TALES

THE TALE OF SINUHE

This passage refers to a conspiracy in which Amenemhat was killed by his own guards, when his
son and co-regent Senusret I was leading a campaign in Libya. Another account of the following
events is given in the Story of Sinuhe, a famous text of Egyptian literature:

The Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt (2000 BCE – 1700 BCE) saw the start of more
formal writing which included religious scripts, administrative notes, and more in-depth
fictional writing. One of the most iconic pieces of writing to come out of the Middle
Kingdom was The Tale of Sinuhe. Sinuhe was a courier and assistant to the King of
Egypt, Amenhotep I. He fled Egypt and joined a Bedouin tribe to the east and started a
new life near Syria. Once he reached old age he returned and finished out his life in
Egypt. The importance of this story goes beyond the structure and writing techniques of
the text as it provides insight into the cultural differences between Egypt and the Near
East. Philologists are still analysing the text and acquiring new insight to the text today.
This 4,000 year old tale provides insight into the world and mind of an Egyptian, and is
just another example of Egyptian brilliance.

The text on the papyrus is known as Heiratic. This form of writing is like cursive for
Middle Egyptian hieroglyphs. This is not to say that Middle Egyptian Hieroglyph versions
do not exist. Heiratic was a simpler and faster method to writing larger works
of literature, administratiive, and religious texts.

The story is one of the first forms of autobiographical story telling and, although the
author of the story is unknown, he is considered to be the Shakespeare of Middle Egypt.
Egyptologists find this tale to be one of the finest pieces of literature to survive from
Ancient Egypt.

A SUMMARY OF THE TALE OF SINUHE

The story of Sinuhe refers to a man who fled his duties in Egypt and became a Bedouin
in an Asiatic tribe. Sinuhe was an assistant to King Amenemhat I who was the first king of
the 12th Dynasty in Egypt (1991 – 1962 BCE). The tale begins with the death of
Amenemhat and the news travels to his son Senusert I who is fighting to the East. Word
of his death reaches the son and Sinuhe. Sinhue panics and is scared to return home as
he is unaware of how the King died. He then flees to the east to go into exile.

THE STORY OF SINUHE REFERS TO A MAN WHO FLED HIS DUTIES IN EGYPT AND BECAME A
BEDOUIN IN AN ASIATIC TRIBE.
For further reading on the death of Amenemhat I, read The Testament of Amenemhat.
The story provides implications to the death of Amenemhat, and his ghost finds his son
Senusert and helps aid his son through his reign. The story provides insight into
remarkable Egyptian poetry and the views of the afterlife. Another quick note of
interest is the names of leaders may differ depending on the translation. Amenhotep I is
also described as Sehetepibra by some translations, and Senusret I may also be
described as Sesostris I or Kheperkara. The names vary due to individual preference and
what document is being used for translation.

During the early years of Sinuhe’s exile, he runs into a man who is a leader of an Asiatic
tribe called the Renetu. He is taken in and Sinuhe marries the leader’s eldest daughter
and becomes a leader of his own tribe within the Renetu. After being chosen as a
commander of the military, he completed the tasks set before him by the leader. These
included battles, taking livestock, and taking prisoners. Sinuhe had multiple children
and raised them into adulthood. As he aged he began to long to go back home to
Egypt.

One fateful night, Sinuhe was confronted by a warrior who was sent to kill him. The now
older Sinuhe accepted the challenge and duelled with the man. After a hard fought
battle, Sinuhe was victorious. He killed the warrior and began to think back on his life.
He missed Egypt more than ever and wanted to finish out his life back in his old home.
Fortunately, soon thereafter Sinuhe received a letter from the King of Egypt, Senusert I.
The letter requests him to return to Egypt and meet with the king. Sinuhe was excited,
yet weary as he fled after the death of Amenemhet I. After Sinuhe agrees to meet with
the king, he leaves his wife and children behind. He makes his eldest son the new
leader of the tribe.

Sinuhe returns to Egypt and walks through the capital and meets with the king. The king
was pleased to see him and gave him a place to sleep and to clean up. As a Bedouin,
Sinuhe had tattered clothes, long hair, and a beard. This look was not acceptable in
Egypt as royalty and the upper elites were clean shaven men. The king forgave Sinuhe
for fleeing his post and gave him the opportunity to become a part of the Egyptian
elite. Sinuhe lives out his life in Egypt and is buried in a tomb for the elite class.

Today, scholars are still not sure whether or not Sinuhe is a real individual. The tale was to
represent the adventures of the courier Sinuhe copied from the inscriptions from his
tomb. The rulers and locations described were authentic and the cultural differences
described were also accurate. Regardless, the tale is one of the oldest forms of fictional
storytelling. The story was written nearly 4,000 years ago, and interpretations are still
created in the modern day. A 20th century CE Finnish writer Mika Waltari wrote a novel
called Sinuhe Egyptiläinen which has been translated by Naomi Walford.

THE STORY OF SINUHE REFERS TO A MAN WHO FLED HIS DUTIES IN EGYPT AND BECAME A
BEDOUIN IN AN ASIATIC TRIBE.

The Tale of Sinuhe

COMMENTARY | TEXT

The first novella?

We know only a handful of ancient Egyptian stories—as opposed to ancient
Egyptian laments, instructions, prayers and the like—and even fewer of those have
come down to us in complete form. "The Tale of Sinuhe" though has been
preserved in more copies than any other work from that period.

It was apparently popular in those old times. And no wonder.

"The Tale of Sinuhe" is the ancient Egyptian story that comes closest to what later
would become epics or, in modern times, novels. While "The Shipwrecked
Sailor" and "The Eloquent Peasant" turn on single themes and incidents, like later
folk tales or modern short stories, the Sinuhe narrative has a wider canvas. We
follow one character (whose name Si-nuhe means "son of the sycamore") through
several countries and, more importantly, through several crises and changes in his
life.

The text in English is still only a dozen or so pages long—short-story length by our
standards—but packs a lot into those pages. Sinuhe is a servant in the royal harem
when he learns the pharaoh has been assassinated, Sinuhe panics over the
prospect of ensuing violence and flees Egypt. After minor adventures in several
countries he takes up residence with a friendly ruler in "Asia" (probably what we
call Syria now), where he gains great power. At one point he faces a formidable foe
in a one-on-one duel that some think is the inspiration for the David and Goliath
story in the Bible. However he pines for his homeland and petitions the reigning
pharaoh, son of the deceased ruler, to let him return to spend his last days in
Egypt. Having made good abroad, he's forgiven in his native land for unnamed
offences (possibly for having been involved in the previous monarch's death) and
welcomed back with riches.

There's a lot about the importance of dying at home so his burial can be carried out
properly and allow him to be transported to eternal life on the other side. In fact,
the story purports to be told in the first person by Sinuhe after his death.

Maybe that's not as grabby as the latest Russell Crowe historical movie epic. But it
is the same kind of story in primitive form. There's a thrill for modern readers in
seeing how different from us, and yet how similar to us, someone from four
thousand years ago can be. An old story in which the sentiments and behaviour are
completely alien to ours would have no attraction, and one in which people think
and act exactly the same as we do would hold only moderate interest. But the
combination of foreign and familiar is intriguing as it makes us question the
common elements in human experience.

That may be putting too fine a point on it. You either dig this kind of stuff or you
don't. But give it a try. Read several versions of this story along with other ancient
Egyptian works and you may find yourself dreaming about life in other times and
places.

You can download free versions of this and other ancient Egyptian stories online,
although these tend to be dated translations. Recent translations in books make for
smoother reading and take into account more complete research. Two very good
compendiums—and with great notes explaining the difficult bits—are The Tale of
Sinuhe and Other Egyptian Poems, translated by R.B. Parkinson, and The Literature
of Ancient Egypt, edited and translated mainly by William Kelly Simpson. As the
title implies, the former renders all the works in poetry but don't let this put you
off; it's very readable poetry, not much different from prose as far as I can tell,
except the lines are shorter. Simpson uses both forms; his "Sinuhe" is in prose.

