No More Learning

THE STORY OF THE TWO BROTHERS
['The Story of the Two Brothers) is in places incoherent, but charms
throughout by beautiful and natural touches. The copy in which it has been
preserved to us is practically complete, but is full of errors of writing and of
composition, whole sentences having crept in that are useless, or contra-
dictory to the context. The style is however absolutely simple and narra-
tive, and the language entirely free from archaisms.
The papyrus, which bears the name of Seti II. as crown prince, dates
from the XIXth Dynasty. The beginnings of many of the sentences and para-
graphs are written in red: this is specially the case when a sentence com-
mences with an indication of time, usually expressed in a fixed formula. In
such cases the translation of the passage written in red is here printed in
italics. ]
O
a
NCE there were two brothers, of one mother and one father;
Anpu was the name of the elder, and Bata was the name
of the younger. Now, as for Anpu, he had a house and
he had a wife. His younger brother was to him as it were
son; he it was who made for him his clothes, while he walked
behind his oxen to the fields; he it was who did the plowing;
he it was who harvested the corn; he it was who did for him all
the work of the fields. Behold, his younger brother grew to be
an excellent worker; there was not his equal in the whole land;
behold, the strain of a god was in him.
Now when the days multiplied after these things, his younger
brother followed his oxen as his manner was, daily; every even-
ing he turned again to the house, laden with all the herbs of the
field, with milk and with wood, and with all things of the field.
He put them down before his elder brother, who was sitting
with his wife; he drank and ate; he lay down in his stable with
the cattle.
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, he
took bread which he had baked, and laid it before his elder
brother; and he took with him his bread to the field, and he


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5254
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
drave his cattle to pasture them in the fields. And he used to
walk behind his cattle, they saying to him, “Good is the herbage
which is in such a place;” and he hearkened to all that they
said, and he took them to the good pasture which they desired.
And the cattle which were before him became exceeding excel-
lent, and they became prolific greatly.
Now at the time of plowing, his elder brother said unto
him, "Let us make ready for ourselves a yoke of oxen for
plowing; for the land hath come out from the water; it is good
for plowing in this state; and do thou come to the field with
corn, for we will begin the plowing in the morrow morning. ”
Thus said he to him; and his younger brother did everything
that his elder brother had bidden him, to the end.
Now when the carth lighted and the second day came, they
went to the fields with their yoke of oxen; and their hearts were
pleased exceedingly with that which they accomplished in the
beginning of their work.
Now when the days were multiplicd after these things, they
were in the field; they stopped for seed corn, and he sent his
younger brother, saying, “Haste thou, bring to us corn from the
farm. ” And the younger brother found the wife of his elder
brother; (some one was sitting arranging her hair. He said to
her [the wife], "Get up, and give to me seed corn, that I may
run to the field, for my elder brother hastened me; be not slow. ”
She said to him, “Go, open the store, and thou shalt take for
thyself what is in thy heart; do not interrupt the course of my
hair-dressing
The youth went into his stable; he took a large measure, for
he desired to take much corn; he loaded it with barley and
spelt; and he went out carrying them. She said to him, “How
much of the corn that is wanted, is that which is on thy shoul-
der ? » He said to her, “Three bushels of spelt, and two of
barley, in all five; these are what are upon my shoulder; ” thus
said he to her. And she spake with him, saying, “There is great
strength in thee, for I see thy might every day. ” And her desire
was to know him with the knowledge of youth. She arose and
took hold of him, and said to him, "Come, lie with me; behold, ,
this shall be to thine advantage, for I will make for thee beautiful
garments. ”
Then the youth became like a leopard of the south
in fury at the evil speech which she had made to him; and she
feared greatly. He spake with her, saying, “Behold, thou art to
1


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5255
me as
a mother; thy husband is to me as a father; for he who
is elder than I hath brought me up. What is this great wicked-
ness that thou hast said ? Say it not to me again. For I will
not tell it to any man, that it should go forth by the mouth of
all men. ” He lifted up his burden, and he went to the field and
came to his elder brother; and they took up their work, to labor
at their task.
Now afterwards, at the time of evening, his elder brother was
returning to his house; the younger brother was following after
his oxen; he loaded himself with all the things of the field; he
brought his oxen before him, to make them lie down in their
stable which was in the farm. Behold, the wife of the elder
brother was afraid for the words which she had said. She took
a pot of fat; she made herself as one who had been beaten by
miscreants, in order that she might say to her husband, "It is
thy younger brother who hath done this wrong. ” Her husband
returned in the even, as his manner was every day; he came
unto his house; he found his wife lying down, ill of violence; she
did not put water upon his hands as his manner was; she did not
make a light before him; his house was in darkness, and she was
lying vomiting. Her husband said to her, “Who hath spoken
with thee? ” Behold, she said, “No one hath spoken with me
except thy younger brother. When he came to take for thee
seed corn he found me sitting alone; he said to me, Come, let
us lie together; put on thy wig? ;' thus spake he to me. I would
not hearken to him: Behold, am I not thy mother, is not thy
elder brother to thee as a father? ' Thus spake I to him, and he
feared, and he beat me to stop me from making report to thee,
and if thou lettest him live I shall kill myself. Now behold,
when he cometh to-morrow, seize upon him; I will accuse him of
this wicked thing which he would have done the day before. ”
The elder brother became as a leopard of the south; he
sharpened his knife; he took it in his hand; he stood behind the
door of his stable to slay his younger brother as he came in the
evening to let his cattle into the stable.
Now the sun went down, and he loaded himself with all the
herbs of the field in his manner of every day. He came; his
leading cow entered the stable; she said to her keeper, Be-
hold, thy elder brother is standing before thee with his knife to
1 The Egyptians shaved their heads and wore wigs, as a matter of clean-
liness in a hot climate.


