- Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
University of Copenhagen
Karen Blixens Plads 8
DK-2300 Copenhagen S
Denmark
- Ancient Egyptian History, Ancient Egyptian Historiography, Demotic, Hieratic, Egyptology, Ancient Egyptian Literature, and 21 moreTebtunis, Papyrology, Ancient History, Egyptian Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Ptolemaic Egyptian History, Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Egyptian History, Avaris, Hyksos, Third Intermediate Period, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), New Kingdom (Egyptology), Ancient Egypt, History of Egyptology, Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Middle Kingdom (Egyptology), Middle Kingdom, and Tebtynisedit
The invention of writing marks one of the most significant advances in human development and has been subject to intense study. With the advent of writing came also the necessity to organise, store, and secure documents. While archives... more
The invention of writing marks one of the most significant advances in human development and has been subject to intense study. With the advent of writing came also the necessity to organise, store, and secure documents. While archives and libraries from ancient Egypt have received considerable focus from a philological perspective, the same cannot be said of their physical or material aspects. Statements to the effect that documents were stored in boxes and jars are easily found in most reference works, but – apart from a few frequently cited examples – actual instances of papyri and other manuscripts found in situ in their ancient storage are frustratingly difficult to come by, and well-documented examples are quite exceptional. The reason is two-fold. The majority of preserved manuscripts derive from various forms of rubbish deposits, having been discarded in antiquity. Moreover, most of them were excavated at an early date, when there was less interest in archaeological context, or discovered during illicit excavations. Even in cases where details were recorded, they have not always found their way into excavation reports and text editions.
Research Interests: Egyptology, Archives, History Of The Bible/Biblical Canon, Demotic, History of Library and Information Science, and 8 moreGreek Papyrology, Books and Libraries in the Ancient World, Hieratic, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Arabic Papyrology, Ancient Egypt, Coptic Papyrology, and Early Christian Papyri and Inscriptions
During excavations at the pyramid complex of Netjerkhet at Saqqara in the 1920s, Firth and Quibell discovered a purpose-built archive with fragments of papyri still in situ. Although this important discovery received scant notice in the... more
During excavations at the pyramid complex of Netjerkhet at Saqqara in the 1920s, Firth and Quibell discovered a purpose-built archive with fragments of papyri still in situ. Although this important discovery received scant notice in the published reports, it can be determined that the archive was constructed when ”Temple T” or the ”Building with three fluted columns” was converted into an administrative centre around 2400 BC. The archive consists of a long corridor flanked by 26 mud-brick niches and it had the estimated capacity to store several thousand papyri. The contents of the papyri found in the niches suggests that the administrative centre was used by the vizier and that it was involved in the construction of the royal pyramids during the late Old Kingdom.
Research Interests:
Edition of a phyle rooster from the excavations of Grenfell and Hunt at Tebtunis. Dating to the second century BC, the document records the names of the members of the first phyle. A short appendix to the edition contains a note on offset... more
Edition of a phyle rooster from the excavations of Grenfell and Hunt at Tebtunis. Dating to the second century BC, the document records the names of the members of the first phyle. A short appendix to the edition contains a note on offset cutting, traces, and loss.
Research Interests:
T. Christiansen, M. Cotte, W. de Nolf, Elouan Mouro, J. Reyes-Herrera, S. de Meyer, F. Vanmeert, N. Salvadó, V. Gonzalez, P. E. Lindelof, K. Mortensen, K. Ryholt, K. Janssens and S. Larsen A hitherto unknown composition is... more
T. Christiansen, M. Cotte, W. de Nolf, Elouan Mouro, J. Reyes-Herrera, S. de Meyer, F. Vanmeert, N. Salvadó, V. Gonzalez, P. E. Lindelof, K. Mortensen, K. Ryholt, K. Janssens and S. Larsen
A hitherto unknown composition is highlighted in the red and black inks preserved on ancient Egyptian papyri from the Roman period (circa 100 to 200 CE). Synchrotron-based macro–X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping brings to light the presence of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb) compounds in the majority of the red inks inscribed on 12 papyrus fragments from the Tebtunis temple library. The iron-based compounds in the inks can be assigned to ocher, notably due to the colocalization of Fe with aluminum, and the detection of hematite (Fe2O3) by micro–X-ray diffraction. Using the same techniques together with micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Pb is shown to be associated with fatty acid phosphate, sulfate, chloride, and carboxylate ions. Moreover, micro-XRF maps reveal a peculiar distribution and colocalization of Pb, phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), which are present at the micrometric scale resembling diffused “coffee rings” surrounding the ocher particles imbedded in the red letters, and at the submicrometric scale concentrated in the papyrus cell walls. A similar Pb, P, and S composition was found in three black inks, suggesting that the same lead components were employed in the manufacture of carbon-based inks. Bearing in mind that pigments such as red lead (Pb3O4) and lead white (hydrocerussite [Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2] and/or cerussite [PbCO3]) were not detected, the results presented here suggest that the lead compound in the ink was used as a drier rather than as a pigment. Accordingly, the study calls for a reassessment of the composition of lead-based components in ancient Mediterranean pigments.
A hitherto unknown composition is highlighted in the red and black inks preserved on ancient Egyptian papyri from the Roman period (circa 100 to 200 CE). Synchrotron-based macro–X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping brings to light the presence of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb) compounds in the majority of the red inks inscribed on 12 papyrus fragments from the Tebtunis temple library. The iron-based compounds in the inks can be assigned to ocher, notably due to the colocalization of Fe with aluminum, and the detection of hematite (Fe2O3) by micro–X-ray diffraction. Using the same techniques together with micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Pb is shown to be associated with fatty acid phosphate, sulfate, chloride, and carboxylate ions. Moreover, micro-XRF maps reveal a peculiar distribution and colocalization of Pb, phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), which are present at the micrometric scale resembling diffused “coffee rings” surrounding the ocher particles imbedded in the red letters, and at the submicrometric scale concentrated in the papyrus cell walls. A similar Pb, P, and S composition was found in three black inks, suggesting that the same lead components were employed in the manufacture of carbon-based inks. Bearing in mind that pigments such as red lead (Pb3O4) and lead white (hydrocerussite [Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2] and/or cerussite [PbCO3]) were not detected, the results presented here suggest that the lead compound in the ink was used as a drier rather than as a pigment. Accordingly, the study calls for a reassessment of the composition of lead-based components in ancient Mediterranean pigments.
Research Interests: Egyptology, Papyrology, FTIR spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectroscopy, Pigments (Chemistry), and 7 moreScience for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, XRD Crystallography, Tebtunis, Oil painting, Analysis of Pigments on Ancient Artifacts, Lead Soaps, and Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
A survey of more than fifty illustrated papyri from Greco-Roman Tebtunis with a discussion of selected aspects, such as the context of illustrations, the question of master copies, and the use of colors, draft outlines, and framing lines.
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Publication of four documents, which preserve the elaborate Egyptian titulary of the Roman emperors in the hieratic script followed, in at least three cases, by documentary texts in the demotic script. These documents provide only... more
Publication of four documents, which preserve the elaborate Egyptian titulary of the Roman emperors in the hieratic script followed, in at least three cases, by documentary texts in the demotic script. These documents provide only hieratic examples of this titulary, which is well-attested in hieroglyphic temple inscriptions, and they offer several variant wordings.
Research Interests: Egyptology, Roman History, Papyrology, Demotic, Graeco-Roman Egypt, and 3 moreHieratic, Tebtunis, and Trajan
Article TOC 10.1. Introduction 10.2. Temple libraries 10.2.1. The Tebtunis Temple Library (First-Second Century CE) 10.2.2. The "Elephantine Temple Library" (Seventh-Third Century BCE) 10.3. Private Libraries 10.3.1. The Brooklyn... more
