The Literature of Ancient Egypt

Writing in ancient Egypt first appeared in the late 4th millennium BC during the late phase of predynastic Egypt. By the Old Kingdom, literary works included funerary texts, epistles and letters, hymns and poems, and commemorative autobiographical texts recounting the careers of prominent administrative officials. Ancient Egyptian literature has been preserved on a wide variety of media. This includes papyrus scrolls and packets, limestone or ceramic ostraca, wooden writing boards, monumental stone edifices and coffins. This book is intended to serve as an elementary introduction to the study of Egyptian Literature. Its object is to present a short series of specimens of Egyptian compositions, which represent all the great periods of literary activity in Egypt under the Pharaohs. Contents: The Pyramid Texts Stories of Magicians who Lived under the Ancient Empire The Book of the Dead Books of the Dead of the Græco-Roman Period The Egyptian Story of the Creation Legends of the Gods Historical Literature Autobiographical Literature Tales of Travel and Adventure Fairy Tales Egyptian Hymns to the Gods Moral and Philosophical Literature Miscellaneous Literature The Book of the Dead Papyrus of Ani Hymn to the Nile Great Hymn to Aten Hymn to Osiris-Sokar Tale of the Doomed Prince The Magic Book The Dialogue of a Misanthrope with His Own Soul Ancient Egyptian Love Poems