The Sinuhe tale is also retold in modern novelistic form in The Egyptian (also
called Sinuhe, the Egyptian) by Finnish writer Mika Waltari, who expands the story
and moves it several centuries ahead to include Sinuhe's relationship with
monotheistic pharaoh Akhenaton. The highly praised historical novel first appeared
in 1945 and it has been reprinted in English as late as 2002.

An historically inaccurate film adaptation of the Waltari novel, The

Egyptian, appeared in 1954, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Jean Simmons,
Victor Mature, Gene Tierney and Peter Ustinov. The Hollywood movie makes Sinuhe
and Akhenaton out to be precursors of Christianity, which was still a millennium and
a half in the future.

The Story of Sinuhe survives in many manuscripts, suggesting that the Egyptians
considered it among their most important literary works. The oldest manuscripts
date to the Twelfth Dynasty (1938–1759 B.C.E. ), also the time of the story’s
setting. There are also more than twenty New Kingdom (1539–1075 B.C.E. )
copies and even a Late Period copy (664–332 B.C.E. ). This large number of
copies surviving in all major periods is due to the fact that scribe schools required
scribes to copy this text as part of scribal training. Yet, the fact that so many
scribes worked on copying Sinuhe suggests that it was also studied in all time
periods. It is thus a work of literature that connected the Egyptian literate class
for 2,000 years. The text also includes variations on many literary genres. Overall,
it is structured to resemble an autobiography and is narrated in the first person.
Unlike a tomb autobiography, however, Sinuhe’s life goes astray rather than
meeting the ideal as in the standard biography. It also includes songs,
monologues, and even a letter.

CONTEXT.
Though Sinuhe was an important point of reference for all literate Egyptians, it
also provides an important window into the Twelfth Dynasty, the time when it
was written. The story deals briefly with the assassination of King Amenemhet I
(1938–1909 B.C.E. ) and the accession of his son King Senwosret I who had co-
ruled with him since 1919 B.C.E. The story emphasizes Senwosret’s mercy to
Sinuhe. This has led scholars to believe that the story provided propagandistic
support for this king. The story also reveals Egyptian attitudes toward foreigners in
the period directly preceding an actual foreign domination of Egypt by the
Hyksos. Thus it has great importance for helping scholars understand Egyptian
attitudes toward foreigners before the Hyksos. More recent study has
emphasized the high literary quality found in the text. All of these elements
combine to make Sinuhe important both in its own time and to scholars today.

THE STORY.

The Story of Sinuhe narrates the adventures of a nobleman who served Queen
Neferu, daughter of Amenemhet I (1938–1909 B.C.E. ) and wife of Senwosret I
(1919–1875 B.C.E. ). When the story opens, Sinuhe is on a military campaign in
Libya with Senwosret I, son of the reigning king Amenemhet I. The news of
Amenemhet I’s assassination reaches the army and Sinuhe panics, fearing that
Egypt will fall into turmoil. He is particularly worried that his close connections to
the royal family will jeopardize his own life should Senwosret I be denied his
legitimate claim to the throne. He decides to flee Egypt, traveling across Egypt’s
eastern border into the lands beyond. In his haste to leave, however, he does
not pack sufficient provisions and nearly dies of thirst in the desert. A bedouin
chief rescues him, and Sinuhe is able to reach the town of Byblos in modern
Lebanon, eventually settling in Upper Retenu in modern Syria. There he meets a
local ruler named Amunenshi, who gives him his daughter in marriage and land
in a place called Yaa. Sinuhe prospers in Yaa, has children, and successfully
leads Amunenshi’s army against other tribes. Near the end of his life, however,
he decides he wants to return to Egypt for burial. He sends a letter to the king,
and the benevolent Senwosret I welcomes him back to Egypt with full honors
despite his cowardly flight years before. Senwosret I arranges for Sinuhe’s burial
in Egypt, and the final verses describe Sinuhe’s tomb and his final contented
days in Egypt waiting for death.
TRANSFORMATION.

John L. Foster, the American Egyptologist, analyzed Sinuhe’s personal

development from his loss of status when he fled from Egypt to his eventual
restoration to his rightful place in Egyptian society. Foster demonstrated that the
real interest of the story for modern readers is in Sinuhe’s personal development.
It is one suggestion that perhaps helps modern readers understand the story’s
appeal to ancient readers. At the start of the story Sinuhe is a coward who
deserts his king out of fear of losing his own life. His action nearly costs him his life,
but he is rescued by a bedouin chief, a man whom Sinuhe would never have
recognized as an equal earlier in his life. When Sinuhe meets Amunenshi, he
feigns ignorance of his reasons for leaving Egypt, claiming that it was the act of
a god. The real turning point in Sinuhe’s life comes when an unnamed “hero”
challenges him to single combat. Though Sinuhe is smaller, he successfully
overcomes the hero through physical courage. This scene witnesses Sinuhe’s
transformation from the coward who abandoned Senwosret to an effective
agent himself. Sinuhe recognizes the change himself in the poem he recites
after his victory over the hero. In the poem, Sinuhe remembers the story of his life
and contrasts his cowardly escape from Egypt with his current situation as a
conqueror. With his transformation from cowardly nobleman to victorious hero
now complete, Sinuhe is ready to return to his homeland.

THE GOODNESS OF THE KING.

Senwosret’s response to Sinuhe’s request to return to Egypt indicates that this

story served a political purpose. The king readily forgives Sinuhe for his disloyalty
and welcomes him with open arms, restoring him completely to his former status.
Most commentators have seen the king’s forgiveness of Sinuhe as the central
purpose of the story. As propaganda, the story established Senwosret’s
goodness and loyalty to those who remained loyal to him. But Foster’s analysis,
which stresses Sinuhe’s development, demonstrates that this epic was also a
close look at individual psychology. The story depicts Sinuhe’s development,
starting with his removal from his own society to full restoration as a nobleman.
Sinuhe moves from disgrace, to renewal, to forgiveness. In the course of this
development he also passes from ignorance of his own motives to self-
awareness and acknowledgement of his own responsibilities. Not only does he
learn to take responsibility for his actions but he also ponders man’s proper
relationship to the temporal powers of the world.
SINUHE:A MAN WHO CHANGED

INTRODUCTION : The Story of Sinuhe begins with an act of cowardice when the
protagonist flees the scene upon learning of the death of King Amenemhet.
Sinuhe’s situation changes when he summons the courage to fight a local hero
in his new home in the East. The following extract is the poem he recites after his
victory in which he recognizes the changes that he has experienced.

A fugitive flees from his neighborhood,

But my fame will be in the Residence [i.e., Senwosret’s palace].

One who should guard creeps off in hunger, But I, I give bread to my neighbor;

A man leaves his own land in nakedness, I am one bright in fine linen;

A man runs (himself) for lack of his messenger, I am one rich in servants.

Good is my home, and wide my domain, [But] what I remember is in the palace.

--------------------------------------------------

Anonymous author of The Tale of Sinuhe

COMMENTARY

A skilled propagandist
We have lots of copies of "The Tale of Sinuhe" preserved from ancient times but no
great idea about who first composed it or committed it to papyrus.

It is thought to have been written about a hundred years after "The Shipwrecked
Sailor", about the middle of Egypt's Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1782 BCE).

The first idea about the author that might occur to you is that it was written by
Sinuhe. It is a first-person narrative after all. However, it's a post-mortem first-
person narrative, delivered from the grave, or from the mummy in the vault, as it
were. This makes for an intriguing technique (like William Holden's dead-man's
narration inSunset Boulevard), but pretty well rules out autobiography.
The next thought may be that someone else recorded Sinuhe's story and placed it
in his mouth. Indeed, for a long time scholars considered the tale to be an historical
account.

However, no historical records of such a person—who left Egypt to become a power

in another land and returned in a blaze of glory—have ever been found. And once
you accept the narrative as a fictional or fictionalized story, you can see the various
creative techniques employed. The author, or group of authors, obviously had
literary skills.