Article TOC
10.1. Introduction
10.2. Temple libraries
10.2.1. The Tebtunis Temple Library (First-Second Century CE)
10.2.2. The "Elephantine Temple Library" (Seventh-Third Century BCE)
10.3. Private Libraries
10.3.1. The Brooklyn Library (Seventh-Sixth Century BCE)
10.3.2. The Archive of Ptolemaios and Apollonios (Second Century BCE)
10.4. Tomb libraries
10.4.1. The Sminis Tomb Library (Late Fourth Century BCE)
10.4.2. Akhmim Tomb Libraries (First Century BCE)
10.5. Discarded Literary Texts and Libraries
10.5.1. Papyri from the Rubbish Dumps of Saqqara
10.5.2. Waste Paper Library from Tanis
10.5.3. Cartonnage Library from Abusir el-Melek (First Century BCE)
10.6. Monumental Temples Libraries and the House of the Book
10.6.1. The Temple of Horus of Edfu
10.6.2. The Temple of Isis at Philae
10.6.3. The Temples of Month at Medamud and Nekhbet at Elkab
10.6.4. The Temple of Month at Tod
10.6.5. Book Catalogues from Temples
10.7. The Narmuthis School
10.8. The House of Life and the Cult of Osiris
10.9. Papyrus Storage
10.10. Leather Master Copies
10.11. Abduction of Egyptian Libraries
10.11.1. The Temple Library of Tell Tukh el-Qaramus?
10.12. Acquisition of Literature
10.13. Conclusions
10.1. Introduction
10.2. Temple libraries
10.2.1. The Tebtunis Temple Library (First-Second Century CE)
10.2.2. The "Elephantine Temple Library" (Seventh-Third Century BCE)
10.3. Private Libraries
10.3.1. The Brooklyn Library (Seventh-Sixth Century BCE)
10.3.2. The Archive of Ptolemaios and Apollonios (Second Century BCE)
10.4. Tomb libraries
10.4.1. The Sminis Tomb Library (Late Fourth Century BCE)
10.4.2. Akhmim Tomb Libraries (First Century BCE)
10.5. Discarded Literary Texts and Libraries
10.5.1. Papyri from the Rubbish Dumps of Saqqara
10.5.2. Waste Paper Library from Tanis
10.5.3. Cartonnage Library from Abusir el-Melek (First Century BCE)
10.6. Monumental Temples Libraries and the House of the Book
10.6.1. The Temple of Horus of Edfu
10.6.2. The Temple of Isis at Philae
10.6.3. The Temples of Month at Medamud and Nekhbet at Elkab
10.6.4. The Temple of Month at Tod
10.6.5. Book Catalogues from Temples
10.7. The Narmuthis School
10.8. The House of Life and the Cult of Osiris
10.9. Papyrus Storage
10.10. Leather Master Copies
10.11. Abduction of Egyptian Libraries
10.11.1. The Temple Library of Tell Tukh el-Qaramus?
10.12. Acquisition of Literature
10.13. Conclusions
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Article TOC 1.1. The Library in Alexandria 1.2. A Comparative Approach to Libraries in Egypt and Western Asia 1.3. Defining Libraries 1.4. Advent of Writing and First Libraries 1.5. Materiality and Manuscript 1.6. Patterns of Preservation... more
Article TOC
1.1. The Library in Alexandria
1.2. A Comparative Approach to Libraries in Egypt and Western Asia
1.3. Defining Libraries
1.4. Advent of Writing and First Libraries
1.5. Materiality and Manuscript
1.6. Patterns of Preservation
1.7. The Deposition of Manuscripts
1.8. Excavations and Collections
1.9. Types of Collections
1.10. Access and Acquisition
1.11. Language and Script
1.12. Literacy and Reading
1.13. The Architecture of Libraries
1.14. Storage and Maintenance
1.15. Content and Volume
1.16. Closing Remarks
1.1. The Library in Alexandria
1.2. A Comparative Approach to Libraries in Egypt and Western Asia
1.3. Defining Libraries
1.4. Advent of Writing and First Libraries
1.5. Materiality and Manuscript
1.6. Patterns of Preservation
1.7. The Deposition of Manuscripts
1.8. Excavations and Collections
1.9. Types of Collections
1.10. Access and Acquisition
1.11. Language and Script
1.12. Literacy and Reading
1.13. The Architecture of Libraries
1.14. Storage and Maintenance
1.15. Content and Volume
1.16. Closing Remarks
Research Interests: Ancient History, Intellectual History, Egyptology, Literacy, Papyrology, and 10 moreAssyriology, Hittitology, Ancient Science, Classical philology, Ancient Near East, History of Library and Information Science, Greek Papyrology, Books and Libraries in the Ancient World, Ancient Egyptian Literature, and Ancient Egypt
A number of important demotic literary papyri are inscribed in a highly characteristic hand, which is perhaps best known to colleagues from the two copies of Petechons and Sarpot in Vienna (table, nos 1 and 2). The purpose of the... more
A number of important demotic literary papyri are inscribed in a highly characteristic
hand, which is perhaps best known to colleagues from the two copies of Petechons
and Sarpot in Vienna (table, nos 1 and 2). The purpose of the present paper is to bring
attention to these papyri as a group and to discuss their possible provenance and
social context. It will be argued that the bulk of the papyri derive from discoveries at
two different sites; the larger in the 1880s, possibly in the area of Medinet el-Fayum,
and the second in the early 1930s at Tebtunis.
hand, which is perhaps best known to colleagues from the two copies of Petechons
and Sarpot in Vienna (table, nos 1 and 2). The purpose of the present paper is to bring
attention to these papyri as a group and to discuss their possible provenance and
social context. It will be argued that the bulk of the papyri derive from discoveries at
two different sites; the larger in the 1880s, possibly in the area of Medinet el-Fayum,
and the second in the early 1930s at Tebtunis.
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This preliminary report describes a new papyrus inscribed with a story from the Inaros cycle. The largest fragment was identified in the Iceland National Museum in Reykjavik, and there are several further fragments in the Egyptian Museum... more
This preliminary report describes a new papyrus inscribed with a story from the Inaros cycle. The largest fragment was identified in the Iceland National Museum in Reykjavik, and there are several further fragments in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin and in an unidentified collection in Washington. The text finds no parallel among the published Inaros stories and it seems to represent an entirely new addition to the cycle of stories evolving around this legendary figure. It is written in the same characteristic hand as a larger group of literary papyri that includes at least three further copies of Inaros stories: two are inscribed with Petechons and Sarpot and one with Pharaoh and Persians.
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The two papyri that form the subject of the present paper derive from the site of Kasr el-Banat, ancient Euhemeria, in the Fayum. They are both self-dedications and their significance lies in the fact that they provide further testimony... more
The two papyri that form the subject of the present paper derive from the site of Kasr el-Banat, ancient Euhemeria, in the Fayum. They are both self-dedications and their significance lies in the fact that they provide further testimony for the practice of voluntary temple slavery in the second century BC from a specific archaeological context. They show
that the phenomenon was not confined to larger temples such as those of Tebtunis and Soknopaiou Nesos. They may further be seen to conform closely in structure and nature with the self-dedications from Tebtunis, although there is some slight formulaic variation, and they also fall within the same date-range. There is still no indication that the phenomenon of self-dedication, as we know it from these texts, was practiced outside the second century BC. With reference to the two self-dedications and other material, the present paper will further argue that the main deities of the temple at Euhemeria were not Suchos and Isis, as hitherto assumed, but local form of Isis called Isis-Nephersais, 'Isis with the beautiful fate', accompanied by her son and her husband, Harpsenêsis and Osiris-Onnôphris.
that the phenomenon was not confined to larger temples such as those of Tebtunis and Soknopaiou Nesos. They may further be seen to conform closely in structure and nature with the self-dedications from Tebtunis, although there is some slight formulaic variation, and they also fall within the same date-range. There is still no indication that the phenomenon of self-dedication, as we know it from these texts, was practiced outside the second century BC. With reference to the two self-dedications and other material, the present paper will further argue that the main deities of the temple at Euhemeria were not Suchos and Isis, as hitherto assumed, but local form of Isis called Isis-Nephersais, 'Isis with the beautiful fate', accompanied by her son and her husband, Harpsenêsis and Osiris-Onnôphris.
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Seals form a central source for the history of the 14th and 15th Dynasties, a period lasting perhaps around two centuries and ending in the mid-16th century B.C. With only a few kings and officials attested by actual monuments and no... more
Seals form a central source for the history of the 14th and 15th Dynasties, a period lasting perhaps around two centuries and ending in the mid-16th century B.C. With only a few kings and officials attested by actual monuments and no surviving administrative documents, the seals represent the bulk of the historical (as opposed to archaeological or non-epigraphical) sources. As such they are used both for the dating of specific archaeological contexts and for the study of the contemporary administration. A crucial problem in relation to the seals is the fact that most of them are inscribed for kings and high officials whose historical position and order does not emerge from any other published sources.
The present study presents a comprehensive, statistical seriation of seal typology based on a database comprising more than one thousand items. It is argued that it is possible to identify a consistent typological development, according to which the seals in question may be arranged in a chronological sequence, and that the distinct typological features of the seals reflect a centralized production, in effect the existence of a royal workshop. Proceeding from a seriation of seals inscribed for kings, it is possible also to assign relative dates to a large number of seals inscribed for members of the royal family and high officials, and to place these individuals in a more specific historical context. The seriation of these seals and their dating, in turn, allow for a number of observations concerning the political history of the 14th and 15th Dynasties.