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
slay thee; flee from before him. ” He heard what his leading
cow had said; the next entered and said likewise. He looked
beneath the door of the stable; he saw the feet of his elder
brother standing behind the door with his knife in his hand.
He put down his load on the ground, he set out to flee swiftly;
his elder brother pursued after him with his knife. Then the
younger brother cried out unto Ra Harakhti, saying, "My good
Lord! Thou art he who distinguishest wrong from right. ” Ra
hearkened to all his complaint; Ra caused to be made a great
water between him and his elder brother, full of crocodiles; the
one brother was on one bank, the other on the other bank; and
the elder brother smote twice on his hands at not slaying him.
Thus did he. The younger brother called to the elder on the
bank, saying, "Stand still until the dawn of day; when Ra
ariseth I shall argue with thee before him, and he giveth the
wrong to the right. For I shall not be with thee unto eternity.
I shall not be in the place in which thou art; I shall go to the
Valley of the Acacia. ”
Now when the carth lighted and the second day came, Ra
Harakhti' shone out, and each of them saw the other. The youth
spake with his elder brother, saying: -«Wherefore camest thou
after me to slay me wrongfully, when thou hadst not heard my
mouth speak ? For I am thy younger brother in truth; thou art
to me as a father; thy wife is to me even as a mother: is it not
so ? Verily, when I was sent to bring for us seed corn, thy wife
said to me, Come lie with me. ' Behold, this has been turned
over to thee upside down. ” He caused him to understand all
that happened with him and his wife. He swore an oath by Ra
Harakhti, saying, “Thy coming to slay me wrongfully, having
thy spear, was the instigation of a wicked and filthy one. ” He
took a reed knife and mutilated himself; he cast the flesh into
the water, and the silurus swallowed it. He sank; he became
faint; his elder brother chided his heart greatly; he stood weep-
ing for him loudly, that he could not cross to where his younger
brother was, because of the crocodiles. The younger brother
called unto him, saying, “Whereas thou hast devised an evil
thing, wilt thou not also devise a good thing, or such a thing as
I would do unto thee? When thou goest to thy house thou must
look to thy cattle; for I stay not in the place where thou art, I
am going to the Valley of the Acacia. Now as to what thou
i The sun.


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5257
shalt do for me: verily, understand this, that things shall happen
unto me; namely, that I shall draw out my soul, that I shall put
it upon the top of the flowers of the acacia; the acacia-tree will
be cut down, it shall fall to the ground, and thou shalt come to
seek for it, and if thou passest seven years searching for it, let
not thy heart sicken. Thou shalt find it; thou must put it in a
cup of cold water that I may live again, that I may make
answer to what hath been done wrong. Thou shalt understand
this; namely, that things are happening to me, when one shall
give to thee a pot of beer in thy hand and it shall foam up:
stay not then, for verily it shall come to pass with thee. ”
He went to the Valley of the Acacia; his elder brother went
to his house; his hand was laid on his head; he cast dust on
his head; he came to his house, he slew his wife, he cast her
to the dogs, and he sat in mourning for his younger brother.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his
younger brother was in the Valley of the Acacia; there was none
with him; he spent the day hunting the game of the desert, he
came back in the even to lie down under the acacia, the top-
most flower of which was his soul.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, he built
himself a tower with his hand, in the Valley of the Acacia; it
was full of all good things, that he might provide for himself a
home.
He went out from his tower, he met the Ennead of the gods,
who were going forth to arrange the affairs of their whole land.
The Nine Gods talked one with another, they said unto him:
“Ho! Bata, Bull of the Ennead of the gods, art thou remaining
alone, having fled thy village from before the wife of Anpu
thy elder brother? Behold, his wife is slain. Thou hast given
him an answer to all that was transgressed against thee. ” Their
hearts were sad for him exceedingly. Ra Harakhti said to
Khnumu,' « Behold, frame thou a wife for Bata, that he may not
sit alone. ” Khnumu made for him a mate to dwell with him.
She was more beautiful in her limbs than any woman who is in
the whole land. Every god was in her. The seven Hathors
i Ra Harakhti was the chief of this Ennead. Khnumu, one of his com-
panion gods, was the craftsman, sometimes represented as fashioning mankind
upon the potter's wheel.