The references to the two reigning pharaohs apparently are genuine though,
starting with Amenemhet I who was assassinated in 1908 BCE. The praise for the
second pharaoh, the son Sesostris I, is so extensive—taking up an entire chapter at
one point—while the announcement of the death of the father is so tersely correct,
that we can speculate the writer was involved in the politics of the royal court,
probably during the lifetime of the younger pharaoh.

We can also note that an overriding theme of the piece is love of Egypt. Sinuhe's
homeland is not only the object of his longing but is depicted as superior in almost
every way to the semi-barbarian states surrounding it.

The anonymous author is a patriot, even a royal propagandist, of the highest order.

The Tale of the Doomed Prince is an ancient Egyptian story, dating to the 18th
Dynasty, written in hieratic text, which survived partially on the verso of Papyrus
Harris 500currently housed in the British Museum. The papyrus was burned in an
explosion; because of this damage the conclusion of the story is missing. Some
scholars speculate that the missing ending was mostly likely a happy one and
that the tale could be more aptly named "The Prince who was Threatened by
Three Fates" or the like.[1]

There are dozens of translations of this story from a wide variety of scholars. The
translations by Miriam Lichtheim and William Kelly Simpsonfrom the 1970s are
both widely accepted versions.

Synopsis

The story goes as follows: The king of Egypt was very sad that a son had not yet
been born to him. The king prays to the gods, and that night his wife conceives
a child. When the king's son is born the seven Hathors (goddesses, who
pronounce the fate of each child at birth) foretell that he will die either by
crocodile, snake or dog. His father, afraid for his son’s safety, builds his son an
isolated palace in the mountains, so as to keep him away from danger. The
prince sees from his palace, a man with a dog. He asks his father for a dog. The
king warily gives the prince a dog, not wishing his son to be unhappy. When the
prince grows up, he decides to face his doom, travelling abroad to Nahrin.
There he meets a group of young men competing for the heart of the princess.
The prince succeeds in winning the heart of a princess by jumping (possibly
flying) to the window of the room where the princess is locked up. The prince did
not tell the king the truth about himself, but said he was the son of a charioteer,
and explained that he had had to leave home because of his new stepmother.
Eventually the king agrees to let the prince-in-disguise marry his daughter, after
seeing the merits of the young man. After marrying the princess he tells her of his
three dooms, and of his prince-hood. She urges him to kill the dog, but the
prince cannot bear to kill the dog he has raised from a puppy. His wife watches
over him dutifully, and stops a snake from biting the prince in his sleep. Thus, one
of the prince’s fates is defeated. Some time after that the prince goes for a walk
with his dog. The dog began speaking (the dog possibly bites the prince), and
told the prince he was meant to be killed by the dog. Fleeing from the dog, he
runs to a lake where he is seized by a crocodile who, instead of killing him, enlists
his help in its fight against a demon (or a water spirit) This is where the tale breaks
off.

Significance

This story is an example of an Egyptian folktale. It shows the existence of written

and oral traditions in ancient Egyptian culture. The story also emphasizes the
importance of the concept of fate to the Egyptian society. The idea of personal
fate, destiny or doom surely played an integral role in people’s lives. The tale
also highlights the perception of bravery and heroism. The prince performs a
feat of daring heroism to rescue and marry the princess. In addition, something
can be seen in this story of the relationship between husband and wife. The
husband is honest with his wife, and the wife protects her husband. Another
important point is the fact that the prince leaves Egypt and goes abroad to
seek his fortune. It details aspects of the prince's life once he leaves his
homeland.

Motifs

Some of its motifs reappear in later European fairy tales.

 The birth of a child is long delayed.(cf. Sleeping Beauty)

  Death is foretold at birth (cf. Sleeping Beauty, The Youth who was
Doomed to be Hanged [2])

 The attempt to prevent doom by measures of isolation from the natural

environment (cf. Sleeping Beauty)

 Three is the number of the dangers/tasks awaiting the protagonist

 Death of the mother, replaced by a stepmother who hates the

protagonist(s) (cf. Snowwhite, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella)

 Leaving home to seek one's destiny/fortune

 Hiding one's true identity (cf. Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood[3])

 Freeing a princess locked up in a high tower (cf. Rapunzel)[4]

 Talking animals (cf. The Princess and the Frog)

 A person/animal setting (often unpalatable) conditions for helping the

protagonist (cf. The Princess and the Frog, Rumpelstiltskin)

 Cheating death, the ability to overcome doom

The Eloquent Peasant

COMMENTARY

Something new four thousand years ago

Only three fictional works from ancient Egypt remain in nearly full condition and
they are all very different.

"The Shipwrecked Sailor" is an adventure and fable. "The Tale of Sinuhe" is an

early patriotic epic. "The Eloquent Peasant", from about the same time as
"Sinuhe", is something else again—like a cross between a folk tale and the bulk
of Egyptian non-fictional writing which is more meditative.

The narrative framework of "The Eloquent Peasant" has to do with a peasant

who is cheated out of his possessions. The peasant takes his complaint to the
chief steward, presenting his case quite eloquently. The steward reports the plea
to the pharaoh (king) who is intrigued. The pharaoh asks the steward to ignore
the peasant, requiring him to keep returning and making more of these
wonderful pleas. The peasant returns eight more times, each time imploring the
rulers to adhere to Ma'at, an Egyptian concept variously translated as
righteousness, order, justice or truth—but not just in legalistic terms, rather as
features of the universe. Each time he attacks the matter in a different way,
delving deeper into the implications of this abstract concept.

These parts of the story are usually translated into poetry. You may take them as
precursors to the Greek dialogues, or to the moral sermons of the Bible: one
passage, for instance, is rendered "Do for one who may do for you, that you
may cause him thus to do", nearly two millennia before Christ is reported to have
delivered the Golden Rule.

In the end, the peasant gets justice and we see Ma'at restored from the top to
the bottom of society.

The story seems to work on several levels. It piques the interest of the common
folks, showing someone at the lower-level of society who is able to use his
golden tongue to outwit those who oppress him, while also demonstrating the
wisdom of the king who recognizes the truth when he hears it. At the same time,
we're quite aware that it's unlikely an ignorant peasant would have such a grasp
of religious and philosophical principles, or of the language of such discourse.
The monologues are really pitched to the educated classes, directing them to
strive for the wise rule that would maintain the stability of their society and
balance in the universe.

Something like that. I don't know enough about Egyptian society to understand
the context completely. But I have been surprised to find the ruminations of the
peasant interesting. The first reaction may be of disappointment—hey, where'd
the narrative go? this is just speeches now? But once you accept this, you may
see how profound this material must have been for the ancient Egyptians and
for those who came after.
Two collections of ancient Egyptian works that include "The Eloquent Peasant"
are The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Egyptian Poems, translated by R.B. Parkinson,
and The Literature of Ancient Egypt, edited by William Kelly Simpson but with this
story translated by Vincent A. Tobin. Parkinson's translation is the seminal
translation that scholars seem to depend upon. Tobin's builds upon Parkinson's
and is the easiest to read and understand in my experience. There are also
several versions available for reading online but I find them too crude to get
across the meaning of the peasant's monologues in any way that would impress
a modern reader. Some of them also compress the story, leaving out most of the
poetic speeches which are the heart of "The Eloquent Peasant".

The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant is a literary work from the Middle Kingdom of
Egypt (2040-1782 BCE) which illustrates the value society placed on the concept of
justice and equality under the law. In the story, a peasant named Khun-Anup is beaten
and robbed by Nemtynakht, a wealthy landowner, who then tells him there is no use in
complaining to the authorities because no one will listen to a poor man. The rest of the
tale relates how Khun-Anup, believing in the power of justice, refutes Nemtynakht and
wins his case. According to Egyptologist Miriam Lichtheim:

This long work is preserved in four papyrus copies, all dating from the Middle
Kingdom. The individual copies are incomplete, but together they yield the full text,
which comprises 430 lines. The three principal copies are P. Berlin 3023 (B1), and P.
Berlin 3025 (B2), and P. Berlin 10499 (R); the fourth is P. Butler 527 = P. British
Museum 10274. (169)

The copies made of the story – and there were probably many more - attest to its
popularity; it was enjoyed from the Middle Kingdom onwards because, as Egyptologist
Margaret Bunson notes, "such tales delighted the Egyptians, who appreciated didactic
texts and especially admired the independence and courage of the commoners" (85).
While this may be true, the presentation of the story – the form the author chose to
work in – would also have contributed to its popularity.