The present study presents a comprehensive, statistical seriation of seal typology based on a database comprising more than one thousand items. It is argued that it is possible to identify a consistent typological development, according to which the seals in question may be arranged in a chronological sequence, and that the distinct typological features of the seals reflect a centralized production, in effect the existence of a royal workshop. Proceeding from a seriation of seals inscribed for kings, it is possible also to assign relative dates to a large number of seals inscribed for members of the royal family and high officials, and to place these individuals in a more specific historical context. The seriation of these seals and their dating, in turn, allow for a number of observations concerning the political history of the 14th and 15th Dynasties.
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Tebtunis is one of the best documented sites from the Greco-Roman period in Egypt. Above all, it offers the relatively rare combination of well-preserved architectural and material cultural remains and an exceptionally rich and varied... more
Tebtunis is one of the best documented sites from the Greco-Roman period in Egypt. Above all, it offers the relatively rare combination of well-preserved architectural and material cultural remains and an exceptionally rich and varied corpus of contemporary texts, predominantly written in Greek and Demotic. In addition to the numerous texts brought to light in the forty years preceding the Second World War, the Franco-Italian excavations directed by Prof. Claudio Gallazzi since 1988 have resulted in the discovery and documentation of several thousand new papyri and ostraca. In 2011, I was invited by Prof. Gallazzi to survey the demotic papyri and to establish a project for their publication. Over the past six years I have spent a number of weeks at the site, working on the freshly excavated papyri, and at the Ali Radwan Storage Museum (Kom Aushim), where the material is sent at the end of the season. The present paper presents some preliminary results of the survey and outlines the publication project.
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The purpose of this paper is to present the Tebtunis temple library as a case study of scribal habits at an Egyptian temple of the Roman period. (...) This collection of manuscripts provides a unique insight into a whole range of aspects... more
The purpose of this paper is to present the Tebtunis temple library as a case study of scribal habits at an Egyptian temple of the Roman period. (...) This collection of manuscripts provides a unique insight into a whole range of aspects concerning the operation of an actual Egyptian temple library. What type of material did it include? What was its size? How was material collected, copied, collated, edited, and distributed? What was the lifespan of a manuscript? Was there systematic maintenance? How many scribes were involved in the operation of the library? Were they specialized? Such insights may, in turn, help to provide a framework for the interpretation of much other extant material lacking a larger context. The focus of the present paper is the materiality of the manuscripts,
certain formal features of the texts, and the palaeography of the scribes
involved.
certain formal features of the texts, and the palaeography of the scribes
involved.
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Publication of a demotic stele recording the foundation of the cult of the deified general Nechtpharaus in 107/106 BC.
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Catalogue entries on a demotic ostracon (no. 171), a demotic lease (no. 181), and a dowry document (no. 182)
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The present paper provides an edition of the only literary item identified among the demotic texts excavated by the University of Michigan at Karanis: a papyrus fragment inscribed with a priestly narrative that can be dated to the second... more
The present paper provides an edition of the only literary item identified among the demotic texts excavated by the University of Michigan at Karanis: a papyrus fragment inscribed with a priestly narrative that can be dated to the second century AD. This narrative and the hieratic onomasticon, which was excavated
by the same mission, are both significant despite their unimpressive sizes, partly because texts of their nature are something that one would mainly expect to find within priestly communities at this late date, where few individuals are likely to have mastered hieratic and literary demotic elsewhere, and partly because both of them have a recorded archaeological context that included other literary texts in Greek. It is also worth noting that, while two houses contained Egyptian literature, Greek literature was found in at least 39 houses at Karanis. These houses mostly date to the second and third centuries AD.
by the same mission, are both significant despite their unimpressive sizes, partly because texts of their nature are something that one would mainly expect to find within priestly communities at this late date, where few individuals are likely to have mastered hieratic and literary demotic elsewhere, and partly because both of them have a recorded archaeological context that included other literary texts in Greek. It is also worth noting that, while two houses contained Egyptian literature, Greek literature was found in at least 39 houses at Karanis. These houses mostly date to the second and third centuries AD.
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A recently published spell concerning the prevention of miscarriages, where a falcon and a female cat are invoked against Seth/Apophis, provides a clue to the understanding of an episode in The Petese Stories, where the same two animals... more
A recently published spell concerning the prevention of miscarriages, where a falcon and a female cat are invoked against Seth/Apophis, provides a clue to the understanding of an episode in The Petese Stories, where the same two animals are summoned through magic and directed against an enemy who soon surrenders to avoid destruction.
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T. Christiansen, M. Cotte, R. Loredo-Portales, P.E. Lindelof, K. Mortensen, K. Ryholt and S. Larsen For the first time it is shown that carbon black inks on ancient Egyptian papyri from different time periods and geographical regions... more
T. Christiansen, M. Cotte, R. Loredo-Portales, P.E. Lindelof, K. Mortensen, K. Ryholt and S. Larsen
For the first time it is shown that carbon black inks on ancient Egyptian papyri from different time periods and geographical regions contain copper. The inks have been investigated using synchrotron-based micro X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and micro X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The composition of the copper-containing carbon inks showed no significant differences that could be related to time periods or the geographical locations. This renders it probable that the same technology for ink production was used throughout Egypt for a period spanning at least 300 years. It is argued that the black pigment material (soot) for these inks was obtained as by-products of technical metallurgy. The copper (Cu) can be correlated with the following three main components: cuprite (Cu 2 O), azurite (Cu 3 [CO 3 ] 2 [OH] 2) and malachite (Cu 2 CO 3 [OH] 2).
For the first time it is shown that carbon black inks on ancient Egyptian papyri from different time periods and geographical regions contain copper. The inks have been investigated using synchrotron-based micro X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and micro X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The composition of the copper-containing carbon inks showed no significant differences that could be related to time periods or the geographical locations. This renders it probable that the same technology for ink production was used throughout Egypt for a period spanning at least 300 years. It is argued that the black pigment material (soot) for these inks was obtained as by-products of technical metallurgy. The copper (Cu) can be correlated with the following three main components: cuprite (Cu 2 O), azurite (Cu 3 [CO 3 ] 2 [OH] 2) and malachite (Cu 2 CO 3 [OH] 2).
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In honour of Paul John Frandsen
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The publication of a self-dedication addressed to Anubis is used as an opportunity to discuss the phenomenon of self-dedications which is so far only attested for the second century BC. The central element in all known self-dedications is... more
The publication of a self-dedication addressed to Anubis is used as an opportunity to discuss the phenomenon of self-dedications which is so far only attested for the second century BC. The central element in all known self-dedications is the supplicant’s agreement to pay a monthly fee in order to acquire the status of a temple servant. The fact that the vast majority of the supplicants cannot name their fathers betrays their low social status, and it is argued that the documents represent a manner by which these people might avoid compulsory labor since temple servants were apparently exempt from corvée.
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In the early 1900s a Greek-Demotic archive, comprising at least eighteen well-preserved but very brittle rolls, were discovered at Edfu. The archive includes some of the longest documentary papyri ever found and the discovery was widely... more
In the early 1900s a Greek-Demotic archive, comprising at least eighteen well-preserved but very brittle rolls, were discovered at Edfu. The archive includes some of the longest documentary papyri ever found and the discovery was widely reported in the press in 1912, but its existence has since been virtually forgotten. Three of the papyri are now in Copenhagen and their texts reveal that the archive dates to the reign of Ptolemy VIII and pertains to the administration that was based in the great temple of Horus at Edfu. One document, in Greek, is an extensive land survey pertaining to the Edfu Nome which, in addition to detailing various types of land, provides an important case-study on the Ptolemaic policy of settling cleruchs in this region. The two other documents, both in Demotic, are accounts concerned with the monthly income and expenditure of the temple’s wine magazine; they show that some wages were partly paid in wine and even provides us with the names of some of the workers who built the famous pronaos at the temple.
