is far , h is go d s a re far from him.
( 16) No blood broth e r reaches him in (h is) anxiety .
( 17) He wh o esca pes a broad fr om a n ev il is o ne wh o gets into it.
208 ANCIENT EGY PTIAN LIT ERAT URE
( 18) Everywhere th e stranger is th e serva n t of the in ferio r m an .
( 19) He aro uses wrath in the crow d th ou gh he has d one no wrong .
(2 0) So meone will d espise him <though> h e does n ot sp ite h im.
(2 1) H e must listen to insu lting cursing a nd lau gh at it as a joke.
(2 2) He must forget the crime of (bei ng treated as) a woma n becau se
h e is a str anger.
(2 3) A rich m an who is ab ro ad is one wh ose purse ge ts rifled ,
(24) When a wise m an is far away his h eart seeks his town . . (6) Wh at co m es from th e ea rt h returns to it aga in .
(29 , I ) H e who worsh ips his god in th e morning in his town will hve.
(2) H e wh o pronounces his (the god's) name in m isfortune is saved
fro m it.
(3) The wise man who goes a nd co mes will p lace th e greatness o f th e
go d in h is heart.
(4) H e wh o goes a nd co mes wh ile o n h is (the go d's) way re turns to
him again .
(5) Where ver th e wise man is, the praise of his na me is with h im .
(6) The fool <with> h is bad character gets in to crime th rou gh it.
(7) T here is not many a man o f th e tow n who kn ows how to live in it.
(8) No r is h e a stra nger whose life is hard .
(9) It is th e god wh o shows the way through th e teaching o f h ow to
live .
( 10) It is he who leaves the impiou s m an to go an d come without a
p lace to stay.
( I I) The fate and th e fortune th at co me , it is th e go d wh o sends
them . Total : 38.
(1 2) TH E T WENTY-T H I R D INST RUCTION. Do not burn , lest the go d
burn yo u <with> pu nis h m e nt.
( 13) T he p oison o f th e b reathing snake is (in) its mouth ; the p oison of
the in fe r ior m an is (in) hi s heart.
( 14) He eq u a ls <the sna ke >wh ich kills; he is merciless like th e crocod ile.
( 15) One ca n not remo ve th e poison of th e crocod ile, th e sna ke, or th e
ev il m an.
(1 6) One ca n not find a remedy agai ns t th e sting of a fool' s to ngue.
( 17) The fool wh o roams about loves neither peace nor him who
brings it.
( 18) T he impious man d oes n ot like to be merciful to him who ha s
done wrong to him .
( 19) Hi s eye is insatiable for blood in lawless crime.
(20) H e who burns abou t an evil gets in to cr ime th rough it.
(2 1) T he burning fire is ext ingu ishe d·· by water wh ile the water tu rn s
in to it.
(22) Natron and salt are d estroyed in th eir work (i.e., the ir action)
because o f (their) burnin g.
DEMOTIC LIT E R A T U R E 209
(23) Milk is spoiled in a j ug . . .
(3 0, I) It is good to be fir m because of ma ny'" foo ds .
(2) The evi l m a n whose hea rt lo ves ev il will find it.
(3) He who th inks of th e good is o ne who masters it.
(4) T he good action of ince nse comes fro m its na tu re ."
(5) T he impa tient man '" ge ts in to trouble through see king to a nnoy
by it.
(7) T he god gives th e lam p a n d th e fat acco rd in g to the heart.
(8) He kn ows his fa vo rite an d gives goods to him wh o gave to him .
(9) T he im p io us m an d oes not desist from th e beh avior wh ich he
love s.
(1 0) T he go d ly m an does not bu rn to inj ure, lest o ne bu rn against
him .
( I I) T he evi l man who has power doe s not let ha rm attain hi m.
( 12) T he god ly man stays in misfo rtune until the god is reconciled .
( 13) He who kn ows ho w to steer his heart is not o ne who is me rciful.
( 14) Nor is he wh o kn ows the curse of h aste one who bu rns .
( 15) All th e se are in the po we r o f the fate an d th e god.
( 16) T he fa te a nd th e fo rtune th at co me, it is th e go d wh o sends
th em . Total : 28.
( 17) T HE T WENT Y -FOURT H I NSTRU CTION.
( 18) The teach ing of kn owin g the greatness o f the god , so as to put it
in you r heart.
( 19) Hea rt a nd tongu e of th e wise man , the great ness o r th e ir d well-
ing-p lace is be ing that or th e go d .
(20) Wh en he art a nd tongu e are blame less, steer ing res ults 1'1'011I it."'
(2 1) T he work o f the god is a joke to the heart of the 1'0 0 1.
(22) T he life of the foo l is a burde n to the go d himsel f.
(23) A lifetime is give n to the im pio us m a n in order to mak e h im e n-
co u nter reta liatio n.
(24) Prope rt y is g ive n to th e evil man in order to d eprive him o r h is
breath through it.
(3 I , I) One does not understand th e heart of the god until wh at he has
d ecreed has co me .
(2) Wh en th e people ra ise th eir hand s th e go d kn ows it.
(3) He kn ows th e impiou s man who th inks o r evi l.
(4) He kn ows th e go d ly man and th at he has the greatness of th e
go d in h is hea rt.
(5) Be fo re the to ngue has been q uest ioned the go d knows its answers.
(6) T he blow of th e la nce that comes fro m afar, th e place where it
lands is decreed for it.
(7) T he im p ious m an alone suffers a tho usa nd fo ld.
2 10 AN C IENT EG YPTIA N LIT ERATURE
(8) T he god lets him esca pe fro m slaug h te r a fte r h aving bound him .
(9 ) O n e sa ys "A wo n de r of the go d" when o ne is in fea r with ou t
fau lt.
( I0) He gua rds at night aga inst th e reptiles o f th e dark .
( I I ) He di re cts the heart a nd the to ngue by h is co m ma nd s.
( 12) H e gives good jud gm e nt th ro ugh the cou nsel which no one
kn ow s.
( 13) He cr eates ab u nd a nt value '" witho u t th ere be ing a storeho use
behi nd h im.
( 14) It is h e wh o makes th e way sa fe with ou t th ere bein g a g uard .
( 15) It is he who g ives th e just law without th ere bein g aj udgme nt.
( 16) H e le ts th e grea t-o f-birt h" be great in his lifetime because of
(h is) m ercy.
( 17) He m a kes th e poo r beggar a maste r bec ause he kn ows h is heart.
( [8) The im pious m an d oes not say "T he re is go d " in th e fortune
whic h he d ecr ees.
( 19) H e wh o says " It ca n not ha ppen" sho u ld look to what is h idd e n.
(20) H ow d o the su n a nd m oon go and co me in the sky?
(2 l ) Wh ence go and co m e wat er, fire , an d wind?
(22) T hrough who m d o am u let a nd spell become remed ies?
(23) The hidd en work of th e god, he m ak es it known o n th e earth
d ail y.