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
a
was.
sea
came to see her: they said with one mouth, «She will die a
sharp death. ”
He loved her very exceedingly, and she dwelt in his house;
he passed his time in hunting the game of the desert, and
brought what he took before her, He said, "Go not outside,
lest the sea seize thee; for I cannot rescue thee from it, for I
am woman like thee: my soul is placed on the top of the
flower of the acacia; and if another find it, I shall be vanquished
by him. ” He explained to her all about his soul.
Vow when the day's were multiplied after these things, Bata
went to hunt as his daily manner The girl went to
walk under the acacia which was by the side of her house; the
saw her, and cast its waves up after her. She set out to
run away from it; she entered her house. The sea called unto
the acacia, saying, “Oh, catch hold of her for me! ” The acacia
brought a lock from her hair, the sea carried it to Egypt, and
dropped it in the place of the washers of Pharaoh's linen. The
smell of the lock of hair entered into the clothes of Pharaoh.
They were wroth with Pharaoh's washers, saying, “The smell of
ointment is in the clothes of Pharaoh. ” The men were rebuked
every day; they knew not what they should do. The chief of
the washers of Pharaoh went down to the seaside; his soul was
black within him because of the chiding with him daily. He
stopped and stood upon the sandy shore opposite to the lock of
hair, which was in the water; he made one go in, and it was
brought to him; there was found in it a smell, exceeding sweet.
He took it to Pharaoh; the scribes and the wise were
brought to Pharaoh; they said unto Pharaoh:-“This lock of hair
belongs to a daughter of Ra Harakhti; the strain of every god is
in her; it is a tribute to thee from a strange land.
Let mes-
sengers go to every foreign land to seek her: as for the messen-
ger who shall go to the Valley of the Acacia, let many men
go with him to bring her. ” Then said his Majesty, “Excellent
exceedingly is what we have said; and the men were sent.
Ilhen the days were multiplied after these things, the people
who went abroad came to give report unto the king: but there
came not those who went to the Valley of the Acacia, for Bata
had slain them; he spared one of them to give a report to the
king His Majesty sent many men and soldiers as well as horse-
men, to bring her back. There was a woman among them, into
whose hand was put every kind of beautiful ornaments for a
men
>>>


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5259
woman. The girl came back with her; there were rejoicings for
her in the whole land.
His Majesty loved her exceedingly, and raised her to be a
princess of high rank; he spake with her that she should tell
concerning her husband. She said to his Majesty, “Let the
acacia be cut down, and let one chop it up. ” They sent men
and soldiers with their weapons to cut down the acacia; they
came to the acacia, they cut the flower upon which was the soul
of Bata, and he fell dead upon the instant.
Now when the earth lighted and the second day came, the
acacia was cut down. And Anpu, the elder brother of Bata, en-
tered his house; he sat down and washed his hands: one gave
him a pot of beer, it foamed up; another was given him of
wine, it became foul. He took his staff, his sandals, likewise
his clothes, with his weapons of war; he set out to walk to the
Valley of the Acacia. He entered the tower of his younger
brother; he found his younger brother lying on his bed; he was
dead. He wept when he saw his younger brother verily lying
dead. He went out to seek the soul of his younger brother un-
der the acacia tree, under which his younger brother used to lie
in the evening. He spent three years in seeking for it, but
found it not. When he began the fourth year, he desired in his
heart to return into Egypt; he said, “I will go to-morrow;”
thus spake he in his heart.
When the earth lighted and the second day came, he went out
under the acacia, and set to work to seek it again. He found a
seed-pod. He returned with it. Behold, this was the soul of his
younger brother.
He brought a cup of cold water, he dropped
it into it: he sat down, as his manner of every day was. Now
when the night came his [Bata's] soul absorbed the water; Bata
shuddered in all his limbs, he looked on his elder brother; his
soul was in the cup. Then Anpu took the cup of cold water in
which the soul of his younger brother was; he [Bata] drank it,
his soul stood again in its place, he became as he had been.
They embraced each other, and they spake with one another.
Bata said to his elder brother, “Behold, I am to become as a
great bull, with all the right markings; no one knoweth its his-
tory, and thou must sit upon his back. When the sun arises we
will go to that place where my wife is, that I may return answer
to her; and thou must take me to the place where the king is.
For all good things shall be done for thee, and one shall lade