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The focus of the present paper is imitatio Alexandri – i.e. the imitation of Alexander the Great – in historical narratives of the Greco-Roman period. A number of examples have been selected from different contexts. They relate to the... more
The focus of the present paper is imitatio Alexandri – i.e. the imitation of Alexander the Great – in historical narratives of the Greco-Roman period. A number of examples have been selected from different contexts. They relate to the legendary kings Sesostris [main case study: Herodotus and Diodorus] and Ramesses [main case study: the Bentresh Stela] and characters from the cycle of Inaros stories [main case study: Egyptians and Amazons]. Little of the available material has previously been interpreted in this light and it will be shown that imitatio Alexandri was much more widespread than previously realised. This circumstance is likely to have been influenced by the extensive reference to Alexander the Great by the diadochs and later Hellenistic kings in their attempt to legitimise and strengthen their rule.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Cultural History, Egyptology, World Literatures, Classics, and 24 moreGreek Literature, Self and Identity, Literature, Hellenistic History, Ancient Historiography, Demotic, Hellenistic Historiography, Narrative and Identity, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Alexander the Great, Hellenistic Bactria, Literary History, Ancient Greek Historiography, Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Ancient Egyptian History, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Egyptian Historiography, Ramesside Period, The Greek and Latin Classics, Ancient Greek Literature, Tebtunis, Alexander Romance, and Ancient Literature
"[Initial paragraph:] Ancient Egypt is well known as the country which housed the most famous library of antiquity, the library of Alexandria. The details surrounding the foundation of this institution remain unclear. The idea may have... more
"[Initial paragraph:] Ancient Egypt is well known as the country which housed the most famous library of antiquity, the library of Alexandria. The details surrounding the foundation of this institution remain unclear. The idea may have originated with Ptolemy I, but the available sources indicate that actual construction did not take place until the reign of Ptolemy II and the credit is perhaps entirely his. Much is known about the wide range of scholarly activities and groundbreaking achievements of the library of Alexandria. But the possibility that any aspect of contemporary Egyptian culture may have played a part in the decision to create this institution has been given little if any serious consideration. ..."
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Ancient History, Intellectual History, Egyptology, Classics, and 16 moreGreek Literature, Literacy, Library Science, Papyrology, Archives, History of Reading and Writing, Ancient Historiography, Demotic, Graeco-Roman Egypt, History of Library and Information Science, Books and Libraries in the Ancient World, Hieratic, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Libraries, and Ancient Egyptian Astronomy
A recent publication saw the edition of a new fragment of a demotic papyrus in Berlin concerning the Assyrian invasion of Egypt. This is one of a considerable number of historical narratives from the Greco-Roman period that refer to or... more
A recent publication saw the edition of a new fragment of a demotic papyrus in Berlin concerning the Assyrian invasion of Egypt. This is one of a considerable number of historical narratives from the Greco-Roman period that refer to or are set in the time of this — from an Egyptian point of view — highly traumatic event; the conflict took place in the 7th century BC and left a deep scar on Egyptian historical conscience that would not be erased until the end of the ancient culture, nearly a millennium later. The purpose of the present contribution is to bring attention to the fact that another fragment of the same papyrus in Brooklyn and to present a number of new readings in both fragments that help clarify the nature of the extant remains of the story. It turns out that the story mentions several rulers: kings Psammetichus I and Necho I of Egypt, and a prince Necho Pibesis, as well as the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. Even more remarkable, the larger fragment seems to describe an incident also related by Herodotus II.30, sc. the rebellion of the army of ‘the men of the left’ (Eg. smH, transcribed as Asmach by Herodotus) in the reign of Psammetichus.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Egyptology, Assyriology, Mesopotamia History, Demotic, and 12 moreAncient Near East, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, Herodotus, Ancient Egyptian History, Saite Period, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Egyptian Historiography, Neo-Assyrian studies, Assurbanipal, Late Period in ancient Egypt, and Psammetichus I
[Initial paragraph:] During a recent collation of the Berlin fragment of the narrative now known as Naneferkasokar and the Babylonians, a possible reference to king Necho I (672-664 BC) as the son of king Tefnakhte II could be made out.
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This paper identifies several indigenous Egyptian attestations of King Nechepsos, previously well known from Classical sources. The name may be understood as ‘Necho the Wise’, and refers to Necho II of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. His... more
This paper identifies several indigenous Egyptian attestations of King Nechepsos, previously well known from Classical sources. The name may be understood as ‘Necho the Wise’, and refers to Necho II of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. His association with astrology may be related to an eclipse near the beginning of that king’s historical reign. This paper further identifies the sage Petosiris known from Greek texts as the well-attested sage Petesis. The divine instructors of Nechepsos and Petosiris are identified as Imhotep and Amenhotep son of Hapu.
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Egyptology, Classics, Art, and 18 moreLiterature, History of Science, Ancient Science, Astrology, Science, Demotic, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Ancient Greek History, Third Intermediate Period, Ancient Egyptian History, Saite Period, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Egyptian Historiography, Astronomy, Eclipse, History, Science, Astronomy, Ancient Chronological Systems, Calendars, Tebtunis, and Math
[Initial paragraph:] Demotic literary texts written on ostraca or writing tablets from Greco-Roman Egypt are quite uncommon. As far as narrative literature is concerned, the published material includes no more than a single ostracon and... more
[Initial paragraph:] Demotic literary texts written on ostraca or writing tablets from Greco-Roman Egypt are quite uncommon. As far as narrative literature is concerned, the published material includes no more than a single ostracon and two tablets from the entire one thousand year period when demotic was in use. This is presumably related to the manner in which scribes were trained, the assumption being that literary texts did not typically form part of the curriculum or only played a very limited role. ...
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[Initial paragraph:] The present chapter concerns Egyptian manuscript literature from the time of the renaissance that was initiated with the Kushite conquest of Egypt, in the wake of the so-called Libyan Anarchy, until the very end of... more
[Initial paragraph:] The present chapter concerns Egyptian manuscript literature from the time of the renaissance that was initiated with the Kushite conquest of Egypt, in the wake of the so-called Libyan Anarchy, until the very end of the Pharaonic civilization. Effectively this period spans one millennium from the late eighth century BC until the middle of the third century AD. The Hieratic and Demotic scripts are still sporadically attested some time longer – the latest Demotic text dates to the mid-fifth century AD – but there are no securely dated manuscripts after 250 AD, and most of the temple schools seem to have ceased to operate around this time. In terms of political history, large stretches of the period saw Egypt under repeated and very different types of foreign rule; Kushite c.720–665 BC with intermittent Assyrian invasions and partial control of the country during the final decade, Persian 525–404 and 342–332 BC, Macedonian and Ptolemaic 332–30 BC, and Roman from 30 BC onwards.
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One of the central problems in studying the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1800-1550 BC) is the dating of its numerous kings with foreign names, most of whom are only attested by scarab-shaped seals. The entire group has generally been... more
One of the central problems in studying the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1800-1550 BC) is the dating of its numerous kings with foreign names, most of whom are only attested by scarab-shaped seals. The entire group has generally been identified as the “Hyksos”, but apart from Kings Khayan and Apophis, this identification remains highly problematic. The surviving but garbled versions of Manetho’s Aegyptiaca, ascribed by tradition to the early third century BC, only agree in recording one Hyksos dynasty of just six kings, as does also the much older Turin King-list from the 13th century BC. The number of foreign-named kings attested by scarabs is, however, much higher, and it is important to note that the majority do not use the title “Hyksos”, Egyptian HqA-HAswt. There is thus a clear discrepancy between the Hyksos dynasty as defined in the king-lists and the group of kings with which it has come to be identified. This discrepancy has generally been ignored, perhaps because the identification has been accepted for so long that it has come to be taken for fact. The dating of the kings in question is, however, of fundamental importance for the political history of the Second Intermediate Period, and the problematic identification needs to be addressed. The present paper considers the date of two of the better attested kings, Sheshi and Yaqubhar.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Egyptology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Levantine Archaeology, Egyptian Archaeology, and 14 moreBiblical Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Nubian-Egyptian Relations, Hyksos, History of Egyptology, Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Middle Bronze Age, Ancient Egyptian History, Ancient Nubia, Ancient Seals and Sealings, Avaris, Scarabs, Egyptian fortresses, and Scarabs Seals
P. Carlsberg 85, from the Tebtunis temple library (1st or 2nd century AD), includes a narrative which may referred to as The Life of Imhotep. The text recounts various exploits and episodes from the life of Imhotep, including an Egyptian... more
P. Carlsberg 85, from the Tebtunis temple library (1st or 2nd century AD), includes a narrative which may referred to as The Life of Imhotep. The text recounts various exploits and episodes from the life of Imhotep, including an Egyptian victory over the Assyrians. The king he served, Djoser, naturally plays a prominent part, and perhaps inevitably there is even mention of pharaoh’s tomb which must be the famous Step Pyramid. Also Imhotep’s family is drawn into the story, viz. his divine father Ptah, his mother Khereduankh, and his little sister Renpetneferet. The text has certain basic features in common with the Greek lives, and it is possible that it was inspired by Alexandrian scholarship which had a keen interest in biographies and biographical information about classical authors and personalities.
