Roland Enmarch and Verena M. Lepper (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265420
- eISBN:
- 9780191760471
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265420.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This book reviews the numerous developments in the theoretical framework of interpretation that have taken place over recent years. The application of more theoretically informed approaches to the ...
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This book reviews the numerous developments in the theoretical framework of interpretation that have taken place over recent years. The application of more theoretically informed approaches to the ancient literary corpus, and a more detailed analysis of context, form, and reception, have fundamentally challenged the interpretative paradigms that formerly held sway. No consensus on interpretative stance has yet emerged, and in this volume many of the foremost researchers in the field examine the overall state of work on the subject. The chapters in the present volume are intended to contribute to this development of different approaches in their application to real Egyptian texts. No single overarching theoretical framework underlies these contributions; instead they represent a multiplicity of perspectives. The range of chapters includes textual criticism; literary criticism; the social role of literature; reception theory; and the treatment of newly discovered literary texts. All contributions centre on the problems and potentials of studying Egyptian literature in a theoretically informed manner. Although major difficulties remain in interpreting a literature preserved only fragmentarily, this volume demonstrates the ongoing vitality of current Egyptological approaches to this problem. This volume also incorporates a broader cross-cultural and comparative element, providing overviews of connections and discontinuities with biblical, Classical, and Mesopotamian literatures, in order to address the comparative contexts of Ancient Egyptian literature.Less
This book reviews the numerous developments in the theoretical framework of interpretation that have taken place over recent years. The application of more theoretically informed approaches to the ancient literary corpus, and a more detailed analysis of context, form, and reception, have fundamentally challenged the interpretative paradigms that formerly held sway. No consensus on interpretative stance has yet emerged, and in this volume many of the foremost researchers in the field examine the overall state of work on the subject. The chapters in the present volume are intended to contribute to this development of different approaches in their application to real Egyptian texts. No single overarching theoretical framework underlies these contributions; instead they represent a multiplicity of perspectives. The range of chapters includes textual criticism; literary criticism; the social role of literature; reception theory; and the treatment of newly discovered literary texts. All contributions centre on the problems and potentials of studying Egyptian literature in a theoretically informed manner. Although major difficulties remain in interpreting a literature preserved only fragmentarily, this volume demonstrates the ongoing vitality of current Egyptological approaches to this problem. This volume also incorporates a broader cross-cultural and comparative element, providing overviews of connections and discontinuities with biblical, Classical, and Mesopotamian literatures, in order to address the comparative contexts of Ancient Egyptian literature.
Jan Assmann
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199206575
- eISBN:
- 9780191709678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199206575.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Judaism
Taking Fishbane's groundbreaking methodological work in biblical mythology, this chapter explores the possibility of applying these insights to a range of non-Israelite historical and mythological ...
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Taking Fishbane's groundbreaking methodological work in biblical mythology, this chapter explores the possibility of applying these insights to a range of non-Israelite historical and mythological texts. It argues that such a thing as the narrative representation of the past is anything but normal and self-evident. It requires a general cultural option for change over against identity and continuity. The past, in order to become the subject of such a representation, must in itself possess a kind of narrative structure.Less
Taking Fishbane's groundbreaking methodological work in biblical mythology, this chapter explores the possibility of applying these insights to a range of non-Israelite historical and mythological texts. It argues that such a thing as the narrative representation of the past is anything but normal and self-evident. It requires a general cultural option for change over against identity and continuity. The past, in order to become the subject of such a representation, must in itself possess a kind of narrative structure.
Salima Ikram (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774248580
- eISBN:
- 9781936190010
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774248580.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The invention of mummification enabled the ancient Egyptians to preserve the bodies not only of humans but also of animals, so that they could live forever. Mummified animals are of four different ...