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
thee with silver and gold, because thou bringest me to Pharaoh;
for I become a great marvel, they shall rejoice for me in all the
land. And thou shalt go to thy village. ”
When the rarth lighted and the second day came, Bata became
in the form which he had told to his elder brother. And Anpu
his elder brother sat upon his back until the dawn. He came
to the place where the king was; they made his Majesty to know
of him; he saw him, and he rejoiced exceedingly. He made for
him great offerings, saying, “This is a great wonder which has
come to pass. There were rejoicings over him in the whole
land. They loaded him with silver and gold for his elder
brother, who went and settled in his village. They gave to the
bull many men and many things, and Pharaoh loved him exceed-
ingly above all men that are in this land.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, the bull
entered the place of purifying; he stood in the place where the
princess was; he began to speak with her, saying, "Behold, I am
alive indeed. ” She said to him, “Who then art thou ? ” He said
to her: "I am Bata. Thou knewest well when thou causedst that
they should cut down the acacia for Pharaoh, that it was to my
hurt, that I might not be suffered to live. Behold, I am alive
indeed, being as an ox. ” Then the princess feared exceedingly
for the words that her husband had spoken to her. And he
went out from the place of purifying.
His Majesty was sitting, making a good day with her: she
was at the table of his Majesty, and the king was exceeding
pleased with her. She said to his Majesty, “Swear to me by
God, saying, What thou shalt say, I will obey it for thy sake. ) »
He hearkened unto all that she said. And she said, “Let me eat
of the liver of this bull, because he will do nothing;” thus spake
she to him. He was exceedingly vexed at that which she said,
the heart of Pharaoh was grieved exceedingly.
Now when the carth lighted and the second day came, there
was proclaimed a great feast with offerings to the ox. The
king sent one of the chief butchers of his Majesty, to have the
ox sacrificed. Afterwards it was caused to be sacrificed, and
when it was in the hands of the men, it shook its neck, and
threw two drops of blood over against the double door of his
Majesty One fell upon the one side of the great door of
Pharaoh, and the other upon the other side. They grew as two
great Persea trees; each of them was excellent.


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5261
One went to tell unto his Majesty, “Two great Persea trees
have grown, as a great marvel for his Majesty, in the night, by
the side of the great gate of his Majesty. ” There was rejoicing
for them in all the land, and there were offerings made to them.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his
Majesty was adorned with a blue crown, with garlands of flowers
on his neck; he was upon the chariot of electrum; he went out
from the palace to behold the Persea trees: the princess also
went out with horses behind Pharaoh. His Majesty sat beneath
one of the Persea trees, and it spake thus with his wife:—“Oh
thou deceitful one, I am Bata; I am alive, though I have suffered
violence. Thou knewest well that the causing of the acacia to
be cut down for Pharaoh was to my hurt. I then became an
ox, and thou hadst me slain. ”
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, the
princess stood at the table of Pharaoh, and the king was pleased
with her. She said to his Majesty, “Swear to me by God,
saying, “That which the princess shall say to me I will obey it
for her. ' Thus do thou. ” And he hearkened unto all that she
said. She said, “Let these two Persea trees be cut down, and
let them be made into goodly timber. ” He hearkened unto all
that she said.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his
Majesty sent skillful craftsmen, and they cut down the Persea
trees of Pharaoh, while the princess, the royal wife, stood by and
saw it.
A chip flew up and entered into the mouth of the
princess; and she perceived that she had conceived, and while
her days were being fulfilled Pharaoh did all that was in her
heart therein. 1
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, she
bore a male child. One went to tell his Majesty, “There is born
to thee a son. ” They brought him [i. €. , the child, to the king),
and gave to him a nurse and servants; there were rejoicings in
the whole land. The king sat making a good day; they per-
formed the naming of him, his Majesty loved him exceedingly on
the instant, the king raised him to be the royal son of Kush.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, his
Majesty made him heir of all the land.
Now when the days were multiplied after these things, when
he had fulfilled many years as heir of the whole land, his
11. e. , in the matter of the trees.