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Research Interests: Ancient History, Egyptology, Self and Identity, Egyptian Archaeology, Ancient Historiography, and 9 moreHellenistic Historiography, Narrative and Identity, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Diodorus Siculus, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Greek Literature, Tebtunis, and Ancient Literature
Seneferka remains one of the most obscure rulers of the Early Dynastic Period. Through an analysis of the hypercorrection of royal names in the king-list tradition, it becomes possible to identify him with the first and otherwise... more
Seneferka remains one of the most obscure rulers of the Early Dynastic Period. Through an analysis of the hypercorrection of royal names in the king-list tradition, it becomes possible to identify him with the first and otherwise unattested king recorded under the name Neferkare. This, in turn, indicates that Seneferka ruled about one century later than hitherto assumed, in the late Second Dynasty rather than at the end of the First Dynasty.
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[Initial paragraph:] Among the contents of the Tebtunis temple library is a small slip of papyrus containing a brief list of four book titles written in hieratic. The main value of the list is that it provides us with the titles of four... more
[Initial paragraph:] Among the contents of the Tebtunis temple library is a small slip of papyrus containing a brief list of four book titles written in hieratic. The main value of the list is that it provides us with the titles of four texts which may be assumed to have formed part of the library and it thus helps to shed further light on its contents and nature.
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Publication of a short Demotic text that was written on the first sheet of P. BM EA 10209, a hieratic funerary papyrus that had once belonged to the Theban priest Nesmin. The Demotic text contains a note by the owner giving instructions... more
Publication of a short Demotic text that was written on the first sheet of P. BM EA 10209, a hieratic funerary papyrus that had once belonged to the Theban priest Nesmin. The Demotic text contains a note by the owner giving instructions for the hieratic text to be buried with him.
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[Initial paragraph:] The Tebtunis temple deposit is the largest, single assemblage of ancient Egyptian literary texts ever found. The material was unearthed more than seventy years ago, but most of it still remains unpublished owing - at... more
[Initial paragraph:] The Tebtunis temple deposit is the largest, single assemblage of ancient Egyptian literary texts ever found. The material was unearthed more than seventy years ago, but most of it still remains unpublished owing - at least in part - to its extremely fragmentary nature. Despite its profound importance, the material has therefore still not attracted much attention outside a small group of specialists. ...
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Ancient History, Egyptology, Library Science, Papyrology, and 13 moreEgyptian Archaeology, Ancient Historiography, Demotic, Graeco-Roman Egypt, History of Library and Information Science, Egyptian Ritual Texts, Books and Libraries in the Ancient World, Hieratic, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Libraries, Tebtunis, Roman Archaeology, and Graeco-Roman Religion
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Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Egyptology, Papyrology, Historiography, and 15 moreAncient Historiography, Ancient Near East, Hyksos, Hieratic, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Ancient Egyptian History, Egyptian Kingship, Middle Kingdom, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Egyptian Historiography, Ancient Near Eastern History, Archaic Period, and First Intermediate Period
[Initial paragraph: ]The Assyrian invasion and subsequent occupation of Egypt in the 7th century BC was a traumatic experience which gave rise to a rich literary tradition in Egypt. In the temple libraries this tradition lived on until... more
[Initial paragraph: ]The Assyrian invasion and subsequent occupation of Egypt in the 7th century BC was a traumatic experience which gave rise to a rich literary tradition in Egypt. In the temple libraries this tradition lived on until the late 2nd century AD when it seems to have died out alongside the ancient indigenous cults. The source material is predominantly written in the Demotic script although there is also relevant material in Aramaic and Greek. Most of the Demotic material remains unpublished, and only very brief, preliminary notes have been available. For this reason the material is largely unknown to scholars, both within and outside the field of Egyptology.
The main purpose of the present paper is to bring this material to the attention of Assyriologist colleagues, and it is primarily intended as a survey. The survey makes no claim to include all relevant material, but instead focusses on narratives written in Egyptian. A single Aramaic text is also included because it seems to be the earliest testimony to the cycle of Inaros stories which are of fundamental importance.
The main purpose of the present paper is to bring this material to the attention of Assyriologist colleagues, and it is primarily intended as a survey. The survey makes no claim to include all relevant material, but instead focusses on narratives written in Egyptian. A single Aramaic text is also included because it seems to be the earliest testimony to the cycle of Inaros stories which are of fundamental importance.
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Egyptology, Assyriology, Aramaic, and 11 moreMesopotamia History, Ancient Historiography, Demotic, Ancient Near East, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, Ancient Egyptian History, Saite Period, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Ancient Egyptian Historiography, and Neo-Assyrian studies
[Initial paragraph:] Among the documentary texts from Tebtunis dating to the Roman period are six texts which, by their formula, belong to a type of which only two examples seem to have been published to date (P. Michigan inv. 664 and P.... more
[Initial paragraph:] Among the documentary texts from Tebtunis dating to the Roman period are six texts which, by their formula, belong to a type of which only two examples seem to have been published to date (P. Michigan inv. 664 and P. Botti II, published in 1944 and 1957). These two texts are here reedited together with three or four new texts of the kind from the Papyrus Carlsberg Collection. The texts date to the first and second centuries A.D. and were drawn up and signed by 'the priests of Soknebtunis the great god' as receipts for some form of payment relating to the purchase of landed property. Below it is suggested that the payments represent a tax imposed on the transfer of landed property in favour of the temple.
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The aim of this booklet is to provide excavators or papyrologists who have limited experience in the conservation of papyrus with some simple, yet effective methods for the treatment, documentation and storage of freshly excavated... more
The aim of this booklet is to provide excavators or papyrologists who have limited experience in the conservation of papyrus with some simple, yet effective methods for the treatment, documentation and storage of freshly excavated manuscripts.
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This book contains a selection of hieratic texts from the ancient town of Tebtunis - hymns and litanies, rituals of protection, a mythological narrative, scholarly compositions, and documentary texts - as well as a survey of illustrated... more
This book contains a selection of hieratic texts from the ancient town of Tebtunis - hymns and litanies, rituals of protection, a mythological narrative, scholarly compositions, and documentary texts - as well as a survey of illustrated papyri. Nearly all of the manuscripts are edited here for the first time, and many of the texts are hitherto unknown.
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The creation of the Library of Alexandria is widely regarded as one of the great achievements in the history of humankind—a giant endeavour to amass all known literature and scholarly texts in one central location. In turn, this event has... more
The creation of the Library of Alexandria is widely regarded as one of the great achievements in the history of humankind—a giant endeavour to amass all known literature and scholarly texts in one central location. In turn, this event has been viewed as a historical turning point that separates the ancient world from classical antiquity. Standard works on the library continue to present the idea behind the institution as novel and, at least implicitly, as a product of Greek thought.
Yet, although the scale of the collection in Alexandria seems to have been unprecedented, the notion of creating central repositories of knowledge, while perhaps new to Greek tradition, was age-old in the Near East where the building was erected. Here the existence of libraries can be traced back another two millennia, from the twenty-seventh century BCE, and so the creation of the Library in Alexandria was not so much the beginning of an intellectual adventure as the impressive culmination of a very long tradition.
This volume presents the first comprehensive study of these ancient libraries across the Near East and traces their institutional and scholarly roots back to the early cities and states and the advent of writing itself. Leading specialists in the intellectual history of each individual period and region covered in the volume present and discuss the enormous textual and archaeological material available on the early collections, offering a uniquely readable account intended for a broad audience of the libraries in Egypt and Western Asia as centres of knowledge prior to the famous Library of Alexandria.
TOC
1. Libraries before Alexandria, Kim Ryholt and Gojko Barjamovic
2. The Rise of Libraries in the Near East, c. 2600-2300 BCE, Kamran Vincent Zand
3. Libraries in Ancient Egypt, c. 2600-1600 BCE, R. B. Parkinson
4. Archives and Libraries in the Old Babylonian Period, c. 1900-1600 BCE, Paul Delnero
5. The Tablet Collections of the Hittite Empire, c. 1450-1100 BCE, Paola Dardano
6. Libraries in Ancient Syria and the Levant in the Late Bronze Age, c. 1450-1100 BCE, Matthew Rutz
7. Libraries in Ancient Egypt, c. 1600-800 BCE, Fredrik Hagen
8. Scholarly Tablet Collections in First-Millennium Assyria and Babylonia, c. 700-200 BCE, Eleanor Robson and Kathryn Stevens
9. Assurbanipal's Library: An Overview, Irving Finkel
10. Libraries from Late Period and Greco-Roman Egypt, c. 800 BCE-250 CE, Kim Ryholt
Yet, although the scale of the collection in Alexandria seems to have been unprecedented, the notion of creating central repositories of knowledge, while perhaps new to Greek tradition, was age-old in the Near East where the building was erected. Here the existence of libraries can be traced back another two millennia, from the twenty-seventh century BCE, and so the creation of the Library in Alexandria was not so much the beginning of an intellectual adventure as the impressive culmination of a very long tradition.