(24) H e crea ted ligh t. and d a rkn ess in wh ich is eve ry cr eatu re .
(3 2 , I) H e created th e ea rth, beget tin g million s, swallowing (t he m) up
a nd be gettin g agai n.
(2) He crea ted d ay, mont h, a nd year th rou gh the co mma nd s of the
lord o f command .
(3 ) H e create d su mm e r a nd winter th rou gh th e rising a nd se tt ing of
Sothis.
(4) He created food before th ose who a re a live, th e wonde r o f the
fie lds .
(5) H e created th e co nstella tio n of thos e th at are in th e sky, so tha t
th ose o n ea rt h shou ld lea r n th em .
(6) H e cr eated swee t water in it wh ich all the lands d esire.
(7) H e cre a ted th e breath in th e egg th ou gh th ere is no access to it.
(8) He created birth in every womb fro m th e semen wh ich th ey
receive .
(9) H e create d sinews a nd bones ou t of the same se me n.
( 10) H e crea ted goi ng a nd co m ing in the who le earth through th e
trembling of the grou nd .
( I I) H e cr eated sleep to e nd weariness , wa king for looking a fte r food .
( 12) H e cr ea ted re m edi es to e nd illness, win e to e nd a fflictio n.
DEMOTI C LITE RATU RE 2 11
(1 3) He crea ted th e dream to show the way to th e d ream er in his
blindness.
( 14) I-Ie crea ted life a nd death befo re h im fo r th e to rment of the
ImpiOUS man .
( 15) H e cr ea ted weal th for truth fuln ess, poverty 1'01 ' falseh ood .
( 16) He crea ted work fo r the stu pid ma n, food for th e co m mo n man .
( 17) He crea ted th e su ccession o f ge ne ratio ns so as to make th em live .
( 18) He le ts th e d estin y o f th ose o n earth be hidden from th em so as
to be u n known .
( 19) He let s th e food o f the se rva nt be differe nt fro m th a t of th e
m aste r ."
(20) He le ts a woma n of the ro yal ha rem have another husband.
(2 1) He le ts th e st ranger who h as co me fro m o uts ide live like the
citize n .
(22 ) Th ere is no fel low ma n" who kn ows th e fortune th at is be for e
him.
(23) Th ere is he who follows his counsel, yet he fin ds a slaying in it.
(24 ) T he re is th e wro ng wh ich th e fool co m mits, yet he has success
with it. 97
(3 3, I) He who is a t th e head of th e crowd is not o ne who ru ns .
(2) No r is he who falls o n th e way o ne who kills.
(3) Fa te a nd retali ation tum a rou nd and bring a bo u t what h e (the
god ) co m ma n d s.
(4) Fat e d oes not look ahead , retaliati on d oes not co me wro ng fu lly."
(5) Great is the co u nse l of th e god in p utting o ne thing a fter a norher.
(6) T he fa te a nd the fo rt u ne tha t co me , it is the go d who se nds (hem .
(6 ) TH E T W E N T Y-FI FTH I N STR U CTIO N.
(7) T he te aching to gua rd aga inst retaliat ion , lest a portion o fit reach
yo u .
(8) Viole n t venge fu lne ss agai nst the go d br ings a violent d ea th .
(9) Ve ngefu lness wh ich is powe r ful bri ngs reta liation in tu m .
( 10) T he go d d oes n ot forget , reta liatio n does not rest.
( I I) T h e im p ious m a n does not fear it, reta liatio n d oes not become
sa ted with him .
( 12) But ge ntleness to ward th e wea k is in th e way o f th e godl y man .
( 13) He who is a rro ga n t in the town is o ne who is (i.e ., will be) weak o n
his g ro u nd .
( 14) He who is loud-m outhed in the temple is o ne who is" (i.e ., will be)
sile nt in it beca us e of weak ness.
( 15) He wh o leaves th e weak in torment is o ne who co m plains (i.e., will
co m p la in) wh en he is no lon ger p rotected .
2 12 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LI T ER A T UR E DEMOTIC LITERATU RE 2 13
( 16) H e wh o ta kes food by force is o ne who begs (i.e ., will beg) for it (22) H e who burns to (do) every ha rm , th e go d will burn him with
beca u se of hunger. ha rm.
( 17) H e who h astens to m ak e a n oa th is o ne whose d eath will hasten . ' (23) H e who lets pass a sma ll fa u lt d issol ves dislike a nd is co nten t.
(1 8) H e who unco vers th e affairs of another is o ne who will be un - (3 5 , 1) Vio le nce, pov e rt y, ins u lt, an d unkind ness a re never , ne ve r at
cove red . rest.
( 19) He who vio lat es a man by force , his o ffs pring will soo n be buried . (2) I ha ve no t bu rned to d o ev il . . ., my heart, th e go d kno ws [it].
(20) H e who d oes h a rm for harm , his old age will be harmed . (3) I h a ve not take n vengea nce on a nother; anot he r has not suf-
(2 1) H e wh o lets h is he art be wak e ful abo ut retaliatio n will not find it. fered o n my acco u nt.
(22) When yo u are sated with strength , leave a litt le o f it to th e street. (4) T he sin wh ich I ha ve co mm itte d u n witt ingl y, I beg [fOl'g iveness
(23) When yo u live as o ne who has powe r , let the wrath of you r heart for it).
be sm all, (5) I ca ll to the go d to have m ercy o n me a nd g ive me 'sweetness"
(24) W hen yo u wa lk alo ng the street, lea ve th e way to h im who is old .
(34, I ) Whe n yo u look at th e weak man , fear th e fat e because o f weak - (6) H e removes the wo r ry abo u t pros pe rity, witho ut th ere bein g a
ness. re serve.
(2) When yo u look at retal ia tio n , fear retaliation becau se o f cri me . (7) H e gives a life tim e without d espair and a [good] bu rial.
(3) Retali ation is exalte d because of its na me and bel ittled because of (8) H e re lies on yo ur heart o n its way in its time .
im patience. (9) Ap is a nd Mnev is a bide a t th e window of Ph a raoh forever.
(4 ) It s punishment is hea vier th an th e pun ishment of Sakh met ( 10) T hey will do good to him wh o will liste n to these (words) a nd to
wh en she rages . him wh o will say - - - .
(5) ( I I) The h ea rt of th e wise ma n, its reward is th e eye of th e god . . .
(6) When it (reta lia tio n) comes in to a house , fate will see k to esca pe
fro m it. ( 12) T he h ea rt o f the im pio us m an who d ocs not kn ow , . . .
(7) Whe n it co mes into a fa m ily, it leaves the broth e rs as e ne mies . ( 13) T he e nd of th e instructio n. May h is ba Aou rish forever:
(8) When it co mes into a town , it leaves str ife a mong its p eople . ( 14) Ph ebho r so n of Djedherp aa n. Hi s ba will serve Os iris-So kar,
(9) When it co mes in to a nome, it lets th e evil m a n have power. ( 15) th e great go d , the lord o f Abydos. May his ba an d h is hod y he
( 10) W hen it co mes in to the temples, it le ts the foo ls be stro ng. yo u ng for a ll ete rn ity.