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The invention of mummification enabled the ancient Egyptians to preserve the bodies not only of humans but also of animals, so that they could live forever. Mummified animals are of four different types: food offerings, pets, sacred animals, and votive offerings. Here, a series of studies on the different types of animal mummies, the methods of mummification, and the animal cemeteries located at sites throughout Egypt are drawn together in a definitive volume on ancient Egyptian animal mummies. Studies of these animals provide information not only about the fauna of the country, and indirectly, its climate, but also about animal domestication, veterinary practices, human nutrition, mummification technology, and the religious practices of the ancient Egyptians.Less
The invention of mummification enabled the ancient Egyptians to preserve the bodies not only of humans but also of animals, so that they could live forever. Mummified animals are of four different types: food offerings, pets, sacred animals, and votive offerings. Here, a series of studies on the different types of animal mummies, the methods of mummification, and the animal cemeteries located at sites throughout Egypt are drawn together in a definitive volume on ancient Egyptian animal mummies. Studies of these animals provide information not only about the fauna of the country, and indirectly, its climate, but also about animal domestication, veterinary practices, human nutrition, mummification technology, and the religious practices of the ancient Egyptians.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167164
- eISBN:
- 9781617977336
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167164.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter serves as a brief overview of Egyptian society. It describes the significance of the land, agriculture, and religion to the Egyptian way of life; and more importantly how Egypt as we ...
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This chapter serves as a brief overview of Egyptian society. It describes the significance of the land, agriculture, and religion to the Egyptian way of life; and more importantly how Egypt as we know it today has been tied up with the Nile sustaining the ancient Egyptian population amid a vast desert inhabited solely by nomads. As agriculture was the principal occupation of the ancient Egyptian population, the chapter shows how the inner workings of the state and the schedules of the general population were reliant on the Nile's inundation cycles. Another significant part of ancient Egyptian life was its religion which, like Islam, was likewise bound up in in a way of life, making it very difficult to separate out the sacred and the profane. In addition to these, the chapter also briefly explores Egypt's state institutions, administrative divisions of land, and population demographics.Less
This chapter serves as a brief overview of Egyptian society. It describes the significance of the land, agriculture, and religion to the Egyptian way of life; and more importantly how Egypt as we know it today has been tied up with the Nile sustaining the ancient Egyptian population amid a vast desert inhabited solely by nomads. As agriculture was the principal occupation of the ancient Egyptian population, the chapter shows how the inner workings of the state and the schedules of the general population were reliant on the Nile's inundation cycles. Another significant part of ancient Egyptian life was its religion which, like Islam, was likewise bound up in in a way of life, making it very difficult to separate out the sacred and the profane. In addition to these, the chapter also briefly explores Egypt's state institutions, administrative divisions of land, and population demographics.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167164
- eISBN:
- 9781617977336
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167164.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter details the administrative functions, religious symbolisms, and other such historic intricacies of the Egyptian monarchy. At the pinnacle of Egyptian society sat the king. Below him were ...
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This chapter details the administrative functions, religious symbolisms, and other such historic intricacies of the Egyptian monarchy. At the pinnacle of Egyptian society sat the king. Below him were the layers of the educated bureaucracy, comprising nobles, priests, and civil servants, and under them the great mass of the people, largely living an agricultural life. The ancient Egyptian monarchy lasted in a recognizable form for over three thousand years. Although many changes occurred during that time, almost all of the fundamentals remained in being. The chapter also notes the difficulties of current historical sources for vocalizations and chronologies for the monarchical information since reconstructed.Less
This chapter details the administrative functions, religious symbolisms, and other such historic intricacies of the Egyptian monarchy. At the pinnacle of Egyptian society sat the king. Below him were the layers of the educated bureaucracy, comprising nobles, priests, and civil servants, and under them the great mass of the people, largely living an agricultural life. The ancient Egyptian monarchy lasted in a recognizable form for over three thousand years. Although many changes occurred during that time, almost all of the fundamentals remained in being. The chapter also notes the difficulties of current historical sources for vocalizations and chronologies for the monarchical information since reconstructed.