This volume presents the first comprehensive study of these ancient libraries across the Near East and traces their institutional and scholarly roots back to the early cities and states and the advent of writing itself. Leading specialists in the intellectual history of each individual period and region covered in the volume present and discuss the enormous textual and archaeological material available on the early collections, offering a uniquely readable account intended for a broad audience of the libraries in Egypt and Western Asia as centres of knowledge prior to the famous Library of Alexandria.
TOC
1. Libraries before Alexandria, Kim Ryholt and Gojko Barjamovic
2. The Rise of Libraries in the Near East, c. 2600-2300 BCE, Kamran Vincent Zand
3. Libraries in Ancient Egypt, c. 2600-1600 BCE, R. B. Parkinson
4. Archives and Libraries in the Old Babylonian Period, c. 1900-1600 BCE, Paul Delnero
5. The Tablet Collections of the Hittite Empire, c. 1450-1100 BCE, Paola Dardano
6. Libraries in Ancient Syria and the Levant in the Late Bronze Age, c. 1450-1100 BCE, Matthew Rutz
7. Libraries in Ancient Egypt, c. 1600-800 BCE, Fredrik Hagen
8. Scholarly Tablet Collections in First-Millennium Assyria and Babylonia, c. 700-200 BCE, Eleanor Robson and Kathryn Stevens
9. Assurbanipal's Library: An Overview, Irving Finkel
10. Libraries from Late Period and Greco-Roman Egypt, c. 800 BCE-250 CE, Kim Ryholt
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The present volume, the eleventh of The Carlsberg Papyri series, contains editions of forty-nine papyri inscribed with a broad range of literary texts. Nearly all of these are edited here for the first time, and many of the texts are... more
The present volume, the eleventh of The Carlsberg Papyri series, contains editions of forty-nine papyri inscribed with a broad range of literary texts. Nearly all of these are edited here for the first time, and many of the texts are hitherto unknown. For the convenience of the reader, they have been divided into eight categories: religious literature, divination, astronomy, medicine, ethnography, onomastica, wisdom literature, and narratives.
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Globalization and cheaper travel have led to a rapid increase in cross-cultural encounters worldwide, making understanding problems of conflict, prejudice, interaction and adaption more important than ever. Fortunately, the closely knit,... more
Globalization and cheaper travel have led to a rapid increase in cross-cultural encounters worldwide, making understanding problems of conflict, prejudice, interaction and adaption more important than ever. Fortunately, the closely knit, yet very different, cultures that have inhabited and interacted in the Near East provide powerful historical examples with which to approach these problems. The contributors in this volume use both theoretical and empirical lenses to look at the interactions of nomads, traders, religious groups, armies and more, in order to address questions about cultural interaction and its ramifications. They illustrate these issues with cases drawn from a range of fields within the overall history of the Near East, including that of Mesopotamia, the rise of Islam and the effects of Hellenism.
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The vast collections of Egyptian objects on display in Western museums attract millions of visitors every year, and they reinforce a cultural fascination for this ancient civilisation that has been a feature of European intellectual... more
The vast collections of Egyptian objects on display in Western museums attract millions of visitors every year, and they reinforce a cultural fascination for this ancient civilisation that has been a feature of European intellectual history since Roman times. This book tells the story of how these objects came to be here.
The book presents the first in-depth analysis of this market during its “golden age” in Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th Century. It is primarily based on the archival material of the Danish Egyptologist H. O. Lange (1863-1943) who, during two prolonged stays in Egypt (1899/1900 and 1929/1930), bought objects on behalf of Danish museums. The travel diaries, and the accompanying photographs, are complemented by a wide range of other sources, including contemporary travel guides and various travel memoirs, which together paint an extraordinarily detailed picture of the extensive antiquities trade.
The book looks at the laws governing trade and export, both in theory and practice, and the changes over time. The practicalities of the trade are described: its seasons, the networks of supply, the various methods available for acquiring antiquities, and the subsequent routes of transmission of objects, as well as the different types of dealers operating in Egypt. The geographical distribution of dealers is mapped, and the role of the Egyptian state as a dealer is investigated, both through official sale rooms, and as a seller and exporter of more or less complete tomb-chapels.
The final part of the book contains a list, with short biographies, of over 250 dealers active in Egypt from the 1880s until the abolishment of the trade in 1983. Most of them are described here in detail for the first time.
The book will be of interest to archaeologists, Egyptologists, papyrologists, museum curators, and historians of science, and is a useful starting point for anyone wishing to understand how the great Western collections of Egyptian antiquities were formed.
The book presents the first in-depth analysis of this market during its “golden age” in Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th Century. It is primarily based on the archival material of the Danish Egyptologist H. O. Lange (1863-1943) who, during two prolonged stays in Egypt (1899/1900 and 1929/1930), bought objects on behalf of Danish museums. The travel diaries, and the accompanying photographs, are complemented by a wide range of other sources, including contemporary travel guides and various travel memoirs, which together paint an extraordinarily detailed picture of the extensive antiquities trade.
The book looks at the laws governing trade and export, both in theory and practice, and the changes over time. The practicalities of the trade are described: its seasons, the networks of supply, the various methods available for acquiring antiquities, and the subsequent routes of transmission of objects, as well as the different types of dealers operating in Egypt. The geographical distribution of dealers is mapped, and the role of the Egyptian state as a dealer is investigated, both through official sale rooms, and as a seller and exporter of more or less complete tomb-chapels.
The final part of the book contains a list, with short biographies, of over 250 dealers active in Egypt from the 1880s until the abolishment of the trade in 1983. Most of them are described here in detail for the first time.
The book will be of interest to archaeologists, Egyptologists, papyrologists, museum curators, and historians of science, and is a useful starting point for anyone wishing to understand how the great Western collections of Egyptian antiquities were formed.
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The Carlsberg Papyri vol. 13 presents an exhaustive catalogue of Egyptian funerary manuscripts in Danish collections. The volume includes sixteen papyrus manuscripts, two of which are preserved intact, and smaller pieces of inscribed... more
The Carlsberg Papyri vol. 13 presents an exhaustive catalogue of Egyptian funerary manuscripts in Danish collections. The volume includes sixteen papyrus manuscripts, two of which are preserved intact, and smaller pieces of inscribed linen from six mummies. The material spans a period of more than a millennium, ranging from c. 1200 BC to 100 AD. Most of the manuscripts are guides to the afterlife; eighteen of them contain texts and vignettes from the Book of the Dead, while a minor fragment preserves an illustration from the Book of Amduat. The three remaining manuscripts are funerary passes. None of the manuscripts has previously been published.
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The term ‘canonicity’ implies the recognition that the domain of literature and of the library is also a cultural and political one, related to various forms of identity formation, maintenance, and change. Scribes and benefactors ‘create’... more
The term ‘canonicity’ implies the recognition that the domain of literature and of the library is also a cultural and political one, related to various forms of identity formation, maintenance, and change. Scribes and benefactors ‘create’ canon in as much as they teach, analyze, preserve, promulgate and change ‘canonical’ texts according to prevailing norms.
From early on, texts from the written traditions of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt were accumulated, codified, and to some extent canonized, as various collections developed mainly in the environment of the temple and the palace. These written traditions represent sets of formal and informal cultures that all speak in their own ways of canonicity, normativity, and other forms of cultural expertise. Some forms of literature were used not only in scholarly contexts, but also in political ones, and they served purposes of identity formation.
This volume publishes the papers from two conferences held at the Center for Canon and Identity Formation at the University of Copenhagen in 2010 that address interrelations between various forms of ‘canon’ and identity formation in different time periods, genres, regions, and contexts, as well as the application of contemporary conceptions of ‘canon’ to ancient texts.
From early on, texts from the written traditions of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt were accumulated, codified, and to some extent canonized, as various collections developed mainly in the environment of the temple and the palace. These written traditions represent sets of formal and informal cultures that all speak in their own ways of canonicity, normativity, and other forms of cultural expertise. Some forms of literature were used not only in scholarly contexts, but also in political ones, and they served purposes of identity formation.
This volume publishes the papers from two conferences held at the Center for Canon and Identity Formation at the University of Copenhagen in 2010 that address interrelations between various forms of ‘canon’ and identity formation in different time periods, genres, regions, and contexts, as well as the application of contemporary conceptions of ‘canon’ to ancient texts.