(I I) When it co mes to th e impiou s man , it mak es a no ther man fea r
hi m. NOTES

(1 2) When it co mes to th e wise man , it mak es (h im) foo lish, bad , and , 1.. What is ~ow page 2 contains the second half of the sixth instruc-
st upid . lion ; It deals with beh avior toward parent s,
( 13) T here is no co u ns el and co nsidera tio n in a wise man (who is) in 2. Lit., "Measure his heart in good character."
a state of retaliati on.'?" . ~: P.. In si,~ger has many exa mples of the ter m "wide-of-heart" mean-
mg pall~,nt , an~ s.o~~ exa~p les ~,f "g.reat-of-heart" meaning "proud,
(14) No wo r k qu icke ns for the quick witho ut fate. a rro~a nt , both WIde and great bemg spelled "tu. In this instance
( 15) No m an hold s a mortgage or a p led ge if he is unde r a curse , "pat ",:nt" ap pea rs pr eferable if its connotations exte nded to "tardy ." The
(16) T here is no worry or ha rm at a tim e when the go d is co n te nt. meallln g "proud, arrogant" occurs in 3/10 and 4/13.
( 17) Re tali ati on d oes not cease to h arm the d estro yer. 4. ~~, "for t~e heart of the dying (or, the dead)," On my suggestio n
th at p3 llT mwt mIght mean "the dying" as well as "the dead" see p , 184,
( 18) Fortu ne, blessin g , and pow er are b y hi s (the go d's) co m mand . n.86.
(19) H e metes out p un ish me nt for sin, he gives reward fo r bene- 5. ~ollowing Volten: Weisheits~h 1I,9 -1O and 126 in emendi ng gnt
fac tio n . to gnJ, m acc~rda nce with the varran t of P. Carlsberg 1I,1. 2.
(20) H e creates h u n ger afte r sa ted ness, sa ted ness in turn after hun- 6. Collection of debts seems to be meant ; on hbr "abuse mistreat
torment" see p. 181, n. 16. ' "
ger.
7. Lit., "place your name at length fro m her;" with "name" in the
(2 1) Me n ca nnot avoid the god or re tali ati on whe n he d ecrees (it) sense of "self, person, " Cf. the different rendering of Volten Weisheits-
for them. bucli II , 159 . '
2 14 ANC IENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
8. So , if on e ado p ts th e emendations proposed by Volt en , W eisheits-
buch II , 13 - 14 , based o n th e var iant o f 1'. Carlsbe rg II , 1.17.
9 . So , with the e me ndation mad e b y Vo lte n, Weisheits buch 1I,15 in
accordance with th e varia nt o f P. Ca rlsberg 1I,2.1.
10 . Ado pt ing th e e mendatio n of rl] to ml]y, h ere an d in the ne xt two
lin es, p roposed by Vo lte n , W eisheitsbuch 1I,40, in acco rd a nce with the
probable r ead ing of th e variant in 1'. Ca rlsberg 1I, 2.10 . Without th e
emen datio n th e three se n te nces a re nonsensical.
II. Lit. , "to h is face ."
12. Adop ting th e emend ation oHm to ir 105, made by Vo lten, Weish eits-
buch 1I ,I 6 in accor da nce with th e var ian t o f P. Carlsberg II ,2.19 .
13 . Emendi ng nty to r-tb3 as proposed by Vo lte n, W eisheitsbuch II ,18.
14. Is this 1043, "we ll-be in g ," a euphemism for d eath? C f. Glossar,
p . 108 .
15 . Ado pt ing th e e mendatio n to n3y.s sr.tu, made by Vo lte n, W eisheits-
buch II ,20 in accordance with th e varia nt o f P. Ca rlsberg II ,3.5.
16 . Emen di ng mhl to bl- '3 as p roposed b y Vo lten, Wei shritsbudi 11,
23-24 .
17. So , if on e a d o p ts th e e me ndation s m ad e by Vo lte n, W eisheitsbuch
1I ,27 .
18 . Ta king gr!, "k n ife" in the sense o f "p u nis h me nt," cf. Glossar,
1'.587.
19 . Emending bw to hr, as done by Volten, W ei..heitsbud, II , 26, in ac-
accorda nce with th e variant of P. Carlsbe rg 1I,3.24.
20. Em ending iwf to 1', as d on e b y Volte n, Weishe itslmch 11 , 46 , in ac-
co r d a nce with the variant of P. Ca rlsbe rg II ,4.1.
2 1. T he p recedi ng lines mak e it clear that bry, "be ing su perior, " here
m eans se lf-mastery.
22. T his is P. In singe r's wa y of wri ting pr, as was recogn ized by
Volten, Weisheitsbuch 11,35 and 83 .
23 . So, if one does not e me nd; bu t see Vo lte n , W eisheitsbu ch II ,176
a nd 49 .
24 . Eme ndi ng nb to nb.t p r, as proposed by Vol ten , W eisheitsbuch 11,
27 -28.
25 . T he p air o f int roducto r y paradoxes is missing, and lin e 17 is ou t
of place . It is o ne of th e man y insta nces in whic h the pa rad oxes have
been garb led .
26 . So , accordi ng to G. R. Hu gh es,JEA, 54 ( 1968) , 179.
2 7. Com pa re Ankhs heshonq 2 1/2 0 .
28 . T he wo rd bw3 (bw), one of th e ke y te r ms in P. Insinge r , a p pears to
be us ed m a inl y in th e sense of "dis like, resentment, blam e," and to a
lesse r ex tent in th e se nse of " fa u lt, wrong." T he defi nitions g ive n in
Glossar, p . 114, "cr ime, wrong , punishment," require modi ficat ion.
29 . H ri , "heavy," h ere in th e sense o f " p atie nt, persevering ," as a lso
in 19/1 4 a nd 21/3.
30 . T he principal meanings of btto, a nother key te r m, are "cri me ,"
" h a r m ," and "punishment." See also p . 181, n . 17.
3 1. A wo rd was o mitted by the scri be . Vo lten (Weisheitsbuch 1I,180)
restored " fa th er ," but o ther r estorat ions a re possible.
32. The refrain so me times has "se nds" a nd so me times "dete rmi nes .'
C f. Volten , W eisheitsbu ch II, I 08.
33 . Eme nd ing wn to mn, as do ne by Vo hc n , W ,·islu·it.llllch 11 ,24 - 2 :; .
D EM O TI C LIT ERA T URE
34 . So , if o?e deletes th e f of b3U .
35 . Em endmg 53y to sbt, as d on e by Volten , W eisheitsbuch 11 ,1.1.
36. P3 ddy IS not o n ly "the e ne my" but a lso "e n m ity, hostility," a", 1 in
26 /4 we ha ve ir ddy, "make h ostil e ."