Brenda J. Baker and Margaret A. Judd
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780195389807
- eISBN:
- 9780190254308
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780195389807.003.0032
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This chapter describes the individuals who studied aspects of health status or disease among ancient Egyptians and Nubians. It emphasizes the key developments in the formative years of Nile Valley ...
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This chapter describes the individuals who studied aspects of health status or disease among ancient Egyptians and Nubians. It emphasizes the key developments in the formative years of Nile Valley paleopathology up to the UNESCO High Dam campaign initiated in 1960. Mummies figured prominently in the unraveling of this history.Less
This chapter describes the individuals who studied aspects of health status or disease among ancient Egyptians and Nubians. It emphasizes the key developments in the formative years of Nile Valley paleopathology up to the UNESCO High Dam campaign initiated in 1960. Mummies figured prominently in the unraveling of this history.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167164
- eISBN:
- 9781617977336
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167164.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
For over three thousand years, the ancient Egyptian monarchy lasted in a recognizable form, with the king as its central figure, the supreme head of the administrative, religious, political, and ...
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For over three thousand years, the ancient Egyptian monarchy lasted in a recognizable form, with the king as its central figure, the supreme head of the administrative, religious, political, and military state. Not merely a worldly leader, he was the chief link between the human and the divine, himself the physical offspring of a divine god. This book is a vivid account of the lives and times of some of the more significant occupants of the Egyptian throne, from the unification of the country around 3000 BC to the extinction of native rule just under three millennia later. Some, such as Thutmose III, had a major impact on their time, and were remembered by their own people until the very civilization collapsed. Others, such as Tutankhamun, were soon forgotten by the Egyptians themselves, only to burst into popular culture thousands of years after their deaths, as a result of the labors of modern archaeologists. Still more remain unknown outside the small circle of professional archaeologists, but led lives that call out for wider dissemination. Drawing on two further decades of research since it was first published in 1995, the book provides a mix of all three categories, bringing together a compelling view of Egyptian kings and all their range of achievements.Less
For over three thousand years, the ancient Egyptian monarchy lasted in a recognizable form, with the king as its central figure, the supreme head of the administrative, religious, political, and military state. Not merely a worldly leader, he was the chief link between the human and the divine, himself the physical offspring of a divine god. This book is a vivid account of the lives and times of some of the more significant occupants of the Egyptian throne, from the unification of the country around 3000 BC to the extinction of native rule just under three millennia later. Some, such as Thutmose III, had a major impact on their time, and were remembered by their own people until the very civilization collapsed. Others, such as Tutankhamun, were soon forgotten by the Egyptians themselves, only to burst into popular culture thousands of years after their deaths, as a result of the labors of modern archaeologists. Still more remain unknown outside the small circle of professional archaeologists, but led lives that call out for wider dissemination. Drawing on two further decades of research since it was first published in 1995, the book provides a mix of all three categories, bringing together a compelling view of Egyptian kings and all their range of achievements.
Patrick Brantlinger
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801450198
- eISBN:
- 9780801462634
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801450198.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This chapter considers the adventure stories of H. Rider Haggard, which helped set the pattern for fiction combining geographical with archaeological discovery. His three best-known novels—King ...
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This chapter considers the adventure stories of H. Rider Haggard, which helped set the pattern for fiction combining geographical with archaeological discovery. His three best-known novels—King Solomon's Mines (1885), She (1887), and Allan Quatermain (1887)—feature British heroes discovering the remnants of ancient civilizations in southeastern Africa. It is argued that Haggard's racism and his fetishistic archaeology led him to insist that Great Zimbabwe and other ruins in southeastern Africa could only have been constructed by a civilized, white, or at least Semitic race. He saw the ancient Egyptians as a great civilizing race; he also saw the Zulus as a great savage race, and imagined that they would always remain savage. Though well aware of the theory of evolution, Haggard treats both savage and civilized races as if they were permanent fixtures, eternal certitudes that helped him believe in the permanency of British civilization and its empire.Less
This chapter considers the adventure stories of H. Rider Haggard, which helped set the pattern for fiction combining geographical with archaeological discovery. His three best-known novels—King Solomon's Mines (1885), She (1887), and Allan Quatermain (1887)—feature British heroes discovering the remnants of ancient civilizations in southeastern Africa. It is argued that Haggard's racism and his fetishistic archaeology led him to insist that Great Zimbabwe and other ruins in southeastern Africa could only have been constructed by a civilized, white, or at least Semitic race. He saw the ancient Egyptians as a great civilizing race; he also saw the Zulus as a great savage race, and imagined that they would always remain savage. Though well aware of the theory of evolution, Haggard treats both savage and civilized races as if they were permanent fixtures, eternal certitudes that helped him believe in the permanency of British civilization and its empire.