Tale of the Eloquent

Peasant
The work takes the form of a short story complete with dialogue but the speeches of
Khun-Anup are given in poetry in order to provide an audience with both
verisimilitude (one is hearing the eloquence of Khun-Anup first hand) and variation in
form (the work is both prose and poetry) which breaks the point of view between a
straight third-person narrative and the first-person petitions of the peasant. While this
may seem to be the same as an author's use of dialogue in a short story, the significant
difference is in the form of the poetic passages and the identity of the speaker: an
uneducated peasant was not thought capable of mastering rhetoric.

SUMMARY
The story begins with Khun-Anup leaving his wife and children at home to travel south
to market with his goods. A detailed list is given of everything he is carrying, and the
author makes clear it is all quite valuable. On his journey, he must pass through the
property of the landowner Nemtynakht – one of the upper class – who sees Khun-
Anup's goods and decides to steal them.

Nemtynakht understands that he cannot just take the goods without a reason and so
devises a trap. The peasant will have to lead his donkeys through a narrow path on the
land which is bordered on one side by Nemtynakht's barley and on the other by water.
Nemtynakht has a piece of cloth laid on the path, the ends of which touch the water on
one side and the barley on the other, and tells Khun-Anup he cannot walk on it. When
the peasant tries to avoid it by moving toward the barley, one of his donkeys eats some
of it and the landowner has his justification.

Egyptian Cattle
Herd
He beats Khun-Anup for allowing his donkey to steal an ear of barley and then
confiscates all his other donkeys and his goods. Khun-Anup cries out for justice, but
Nemtynakht tells him to be quiet; no one will listen to the complaint of a peasant
against a landowner. Khun-Anup, however, is not going to settle for this kind of
injustice and goes to town to find the magistrate Rensi, the son of Meru, who presides
over the region.

As the title of the piece suggests, this peasant is particularly skilled in public speaking
and convinces Rensi that he has suffered a great wrong. Rensi agrees to take the case to
other magistrates to get their opinion. The other judges, however, consider it simply a
matter of a peasant at odds with a landowner and dismiss the case.

Rensi then appeals to the king, telling him how eloquent the peasant is, and the king
instructs him to feed the peasant - as well as send food to his wife and children – but to
deny his appeal in order to keep him making his speeches. These speeches, the king
instructs, should be written down and brought to him and then the peasant will receive
justice.

Rensi does as his king commands and forces Khun-Anup to petition for justice nine
times; each time his words are written down. In the end, the king rewards Khun-Anup
for his eloquence and persistence in seeking justice. The landowner’s property is
confiscated and given to the peasant.

THE SPEECHES OF KHUN-ANUP & MA’AT

Although certainly eloquent, the speeches Khun-Anup gives are nothing new; they are
often common phrases from earlier in Egypt's history concerning law, justice, and the
right way to live in accordance with ma'at. Ma'at (defined as 'harmony' and 'balance')
was the central cultural value of the Egyptian civilization. The gods
established ma'at at the creation of the world, and the human understanding of true
justice was informed by this concept of living in balance.

KHUN-ANUP’S SPEECHES WERE MAXIMS ON

NOT ONLY HOW ONE SHOULD LIVE BUT ALSO
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF JUDGES TO BE FAIR
NO MATTER THE SOCIAL CLASS OF PLAINTIFF.
It was not just Egyptian law which was based on ma'at, however, but every aspect of
one's life. Living in accordance with ma'at meant being considerate of others, mindful of
one's place in the social hierarchy, performing the proper rites concerning veneration of
the gods, and respect for one's ancestor, observing the correct mortuary rituals and
providing offerings for deceased loved ones, and honoring nature through care for the
environment and wildlife. The primary responsibility of the king himself, in fact, was
the maintenance of ma'at. If one lived in tune with the spirit of ma'at, one was assured
of not only a harmonious existence on earth but entry to paradise in the next world.

The concept of ma'at was so important that it was personified as a goddess who
appeared along with Osiris, Thoth, and Anubis in the Hall of Truth at the judgment of
the soul after death. The white feather of the goddess Ma’at was placed in the balances
opposite the heart of the soul of the deceased; if the heart was lighter than the feather,
the soul could proceed to paradise and, if heavier, it was dropped to the floor where it
was eaten by the monster Amut and the soul ceased to exist. Non-existence was more
terrifying to the ancient Egyptians than any kind of 'hell', and so this was a powerful
incentive for one to live one's life in accordance with ma'at.

These speeches of Khun-Anup’s were maxims on not only how one should live but also
the responsibility of judges to be fair and uphold the law no matter the social class of
plaintiff or defendant. Egyptologist William Kelly Simpson, writing on The Tale of the
Eloquent Peasant, notes:

The appeal of the text is not so much in its actual content as in the artistic manner in
which that content is expressed, for it says nothing new or significant on its subject. The
subject of the peasant's speeches is the Egyptian concept of Ma'at. (25)

Each of the speeches repeats and develops what Khun-Anup has already said with
slightly different emphasis on various points, but his central focus is on the duty of
those in authority to dispense justice equally under the law. A good magistrate is one
who does not discriminate because of a plaintiff’s class but who recognizes the divine
benefits of living in balance and maintains justice for all the people. In the peasant's
third petition he addresses Rensi, saying:

High steward, my lord,

You are Ra, lord of sky, with your courtiers,
Men’s sustenance is from you as from the flood
You are Hapy [god of the Nile] who makes green the fields
Revives the wastelands.
Punish the robber, save the sufferer,
Be not a flood against the pleader!
Heed eternity’s coming,
Desire to last, as is said:
Doing justice is breath for the nose.
Punish him who should be punished,
And none will equal your rectitude.
(lines 140-147, Lichtheim, 175)

Later, after Rensi has ignored his requests repeatedly, Khun-Anup’s petition becomes
more pointed. He directs his criticism at Rensi personally as a magistrate who is at odds
with ma'at, who, through his unjust actions, devalues his office and harms not only
himself but everyone else:

You are learned, skilled, accomplished,

But not in order to plunder!
You should be the model for all men,
But your affairs are crooked!
The standard for all men cheats the land!
The vintner of evil waters his plot with crimes,
Until his plot sprouts falsehood,
His estate flows with crimes!
(lines 261-266, Lichtheim, 179)

Khun-Anup's speeches are reminiscent of earlier works from the genre known as
Wisdom Literature and, especially, The Maxims of Ptahhotep which is dated to the earlier
period of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2613-2181 BCE). At one point, the speaker
in Ptahhotep says:

If a noble action is done by one who is in authority,

He will be of good reputation forever,
And all his wisdom will be for everlasting.
The learned man takes care for his soul
By assuring that it will be content with him on earth.
The learned man can be recognized by what he has learned
And the nobleman by his good actions;
His heart controls his tongue,
And precise are his lips when he speaks.
His eyes see and his ears are pleased through the hearing of the repute of his son
Who acts in accordance with Ma'at and who is free from falsehood.
(lines 15:13-16;1, Simpson, 145)

The Maxims of Ptahhotep, like The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, emphasizes the importance
of justice and equity in one's personal and professional life. Both pieces illustrate how
the Egyptian understanding of law and proper conduct derived from the religious
foundation of ma'at. The gods had established the simplest and easiest universal law to
follow – harmony – and all one had to do to enjoy a full life was follow it and, for those
in positions of authority, encourage and uphold it. In the case of The Tale of the Eloquent
Peasant, however, there seems a significant discrepancy between the supposed moral of
the story and the action of the piece.