. 37. The varia nt in th e Berlin papyrus fragm ent h as the better ver-
sia n :."Do not be forgetful wh en questi oned abo ut a report" ; see K.-T .
Zauzich , E nchoria, 5 (1975). 119 - 120.
38. So , if o ne acce p ts th e e me ndatio ns proposed by Vo lten, W eisheit.-
buch II ,55 - 56.
39 . Emend ~ng nMt to nb!-/. as do ne by Vo lten, W eisheitsbuch II ,48.
40 . Emen d ing 10' to rmt, as d one by Vo lte n, Weis heitsbuch 11 ,35.
4 1. . I foll o w .vol t~n , W eisheitsbuch II , II I - I 13, in deleting th e second
negati on . M. Gllul ~ s proposal to .explain th e double negation (jADS, 92
[197 2], 460-465) IS not co n vll1C1 ng be cause th e co n str uction would be
ul1lgu e as w el~ as ver r awkwar d, a nd be cause it would eliminate th e para-
dox ical meanmg wh ich the co ntext requir es.
42 . Eme nd ing ifn t to tlnI. as d on e b y Vo lte n, W eisheitsbuch II ,IO, in
accorda nce with th e varia nt of P. Ca rls be rg 1I,9.1O.
43. Glosser, p . 398, suggests th at I]tb, " kill," may mean "thrash " and
refers to lA.S, 65 ( 1930), 55 . The passage so re nd er ed there is, how ever,
not co n cl us ive. O n 3n!, "d ra w away, restrain ," see Ankhsheshonq 2 1/13
a nd 24/10.
44 . Adop ting the e me ndatio ns of 3my.t to tmy a nd r-tb3 to iw mn mad e
by Vol te n , W eisheitsbu ch 11 ,25 a nd 53; cf. P. Ca rlsber g 11 ,9.22. '
45. Ag ain e men d ing r-tb3 to iw mn .
46 . Lit ., "!?o not let pass a ~rim e for him who sets hi s h and (to it)."
4? Ado p tm g the e mendatio ns proposed by Volte n, W eisheitsbuch 11 ,
43 , m accordance with th e variant o f P. Ca rlsbe rg 1I,10 .2.
48 . O r e me n d 3my.l, "ch ara cte r" to Imy, "town," as p roposed by
Volten , Weisheitsbuch II ,53 - 54.
49 . I.e. , th e ex ecution o f th e thi ef.
50 . Re ad pr-bl here and in 17/1.4.10 , a nd see n. 22 .
5 1. Re ad In?
52 . Em end ing ] ' to ifl.l, as d on e by Ve lte n, Wei..heitsbudi II ,:{:;.
53. This se ntence provides th e bes t p roof th at t3 tor.t mea n s "wcahh ,
r iches," as a lso in 18/7, 18/1 8 , an d 19/2.
54. On srllilliol see Glossar, PI'. 263 a nd 520, a nd Cerny, Co/,t. Dic.,
p .240 .
55 . I belie ve th at Lexa was right in suggesting that the word a fte r
"a p proaches" is bry, "a bo ve, uppe r ," and h ence "t h e p eak ," a nd not th e
~u mer~ 1 100. T he ':two-th ird s" that are "lost" are the first forty yea rs of
life whi ch are d escribed in th e ne xt fou r lines; hen ce th e "pea k" of life is
a t age 60 . T he iw before wn is noteworthy.
?~. It looks as if r Pbw h ere means "u p to ," as was suggested by
Williams , M orphology, p. 74 ; but in 20/1 9 th e mean ing seems to be
"after."
57 . T he ideal life th us co mes to one hundred yea rs.
.5 8 . T.h e mea ni? g o f .Iines 18/7 - 1I is tha t h e who acq ui re s wea lth by
cri me WIll be punish ed 111 th e h e reafter. Hence bm.l, "hot" either means
"aggravating," o r sh o u ld be e mended to ~m.l, "sma ll."
59 . Reading thi s word whi ch h as not been understood as hn "inflam-
mat ion ," cf. Wb . 3,367. 11 a n d 384.2. - ,
216 AN CIE N T EGYPT IAN LIT ERAT UR E D EMOTI C LIT ERAT UR E 217
60 . I n A cta Ori entalia, 25 (1960) , 38 Volten rendered , "you canno t be ~ca,:ce. The ~wo instances sho w th at I'r means something more than
blamed on her account." But this requi res emend ing and do es not im- price , valu atIon :" and the rendering "va lue" is probabl y not quite exact.
prove the sense. 94 . Wr-(n) -ms IS "wellb orn," 'yrw-(n) -ms is "o ld."
61. See n. 29. 95. L~t. , " H e let.s th e food of him who brings it be different from
62 . Rhy, "even ing ," is written but rhllh, "worry, anxiety," must be th at w~,ch o ne bnngs it to him ." T he preposition n3y -tr.t, which oc-
meant. cll rr~d i n 4/2 I and 29/18 , here seems to me an "o f" in th e sense of "be-
63 . Does n p!}w m ean o nly "a t th e e nd"? On e ex pec ts som ething else lo ng mg to" o r "o wing to ."
in this context. See also Ankhsheshonq 11/22 . 96. Lit. , "bro the r in th e cr owd" o r "bro ther among the people."
64. So , if one accepts Lexa's suggestion that tJ3tJ3 , "head ," is a spelling 97 . Th e co nt raste d terms a r~ sp and sp nfr. In M iscellanea Gregoriana,
o f My, "course." p . 377, V'?lten gave a rather d ifferent rendering of lin es 32/22-33/4.
65 . On r p!}w see n . 56. 98. In lines 33/3.-4 and 10- I I, retaliati on is a di vine force sent by the
66 . Hmy/!}my, "steering," in the sense of be ing rightly guided recurs in ~od , .co m parable WIth fate and fortune . But in most of cha pte r 25 retalia-
2 1/10, 30 /1 3, and 30/20. uon IS the ven.geance that people see k a nd it is condem ne d as an evil.
67 . On dd/}m/r!/}m, "defile," see Cerny, Copt . ou; p . 323. 99. Emendmg r-tb3 to p3 nty.
68. Note th e phrase 3my.t nb which suggests that th e basic mean ing of 100. T ak ing the word to be s.t tb3 in th e literal se nse rather th an being
3 my.t was "sha pe , form ," wh ich by exte nsion beca me "charac te r" and th e writin g of stb, "d amage, misfortune." '
"behavior;" see p. 18 1, n . 22 .
69. For an ip co m pare 12/16.
70. The derivation and me an ing of pk -a3 .! a re problematic, see
Glossar, p . 14 1, and Cern y, Copt . Dic., pp. 125.2 and 133.1. In P. Krall
I 2/20 p~y n !J3 .1 is " rash ness."
71. Sin ce in , "brings," makes little se nse Vo lten , W eisheitsbuch II,I 98,
em end ed to In, "asks."
72. Emend ing wn to mn, as proposed by Volt en , W eisheitsbuch II ,
24 -25.