Salima Ikram
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774248580
- eISBN:
- 9781936190010
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774248580.003.0009
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The author of this chapter made a decision to study the animal mummy collection, and initiated the Animal Mummy Project, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Egyptian ...
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The author of this chapter made a decision to study the animal mummy collection, and initiated the Animal Mummy Project, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Egyptian Museum, with Nasry Iskander being the designated collaborator from the latter institution. This project was one of the first modern, large-scale, non-destructive studies of animal mummies of all species undertaken anywhere in the world. The chapter's author's primary interest lay in studying the process of mummification when applied to animals, to see if chronological and geographical changes/particularities could be mapped, to understand the different categories of animal mummies, and to learn more about the ancient Egyptian environment. The ultimate aim of this project, after the mummies had been examined, was to conserve them, to produce a new, updated Catalogue Général volume as the original one had been rendered obsolete, as well as to reinstall the mummies in a more sympathetic museum environment.Less
The author of this chapter made a decision to study the animal mummy collection, and initiated the Animal Mummy Project, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Egyptian Museum, with Nasry Iskander being the designated collaborator from the latter institution. This project was one of the first modern, large-scale, non-destructive studies of animal mummies of all species undertaken anywhere in the world. The chapter's author's primary interest lay in studying the process of mummification when applied to animals, to see if chronological and geographical changes/particularities could be mapped, to understand the different categories of animal mummies, and to learn more about the ancient Egyptian environment. The ultimate aim of this project, after the mummies had been examined, was to conserve them, to produce a new, updated Catalogue Général volume as the original one had been rendered obsolete, as well as to reinstall the mummies in a more sympathetic museum environment.
Jason Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9789774165993
- eISBN:
- 9781617976520
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774165993.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
With the way open for examination of Egypt, numerous Western scholars and travelers appeared on the Nile during the 1820s and 1830s to study and record the remains of ancient Egypt. Foremost was John ...
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With the way open for examination of Egypt, numerous Western scholars and travelers appeared on the Nile during the 1820s and 1830s to study and record the remains of ancient Egypt. Foremost was John Gardner Wilkinson who went on to write his immensely influential Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians. Edward William Lane, later famous for his work about the modern Middle East, devoted himself extensively to Egyptology in his early years. The wealthy Scot Robert Hay organized expeditions to record the monuments. From France there was Jean-Jacques Rifaud. Much of their work remained in manuscript, but it became an important resource for Egyptologists in later years. The consular collectors continued and expanded their operations. The largest Egyptological effort during this time was the Franco-Tuscan Expedition, led by Jean François Champollion and Ipollito Rosellini.Less
With the way open for examination of Egypt, numerous Western scholars and travelers appeared on the Nile during the 1820s and 1830s to study and record the remains of ancient Egypt. Foremost was John Gardner Wilkinson who went on to write his immensely influential Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians. Edward William Lane, later famous for his work about the modern Middle East, devoted himself extensively to Egyptology in his early years. The wealthy Scot Robert Hay organized expeditions to record the monuments. From France there was Jean-Jacques Rifaud. Much of their work remained in manuscript, but it became an important resource for Egyptologists in later years. The consular collectors continued and expanded their operations. The largest Egyptological effort during this time was the Franco-Tuscan Expedition, led by Jean François Champollion and Ipollito Rosellini.