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The book presents ten narrative texts written in the demotic script and preserved in papyri from the Tebtunis temple library (1st/2nd century AD). Eight of the texts are historical narratives which focus on the first millennium BC. Four... more
The book presents ten narrative texts written in the demotic script and preserved in papyri from the Tebtunis temple library (1st/2nd century AD). Eight of the texts are historical narratives which focus on the first millennium BC. Four concern prince Inaros, who rebelled against the Assyrian domination of Egypt in the 7th century, and his clan. One is about Inaros himself, while the other three take place after his death. Two other narratives mention Necho I and II of the Saite Period. The story about Necho II is particularly noteworthy, since it refers to the king as Nechepsos and for the first time provides us with the identity behind this name. Nechepsos is well attested as a sage king in Greek literary tradition, above all in relation to astrology. Of the two final historical narratives, one belongs to the cycle of stories about the Heliopolitan priesthood and the other concerns the Persian occupation of Egypt in the 5th or 4th century. The volume further includes a prophecy that forms the continuation of Nectanebo’s Dream, known from the Greek translation by Apollonios, and a new version of the mythological Contendings of Horus and Seth. Apart from a translation of the prophecy, none of the papyri have previously been published.
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"The Carlsberg Papyri 7 (CNI 30) is mainly dedicated to hieratic manuscripts from the Tebtunis temple library and contains contributions by Alexandra von Lieven, J. F. Quack, and Kim Ryholt. The Tebtunis temple library is the only... more
"The Carlsberg Papyri 7 (CNI 30) is mainly dedicated to hieratic manuscripts from the Tebtunis temple library and contains contributions by Alexandra von Lieven, J. F. Quack, and Kim Ryholt.
The Tebtunis temple library is the only ancient Egyptian temple library of which substantial remains are preserved, and the immense material - estimated at several hundred manuscripts - makes it by far the richest, single source of Egyptian literary texts.
The present volume is introduced by a survey of the hieratic and hieroglyphic manuscripts from the temple library. The main genres are discussed and conclusions are drawn concerning the sort of compositions transmitted in hieratic as well as the cultural values which lie behind the choices.
The survey is followed by full editions of a series of religious texts: an Osiris liturgy (with red dots and crosses which seem to represent a kind of rudimentary musical notation), the Ritual of Bringing Sokar out of the Shetit (previously known only from monumental hieroglyphic versions from temples and manuscripts for funerary use), the Votive Cubit (otherwise known essentially from fragments of the original stone cubits), the Nine-Headed Bes (a parallel to the famous illustrated Brooklyn papyrus but with a fuller description of how the practitioner should proceed), and the Ritual of Opening the Mouth (one version written for Sobek, lord of Tebtunis, the others for Sokar-Osiris). The volume further includes a slip of papyrus with four book-titles, a papyrus with a colored drawing of an offering scene, and a decorated band for tying up a papyrus roll."
The Tebtunis temple library is the only ancient Egyptian temple library of which substantial remains are preserved, and the immense material - estimated at several hundred manuscripts - makes it by far the richest, single source of Egyptian literary texts.
The present volume is introduced by a survey of the hieratic and hieroglyphic manuscripts from the temple library. The main genres are discussed and conclusions are drawn concerning the sort of compositions transmitted in hieratic as well as the cultural values which lie behind the choices.
The survey is followed by full editions of a series of religious texts: an Osiris liturgy (with red dots and crosses which seem to represent a kind of rudimentary musical notation), the Ritual of Bringing Sokar out of the Shetit (previously known only from monumental hieroglyphic versions from temples and manuscripts for funerary use), the Votive Cubit (otherwise known essentially from fragments of the original stone cubits), the Nine-Headed Bes (a parallel to the famous illustrated Brooklyn papyrus but with a fuller description of how the practitioner should proceed), and the Ritual of Opening the Mouth (one version written for Sobek, lord of Tebtunis, the others for Sokar-Osiris). The volume further includes a slip of papyrus with four book-titles, a papyrus with a colored drawing of an offering scene, and a decorated band for tying up a papyrus roll."
Research Interests:
The Carlsberg Papyri 6 (CNI 29) contains the edition of a new manuscript with Petese Stories from the Tebtunis temple library, dating to the period around 100 AD. The Petese Stories is a compilation of seventy stories about the virtues... more
The Carlsberg Papyri 6 (CNI 29) contains the edition of a new manuscript with Petese Stories from the Tebtunis temple library, dating to the period around 100 AD. The Petese Stories is a compilation of seventy stories about the virtues and vices of women. The numerous stories were compiled on the orders of the prophet Petese of Heliopolis that they may serve as a literary testament by which he would be remembered. Petese was, according to literary tradition, Plato’s Egyptian instructor in astrology. The composition seems to have been modeled on the fundamental Myth of the Sun's Eye. The overall structural pattern of the text is very similar to the Arabian Nights; a frame story forms the introduction as well as the fabric into which the long series of shorter tales are woven. Among the stories preserved in the new manuscript one is particularly remarkable in that it is known from a translation by Herodotus, the so-called Pheros Story (Book II, chap. 111).
Research Interests:
"A publication of 27 contributions presented at the Seventh International Conference of Demotic Studies which took place 23-27 August 1999. The conference marked the successful conclusion of the ten year project that began in 1989 with... more
"A publication of 27 contributions presented at the Seventh International Conference of Demotic Studies which took place 23-27 August 1999. The conference marked the successful conclusion of the ten year project that began in 1989 with the purpose of advancing the study and publication of the Carlsberg Papyri.
Contributions by K.T. Zauzich, H.S. Smith, B. Porten, U. Kaplony-Heckel, R.K. Ritner, S. Allam, M. Chauveau, D. Devauchelle et al. "
Contributions by K.T. Zauzich, H.S. Smith, B. Porten, U. Kaplony-Heckel, R.K. Ritner, S. Allam, M. Chauveau, D. Devauchelle et al. "
Research Interests:
"This is the third tome in the series of text editions of The Carlsberg Papyri. It contains a number of contributions on a wide variety of Demotic subjects including a new version of the Introduction to the Teachings of 'Onch-Sheshonqy,... more
"This is the third tome in the series of text editions of The Carlsberg Papyri. It contains a number of contributions on a wide variety of Demotic subjects including a new version of the Introduction to the Teachings of 'Onch-Sheshonqy, fragments of Demotic word lists, an ancient Demotic name book, Demotic questions to oracles, two letters published for the first time, notes on the Setne Story, collations and corrections to earlier editions of papyri, and the unique account of a Rebellion against the Sun God.
Edited by P. J. Frandsen and K. Ryholt. Contributions by J.F. Quack, K. Ryholt, M. Smith, W.J. Tait and K.-Th. Zauzich."
Edited by P. J. Frandsen and K. Ryholt. Contributions by J.F. Quack, K. Ryholt, M. Smith, W.J. Tait and K.-Th. Zauzich."
Research Interests:
The book presents a complete edition of the three known versions of the ancient Egyptian narrative The Story of Petese son of Petetum and Seventy Other Good and Bad Stories, copied from the 4th century BC through the 2nd century AD. The... more
The book presents a complete edition of the three known versions of the ancient Egyptian narrative The Story of Petese son of Petetum and Seventy Other Good and Bad Stories, copied from the 4th century BC through the 2nd century AD. The narrative, written in Demotic, employs the literary device of a main story containing a series of brief stories presented to a specific character. In the main story, a prophet commits an act of blasphemy and is punished by the gods. Through magical means the prophet learns from Osiris that he has only 40 more days to live. On the fifth day the prophet creates a number of magical beings which he sends out to find 35 "good" stories and 35 "bad" stories, one pair of stories for each remaining day of his life. These stories are then presented to the prophet. In this respect it is remarkably similar to Arabian Nights.
Research Interests:
""The Second Intermediate Period designates the 250 year period (1800-1550 BC) which separates the two glorious periods of the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. During the 19th century BC, an invasion by Canaanite tribes into the Delta... more
""The Second Intermediate Period designates the 250 year period (1800-1550 BC) which separates the two glorious periods of the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. During the 19th century BC, an invasion by Canaanite tribes into the Delta took place. Around 1800 BC these people proclaimed their own king and the Delta thus became independent from the rest of Egypt. Egypt remained split between the Canaanitic rulers in North and the native Egyptian Kings in the South for the rest of the Second Intermediate Period. The division of Egypt brought about an economic decline, and the entire period is characterized by a lack of royal monuments. This circumstance has greatly hampered any attempts to establish a chronology of the period, and as a consequence it has been very difficult to date many sources which are relevant for the social and political situation of the period. The Second Intermediate Period has therefore remained one of the most obscure periods of Egypt's ancient history.
The dissertation is a new attempt to establish a chronology for the Second Intermediate Period and define the different kingdoms, their territories and political relations. The study consists of four main chapters, three appendixes, a catalogue of sources, bibliography and indices.
Included is a catalogue of all the historical sources, about 1500, known to certify the names of the Egyptian kings of the Second Intermediate Period. Each source is described in terms of type, origin and present location, followed by bibliographical references.""