73. A p pare nt ly a wordplay o n g '/g3, "chapel ," a nd stsr. "be silent."
74. Lit ., "Harm of killing."
75. Compare Ve lte n's translati o n of lines 24/1 - 12 in A cta Orientalia,
25 (1960), 39 - 40.
76. Dwarfs were held in awe.
77 . Although Qd is not kri the meaning "brea k" is called fo r. West en -
dorf, Kopt . H tu., p. 560, adopted "compress," which d oes not suit.
78. Lex a guessed "a nt "; Glossar, p . 526 , left it untransl at ed .
79. Co mpare Anhhsheshonq 11/1 1, 18/13, and 21/25 .
80. Lexa and Vo lten guessed th at " ma ke face" means " ma ke gri -
maces." I think it more probab le th at it means "show oneself, be con-
spicuous ."
8 I. Or , "becaus e he undertak es som ething"? Cf. 27/10 .
82. On syfjtfsbt see Ankhsheshonq 11 /5 with n . 39.
83. 'In ht r mst is "borrow"; ty ht r mst is "lend" ; see Ankhsheshonq 16/9 -1 2
and 16/h. .
84 . Le ., "exce pt when you hav e said something yo u should not have
said."
85 . This is not the scribe 's usual way of writing bn.
86. Lit., "p icked up," or "brought away ."
87. Emend ing b.t to ~ty, as proposed by Volten , W eisheitsbuch II ,54.
88. On a'= 'bm se e Glossar, pp. 70 and 35 1.
89. On gn =~n see Glossar , p . 58 1.
90. Lit ., "the good work o f incen se, its portion is in it."
91. Ifm for am -!}3.! as also in 2 1/18.
92 . Compare 2 1/1 O.
93. Co m pare A nkhsheshonq 5/6 where the ang ry god makes " value"
 Indexes

I. DIVI NI TI ES

Amen -R e, 14 -1 6 , 20, 3 1, 42, 45, 74- Ho ru s Eye, 24 , 37, 58 , 108, 118

76, 9 1 H o r us-Mete n u , I 14
Amun , 13, 14, 17 - 26, 28 - 33, 66 - Hu , 16, 18
69 ,7 1, 73 - 76 ,8 1,82 ,9 1,92 , l OS,
106, 109, 144, 145, 147 , 148, 152 Isis, 7,4 1,58-6 1,95,98, 104, 116-
Anu bis, 25, 26, 56, 60 , I IS, 140 120,1 29-1 3 1, 136,1 45, 152-1 55,
A nu kis, 85 , 94, 98 20 1
A phro di te , 107
A pis, 2 13 KamUl ef, 9 1
A pis -Os iris -Khe n ta me n ti, 56 , 60 Khe ntarn enti, 34, 35
Apop is, 154 Kh e nti kh e ty, 77 , 78
Alu m, 38 , 43, 44 , 56, 68 , 76, 77, 9 1, Kh n u m , 5, 7, 15, 43, 44, 47, 61 , 85,
118,1 49 94, 95,97 - 99, 10 1, 109- 115
Atu rn-Khe pri, 77 Kh nu m-A mu n , 110
Khnum -Re , 45 , 50, 5 1, 6 I , 91, 100,
Bast et , 32, 131 112
Kha ns, S, 14 , 16, 32, 3 :~ , !lO,!l2 -!H
Dj ed -sh e psy, 115 Khu yel, 77-

Enn ead , 3 1, 76, 91, 129 - 13 1 Ma at, 20 , 2 1, 2 :~ , 5 5

Menhy, 71
Four Sons of Horus, 120, 121 Merel, 56
Mese khner, 114
Ge b, 57 ,6 1,98, 114 Min , 6 1
Mn evis, 154 , 2 13
H a py, 28 , 57, 95 -99, 101, 109, 121, M ont, 20, 28, 79, 9 1, 105, 106
173,1 77 ,1 98 MUI, 14, 29, 32 , 33, 66 , 192
H a rak h ti , 73, 9 1
H ar pocr ates, 129, 13 I , 136 Nehrneta wa y, 47 , 4!l
H arsaphes, 42 -44 Nei th , 35 - 40, 66 , 70 , 79, 86 - 89,
H ath o r , 7, 45, 47 , 49 -5 1, 54 , 58 , 119,1 29, 162
107-1 09,1 91 ,1 92 Ne p hthys, 7, 60 , 98, 104, 116 "': 120
H ekel, 47- 49 N u bti (na me o f Set h), 79
H el ios, 6 Nun , 77, 98, 110, 112, 113, 115
H orus, 23, 30, 34, 36, 42 , 43, 55 -57, N Ul, 74 , 9 1,98
60 ,6 1,64,77,78,83,98 , 107- 109,
116, 119, 120, 201 O gd oad , 45 , 72
Ho rus (designation of Pharao h), 14 - O rio n, 118
16, 19, 23 , 27, 72, 73, 77, 85, 87 , Osi ris, 7, 18, 20, 25, 32, 33, 35 - 37,
9 1,93,95 40,44,5 1,52,55 - 59,6 1,62,89,

22 1
 AN C IENT EG Y PT I AN LITERAT UR E
INDEX 223
222
Sakh met, 42 . 45 . 2 12 Ramses II (Usermare-sotpe nre). 5, 8, Ta harqa ,29
98, 104 , 114 . 116 . 120 . 140 . 14 I.
Saris , 85 , 94 , 98 84 ,90-93 , 125 . 12 7. 134, 142 Ta kelot I, 17
144,1 50 .1 52 -1 54
Sep. Sepa , 77 . 83 Ramses Ill . 90 T antamani , 29
Osiris-Hemag, 37 , 39 Tefnakht , 67 -7 1, 74, 79 , 8 1-84
O siris-K hentamenti, 50 . 55, 116 Set h . 2 3. 84
Shay, 144 . 159 Serpot (fictiona l queen). 151 - 156 T hu tmos is I , 93
O siris-Sepa , 56 Thutmosis II I , 66, 93
Shu , 57 , 75 , 97 - 99 . 101 , 109 , I I I , Shabaka . 5
Os iris-Soka r .2 13 Thutmosis IV; 93
114 ,11 5 Sheshonq I , 13 , 14
Osiris (deceased person), 52, 60 . 117.
Sobk, 155 Shes ho nq II , 17 Tibe r ius (Cae sa r Augustus), 105 - 107
119
So kar, 53 , 60 . 74 , 75
Ptah. B, 18, 20 , 55, 56 . 59 . 61 . 62, 64 , So ka r-O sir is, 60. 140
70 ,75 ,76.82.96, 10 1,104 - 106 , Sorntus , 42, 4 3 Ill. PE RSONAL NAMES
125 . 12 7,1 28 . 132 , 133, 13 6,1 39 . Soth is, 118. 210
142 ,146 Suwadjenba, 114 Ach illes , 152 H oru s-son -o f-th e- Pr in cess. 145
Ptah-Tat enen , 113 Aesop . 157 Ho rus-so n-o f-the-So w, 145
T ate nen , 99. 113 , 115 Ahwere , 12 7 -1 29 . 132 , 133. 136 .