THE JUSTICE CONTRADICTION

The cultural understanding of class distinction informs the entire story of the wronged
peasant. Nemtynakht feels confident in robbing and beating Khun-Anup because, as he
says, no one will pay any attention to him if he complains. The magistrate Rensi, who
first hears the case, brings it to the other magistrates who dismiss it, just as Nemtynakht
predicted, as a peasant trying to stir up trouble needlessly with a landowner. When
Rensi brings the matter to the king, telling him of the peasant’s eloquence, he is told to
deny Khun-Anup the justice he seeks in order to encourage him to keep making his
petitions; this command would seem to be at odds with ma’at.

Assessment of
Crops in Egypt

Although the story is routinely identified by scholars as a didactic work on the value of
justice in ancient Egypt – which it certainly is – this one element of the piece is often
overlooked: how the king denies the peasant justice, and prevents Rensi from
performing his sworn service, in order to have the peasant’s petitions written down for
his own use. It could be argued that the king instructs Rensi this way as a kind of test
for Khun-Anup, to see if he is serious about pressing charges against the landowner,
but the text itself does not support this interpretation. The king specifically tells Rensi:
As truly as you wish to see me in health, you shall detain him here, without answering
whatever he says. In order to keep him talking, be silent. Then have it brought to us in
writing that we may hear it. (lines 78-81, Lichtheim, 172-173)

At the end of the story, after the scribes have recorded Khun-Anup's petitions, they are
presented to the king and "they pleased his majesty’s heart more than anything in the
whole land" (lines 132-133, Lichtheim, 182). It is only after the king is given the speeches
that he instructs Rensi to perform his duty and give the peasant justice whereby Khun-
Anup is given all of Nemtynakht's land and possessions. Lichtheim comments on the
work, writing:

The tension between the studied silence of the magistrate and the increasingly
despairing speeches of the peasant is the operative principle that moves the action
forward. And the mixture of seriousness and irony, the intertwining of a plea for justice
with a demonstration of the value of rhetoric, is the very essence of the work. (169)

However true that may be, it does not address the problem of reconciling a literary
work which focuses on the importance of justice with the central plot device of that
work which denies justice to the main character. The author could be implying that
divine justice can never be perfectly administered through imperfect mortal
magistrates, but this is not supported by the text; no censure is attached to the king’s
actions nor to Rensi’s.

CONCLUSION
The most probable resolution to the problem lies in the universal nature of the concept
of ma'at: the balance and harmony of law was not only for the one or the few but for all.
The dynamic of the story relies on the eloquence and righteousness of the peasant as
contrasted with the criminal act of the landowner and the seemingly selfish decision of
the king to deny justice until he has gotten what he wants out of the situation. The
author does not explicitly criticize the king because the speeches of the peasant will,
presumably, be used to instruct others in proper behavior, and so the monarch is acting
in a good cause.

Although it may seem a contradiction, the decision of the king would be in keeping
with ma'at in that it would lead to greater harmony for a greater number of people.
Khun-Anup is outwardly ignored by Rensi, but the king has commanded that the
magistrate provide the peasant with food and drink – as well as his family back home –
while his scribes record Khun-Anup’s speeches. The king does provide the peasant with
justice right away in providing for him – Khun-Anup is simply unaware of it – and also
shows he has every intention of dispensing justice regarding the theft – as does Rensi –
but needs to delay that decision to the one for the greater good of the many.

The alternation between prose and poetry throughout the piece builds the tension as
Khun-Anup becomes increasingly frustrated until, finally, the piece ends in prose and
the speeches stand out in greater highlight as maxims for leading the best life possible.
An ancient audience would have recognized that, were it not for the king's decision,
they would not have the benefit of Khun-Anup's eloquent defense of justice, and so the
king would have been performing his duty after all in upholding and
maintaining ma'at. In the end of the story, the peasant and everyone else gets what they
deserve, what was wrong is righted, and balance is restored; all of which were the goal
of justice in ancient Egypt.

The Tale of The Ship-Wrecked Sailor is a text dated to the Middle Kingdom of
Egypt (2040-1782 BCE). According to scholar Miriam Lichtheim:

The only preserved papyrus copy of the tale was discovered by Glenischeff [a scholar]
in the Imperial Museum of St. Petersburg. Nothing is known about its original
provenience. The papyrus, called P. Leningrad 1115, is now in Moscow. The work, and
the papyrus copy, date from the Middle Kingdom (211).

Contemporary with the rise of the Cult of Osiris and the inscribing of the Coffin
Texts, The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor tells a similar story of redemption. The Coffin
Texts were inscribed on the walls of tombs c. 2134-2040 BCE while the Cult of Osiris had
been gaining in popularity since at least the latter part of the Early Dynastic Period (c.
3150-2613 BCE) to become the most popular and influential religious and cultural belief
by the time of the New Kingdom (1570-1069 BCE). The concept of redemption,
of death from life, features as prominently in this piece of literature as in the Osiris
Myth and the Coffin Texts.

The ancient Egyptians believed in the cyclical nature of life - that which dies returns
again - but in two distinct forms. The traditional belief of the Egyptians was that a
person died and went on to The Field of Reeds, a paradise which was a mirror image of
the life they had known on earth. The other understanding of the nature of life and
death came to be known famously as The Transmigration of Souls popularized by
the Greek philosopher Pythagoras and, even more so, by Plato. In The Tale of the
Shipwrecked Sailor there is no death and resurrection but the theme of an individual
becoming lost in a strange and frightening land and then returning home is central and
this would have resonated with an ancient Egyptian audience.

THE STORY
The basic form of the story is very simple: an official of the king returns home from a
venture which did not go well. He has to report the bad news to the king and is
obviously worried about what might happen to him at the meeting. His servant, trying
to cheer him up, tells him a story of something which once happened to him. The
servant, who was once a sailor, tells of his own expedition which was a complete
failure, much worse than that which his master has experienced, but led to a great
adventure. He tells his master how he survived the shipwreck and came ashore on an
amazing island where he met a great talking serpent who called himself the Lord
of Punt. All good things were on the island and the sailor and the snake converse until a
ship is hailed and he can return to Egypt. As the Land of Punt had been a well-known
partner in trade with Egypt since the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2613-2498 BCE) it is interesting
to see it portayed mythically as an island of riches and magic from which the sailor is
rescued, after being helped by the serpent, and returned home a richer man.

On a surface level, the story may be read as simple comedy. The master has suffered a
poor business transaction and his servant tries to cheer him by telling a fabulous story
which the master is not at all interested in hearing. The master comes just short of
telling the servant to go away. When the master says, "Do as you wish; it is wearying to
talk to you" it is the ancient equivalent of the modern day "Whatever". The sailor insists
on telling his tale, however, and the master indulges him. However entertaining the
story may be, it does not seem to lighten the master's mood any. In the end, the master
says "Do not continue, my excellent friend. Does one give water to a goose at dawn that
will be slaughtered during the morning?" Here he is telling the servant that there is no
point trying to console someone who is going to his fate. The colophon at the end is the
signature of the scribe who wrote, or more likely copied, the piece.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
One of the most interesting aspects of the story is how perfectly it reflects Egyptian
culturein any stage of its development. The Egyptians loved their land so completely
that they fashioned their afterlife as a perfect reflection of it. The reason why there are
no accounts of great Egyptian sea travelers or why there is no `Egyptian Herodotus' or
`Egyptian Homer' is because the Egyptians did not like to leave their native land.
Throughout the entire history of Egypt there are only military campaigns to the nearest
regions such as Syria, Palestine, and Nubia.

There was never an Egyptian empire on par with that of Assyria or Rome because the
Egyptians simply did not care about what went on in other regions. The Tale of the
Shipwrecked Sailor reflects this in that the sailor is not off on some grand adventure when
he finds the island; he is just going about his business when a storm sinks his vessel and
casts him up on the shores. He never thinks of staying on the magical island, nor is he
tempted by what he finds there, because he knows that his home back in Egypt holds all
of the earthly treasures he is interested in.