Alain Zivie and Roger Lichtenberg
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774248580
- eISBN:
- 9781936190010
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774248580.003.0005
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Amongst all the ‘sacred animals’ that were mummified and buried in vast quantities by the ancient Egyptians during the last centuries of their long history, cats held a special place and were ...
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Amongst all the ‘sacred animals’ that were mummified and buried in vast quantities by the ancient Egyptians during the last centuries of their long history, cats held a special place and were accorded a special respect. However, uninformed people misunderstand the true state of affairs in ancient Egypt with regard to animal worship. They believe that in ancient Egypt all cats were worshiped, mummified, and interred, as were dogs, both the favored animals of the Egyptians par excellence. Moreover, cats were put into a separate category from dogs as they were regarded as “special” and mysterious animals, almost divine, beloved and feared at the same time. But this attitude is a projection of a modern point of view that has its roots in the Middle Ages, and one that is above all occidental and anachronistic.Less
Amongst all the ‘sacred animals’ that were mummified and buried in vast quantities by the ancient Egyptians during the last centuries of their long history, cats held a special place and were accorded a special respect. However, uninformed people misunderstand the true state of affairs in ancient Egypt with regard to animal worship. They believe that in ancient Egypt all cats were worshiped, mummified, and interred, as were dogs, both the favored animals of the Egyptians par excellence. Moreover, cats were put into a separate category from dogs as they were regarded as “special” and mysterious animals, almost divine, beloved and feared at the same time. But this attitude is a projection of a modern point of view that has its roots in the Middle Ages, and one that is above all occidental and anachronistic.
Alan B. Lloyd
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199286188
- eISBN:
- 9780191804328
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199286188.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
Societies do not simply live in a physical environment. At least as important, if not more so, is the way in which they conceptualize that environment to make it comprehensible and tractable, which ...
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Societies do not simply live in a physical environment. At least as important, if not more so, is the way in which they conceptualize that environment to make it comprehensible and tractable, which is the focus of this chapter. It discusses the Egyptian conceptualizations of the physical structure of the universe, time, and the inhabitants of the cosmos.Less
Societies do not simply live in a physical environment. At least as important, if not more so, is the way in which they conceptualize that environment to make it comprehensible and tractable, which is the focus of this chapter. It discusses the Egyptian conceptualizations of the physical structure of the universe, time, and the inhabitants of the cosmos.
Alan B. Lloyd
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199286188
- eISBN:
- 9780191804328
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199286188.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter examines how the ancient Egyptians efficiently exploited their physical environment to meet their economic requirements, extracting the maximum benefit from it and circumventing whatever ...
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This chapter examines how the ancient Egyptians efficiently exploited their physical environment to meet their economic requirements, extracting the maximum benefit from it and circumventing whatever deficiencies it presented. It discusses nutritional resources; acquisition of raw materials; the institutional infrastructure for production and distribution; and the communication network.Less
This chapter examines how the ancient Egyptians efficiently exploited their physical environment to meet their economic requirements, extracting the maximum benefit from it and circumventing whatever deficiencies it presented. It discusses nutritional resources; acquisition of raw materials; the institutional infrastructure for production and distribution; and the communication network.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167164
- eISBN:
- 9781617977336
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167164.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter details the first few generations of rulers under the Nineteenth Dynasty, beginning with Rameses I, his son Sethy I, and grandson Rameses II. Notably, the latter would embark on a reign ...