Re an d Pre, 18, 32 , 38 .40. 4 3 . 47 , Tefnut, 115, 156 137 I mhotep, 62 , 64
53 ,56 .58 , 60 . 6 1. 6 8, 7 1- 73 , 75. T hoth , 13 , 28 . 44 , 4 6 - 49 , 52. 53 . 6 1, Akanosh, 67, 76, 78 Im ho te p so n of Pta h (deified man).
77.85 -89,9 1.93 .96.97, 10 1,108, 72, 100 , 101 , 118 , 120, 125, 127 . Akhame nru, 25 . 28 62,94.96, 10 1. 104 -106
109 ,11 4 . 115,11 8 .1 20,1 29 -1 32. 128, 131 ,1 32 ,1 40 ,1 46 ,1 56 ,1 57 , Am asis ,86 Ina ros, 127, 133 , 152
136 .1 38,1 49 ,1 56 .1 60 -1 64,1 78 . 16 7,1 88,1 99 , 202 Amen ho te p son of Hap u (deified Isenkheb e , 6 , 13, 54 . 58-60. 65
20 1 man). 104 - 106 Iupu t, 14
Re-Atu rn, 19 . 23 Amenird is, 24 . 25
Re- H a rakhti , 20 . 43. 44. 144 Wen no fe r (na me of Osiris) . 4 3 . I 17 . (Anr khef'(e njkho ns , 45 Kh ahapi , 6 1. 64
Renute t , 99 119 An kh et, 42 Kharnwas , 8. 125 . 127. See also Setne
An kh -her, 78 Kh amwas
Ankhsh esh o nq , 9 , 159-1 64. 18 1
As hteshyt, 153. 155
II. KI NGS AND QUEENS Lern e rse kn y, 69
Ate rnirdis, 38. 39
Akhenate n , 95 Na rnart, 66 -68 . 70 . 73 , 80-82. 84
Bak enn e fi. 70 Ma atn efru re , 93
Alexander the Great, 3. 6, 13 . 41 . 44 Nectanebo I (Khe perkare Ne kht-
Bentresh , 5. 90 -92 Ma netho,7
Amasis (Khenernibre) , 33, 3 5 - :17. 40, neheD . 64 .66. 86. 87 ,89 M ehusekhe, I :\ R. 1:\9 , 1·1:\ , I :' I
86 Nectanebo II , 4 1. 43 Me nelaos,6
Nefrure (fictio na l q ueen). 91 Djedame n e fankh , 6 7 . 70 . 78
Am en hotep III , 104 Djedhe r p aan , 213 Me ri b, 12 7 -1 29 . 1:\1 . 1:\2. 1% , 1:17
Apries . 33 Nestent,72 Mesir,95
Djedkhiu, 79
Artaxerxes I II , 44 Dj ed kho n se fa n kh , 13 , 14 . 16 -1 8 . 28 Monternhe t, 5 . 13 . 29 -:\:\
Osorkon I (Se kh e m-khe pe rre-sot-
Djed so m tuefan kh , 4 2 Mut hetepti, 19 . 23
p enre), 14 . 15 . 17
Cambyses (M esu tir e), 36 - 38 , 40 Djedthothefankh, 44, 5 1
Osorkon II , 18
Cleop atr a VII , 59 , 62 Osorkon IV , 67 , 70. 77. 78. 82 -84 Doros. B Naneferkapra h, 8, 125, 127 - 133 .
135 - 13 7
Darius I . 37. 39 Peftuaubast, 67 , 73 , 84 H a rs iese, 18 . 160 -1 63, 18 1 Naneferkasokar, 152
Darius 111.4 1, 44 Petubastis (Ped ibast), 15 I. 152 H a r wa , 13 . 17, 24 -2 8. 4 1. 52 Na nesbastet, 35
Djoser (N ete r k h et) , 5 . 94 . 95 . 104 Piye , 7 , 66 -69. 71-73. 76 . 77 . 80 - Herankh , 61 , 62 Nebneteru , 13 . 18 - 21 . 23, 24
H e r bes. 78 Nefer-re npet, 45 , 52
82
l u p u t II , 67. 70, 76 , 78, 83 . 84 Psamtik I , 29 H e rod otu s. 8 , 84 . 86 , 10 1 Nekhthenb,42
Psamtik II (Me ne kh ib Nefer ib re) , 66 , H e rois. 7 Nekht hor-nes h nu , 78
84-86 Hesiod , I60 Ne phthys , 55, 57
Kashta , 24
Psamtik III (A n kh ka re), 36, 37, 40 Hor, 18 . 19 Neserarn un, 19 - 2 I , 23
H orus-son-o f-th e- Nu bian-wom an , Nesrnut , 15
Menkh -P re-Sia m u n (fiction al king ). Ptolemy 1, 44 145 ,1 4 7 -1 50 Nesnaisu, 70, 78 , 84
144 - 14 6 Pto lem y V, 94
H o rus-son-o f-P an esh e , 146 -1 51 Nesperriebu, 15 . 16
Merneh pta h (fict iona l king). 127 . 1:1 1 Pto lemy X II. 5!l. ii i, (i2, Ii 'l
224 A N CI E N T EG Y PT I AN l.rn :H AT l1 R t:
IN D E X 22 5

Nes-Sh u-Tefn ut,58 Ra mose , 161 -1 63 Dep . See But o Hnes, 4 1, 4 3 , 68, 70 , 73. Se e also
Nyn y, 119 Diospol is In fe r ior. S ee Se rna- be h d e t H e racl eo pol is Mag na
Dod ek ascho in os, 95 , 102 Hut-benu , 68 , 7 1
Se tne Kh a m was, 8 , 125 - 127, 132 -
O dysseus, 126 Hut-n esu t, 68
144 , 150 , 151 , 156. Se e also
Oknos, 126 Ed fu ,7, 104 , 116 H u t-Sobk (C ro cod ilo po lis), 68 , 80,8 1
Kh am was
O rp heus, 126 She pen u pet, 29 Ela m , 39
El-Arna rn a , 95 Iatba ke t, 6 1
Sh eshonq, 70 , 84
Pa tje n fi, 67 , 78, 83 Si-Osire , 12 6 , 138 - 14 5, 147, 150 , 15 1 Elep hantin e (Yeb u) , 5 , 33, 83 , 85, 86, Ibhat, 113 , 115
Pebes , 79 94 , 10 1, 109, 115 . S ee also Yeb u Imau (Ia m u), 8 1
Sishu , 44 , 49 -5 1
Pe d iarne n-n est-tawy, 79 El-Lah un (Re ho ne), 128, 140 , 144 Ip e t, So u thern , 7 1, 9 1
Sisob k,3 4
Pedibast , 6 2 So rntu tefn a kht, 13 , 4 1-43 , 64 Esna (I u n yt, Lat opol is), 7, 101 , 104 , I pe t-sut (Ka rna k), 14 , 16 , 19- 21 , 23 ,