This same love of the homeland is reflected in many of the literary works which were
most popular with the ancient Egyptians. In The Story of Sinuhe, which was a best-seller
in its time, Sinuhe finds himself exiled in a foreign land and one of his most pressing
concerns is dying beyond Egypt's borders. He laments, "What is more important than
that my corpse be buried in the land in which I was born!" For the Egyptians, one went
to sea for trade, for one's business, but there was nothing beyond Egypt's boundaries
which could possibly be more satisfying than what one could find at home; not even the
alluring and fabulously wealthy Land of Punt.

The Land of Punt became the most important partner in trade during the reign of
Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE). From the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE)
through Hatshepsut's reign Punt was referenced as the "land of plenty" which supplied
Egypt with many of its most important goods. The 1493 BCE expedition sent by
Hatshepsut brought back gold and ivory as well as thirty-one live incense trees for
transplant. This is the first recorded transplant of foreign fauna in history. Scholars
continue to debate on where the Land of Punt actually was or what it has become even
though it seems clear that modern-day Somalia holds the strongest claim for the honor.
After Hatshepsut, Punt steadily receeded in Egytian imagination until it became a semi-
mythical land which eventually came to be seen as the origin of Egyptian culture and
the land of the gods.

While it may be tempting to speculate that The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor was the
beginning of this process, the story was written long before Hatshepsut's reign during
which it is detailed clearly as an actual region and partner in trade. It is interesting,
however, to see Punt depicted so early as a "magical island" and the Lord of Punt as a
gigantic talking serpent. There are many comedic elements throughout the story - not
least of which are the responses by the long-suffering master - but as nothing is known
of the origin of the tale or the ancient response to it one cannot tell how it was recieved
by an Egyptian audience. One can imagine, however, they enjoyed it just as much as
any modern audience would; the love of a good story told well is ageless.

A Brief Foreword
Below are selected instructions about life, a guide for well-being, and some advice
on official duties as well as some of the humanistic values of ancient Egyptian
society. The work is of Ancient Egypt, by Amenemope(t), a resident of Akhim, a town
in Upper Egypt on the east side of the Nile, and son of Kanakht (This Amenemope
was not the pharaoh whose mask is shown above).
 In the text, a father is passing on his wisdom to his son through many maxims and
admonitions for living living, in thirty chapters. This ancient papyrus text is known
mainly from a manuscript papyrus owned by the British Museum.. The instructions
were probably composed during the late New Kingdom (1300-1075 BCE), from the
period of the Ramesses kings, and can be compared with the earlier instruction
by Ptah-Hotep.
As seen in chapters 13 and 16, some of these sayings parallell proverbs of much
later folklore. Also, the Hebrew Book of Proverbs contains sayings that parallell this
work or are fragments of it. Some scholars say that the Book of Proverbs is
dependent in some part on Amenemope's work. John A. Wilson finds for example,
"We believe that there is a direct connection between these two pieces of wisdom
literature, and that Amen-em-Opet was the ancestor text. The secondary nature of
the Hebrew seems established." Some agree, but a few have challenged that view
and have suggested that both works are linked to a possible common, earlier work -
but that appears to be speculation so far.
Those who are interested in seeing how the ancients saw it fit to live in a
harmonious, wealthy, and successful civilisation, what kind of moral they advocated
or sought to live by, should find plenty of interest in this text - find things fit for a
decent and good life, perhaps.
I have brought a few notes of comparison: One is a reflection on the similarities
between the ancient Egyptian uraeus (a raised serpent on the headdress of rulers), a
symbol of divinity, etc and the raised kundalini serpent of awakened yogis (ch 8).
Another is a brief mention between the potter figure of speech in the work and in
one long lament of Jeremiah (ch 25).
Below is gist from the Egyptian work. Some selected passages may be tried or
applied in modern conditions. Where the translated text applies as it is, it is not
changed. But some passages contain rather irrelevant material. Such passages have
been abridged, and in a few places rendered freely. Other passages are slightly
modified, for example: Yet all is related to the text that is supposed to be over 3 000
years old.
You can study a complete translation if you follow the link at bottom of the page
and see for yourself what abridgements are made below, for example.

Introduction
Know how to refute an accusation and to send back a reply.

Be set straight on the paths of life, and prosper.

Steer clear of evil, and mark boundaries. Be saved from foolish talk of others.

Spend your life with these guiding words in your heart.

It pays to be respected in the art of speaking and experienced in one's office.

An initiate of the mysteries should work to give land grants to the people and supply
the storerooms, and inspect very well.

Chapter 1
Listen carefully, and delve into interpreting what is communicated.

Try to put profitable expressions and ideas in your heart, and let them rest there.
When a storm of words comes, your heart stores will be a mooring post on your
tongue.

If you spend a lifetime with these things in your heart, you may find good fortune in
it, and you may flourish.

Chapter 2
Beware of stealing from a miserable man and of raging against the cripple.

Don't get involved in a fraudulent business or desire that it is carried out.

Throw an evildoer in the canal, and he will bring back its slime.

The crocodiles are nasty. Hot-headed man, what are you like?

Row and ferry the evil man away. Do not act according to his evil nature.
Alternatively, fill his gut with your own food that he may be sated and ashamed.

Stop and think before speaking. It is to God's liking.

Chapter 3
Do not get into a quarrel with the argumentative man or incite him with words.
Proceed cautiously before an opponent.

Sleep on a matter before speaking, and may you be restrained.

You can leave the garrulous one to himself.

Chapter 4
The temperate man sets himself apart. He is like a tree grown in a sunlit field: It
flourishes, it doubles its yield, its fruit is sweet, its shade is pleasant, and it reaches
its end in time.
Chapter 5
When tomorrow comes, today is past.

Fill yourself with silence, and you should find life, and flourish.

Chapter 6
Do not be greedy for a plot of land, nor overturn the boundaries of a widow.

Who takes common goods by might, and traps by deceptive attestations, will be
lassoed by the moon, by Luna.

Such a one is an enemy overturned inside himself; his household is hostile, and his
property taken from his children. To someone else his possessions are eventually
given.

Desire to make yourself prosper. Take care.

Better is the bushel which God gives you than five thousand deceitfully got.

Better is bread when the mind is at ease than riches with anxiety.

Chapter 7
A thief, the earth swallows him up and drowns him in the deep - a great hole. They
have sunk themselves in a tomb like that.

Do not be pleased with yourself (because of) riches acquired through robbery.

The boat of the covetous is abandoned in the mud.

God will give you your necessities for life.

Chapter 8
Set your good deeds so that you may rejoice for the Uraeus*, and spit against the
[demon] Apophis.
Uraeus: a stylized upright serpent used as a symbol of deity and divine authority. Compare
the kundalini serpent symbol of awakening.

Chapter 9
Do not allow your superior to cast words only to entrap you, and be not too free in
your reply. Discuss the reply with a man of your own station, and take care of
speaking thoughtlessly.
When a man's heart is upset, words travel faster than wind and rain.

The wolf cub in the farmyard sets families to argue. He curls himself up to inflict
harm. Fire burns inside him. Do not fly up to join him.

Chapter 10
Do not destroy your own mind.

Avoid saying to someone, "May you be praised", without meaning it.

To converse falsely with another is an abomination of God.

Chapter 11
Steer away from the poor man on the road, that you may keep clear of his property.

Chapter 12
If a man is detected in a dishonest transaction, never again will he be employed.

Chapter 13
Neither lead a man astray with pen or document, nor attest a false statement. Let
not your pen be false.

Better is bread when the mind is at ease than riches with all sorts of troubles.

Chapter 15
Do well; you are then on the way of gaining influence.

Chapter 16
Do not unbalance the scale nor make the weights false, nor diminish the fractions of
the grain measure.

Do not wish for the grain measures of the fields and then cast aside those of the
treasury. [cf. A fish in the hand is more worth than ten in the open sea.]

What good is one cloaked in fine linen when he cheats before God?

