The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. THOTH, THE AUTHOR OF EGYPTIAN LITERATURE. WRITING MATERIALS,
PAPYRUS, INK AND INK-POT, PALETTE, &c. 1

II. THE PYRAMID TEXTS: 9
The Book of Opening the Mouth 13
The Liturgy of Funerary Offerings 16
Hymns to the Sky-goddess and Sun-god 18
The King in Heaven 20
The Hunting and Slaughter of the Gods by the King 21

III. STORIES OF MAGICIANS WHO LIVED UNDER THE ANCIENT EMPIRE: 25
Ubaaner and the Wax Crocodile 25
The Magician Tchatchamānkh and the Gold Ornament 27
Teta, who restored Life to Dead Animals, &c. 29
Rut-tetet and the Three Sons of Rā 33

IV. THE BOOK OF THE DEAD: 37
Summary of Chapters 42
Hymns, Litany, and Extracts from the Book of the Dead 44
The Great Judgment 51

V. BOOKS OF THE DEAD OF THE GRÆCO-ROMAN PERIOD: 59
Book of Breathings 59
Book of Traversing Eternity 61
The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys 62
The Festival Songs of Isis and Nephthys 64
The Book of Making Splendid the Spirit of Osiris 64

VI. THE EGYPTIAN STORY OF THE CREATION 67

VII. LEGENDS OF THE GODS: 71
The Destruction of Mankind 71
The Legend of Rā and Isis 74
The Legend of Horus of Behutet 77
The Legend of Khnemu and the Seven Years' Famine 83
The Legend of the Wanderings of Isis 87
The Legend of the Princess of Bekhten 92

VIII. HISTORICAL LITERATURE: 98
Extract from the Palermo Stone 100
Edict against the Blacks 101
Inscription of Usertsen III at Semnah 101
Campaign of Thothmes II in the Sūdān 102
Capture of Megiddo by Thothmes III 103
The Conquests of Thothmes III summarised by Amen-Rā 106
Summary of the Reign of Rameses III 110
The Invasion and Conquest of Egypt by Piānkhi 116

IX. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL LITERATURE: 126
The Autobiography of Una 127
The Autobiography of Herkhuf 131
The Autobiography of Ameni Amenemhāt 135
The Autobiography of Thetha 137
The Autobiography of Amasis, the Naval Officer 140
The Autobiography of Amasis, surnamed Pen-Nekheb 143
The Autobiography of Tehuti, the Erpā 145
The Autobiography of Thaiemhetep 149

X. TALES OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE: 155
The Story of Sanehat 155
The Story of the Educated Peasant Khuenanpu 169
The Journey of the Priest Unu-Amen into Syria 185

XI. FAIRY TALES: 196
The Tale of the Two Brothers 196
The Story of the Shipwrecked Traveller 207

XII. EGYPTIAN HYMNS TO THE GODS: 214
Hymn to Amen-Rā 214
Hymn to Amen 219
Hymn to the Sun-god 220
Hymn to Osiris 221
Hymn to Shu