Ped iese , 67 , 76 -79, 83, 84 109 , I l O, 115. See a/so l u n yt 25 , 69, 73 , 74 . S ee also Karnak
Ped ihorso rntu s, 78 Euphrat es, 93 Iseo po lis. S ee Per-h eb yt
Tabu bu , 125 , 133 - 136 Iti (ca na l), 77
Ped ikh ons, 15 1- 156 T a im hote p, 6, 13,54,59 -6 1,64 , 104
Ped imu t, 25 Fayyu m , 8 1 Itj-ta wy, 68 , 74
Ta n ta los , 126 l une t. S ee Dendera
Pe ftuane ith , 13 , 33 - 35, 37 Tekhao, 117
Pema i, 67 , 78 , 84 Gebel Barkal , 66 l un yt, 109 , 113-11 5 . See al so Esna
T e ntruty, T eret, 116 , 117, 119 l yet, 61
Pemu, 152 Gra nary-of-Memphis, 78 , 83
T ery, 19 , 22
Pentbekh ent, 78 Thoth e m h eb, 92 , 93
Cra nary-of- Re, 78
Penth esilea , 152 Greco-Egyptian , 6 Karnak , 17, 18, 23, 29 , 30 , 33 , 84 , 90,
T ho th re kh , 6, 13, 52, 54, 60
Pentwe ret, 78 Greco-Ro man , 6, 7, 9, 52, 104 , 107 , 104 , 106 . S ee also Ip et-sut
Tja inu fi, 161 - 164
Persis, 117, 119 109,1 26 ,1 51 ,1 5 7 Keheny, 77
Petosiri s, 6 , 13, 44, 45 , 49, 50 , 52 , 60 Greek, G r ee ks, 3 , 4 ,6 -8, 10,4 2,45 , Kemwer, 77
Ph ebhor, 2 13 Udjahor res ne, 13 , 36-4 I 52 ,66,83 ,86, 89 , 102,1 26 , 152 , Kerkeosiri s (Os ir is-to wn), 35, 36
Pot asimto , 86 Use r-Mo n t- Her, 151 157 , 181 Kh ent-he n-nefer, 100
Psh erenptah, 59 , 60 , 62 Gu rob, 81 . Kh entnefer, 79
Ptahertais, 162 Wa hibre-m akhy, 162 Kh eraha (Babylo n), 76, 77 , 79 , 83
Pu re m , 69, 79 We nnofe r , 13 ,54- 56 H apy, 68, 8 1 Khmun , 45 - 49, 53, 70, 72, 82 , 146 .
H a re no me, 49 , 69 , 7 1, 72 , 8 1 S ee also H enn opoli s Mag na
H arpoon nome, 80 Kh o r, 152 , 153 , 156
IV. G EOGRA PH ICAL AND ET HN IC A L T ERMS
H at-rn ehyt (no me o f Mendes), 119 , K O Ill O m ho , 7
121
Bactria, 93 H ebnu , 42 Lat o pol is. S"" ESlla
Ab u Sim be l, 84 , 86
Abyd e n es, 35 Ba kh ta n , 9 1-94 Hel iopol is (O n), 33, 58 , 76, 83 , 84 , Leontopo lis (Tc n tre mu). 7H. H:I
Abydos , 13 , 32 -34, 36 , 50 , 55 , 58 , Ba khu , 99 , 102 , 108 120, 152 , 160 , 161 , 163, 181. Se e Letopo lis ( K hc m), (j I , 7H, !H
also On Lib ya , Libya n , 67, 69 , 83 , IOH
116 , 2 13 Be h d e t, 30
Ain u, 56 , 57 Benent, 14, 16 H eli op ol ita n, 33, 120
Bubasti s (Pe rba st), 70 , 82, 83 , 134 H ell e n ism , Hellen istic, 4 , 6 , 9, 10 Ma (Mes hwesh) , 67, 70 , 7 1, 74 , 76 ,
Amazons, 151 , 152
Ankh tawi , 61 , 62 , 134 Busiris (Pe r-U sirnebdj edu), 5 5, 70 , H e m , 88, 89 78 , 79
An u , 88 , 89 78, 82, 84 He r ac1eop ol is Magna (H nes), 4 1, 43 , Macedo n ian , 3, 4 , 13 , 49
A p hrodito po lis (Atfih, Pernebtep ih ), Buto (Pe a nd Dep), 34 , 36, 37 , 80 44 ,67, 70, 73 , 8 1, 82 . S ee also Hn es Manu , 99, 102 , 105 , 108
68,8 1,84 , 115 H e r mo pol is Ma gna (Kh m un , Un ), Med iterra nean , 10 , 89
Apir u , 100 , 103 Ca n aa ni te, 93 13, 33 , 44, 49 , 66 - 68, 8 1, 82 , 101 , Memph is, 8, 20 , 57, 59 - 62 , 64, 67,
Ashru , 32 Chem m is,59 10 2 . S ee a /so Kh m u n; Un 68, 75,76,8 1,83 ,84, 101 , 104 ,
Asia, Asian , Asi atic, Asiatics, 42 , 47 , Co p tos, 12 7, 129 - 132 , 136, 137 H e r mo p ol is Pa r va. S ee Per-Thoth- 120 , 125 , 127 , 128 , 131 , 132 , 136 ,
7 1, 85 Crag Grea t-o f-Vi cto r ies, 7 1 weprehwy 137 , 139 - 142,1 48 , 150,1 60 -1 62
Assu a n , 84 , 86 C rocod ilo polis. See Hut-Sobk H e rwe r (H u twere t), 45 , 47 , 49 - 5 1, Me m ph ite , 8, 55, 56 , 65 , 115 , 125 ,
Assyr ia, Assyr ia n, Assyri an s, 3 , 29 , 68 , 8 1, 114 , 115 127
66,85, 152 , 154-1 56 Da p h na e , 163, 181 H e r yp ed e m y, 76 Me n d es (A n pet, Djede t, Pe r-Ban eb-
Atfih . See A phrodi topo Jis De lta , 3 , 67 , 80 , 83, 101 H esbu , 70 , 78 dj ed e t), 5 1, 70 , 78, 82 , J 19 , 121
Ath r ib is, 77 , 78, 83, 84 De nd e r a (I u net), 7, 104 , 107 , 109 , H ig h Sa n d , 77 Mer-Atum (Me id u rn), 68 , 74 , 8 1
Ay n , 68 116 Hittite, 93 Me roe , 14 5 , 147
226 ANCIENT E G YPTI A N LI T ER AT U R E INDEX 227

Mesed (Mosdai), 79 , 84 Pnubs, 85 , 8li Village-o f-Byt, 76 Xoi s, 68

Meten, 80 Ptole mai c, Ptolem ies. 3 , 5-7 , 28 , 54 ,