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This chapter details the first few generations of rulers under the Nineteenth Dynasty, beginning with Rameses I, his son Sethy I, and grandson Rameses II. Notably, the latter would embark on a reign that was to last sixty-seven years, the longest properly documented period of rule known from Egyptian history. The reigns of these three rulers were characterized by military activity—fitting, given how the dynastic founder, Ramses I (then the General Paramessu) had come from a military background, and had indeed been a colleague of Horemheb while the latter was still serving as army commander. Also a hallmark of this period was its artistic output, particularly during the reign of Sethy I.Less
This chapter details the first few generations of rulers under the Nineteenth Dynasty, beginning with Rameses I, his son Sethy I, and grandson Rameses II. Notably, the latter would embark on a reign that was to last sixty-seven years, the longest properly documented period of rule known from Egyptian history. The reigns of these three rulers were characterized by military activity—fitting, given how the dynastic founder, Ramses I (then the General Paramessu) had come from a military background, and had indeed been a colleague of Horemheb while the latter was still serving as army commander. Also a hallmark of this period was its artistic output, particularly during the reign of Sethy I.
Colleen Manassa
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199982226
- eISBN:
- 9780199369959
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199982226.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This book examines four tales within the corpus of ancient Egyptian literature. During the Ramesside Period, the ancient Egyptians composed stories set two or even three centuries earlier. Known by ...
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This book examines four tales within the corpus of ancient Egyptian literature. During the Ramesside Period, the ancient Egyptians composed stories set two or even three centuries earlier. Known by their modern titles, The Quarrel of Apepi and Seqenenre, The Capture of Joppa, Thutmose III in Asia, and The Libyan Battle Story, each tale uses historically-attested figures within a plausible, yet fictional, narrative. Plot elements range from a witty exchange of letters to the first attested stratagem in world military history. Imagining the Past draws upon ancient Egyptian sources as well as modern literary theory to define a genre of historical fiction within New Kingdom literature; this book also presents the first application of Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of the chronotope to ancient Egyptian literature. New translations and extensive commentary on the literary, social, and political context of the tales appear within each chapter and a concluding analysis summarizes the audience and function of historical fiction as well as theology and historiography within the tales.Less
This book examines four tales within the corpus of ancient Egyptian literature. During the Ramesside Period, the ancient Egyptians composed stories set two or even three centuries earlier. Known by their modern titles, The Quarrel of Apepi and Seqenenre, The Capture of Joppa, Thutmose III in Asia, and The Libyan Battle Story, each tale uses historically-attested figures within a plausible, yet fictional, narrative. Plot elements range from a witty exchange of letters to the first attested stratagem in world military history. Imagining the Past draws upon ancient Egyptian sources as well as modern literary theory to define a genre of historical fiction within New Kingdom literature; this book also presents the first application of Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of the chronotope to ancient Egyptian literature. New translations and extensive commentary on the literary, social, and political context of the tales appear within each chapter and a concluding analysis summarizes the audience and function of historical fiction as well as theology and historiography within the tales.
Jochem Kahl
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774166631
- eISBN:
- 9781617976551
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774166631.003.0023
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
John of Lykopolis (310/320–394/395) was a seer and prophet who lived as an ascetic and recluse in a cave in the western mountain of Asyut (Greek: Lykopolis). Many people consulted him, including ...
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John of Lykopolis (310/320–394/395) was a seer and prophet who lived as an ascetic and recluse in a cave in the western mountain of Asyut (Greek: Lykopolis). Many people consulted him, including Emperor Theodosius who trusted in John to foretell his future. This chapter describes new archaeological discoveries that found the famous three cells that literary sources claim were used by St. John of Lykopolis. As a result of the identification of Tombs II, III, and IV as the hermitage of St. John, a cross-cultural continuity in relation to the veneration of saints becomes evident: the owners of Tombs III and IV (or possibly of the neighboring Tomb V), Iti-ibi and Khety, were venerated as saints in the second millennium BC. Their tomb inscriptions formed part of the cultural memory of ancient Egypt as late as the second century AD, as findings of papyri in Tebtynis in the Fayoum attest. The tombs with their function as memorial sites for ancient Egyptian saints also served as memorial sites for a Christian saint, and the fact that Dayr al-Meitin was constructed in close vicinity to Tombs II, III, and IV in the fifth century AD, that is, immediately after the death of St. John, is unlikely to be a coincidence.Less
John of Lykopolis (310/320–394/395) was a seer and prophet who lived as an ascetic and recluse in a cave in the western mountain of Asyut (Greek: Lykopolis). Many people consulted him, including Emperor Theodosius who trusted in John to foretell his future. This chapter describes new archaeological discoveries that found the famous three cells that literary sources claim were used by St. John of Lykopolis. As a result of the identification of Tombs II, III, and IV as the hermitage of St. John, a cross-cultural continuity in relation to the veneration of saints becomes evident: the owners of Tombs III and IV (or possibly of the neighboring Tomb V), Iti-ibi and Khety, were venerated as saints in the second millennium BC. Their tomb inscriptions formed part of the cultural memory of ancient Egypt as late as the second century AD, as findings of papyri in Tebtynis in the Fayoum attest. The tombs with their function as memorial sites for ancient Egyptian saints also served as memorial sites for a Christian saint, and the fact that Dayr al-Meitin was constructed in close vicinity to Tombs II, III, and IV in the fifth century AD, that is, immediately after the death of St. John, is unlikely to be a coincidence.