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Majesty few up to heaven. There was command given, Let
my great nobles of his Majesty be brought before me, that I
may make them to know all that has happened to me. ”
they brought to him his wife, and he argued with her before
them, and their case was decided They brought to him his
elder brother; he made him hereditary prince in all his land.
He was thirty years King of Egypt, and he died, and his elder
brother stood in his place on the day of burial.
Excellently finished in peace, for the Ka of the scribe of the
treasury, kagabu, of the treasury of Pharaoh, and for the scribe
Hora, and the scribe Meremapt. Written by the scribe Anena,
the owner of this roll. He who speaks against this roll, may
Tahuti be his opponent.
Translation of F. Ll. Griffith.
THE STORY OF SETNA
[The beginning of this tale is lost, but it is clear from what remains of
it that Setna Kha-em-uast, son of a Pharaoh who may be identified with
Rameses II. , of the XIXth Dynasty (about 1300 B. C.
), was a diligent student
of the ancient writings, chiefly for the sake of the occult knowledge which
they were supposed to contain. He discovered, or was told of, the existence
of a book which Thoth, the god of letters, science and magic, had written
with his own hand, and learned that this book was to be found in the ceme-
tery of Memphis, in the tomb of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, the only son of some
earlier Pharaoh. Setna evidently succeeded in finding and entering this
tomb, and there he saw the kas or ghosts of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, his wife (and
sister) Ahura, and their little boy Merab; and with them was the book. To
dissuade Setna from abstracting the book, Ahura tells him how they had
become possessed of it, and had paid for it with their earthly lives; and it
is with her tale that the papyrus begins. Setna, however, insists upon tak-
ing the book; but Na-nefer-ka-ptah challenges him, as a good scribe and a
learned man, to a trial of skill in a game, and in the imposition of magical
penalties on the loser. Setna agrees; but being worsted, he calls in outside
help and succeeds in carrying off the book. Na-nefer-ka-ptah comforts Ahura
for its loss by assuring her that Setna shall ignominiously restore it. Setna
studies the book with delight; but presently, by the magic power of Na-nefer-
ka-ptah, he becomes the victim of an extraordinary hallucination, and the
strength of his spirit is broken because (in imagination at least) he is steeped
in impurity and crime. When he awakes from this trance, Pharaoh persuades
him to return the book to its dead owners. On his return to the tomb,
Na-nefer-ka-ptah exacts from him the promise to go to the cemetery of
Koptos and bring thence to Memphis the bodies of Ahura and of Merab,
which had been buried there, apart from him. Setna duly performs his
promise, and so the story ends.


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EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5263
The only known copy of this tale appears to have been written in 251
B. C. , the thirty-fifth year of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and it must have been
composed at least as late as the Sebennyte Dynasty, early in the fourth cen-
tury, although it refers to historical characters of a thousand years before.
The story is more elaborate, and its plot is more coherent than is the
case with the earlier tales such as that of Anpu and Bata, in which events
succeed each other often without natural connection. The language however
is in simple narrative style, without any attempt at fine writing.
At the point at which the mutilated papyrus begins, we find that Ahura is
telling Setna the story of her life. Apparently he has just been told how she
sent a messenger to the king, asking that she may be married to her brother
Na-nefer-ka-ptab. The king has refused her request, and the messenger has
reproached him for his unkindness; the king replies:-)
"T"
I will marry
Tis thou who art dealing wrongly towards me.
If it hap-
pen that I have not a child after two children, is it the law
to marry the one with the other of them ?
Naneferkaptah with the daughter of a commander of troops, and
I will marry Ahura with the son of another commander of troops:
it has so happened in our family much. '
“It came to pass that the amusement was set before Pharaoh,
and they came for me and took me to the amusement named,
and it happened that my soul was troubled exceedingly and I
behaved not in my manner of the previous day. Said Pharaoh to
me, 'Ahura, is it thou that didst cause them to come to me in
these anxieties, saying, “Let me marry with Naneferkaptah, my
elder brother»?
“Said I to him, “Let me marry with the son of a commander
of troops, and let him marry with the daughter of another com-
mander of troops: it has happened in our family much. '
“I laughed, Pharaoh laughed, and his soul was exceeding
gladdened. Said Pharaoh to the steward of the king's house,
'Let Ahura be taken to the house of Naneferkaptah to-night, and
let all things that are good be taken with her. '
"I was taken as a wife to the house of Naneferkaptah in the
night named, and a present of silver and gold was brought to
me; the household of Pharaoh caused them all to be brought to
And Naneferkaptah made a good day' with me; he received
all the heads of the household of Pharaoh. And he found me
pleasing, he quarreled not with me, ever, ever: each of us loved
his fellow. And when I was about to bear a child, report of it
was made before Pharaoh, and his soul was exceeding gladdened.
1« To make a good day) – to keep holiday, to hold festival.
me.


