Texts from the Pyramid AgeAncient Egypt is well known for its towering monuments and magnificent statuary, but other aspects of its civilization are less well known, especially its written texts. Now Texts from the Pyramid Age provides ready access to new translations of a representative selection of texts ranging from the historically significant to the repetitive formulae of the tomb inscriptions from Old Kingdom Egypt (ca. 2700-2170 B.C.). These royal and private inscriptions, coming from both the secular and religious milieus and from all kinds of physical contexts, not only shed light on the administration, foreign expeditions, and funerary beliefs of the period but also bring to life the Egyptians themselves, revealing how they saw the world and how they wanted the world to see them. Strudwick's helpful introduction to the history and literature of this seminal period provides important background for reading and understanding these historical texts. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 7 | |
| 17 | |
| 47 | |
Private Legal Texts | 185 |
A Selection of Offering Formulae and Titles | 209 |
Appeals to the Living and Warnings to Evildoers | 217 |
Commemorative and Dedicatory Texts | 239 |
Texts of Women | 379 |
41 | 414 |
47 | 420 |
Objects in Tombs | 423 |
Addendum | 437 |
List of Sources | 443 |
48 | 463 |
Bibliography | 465 |
Texts relating to Payment of Workmen | 251 |
Biographical Texts from the Memphite Region | 261 |
Biographical Texts from the Provinces | 327 |
30 | 355 |
Glossary | 503 |
Indexes | 511 |
Crossreference List of Tomb Text Types | 519 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abusir Abydos Altenmüller Anubis arouras beloved biography boat bread and beer Busiris Cairo chapel cubits divine tent-shrine Edel Egyptian Eichler False Door father festival of Thoth fifth Fischer funerary estate gives that invocation Giza Hassan Hathor haty-a Horus House imakhu Inscriptions inspector of priests invocation offerings Izezi Kanawati keeper of secrets khenty-she king gives king of Lower king of Upper king’s Kloth Koptos lector priest linen Lintel lord loves Lower Egypt Maat mastaba Merenre mother necropolis Neferirkare Neferkare Nekhen nome of Upper offering which Anubis official Old Kingdom Osiris overseer of priests overseer of Upper Pepy II perfect name phyle possessor of imakhu pyramid of Teti regard reign of Pepy Roccati royal acquaintance royal noble Sahure Saqqara scene seal-bearer Sed festival sixth dynasty Sneferu Sokar sole companion soul priests speaks Stela Step Pyramid temple thousand Translation Upper and Lower Upper Egypt Userkaf vizier Wag festival
Popular passages
Page xxvi - ... tales, and administrative records, to mention but a few. The preparation of this volume was supported in part by a generous grant from the Division of Research Programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Significant funding has also been made available by the Society of Biblical Literature. In addition, those involved in preparing this volume have received financial and clerical assistance from their respective institutions. Were it not for these expressions of confidence in our work,...
Page 105 - Khenthennofer ($nt-hn-nfr), for the sake of the life, prosperity and health of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt...
Page 300 - I judged between two so as to content them, I rescued the weak from one stronger than he As much as was in my power. I gave bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, I brought the boatless to land. I buried him who had no son, I made a boat for him who lacked one. I respected my father, I pleased my mother, I raised their children.
Page 300 - ... order to persuade the passers by their tombs to say those prayers which according to Egyptian belief could secure food and drink to the dead. So Herkhuf says:' I was one who was excellent; beloved of his father, approved of his mother, one whom all his brethren loved. I gave bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked. I ferried across the river him who had no boat. O ye who live upon earth, who pass by this tomb in going up or down stream, and who shall say "Thousands of bread and beer for the...
Page 330 - I did it in only seven months, and I brought all kinds of gifts from it. I was very greatly praised for it.
Page 242 - Middle to late fifth dynasty. (1) An offering which the king gives and an offering which Anubis gives...
Page 233 - If you have none, (5) then [you] shall say: "A thousand [of bread], a thousand [of beer], a thousand oxen, a thousand fowl, a thousand of alabaster and a thousand of clothing for the royal noble, regular one of the phyle, Iti.
Page 374 - The inscription alternates between two lines, as follows : (1) An offering which the king gives and an offering which Anubis gives...
Page 330 - Irtjet which are in Irtjet in the space of eight months. I came down bringing gifts from that country in great quantity, the likes of which had never before been brought back to this land. I came down through the region of the house of the chief of Setju and Irtjet, I explored those foreign lands.