George Jaroszkiewicz
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198718062
- eISBN:
- 9780191787553
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718062.003.0004
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter discusses cosmogony and theogony, or the origin of time and gods, as imagined by early cultures. It explores the perception of time in a variety of cultures, ranging from prehistoric ...
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This chapter discusses cosmogony and theogony, or the origin of time and gods, as imagined by early cultures. It explores the perception of time in a variety of cultures, ranging from prehistoric times to the present. The discussion ranges over the Stone Age, the Mesopotamians, the Middle East, the Europeans, the Central Americans, the Australian Aboriginals, and the Far East. The Julian and Gregorian calendars are reviewed. Specific attention is given to the significance of time in various religions including Ancient Egyptian, Mithraism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Mayan calendar and its focus on mathematical cycles is discussed in some detail.Less
This chapter discusses cosmogony and theogony, or the origin of time and gods, as imagined by early cultures. It explores the perception of time in a variety of cultures, ranging from prehistoric times to the present. The discussion ranges over the Stone Age, the Mesopotamians, the Middle East, the Europeans, the Central Americans, the Australian Aboriginals, and the Far East. The Julian and Gregorian calendars are reviewed. Specific attention is given to the significance of time in various religions including Ancient Egyptian, Mithraism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Mayan calendar and its focus on mathematical cycles is discussed in some detail.
Aidan Dodson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9789774167164
- eISBN:
- 9781617977336
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774167164.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter explores the Fifth and Sixth dynasties, which seem to have been periods of fairly extensive state-sponsored foreign enterprises, both peaceful and otherwise. A feature of the activities ...
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This chapter explores the Fifth and Sixth dynasties, which seem to have been periods of fairly extensive state-sponsored foreign enterprises, both peaceful and otherwise. A feature of the activities of Fifth Dynasty kings is their building of a sun temple, as well as a pyramid; the former comprised a bulky obelisk, a chapel, and a causeway. The latter part of the Old Kingdom is moreover characterized by the increase in the number and quality of the tombs built at provincial centers by local dignitaries, in particular by the nome governors, or nomarchs. Amid this backdrop the chapter focuses on the reigns of Sahure and the other succeeding Fifth Dynasty kings, as well as the start of the Sixth Dynasty, with a focus on Pepy I and his son (and grandson) Pepy II.Less
This chapter explores the Fifth and Sixth dynasties, which seem to have been periods of fairly extensive state-sponsored foreign enterprises, both peaceful and otherwise. A feature of the activities of Fifth Dynasty kings is their building of a sun temple, as well as a pyramid; the former comprised a bulky obelisk, a chapel, and a causeway. The latter part of the Old Kingdom is moreover characterized by the increase in the number and quality of the tombs built at provincial centers by local dignitaries, in particular by the nome governors, or nomarchs. Amid this backdrop the chapter focuses on the reigns of Sahure and the other succeeding Fifth Dynasty kings, as well as the start of the Sixth Dynasty, with a focus on Pepy I and his son (and grandson) Pepy II.