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5264
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
for me
and Pharaoh caused many things to be taken
on the
instant; he caused to be brought to me a present of silver and
gold and royal linen, beautiful exceedingly. Then came my time
of bearing; I bore this boy that is before thee, whose name is
called Merab, and he was caused to write in the book of the
House of Life. )
"It came to pass that Naneferkaptah, my brother, had no
habit on the earth? but to walk in the cemetery of Memphis,
reading the writings that were in the catacombs of the Pharaohs,
with the tablets of the scribes of the House of Life,' and the
inscriptions that were on the monuments; and he was eager for
writing exceedingly.
“After these things it befell that there was a procession in
honor of Ptah; Naneferkaptah went into the temple to worship,
and he chanced to be walking behind the procession reading the
inscriptions that were in the shrines of the gods. An aged priest
saw him and laughed. Naneferkaptah said to him, “For what art
thou laughing at me? '
“And he said :-I am not laughing at thee; if I laughed, it
was that thou art reading writings that no one on earth has any
good of. If it be that thou seekest to read writings, come to me,
and I will bring thee to the place where that roll is which it was
Thoth that wrote with his own hand, and which goes down to
fetch the gods. There are two formulas of writing that are upon
it, and when thou readest the first formula thou will enchant
the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, and the
seas; thou shalt discover all that the birds of the heaven and the
creeping things shall say; thou shalt see the fishes of the deep,
for there is a power from God brings them into water above
them. And when thou readest the second formula, if it be that
thou art in Aments thou takest thy form of earth again. Thou
wilt see the sun rising in the sky with his circle of gods, and
the moon in its form of shining. '
"And Naneferkaptah said, “As the king liveth! Let a good
thing that thou dost desire be told me, and I will have it done
for thee, if thou wilt direct me to the place where this roll is. '
i This apparently means that he was enrolled as one to be educated as a
learned scribe.
? I. e. , as we should say, he did nothing in the world but walk in the
cemetery of Memphis,) etc.
The realm of Osiris as god of the dead.


## p. 5265 (#437) ###########################################

EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5265
"Said the priest to Naneferkaptah: If it be that thou desirest
to be directed to the place where this roll is, thou shalt give me
three hundred ounces of silver for my funeral, and provide that
they shall make me two coffin cases as a great priest, rich in
silver. '
“Naneferkaptah called a lad, and caused to be given the three
hundred ounces of silver for the priest, and he caused to be done
what he desired for two coffin cases; he caused them to be made
as for a great and rich priest.
“Said the priest to Naneferkaptah:-“The roll named, it is in
the midst of the Sea of Koptos,' in a box of iron. In the iron
box is a box of bronze, in the bronze box is a box of Kedt wood,
in the box of Kedt wood is a box of ivory and ebony, in the box
of ivory and ebony is a box of silver, in the box of silver is a
box of gold in which is the roll. There is a mile of snakes,
scorpions, and every kind of reptile surrounding the box in which
the roll is; there is a snake of eternity surrounding the box
named. '
"At the time of the relation that the priest made before Na-
neferkaptah, Naneferkaptah knew not what place on earth he
was in. And he came out of the temple and related before me
all that the priest had said to him. He said to me, I shall go
to Koptos, I shall fetch this roll thence; I shall not be slow in
coming back to the north again. '
“It came to pass that I opposed the priest, saying: Beware of
this thing that thou hast spoken before him! Thou hast brought
to me the strife of the nome of Thebes;: I have found it cruel. '
I caused my hand to stay with Naneferkaptah, in order not to let
him go to Koptos. He did not hearken to me; he went before
Pharaoh and related before Pharaoh everything that the priest
had said to him-all. Pharaoh said to him, What is it that
thou desirest ? ?
“He said to him, 'Cause to be given to me the royal pleasure
boat with its equipment: I will take Ahura and Merab her boy
to the south with me; I will fetch this roll without delaying. '
1 It is difficult to locate this lake in accordance with the actual geography
of Egypt.
2 A frequent phrase for extreme delight or amazement.
3 There seems to be some reference to past history in this.
4 An idiomatic phrase like he caused his hand to go after the roll » for
put out his hand to take the roll, p. 5272.
IX—330


## p. 5266 (#438) ###########################################

5266
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
« They gave him the royal pleasure-boat with its equipment,
and we went up on board it; we set sail and reached Koptos.
And they made report of it before the priests of Isis of Koptos
and the high priest of Isis; they came down to meet us, they
delayed not to meet Naneferkaptah; their women came down to
meet me also. We went up on shore; we went into the temple
of Isis and Harpokrates, and Naneferkaptah caused to be brought
ox, goose, and wine; he made a burnt-offering and a drink-
offering before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. We were taken
to a house exceeding beautiful, filled with all good things, and
Naneferkaptah spent four days making a good day with the priests
of Isis of Koptos, the women of the priests of Isis making a good
day with myself.
“Came the morning of our fifth day: Naneferkaptah caused to
be brought to him pure wax. ' He made a boat, furnished with
its crew and its tackle. He read a spell to them, he caused them
to live, he gave them breath, he cast them into the sea. He
loaded the royal pleasure-boat of Pharaoh with sand; he caused
the boat to be brought, he went on board. I sa by the sea
of Koptos, saying, I will discover what will become of him. '
“He said, “Boatmen, row on with me as far as the place in
which this roll is. And they rowed by night as by midday.
“And when he reached it, in three days, he threw sand before
him, then there became a space of dry land. And when he found
a mile of serpents and scorpions, and every kind of creeping thing
encompassing the box in which the roll was, and when he found
a snake of eternity encompassing the box, he read a spell to the
mile of serpents, scorpions, and every kind of creeping thing that
was around the box, and suffered them not to leap up.
He went
to the place in which was the snake of eternity; he made battle
with it, he slew it. It lived; it made its form again. He made
battle with it again for a second time; he slew it: it lived. He
made battle with it again for a third time; he made it in two
pieces; he put sand between one piece and its fellow. It died;
it did not make its form ever again.
"Naneferkaptah went to the place where the box was. He
found that it was a box of iron; he opened it, he found a box of
bronze; he opened it, he found a box of kedt wood; he opened
it, he found a box of ivory and ebony; he opened it, he found a
I Wax was the regular material used for the manufacture of models which
were intended to be used in the practice of magic.
1