Chapter 17
Do not act wrongfully through force.

Measure exactly and with precision.

More important is the threshing floor for barley than swearing by the Great Throne.

Chapter 18
When day breaks, man knows not what tomorrow is!

Strong in your heart, make your mind firm.

The Lord of All is the true pilot of the boat of life.

Chapter 19
Do not falsify your speech. Tell the truth.

Do not overstate a thing by solid oaths.

Chapter 20
Do not put aside the just man.

Do not repress the weak for the strong.

Justice is a wonderful gift of God.

Do not falsify the oracles.

Hand property over to its (rightful) owners.

Chapter 21
Sound tranquillity will cause God's plans to open.

Empty not your soul to everybody and do not diminish thereby your importance.

Do not fraternize with one who is too candid.

Better is a man whose knowledge is inside him than one who talks to disadvantage.

Chapter 22
Do not let your companion tell his innermost thoughts.

Chapter 23
If you are satisfied with false words, enjoy yourself with your spittle.

Chapter 24
Do not act so that your heart will be grieved. Take care not to slight the heart of
man.

Chapter 25
Man is clay and straw, and God is his potter; he overthrows and he builds daily.
[Jeremiah uses the same metaphor]

How fortunate is the one who is safe in the hand of God.

Chapter 26
Take as a friend for yourself someone compatible.

Give a hand to an old man filled with beer; respect him as his children would.

Better is the poor man who speaks sweet words than the rich man who speaks
harshly.

Chapter 27
Do not let yourself be reported to God with the words, "Here is another very sick
young man who has reproached an elder."

Chapter 28
God loves him who cares for the poor, more than him who respects the wealthy.

Chapter 29
Do not turn people away from crossing the river when you have room in your
ferryboat.

If a steering oar is given you in the midst of the deep waters, take it up.

Chapter 30
Put these teachings in your mind, and have sound men interpret them, explaining as
good teachers.

It is finished.

Instruction of Amenemope (also called Instructions of Amenemopet, Wisdom of Amenemopet) is a

literary work composed in Ancient Egypt, most likely during the Ramesside Period (ca. 1300–1075
BCE); it contains thirty chapters of advice for successful living, ostensibly written by the
scribe Amenemope son of Kanakht as a legacy for his son.[1] A characteristic product of the New
Kingdom “Age of Personal Piety”,[2][3] the work reflects on the inner qualities, attitudes, and behaviors
required for a happy life in the face of increasingly difficult social and economic circumstances.[4] It is
widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of ancient near-eastern wisdom literature and has been
of particular interest to modern scholars because of its relationship to the biblical Book of Proverbs.

Overview[edit]
Amenemope belongs to the literary genre of "instruction" (Egyptian sebayt). It is the culmination of
centuries of development going back to the Instruction of Ptahhotep in the Old Kingdom[1][6] but
reflects a shift in values characteristic of the New Kingdom's "Age of Personal Piety": away from
material success attained through practical action, and towards inner peace achieved through
patient endurance and passive acceptance of an inscrutable divine will.[1][2][3][7] The author takes for
granted the principles of Natural law and concentrates on the deeper matters of conscience. He
counsels that the weaker classes of society are defended, respect is shown to the elderly, widows
and the poor, whilst condemning any abuse of power or authority.[8] The author draws an emphatic
contrast between two types of men: the "silent man", who goes about his business without drawing
attention to himself or demanding his rights, and the "heated man", who makes a nuisance of himself
to everyone and is constantly picking fights with others over matters of no real importance. Contrary
to worldly expectation, the author assures his reader that the former will ultimately receive the divine
blessing, while the latter will inevitably go to destruction.Amenemope counsels modesty, self-control,
generosity, and scrupulous honesty, while discouraging pride, impetuosity, self-advancement, fraud,
and perjury—not only out of respect for Maat, the cosmic principle of right order, but also because
"attempts to gain advantage to the detriment of others incur condemnation, confuse the plans of god,
and lead inexorably to disgrace and punishment.

Amenemope (Author)

Amenemope (fl. c. 1100 BCE) the son of Kanakht is the ostensible author of the Instruction of
Amenemope, an Egyptian wisdom text written in the Ramesside Period. He is portrayed as a scribe
and sage who lived in Egypt during the 20th Dynasty of the New Kingdom and resided
in Akhmim (ancient Egyptian Ipu, Greek Panopolis), the capital of the ninth nome of Upper Egypt.
His discourses are presented in the traditional form of instructions from father to son on how to live a
good and moral life, but (unlike most such texts) they are explicitly organized into 30 numbered
chapters.[1]
Although once thought to be unique, the Instruction is now seen to share common themes with
the wisdom literature of other ancient Near Eastern cultures including Babylonia and Israel, most
notably the biblical books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Sirach, for which a Hebrew translation of
the Instruction served as a source. Within the Book of Proverbs, verses Proverbs 22:17-
23:11 closely parallel Amenemope's Instruction.[2] The date of 1100 BCE places the authorship of
the Instruction earlier than any part of the Bible, and egyptologists such as James Henry
Breasted credit Amenemope with having a profound influence on Western ethical and religious
development due to his Instruction being read by the Hebrews and portions of it being included,
sometimes verbatim, in various books of the Bible. "It is likewise obvious that in numerous other
places in the Old Testament, not only in the Book of Proverbs, but also in the Hebrew law, in Job, ...
in Samuel and Jeremiah, Amenemope's wisdom is the source of ideas, figures, moral standards,
and especially of a certain warm and humane spirit of kindness."[3] (Amenemope, in turn, was
drawing on a much older text, The Maxims of Ptahhotep.)[

Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers:

Bata served his elder brother Anubis like a son. Bata had prodigious strength and
the power to understand

animals. One day as they were plowing, Anubis sent Bata back to the house for
more seed.

The wife was smitten with mighty Bata and tried to seduce him, only to be
rejected:

"You are like a mother to me and your husband like a father...".

Virtuous to a fault, he promised not to tell her shame.

But she faked a beating (swallowing rancid fat to induce vomiting) and when
Anubis returned she told him

that Bata had raped her.

So Anubis waits in ambush in the stable. But the lead cow warns Bata and he
flees.

Re-Harakhti intervenes and draws a river full of crocodiles between Bata and his
pursuer.

From the far side of the river Bata protests his innocence. And to prove his claim
he calls Re to witness and

castrates himself (penis and all) casting the genitals into the river.

Anubis is thus convinced of his innocence.

Thereupon Bata weakens and seems to depart this life, journeying to the Valley
of the Pine (?),

telling his brother that he must come to resurrect him when a sign appears.
When Anubis finds that beer

ferments in his cup, he will know that Bata has perished and he must go to save
him.
For Bata will take out his heart and lodge it in the pine flower (?) at the top of
the tree.

When the sign comes to him, Anubis must go and find the heart and restore it to
life in a basin of water.

Anubis returns home, kills his wife and gives her carcase to the dogs.

Bata in the Valley of the Pine is blessed by the Ennead. On order of Re, Khnum
fashions for Bata a

wife of supreme beauty, "the ichor of every god is in her."

But it is not a happy match, for "she sat in the house while he spent the days
hunting desert game."

He warned her not to go outside, "lest the sea snatch you. I cannot rescue you
...

because I am a woman like you...?"

Nonetheless she ventures out, the tide surges around her and captures a tress of
her hair

(that snagged on the pine); and the sea then carries the tress back to Egypt.
There the fragrance

of the tress so permeates the waters that the clothing of pharoah becomes
scented from washing in it.

Pharoah learns from his scribes that this tress belongs to "a daughter of Re-
Harakhti in whom is the ichor

of every god." So he sends out envoys to search for her; she is found in the
valley of the pine and brought
back to Egypt. There she delights the king and demands that he send soldier to
cut down the great pine

(wherein is the heart of Bata)

The next day when Anubis takes his barley beer, it ferments in his cup; he takes
wine and it sours.

