Voices from Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Middle Kingdom Writings (Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture)

329 Pages·1991·3.71 MB·English

by  Richard B. Parkinson

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Page 1
Voices from Ancient Egypt
Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture
Page 2
Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture
Series Editor
A. J. Heisserer, University of Oklahoma
Advisory Board
Ernst Badian, Harvard University
David F. Bright, Iowa State University
Nancy Demand, Indiana University
Elaine Fantham, Princeton University
R. M. Frazer, Tulane University
Ronald J. Leprohon, University of Toronto
Robert A. Moysey, University of Mississippi
Helen F. North, Swarthmore College
Robert J. Smutny, University of the Pacific
Eva Stehle, University of Maryland at College Park
A. Geoffrey Woodhead, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge/Ohio
State University
John Wright, Northwestern University
Page 3
Voices from Ancient Egypt
An Anthology of Middle Kingdom Writings
R. B. Parkinson
University of Oklahoma Press : Norman
Page 4
To my parents
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91-7250
ISBN 0-8061-2362-1
University of Oklahoma Press edition published by
special arrangement with British Museum Press,
London. Copyright © 1991 by R. B. Parkinson
All rights reserved. First printing.
Voices from Ancient Egypt is Volume 9 of the
Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture.
Printed and bound in Great Britain
Cover and page 3 Painting of a scribe on an 11th-Dynasty model
granary
(J. Bourriau, Pharaohs and Mortals, Cambridge, 1988, 86, 1045).
Page 5
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 7
Introduction
The Historical Setting 8
The Nature of theWritings 13
The Script and Its Development
A Survey of the Uses of Writing
The Nature of theAnthology
Technical Note
The Writings
The Intellectual Setting of Cosmos and State
1 32
The Order of the Creator: Coffin Text Spell 1130
2 34
A Vision of Chaos: From the 'Prophecy of Neferti'
3 36
An Exile's Longing for the State: From the 'Tale of
Sinuhe'
The King
4 38
The King and His Cosmic Role: 'The King As Sun-priest'
5 40
A Royal Act: The Building Inscription of Senwosret I
6 43
The Presentation of Military Power: The Boundary Stela
of Senwosret III
7 46
The King As Protector: A Hymn to Senwosret Iii
8 47
Kings in History: A King-list
9 48
The Royal Burden: The 'Teaching of Amenemhat I'
10 52
The Fallibility of the King: From the 'Teaching for
Merikare'
11 54
The King in Folklore: The 'Tale of King Neferkare and
General Sasenet'
The Life of the Land
12 60
The Ideal Life of Society: From the 'Lament of Ipuur'
13 61
The Ideal Life of an Individual: The Stela of Intef
14 64
Relative and Absolute Justice in Society: From the 'Tale
of the Eloquent Peasant'
15 65
The Life of a Perfect official: From the 'teaching of the
Vizier Ptahhotep'
16 70
Social Solidarity: From the 'Loyalist Teaching'
17 72
The Bureaucrat's View of Society: From the 'Teaching of
Duaf's Son Khety'
18-20 76
The Codification and Mobilisation of Knowledge
18
An Onomasticon
19
A Mathematical Problem
20
Gynaecological Prescriptions
21 79
A Prince's Court: A Scene from the Tomb of Sonebi
22-4 81
Scenes of Low Life from Various Tombs
22
Baking and Brewing
23
Harvesting Flax
24
Fishing
25 83
A Bucolic Fantasy: From 'The Pleasures of Fishing and
Fowling'
26 85
A Royal Decree
27 85
Accounts of A Royal Dockyard Workshop at Thinis
28 88
From the Temple Archive at El-Lahun
28a
The Monthly Report
28b
The Star Rising
Page 6
28c
An Order for An Ox-hide
29 90
Business Letters from El-Lahun
29a
A Note of Request
29b
A Letter of Reminder
29c
A Letter of Appeal
29d
Hate-mail
30 93
A Report From A Frontier Garrison: From the 'Semna
Despatches'
31 95
Three Graffiti from Campaigns to Nubia
32 97
Commemorating a Mining Expedition
33 99
A Register of Forced-labour Fugitives: From Papyrus
Brooklyn
34 101
Letters Home: From the Heqanakht Papers
35 107
Trouble at Home: A Letter from A General