## p. 5267 (#439) ###########################################

EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5267
box of silver; he opened it, he found a box of gold; he opened
it, he found the book in it. He took up the roll from in the box
of gold, he read a formula of writing from it. He enchanted
the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, and the
seas; he discovered all that the birds of the heaven with the fishes
of the deep, the beasts of the mountains said-all. He read
another formula of writing, he saw the Sun rising in the sky
with all his circle of gods, and the moon rising, and the stars in
their shapes; he saw the fishes of the deep, for there was a
power from God brought them into the water over them. He
read a spell to the sea, and restored it as it was. He embarked.
He said to the crew, Row on for me as far as the place to which
I go. And they rowed at night like as at midday. When he
reached the place where I was, he found me sitting by the sea of
Koptos, without drinking or eating anything, without doing any-
thing on the earth, being in the likeness of one who has reached
the Good Houses. I
"I said to Naneferkaptah, O Naneferkaptah, let me see this
book, for which we have taken these pains! '
“He put the roll into my hand. I read a formula of writing
in it; I enchanted the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the
mountains, the seas; I discovered what the birds of the sky, the
fishes of the deep, and the beasts of the hills said — all. I read
another formula of the writing, and I saw the sun rising in the
sky with his circle of gods; I saw the moon shining with all the
stars of the heaven in their nature; I saw the fishes of the deep,
for it was that a power from God brought them into the water
above where they were. As I could not write, it was that I
spoke to Naneferkaptah my elder brother, who was a good scribe
and a learned man exceedingly; and he caused to be brought
before him a piece of new papyrus; he wrote every word that
was on the roll before him — all. He dipped it in beer, he melted
it in water, he saw that it had been melted, he drank it, he
knew that which was in it. ?
"We returned to Koptos on the day named: we made a good
day before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. We embarked, we
went down to the river, we reached north of Koptos by one mile.
1 The place of embalmment.
? A similar method is still employed by Arab doctors and wizards. To heal
a disease a formula is written out and then washed off the paper in a bowl
of water, which is given to the patient to drink.


## p. 5268 (#440) ###########################################

5268
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Behold, Thoth had discovered everything that happened to Na-
neferkaptah on account of the roll; Thoth delayed not, he com-
plained before the Sun, saying, “Know my right, my judgment
with Naneferkaptah the son of Pharaoh Mernebptah! He went
to my place, he robbed it, he took my box containing my book,
he killed my guard who was watching it. '
"It was said to him, He is before thee, with every man that
belongeth to him-all. ” 1
“There was sent a power from God down from heaven, saying,
Let not Naneferkaptah go to Memphis safe, with every man that
belongeth to him - all. ”
"An hour passed: Merab, the boy, came out from under the
awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he fell into the river, he
did the will of Ra. Everybody that was on board uttered a cry
- all. Naneferkaptah came out from under his cabin, he read a
writing over him, he caused him to come up, for it was that a
power from God in the water was laid on his upper side. ? He
read a writing over him, he made him relate before him of every-
thing that had happened to him — all, and the accusation that
Thoth made before Ra.
“We returned to Koptos with him. We caused him to be
taken to the Good House and laid in state; we caused him to be
embalmed like a prince and great man; we caused him to rest in
his coffin in the cemetery of Koptos.
« Said Naneferkaptah my brother, Let us go down the river,
let us not delay before Pharaoh hear the things that have hap-
pened to us, and his soul be sad therefore. "
“We embarked, we went down-stream, we delayed not; and
traveled to the north of Koptos by one mile. At the place of
the falling of Merab the boy into the river, I came out from
under the awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, I fell into the
river, I did the will of Ra. Everybody that was on board uttered
a cry-all. They told it to Naneferkaptah, he came out from
under the awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he read a
writing over me, he caused me to leap up, for it was that a
power from God in the water rested on my upper side. He
caused me to be taken up, he read a writing over me, he caused
me to relate before him everything that had happened unto me
- all; and the accusation that Thoth had made before Ra. He
1 Cf. Job i. , 12.
2 1. e. , above him.