So, recognizing the sign, he sets out for the Valley of the Pine. There he finds
Bata's body and searches

3 years for the heart. When he has nearly given up he finds it, puts in a basin of
water.

And as the heart soaks the water, the body of Bata takes life and twitches.
Anubis gives him the basin

to drink, and his heart is restored. The two brothers are reunited.

Then by Bata's plan, they journey to Egypt, Bata himself disguised as a great
Bull, Anubis riding on

his back. Pharoah is impressed and honors Anubis.

But Bata the Bull reveals himself to the Wife (now wife of Pharoah) and she
contrives to have him

slaughtered by tricking pharoah into a promise; she demands, "let me eat the
liver of this bull."

At his slaughter two drops of the blood soak into the earth at the doorposts of
the palace, and

there two great Persea trees spring up, one on either side.

Again Bata, now in the Persea tree, reveals himself to the treacherous Wife. And
again she tricks pharoah
into promising, now to cut down the trees and make furniture for her. But when
the trees are felled,

a splinter of the wood flies off and lodges in her mouth, and she becomes
pregnant from it.

Pharoah dotes upon the child as his son; he (Bata incarnate) rises to be Crown
Prince.

When Pharoah dies, the new Pharoah--Bata triumphant-- condemns the

treacherous wife--and mother!

He elevates Anubis to Crown Prince. And after his reign of 30 years, at Bata's
death, Anubis succeeds him.

The story of “The Tale of Two Brothers” is full of themes of sexual dominance, deceit,
and revenge whereby a fierce power struggle between sexes comes out clearly. When
reading the story one discovers that the women in the story are shown to be powerful,
although they use their power for the wrong reasons, evil aims. Men are also brought
out painted as power; the only difference between their power and that of the women is
that, men use their power for good purposes in the society. It is because of these good
deeds by men that make them prevail over the women. This article seeks to analyze the
relationship between the two brothers and how it is affected by wife of the elder brother
(tour Egypt 2009).

Analysis
In the story we are first introduced to the relationship between Anpu, the elder brother
and his wife. The wife is introduced an evil figure, a woman who uses her powers to
manipulate his husband to carry out her evil schemes. She makes sexual overtures
towards Anpu’s brother, Beta, but when Beta refuses these advances, she is infuriated.
She therefore goes a head to seek revenge against him. Being skillful in deception, she
convinces Anpu to kill his brother. She lies by saying, “When your brother came to
collect the seed, he found me sitting alone and said to me, come let’s spend an hour
sleeping. You shall put on your wig, but I refused to obey him,” (tour Egypt 2010). She
went ahead to allege that the younger brother became afraid and assaulted her to
prevent her from reporting him to the elder brother. She therefore wanted the elder
brother to kill his brother lest she killed herself. Here we see that Anpu’s wife uses her
manipulative powers successfully for her own evil purposes. The wife has used her
intellectual power to achieve her end results, but the husband uses his physical powers
to assert his authority, to establish what is just. We see in the story that after discovering
his wife’s evil ploy to have his brother killed, Anpu decides to kill his wife. He threw away
her body to the dogs. Here the elder brother emerges as the victor not because he is
the only one left standing at the moment, but because he has used his physical power
to bring out justice to the evil in the society (tour Egypt 2009).

In this story the author has hinted at the fictional aspect of his work by introducing fable
like elements, for instance the introduction of a talking bull, and most notably the giving
of divine names to his human characters, Anpu and beta which represent Egyptian gods.
This is a clear indication that the Egyptians viewed their Pharaoh as a god. This story can
also be taken to be addressing disturbances that usually happen in royal households
especially when they touch on issues of succession. The tale emphasizes the importance
of the friendship between the two brothers, but at the same time demonstrates that the
wife who was unfaithful, who had betrayed her husband’s love, was justified to die. The
author has applied the principle of projective analysis, where an individual misperceives
the outer world as a result of inner states. Just as in many other fairy tales where the
hero or the heroin is sometimes punished, and the punishment is usually self inflicted,
this tale shows that Beta who is supposed to be the hero, emasculates himself in a bid
to avoid guilty. This is another example of projective inversion. After falling off with his
brother, Beta sets of to a far of land; this represents not only exile but also a kind of
death to Beta. While in his exile, beta undergoes several deaths at the hands of a wife
that he was divinely given by the gods. He is eventually reborn from the same wife as
the heir to the king’s throne which he takes up on the death of the king. Just as in the
biblical narrative about Joseph and Pharaoh’s wife, the actions of a malicious and scared
woman leads to the move of a young man, Beta, from his safe and secure abode into
death and them rebirth into a higher societal stratum. The woman in both tales acts for
negatives aims but ends in giving positive results. There are similarities that make the
reader think that the authors may have borrowed from each other. Both men in the talks
are young and handsome, they both live in a household with an older woman with her
husband, both are approached by the older woman for sex, both refuse the advances
because their conscience won’t allow them, the woman accuses both falsely, they are
separated from the household into exile or death, and finally both men in these two
tales return from their exiles to rule over the people (tour Egypt 2009).

This tale brings out the actions of the gods in the Egyptian society in those years. Beta
and Anpu represent Egyptian gods that relate to mortuary realm. Anpu was the Egyptian
mortuary god, he was responsible for the linking of the death from the earthly self to
the spiritual or the next world especially kings. This is clearly brought out when Anpu
leads to Beta leaving his home to another place. On other hand, Beta was an ancient
Egyptian underworld god that represented the Horus or Osiris succession. In this tale,
the dead Beta is becomes his own father through his wife mother, a concept that is held
to be the proper succession to the kingship by the Egyptians where the actions of a
woman, makes her the means of transformation that is needed. Those tales also paints a
very negative picture of the ancient Egyptian queens who always tried to avert any
challenge to the throne by their surviving relatives. We see this in the case of Beta,
where through many attempts by the wife to kill him, he is finally reborn by herself as
the heir to the throne (tour Egypt 2009).

This tale also represents the rite of passage in regard to Beta, the hero in this case. The
young man is separated from his home of comfort by the destructive actions of his
mother figure, his brother’s wife, and is forced to pass through a series of deaths and
transformations to be reborn into a very high position in the society. This story puts our
hero, Beta, into a no-win situation. This is because he will be destroyed if he accepts the
advances from the woman, and he will still be destroyed if he does not accept the
proposition. He is at risk of death no matter the choice he picks on, all this is because of
the powerful female figure in the name of the brother’s wife. But when the episode is
followed to its end, we see the young man returning in a transformed state, at a new
societal level, with new knowledge and understanding of himself and those around him.
This therefore forms the rites of passage into the society to the young man. The tale
therefore brings out the beliefs and ideologies of the ancient Egyptians. The seemingly
destructive female figure in reality brings about long term positive results that not only
affect her male victim, but also all the people in the society. There is also the issue of
family reunion where by the young brother returns to be the king, and then leaves the
throne to his brother at his death. The Egyptian way of live is also strikingly clear, we are
shown that the elder brother was working in the field with his younger brother, they
were actually planting, and when the seed were over, he sent Beta to go collect some
more, and that is when he met with the provocative wife. They were also cattle keepers,
the author confirms this in the following lines, “…he would drive his cattle to let them
graze in the fields while he followed behind his cattle” (tour Egypt 2009). What this show
is that the Egyptians practiced farming as their economic activity. The political system of
the ancient Egyptians is also brought out where we see that they were ruled by kings,
they had kingdoms, monarchs where ascending to the throne was hereditary (tour Egypt
2009).

Conclusion

In this story the author has used the three characters, the two brothers and the wife to
bring out the differences between male and female sexes that existed in the ancient
Egypt and may be at present. Driven by lust, the woman manages to separate the two
brothers that had lived happily together. But she does not go away scot free because
she is killed by her husband on discovering her evil intentions. This shows that her evil
plot does not succeed in the end because Beta, the younger brother comes back in
another form to restore his relationship with his brother. He even gives him his throne,
meaning there were not hurt feelings between them. This had a very vital lesson to the
Egyptians in those years and also lessons can still be borrowed from it now.

Conclusion