The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians | Page 2

tenth dynasty for his son, who reigned under the name of Merikara. The royal writer in it reminds his son that the Chiefs [of Osiris] who judge sinners perform their duty with merciless justice on the Day of Judgment. It is useless to assume that length of years will be accepted by them as a plea of justification. With them the lifetime of a man is only regarded as a moment. After death these Chiefs must be faced, and the only things that they will consider will be his works. Life in the Other World is for ever, and only the reckless fool forgets this fact. The man who has led a life free from lies and deceit shall live after death like a god.
The reader who wishes to continue his studies of Egyptian Literature will find abundant material in the list of works given on pp. 256-8.
E.A. WALLIS BUDGE.
BRITISH MUSEUM, April 17, 1914.

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 Tchatchamankh and the Gold Ornament 27 Teta, who restored Life to Dead Animals, &c. 29 Rut-tetet and the Three Sons of Ra 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 GR?CO-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 Ra 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 Sudan 102 Capture of Megiddo by Thothmes III 103 The Conquests of Thothmes III summarised by Amen-Ra 106 Summary of the Reign of Rameses III 110 The Invasion and Conquest of Egypt by Piankhi 116
IX. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL LITERATURE: 126 The Autobiography of Una 127 The Autobiography of Herkhuf 131 The Autobiography of Ameni Amenemhat 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 Erpa 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-Ra 214 Hymn to Amen 219 Hymn to the Sun-god 220 Hymn to Osiris 221 Hymn to Shu 222
XIII. MORAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL LITERATURE: 224 The Precepts of Ptah-hetep 225 The Maxims of Ani 228 The Talk of a Man who was tired of Life with His Soul 231 The Lament of Khakhepersenb, surnamed Ankhu 235 The Lament of Apuur 236
XIV. EGYPTIAN POETICAL COMPOSITIONS: 241 The Poem in the Tomb of Antuf 242
XV. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE: 244 The Book of Two Ways 244 The Book "Am Tuat" 244 The Book of Gates 246 The Ritual of Embalmment 247 The Ritual of the Divine Cult 248 The Book "May My Name Flourish" 250 The Book of Aapep 250 The Instructions of Tuauf 250 Medical Papyri 252 Magical Papyri 252 Legal Documents 253 Historical Romances 254 Mathematical Papyri 254
EDITIONS OF EGYPTIAN TEXTS, TRANSLATIONS, &c. 256
INDEX 259

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE THE ELYSIAN FIELDS OF THE EGYPTIANS Frontispiece THOTH, THE SCRIBE OF THE GODS 3
THOTH AND AMEN-RA SUCCOURING ISIS 5
EGYPTIAN WRITING PALETTES To face 6
VIGNETTE FROM THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (Chapter XCII) To face 42
HER-HERU AND QUEEN NETCHEMET RECITING A HYMN To face 44
HER-HERU AND QUEEN NETCHEMET STANDING IN THE HALL OF OSIRIS To face 52
STELE RELATING THE STORY OF THE HEALING OF BENTRESHT 94
STELE ON WHICH IS CUT THE SPEECH OF AMEN-RA 107
A PAGE FROM THE GREAT HARRIS PAPYRUS To face 110
STELE ON WHICH IS CUT THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THAIEMHETEP 150
A PAGE OF THE TALE OF THE TWO BROTHERS To face 196

THE LITERATURE OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

CHAPTER I
THOTH, THE AUTHOR OF EGYPTIAN LITERATURE. WRITING