## p. 5269 (#441) ###########################################

EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5269
returned to Koptos with me, he caused me to be brought to the
Good House, he caused me to be laid in state, he caused me to
be embalmed with the embalmment of a prince and very great
person, he caused me to rest in the tomb where Merab the boy
lay.
“He embarked, he went down - stream, he hastened north of
Koptos by one mile to the place of our falling into the river.
He spake with his soul, saying:- Can I go to Koptos and dwell
there? Otherwise, if it be that I go to Memphis, the moment
that Pharaoh asks me after his children, what shall I say to him ?
Can I tell it to him, saying, I took thy children to the nome of
Thebes, I killed them, I being alive; I came to Memphis, I being
alive still ? )
"He caused them to bring a strip of royal linen before him;
he made it into a girdle. He bound the roll, he put it upon his
stomach, he made it firm. Naneferkaptah came out from under
the awning of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he fell into the river,
he did the will of Ra. Everybody that was on board uttered a
cry — all, saying: 'Great woe! Oppressive woe! Has he gone
back,' the good scribe, the learned man, to whom there is no
equal ?
“The pleasure-boat of Pharaoh went down-stream, without any
one on earth knowing where Naneferkaptah was. They reached
Memphis, they made report of it before Pharaoh. Pharaoh came
down to meet the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh in mourning, the army
of Memphis took mourning - all, together with the priests of Ptah,
the chief prophet of Ptah, with the officials and household of
Pharaoh — all. They saw Naneferkaptah clinging to the rudders
of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, by virtue of his art of a good
scribe. They drew him up, they saw the roll on his stomach.
Said Pharaoh, Let this roll that is on his stomach be hidden
away. '
“Said the officers of Pharaoh, with the priests of Ptah, and
the chief prophet of Ptah, before Pharaoh: O our great lord the
King, may he accomplish the duration of Ra ! ? Naneferkaptah
was a good scribe, a learned man exceedingly. '
“Pharaoh caused to be given to him entrance to the Good
House for sixteen days, wrapping for thirty-five and coffining for
seventy; he was caused to rest in his tomb, in his places of rest. ”
1 An expression for death, like our gone home. ”
? 1. e. , “May he live as long as the Sun god. ”


## p. 5270 (#442) ###########################################

5270
EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
[Having finished her story, Ahura proceeds to point out the moral to
Setna. ]
“I am suffering the ills which have come upon us because of
this roll of which thou sayest, Let it be given to me! ' Thou
hast no claim to it: our life on earth has been taken for it. ”
Said Setna, "Ahura, let this roll be given me which I see
between thee and Naneferkaptah, else will I take it by force. ”
Rose Naneferkaptah on the couch; he said: “Art thou Setna,
before whom this woman has told these misfortunes which thou
hast not suffered — all? The book named, canst thou take it only
by strength of a good scribe? It were sufficient to play draughts
with me.
Let us play for it at the game of fifty-two points. ”
And Setna said, “I am ready. ”
The board and its pieces were put before them. They played
at the fifty-two, and Naneferkaptah won a game from Setna. He
[Naneferkaptah] read a spell over him; he [Setna] defended him-
self with the game-board that was before him. He [Nanefer-
kaptah] made him [Setna] go into the ground as far as his feet.
He did its like in the second game; he won it from Setna, he
made him go into the ground as far as his middle. He did its
like in the third game; he made him go into the ground as far
as his ears. After these things Setna made a great blow on the
hand of Naneferkaptah. Setna called to Anheru, his brother by
Anherart,saying: "Make haste and go up upon the earth, do
thou relate of everything that has happened to me before Pha-
raoh, and do thou bring the amulets of Ptah my father, and
my rolls of magic. ”
He hastened up upon earth, he related before Pharaoh of
everything that had happened to Setna. Said Pharaoh, “Take to
him the amulets of Ptah his father, and his rolls of magic. ”
Anheru hastened down into the tomb; he laid the talismans on
the body of Setna, he [Setna] sprang to heaven at the moment
named. Setna caused his hand to go after the roll, he took it.
It came to pass that Setna went up from the tomb, Light walk-
ing before him and Darkness walking behind him, and Ahura
1 The presence of names compounded with the name of Anher, god of
Sebennytus, indicates that the story was written during or after the supremacy
of that city, at the end of the native rule.
2 Setna Kha-em-uast was high priest of Ptah.
Evidently a strong expression, to show the instantaneous and powerful
effect of the amulets in drawing him out of the ground.
3


## p. 5271 (#443) ###########################################

EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
5271
weeping after him, saying, "Hail to thee, King Darkness! Fare-
well to thee, King Light! All consolation is gone that was in the
tomb. "
Said Naneferkaptah to Ahura, “Be not troubled of soul; I
will make him bring this book hither, there being a fork for a
staff in his hand, there being a pan of fire on his head. ” 1
And Setna came up from the tomb, he made it fast behind
him in its manner.
Setna went before Pharaoh, he related before him of the
thing that had happened to him with the roll.