58,90,95, 110 , 116 , 125, 159 Yebu , 32 , 85 , 95 - 100 . See also
Na h r in (Mi ta n ni), 9 1,93 Ptol e mai s, 6 1 Wa wat, 96 , 101 Elep hantine
Na p ata , 66 , 67, 8 1, 82 Pu n t, 5li
N au cratis (Pi-ernroye), 64 , 66 , 86 -
89, 102 Ranofer, 70 , 78, 82
Ne frusi , 45, 49 -5 1, 68, 81 Rehone. See El-La h un
N ekhe n , 19 - 2 1, 23 V. EGYPT IAN TE R MS USED I N THE T RANSLAT IONS
Roau (Tura) , 55 -57
Neuer, 68, 80 Ro m an, 4, 6 , 44 , 105 , 110 , 125
N ine Bow s, 85 , 9 1 Ba ("sou l"), 19, 2 1, 26 , 42 , 57, 105 - Ka ("vita l fo rce ," "persona lity") , 19 ,
Rostau, 57, 60 , 62 107 , 114 -11 6, 118 ,11 9 ,1 40 , I 'll , 20 ,22,25 -28 , 3 1,33 ,37 , 50 ,5 3,
N ubia, 3 , 5 , 29, 66 , 67, 80 , 85 , 95, 99, Ru tisut, 60 , 62
2 13 54, 58, 60, 73, 79 , 105, 108, 115,
101,102,108 ,11 5,1 21 ,1 42-1 50 ,
1 16, 119 , 120
156
N ubian , N ub ians, 3, 7, 13,25,29,66 , Sa is,3 , 13, 37 - 41 , 66 , 67 , 70 , 8 1,
67, 84, 85, 94, 95, 97, 100 , 142 , 86 -88 , 119 Se tem-priest (tit le o f certai n h igh-
Sa ite , 3, 7, 8, 13, 25, 29 , 33 , 36, 39 , It e r (a lin ea r m easure ), 94 , 95 , 97,99, ra nking priests), 20, 23 , 70 , 120,
145 -1 51 ,1 75
58 ,85, 119, 12 1 138 125
On , 56 , 57 , 77, 117 - 119, 149, 150 . Sa qqara , 54
See also He1iopo1is Se be n ny to s (Tjeb-netcr), 78, 83
O ryx no m e , 42 Se hedj , 74
O sir is-town. See Ke rkeos iri s Se hel Isla nd , 94
V I. EG YPTIAN WO RDS DI SC U SSED IN TH E NOTES
O xyrh yn ch os, O xyrh yn chi te , 69 , 71 , Serna-be hdet (Diospo1is Inferior ), 78,
83,97 , 10 1 h br, 181 , 21 3
8 1. See also Pe rmedjed 3b rt, 18 1, 182
Sernenhor, 114 , 115 h t3 , 156
3 mY.t, 181, 21 6
Se n m u t (Biggah island) , 97 , 10 1 h 3 m, 23 , 24
Pa nopoli s, 61 3n t , 183, 184 , 21 5
Sepa , 55 -57 h wt-ib t.t , 101
Pe . See Buto 3rC 182
Pe n inewe , 76
Shas -ho te p (Hy pse lis), 114 , 115 ipy .t sp, 156 hwt-b it, 4 0
Shellal, 84 hm , 57, 65
Pe r-B anebdjed e t. See Mendes in , 17, 18
S h et it, 75 hmw .t , 'I I
Perbast, 70 , 78 . See also Bub astis ir 3w '3(.t), 159
Per-gerer , 78 Syria, 80 , 152 , 156 !:IrS, 2 14
iry n wpy .t, 183
Pe r -Hap y, 79 ihy, 109 !:I tr,I OO
Pe r-h eb yt (Iseopo lis), 78, 83 Taan, 78 , 83 illY, 64 !:I1.I n n hr.i , 59
Pe rmedj ed , 68 , 7 1. S ee aim Oxyrhy n- Tako m pso (Kernsa t), 94 , 95, 99 , 102 i!w,64 !:I3 , 57
chos T anis, 84 , 152 -s-sh n , 182 !:Ini/!:I nr ,1 2 1
Pe r-nebtepih . See Ap hrodi to po 1is Tawer, 34 , 35 w3g wy , 24 !:I rs , 2 16
Pernub, 68 Tentrem u . See Leo ntopo1is wp(.t) m 3' .t, 64 hn, 2 15
Perpeg , 70 Teudjoi (EI-H iba), 68, 8 1 wpg, 35 , 36 h tb , 2 15
Per-P esdjet , 76, 83 Tbebaid , T h eban , T heb a ns, 6, 13, wnh , 86 htby.t , 156
Pe r-Sakhrnet-neb etrehsa , 78 14,1 7,1 8, 24 , 29 , 32, 90 , 94 ,1 04 wrcl-ib ,24 sp , 28 , 'I I, 2 17
Pe r-Sakhrnet-nebetsat, 78 Thebes, 3, 13, 14 , 16-20 ,22,24-26, b w3 , 21 4 sm ,64
Per-Sekhe rnkhe pe rre (" House o f 28,29,32, 58,66,67,69 -7 1,80, bty.t ,1 81 sn b,3 1
O so rkon I"), 68, 74 , 8 1 82,90-94 , 104, 105, 129 , 132 b tw , 181 , 21 4 snf nb-sp , 28
Pe r sh at , 42 Thrones- of-the-Two-Lands (Temple pk-!:I3 .\, 2 16 sn k, 109
Pe r sia , Pe rsian , Persian s, 3 , 5 , 13 , 36, of Karnak ), 20, 3 1, 32, 74 , 9 1 ~3, 24 sht, 182 ,2 16
40,4 1,44,49,86,90 Tj eb-neter . See Se be n nytos mn w, 28 s3 w, 83
Per-Sopd (Saft el-He rma) , 78, 83 T j e knes h , 68 mnw, 115 s', 183, 184
Per-Thoth-we prehwy (Hermo po lis Tower-of- Byu, 76 n3 .w nkt, 182 S'r,217
Parva ), 70 , 78, 82 , 83 Tura . See Roau n!:l ty, 83 5't-h3.t, 182
Per- Usirnebdj edu. See Bu siri s n s3 .t , 138 sf-. '182
Philae , 7, 95 , 10 1, 104, 1 16 U n , 32 , 48, 49 , 70 , 72 , 82 . SI'(' aim rmt '53, 183 sf'.t, 182 , 183
Phoenicia n s, 89 H e r mo poli s Mag na rg w, 89 sms-ib , 24
228 ANC IENT EG YPT IAN LITERAT UR E

sk , 183 ty 3byn, 184

stm, 183 ty sp , 182
kn , knl, 24 rp -rnr-ms -, 18\
kn h. t, \ 51 , 18 1 13y s '~ , 184
kf3-ib, 82 dns, 64
g3 w, 54 drn , drri ' , 182
g r f-3bw, 98, 101 <.I<.Iy, 2 15