The dissertation is a new attempt to establish a chronology for the Second Intermediate Period and define the different kingdoms, their territories and political relations. The study consists of four main chapters, three appendixes, a catalogue of sources, bibliography and indices.
Included is a catalogue of all the historical sources, about 1500, known to certify the names of the Egyptian kings of the Second Intermediate Period. Each source is described in terms of type, origin and present location, followed by bibliographical references.""
Research Interests:
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Egyptology, Papyrology, Historiography, and 14 moreAncient Historiography, Ancient Near East, Hyksos, Hieratic, Old Kingdom (Egyptology), Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Ancient Egyptian History, Egyptian Kingship, Middle Kingdom, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Archaic Period, Middle Kingdom (Egyptology), and First Intermediate Period
Many of the Egyptian objects in Western museums were acquired during the heyday of the antiquities trade market in Egypt from the 1880s to 1930s. The scale of this trade was staggering, but its mechanics and networks are poorly known. Kim... more
Many of the Egyptian objects in Western museums were acquired during the heyday of the antiquities trade market in Egypt from the 1880s to 1930s. The scale of this trade was staggering, but its mechanics and networks are poorly known. Kim Ryholt will discuss his most recent research on the trade's geography, dealers, and legal issues, as well as the role that Egyptian museums and Egyptologists played in the acquisition of objects. He will also highlight how the antiquities trade and acquisition policies have played a decisive role in dictating the research agendas of Egyptologists. (The paper is based on research for the book The Antiquities Trade in Egypt 1880s-1930s, which is co-authored with Fredrik Hagen and to be published by the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences.)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Shared traumas can be an immensely powerful tool in establishing group identity, also on a national level. To remain effective, Such traumas must be passed from generation to generation and commemorated. The celebration of the 150-year... more
Shared traumas can be an immensely powerful tool in establishing group identity, also on a national level. To remain effective, Such traumas must be passed from generation to generation and commemorated. The celebration of the 150-year anniversary of the Battle/Defeat of Dybbøl this year, and the controversy surrounding its portrayal, affords a good example. But the phenomenon is nothing new. The lecture will discuss how certain traumatic events were used to invent historicai narratives and shape an identity in ancient Egypt, some of them being commemorated over many centuries.
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Ancient History, Egyptology, Egyptian Archaeology, Trauma Studies, and 11 moreDemotic, Graeco-Roman Egypt, Hyksos, Literature and Trauma, Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Ancient Egyptian History, Egyptian Kingship, Ancient Egyptian Literature, and Ancient Egypt
Research Interests:
Egypt was - to quote Herodotus (5th cent. BC) - the ‘gift of the Nile’. Ancient Egypt was a river society to a much greater extent than the modern country. The Nile was a key factor in the ancient state formation, it provided a natural... more
Egypt was - to quote Herodotus (5th cent. BC) - the ‘gift of the Nile’. Ancient Egypt was a river society to a much greater extent than the modern country. The Nile was a key factor in the ancient state formation, it provided a natural infrastructure, and the annual inundation provided the potential for rich crops and prosperity. The Nile came to permeate every-day life and, in that process, also the mental world of the Egyptians. Just as the Nile shaped ancient Egyptian society, it is also an important factor in our modern understanding of the ancient civilization; its waters have a destructive effect on organic materials and the surviving archaeological record is much more skewed than is generally realized. The present paper will discuss examples of how water influenced ancient Egyptian culture as well as how it affects modern research.
Research Interests:
Ein Großteil der Erzählungen aus der Spätzeit und der griechisch-römischen Zeit in Ägypten ist im Zusammenhang mit Phänomenen zu interpretieren, die wir als nationale Traumata bezeichnen können, vor allem Fremdherrschaften und Zerstörung... more
Ein Großteil der Erzählungen aus der Spätzeit und der griechisch-römischen Zeit in Ägypten ist im Zusammenhang mit Phänomenen zu interpretieren, die wir als nationale Traumata bezeichnen können, vor allem Fremdherrschaften und Zerstörung der Kulte. Der Vortrag gibt einen Überblick über das reiche Quellenmaterial, präsentiert einige der wichtigsten Texte und diskutiert, wie die Ägypter mit diesen Traumata in der Litaratur umgingen. Er stellt zudem auch einige Beispiele einer imitatio alexandri im ägyptischen Kontext vor.
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Egyptology, Egyptian Archaeology, Trauma Studies, Demotic, and 10 moreGraeco-Roman Egypt, Hyksos, Literature and Trauma, Second Intermediate Period (Egyptology), Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Ancient Egyptian History, Egyptian Kingship, Ancient Egyptian Literature, and Ancient Egypt
New discoveries and research suggest that the political landscape and history of the Second Intermediate Period was much more complex than previously assumed. This presentation will address some of the challenges facing historians in... more
New discoveries and research suggest that the political landscape and history of the Second Intermediate Period was much more complex than previously assumed. This presentation will address some of the challenges facing historians in light of these recent discoveries. The main focus will be the relations between the foreign rulers in the Egyptian Delta and the Egyptian rulers in the Nile Valley.
Research Interests:
During recent excavations in the dump next to the temple of Soknebtunis, a number of fragments of a papyrus inscribed with a collection of unique biographical texts were found. My talk will give details of the extraordinary personal... more
During recent excavations in the dump next to the temple of Soknebtunis, a number of fragments of a papyrus inscribed with a collection of unique biographical texts were found. My talk will give details of the extraordinary personal details that emerge from the extant biographies and discuss the purpose of the collection.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The University of Copenhagen has established an international research collaboration, Scientific Papyri from Ancient Egypt: New Medical and Astrological Texts (SPAE), in close collaboration with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient... more
The University of Copenhagen has established an international research collaboration, Scientific Papyri from Ancient Egypt: New Medical and Astrological Texts (SPAE), in close collaboration with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Freie Universität Berlin, and the Louvre Museum. Each of the four universities provides funding for a PhD project for a young scholar specialized in Egyptian scientific texts. Alongside the PhD group, leading experts in ancient Egyptian and Greek medicine, astrology, and divination at these institutions and at Universität Heidelberg, Universität Leipzig, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, and University of Oxford, feature as active participants in the research group. All four PhD projects involve important scientific papyri in the Papyrus Carlsberg Collection (University of Copenhagen) while two of the projects also include material from other collections.
Research Interests:
The Papyrus Carlsberg Collection houses an invaluable collection of ancient papyrus manuscripts. At its center are the remains of the Tebtunis temple library, a unique archaeological discovery that represents the only large-scale... more
The Papyrus Carlsberg Collection houses an invaluable collection of ancient papyrus manuscripts. At its center are the remains of the Tebtunis temple library, a unique archaeological discovery that represents the only large-scale institional library preserved from ancient Egypt. The papyri, which date to the first two centuries of the common era, were found in cellars below a building within the temple enclosure where they had been left when the temple was abandoned in the early third century AD. Estimated at several hundred manuscripts, this is the richest assemblage of Egyptian literary papyri known to date. It preserves a broad range of texts, including detailed manuals on the performance of various rituals, religious compendia and treatises , scientific texts concerned with divination and medicine, and narrative literature. The texts shed detailed light on the operation of a temple and its priesthood, and many of the literary works are otherwise unknown.
Research Interests:
X-ray synchrotron sources provide exciting new perspectives of fundamental importance within the Human Sciences. The CoNeXT project Ancient Ink as Technology focusses on ancient manuscripts. It addresses both a decisive chapter in the... more
X-ray synchrotron sources provide exciting new perspectives
of fundamental importance within the Human Sciences. The
CoNeXT project Ancient Ink as Technology focusses on ancient
manuscripts. It addresses both a decisive chapter in the history
of science and also one of the central challenges facing
the historian: the fact that the majority of ancient manuscripts
lack a recorded archaeological context. Information about the
socio-historical context is naturally crucial, whether dealing with
ancient literature, diplomatic correspondences, administrative
documents, or family archives. X-ray analysis delivers chemical
and structural signatures, which reflect the physical properties
of manuscripts. It is our expectation that these “fingerprints”
will enable a mapping of characteristic traits of ink and
papyrus along both a chronological and geographical axis.
of fundamental importance within the Human Sciences. The
CoNeXT project Ancient Ink as Technology focusses on ancient
manuscripts. It addresses both a decisive chapter in the history
of science and also one of the central challenges facing
the historian: the fact that the majority of ancient manuscripts
lack a recorded archaeological context. Information about the
socio-historical context is naturally crucial, whether dealing with
ancient literature, diplomatic correspondences, administrative
documents, or family archives. X-ray analysis delivers chemical
and structural signatures, which reflect the physical properties
of manuscripts. It is our expectation that these “fingerprints”
will enable a mapping of characteristic traits of ink and
papyrus along both a chronological and geographical axis.