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Egyptian Texts:  2.4


DEMOTIC DREAMBOOKS


Text:   P. Berlin 15683 [ TM 55959 ]   ,   P. Jena 1209 [ TM 55962 ]
Date:   (A) 2nd/3rd century A.D. ,   (B) 4th/3rd century B.C.
Language:   Demotic
Translated by:   G. Vittmann
This is a copy of a page by André Dollinger, which used to be on the   reshafim.org.il   website



[A]   ( P. Berlin 15683 )
(A) plant: he will be pure [///].
Other utensils which somebody sees (in his dream):
"Dry" copper: Do not let him go [///]
A knife (?) of copper: He will be glad in (his) [heart].
Copper of a lamp: His children will emerge [/////]
A mirror for looking at his face: He will see land (?) [////]
A censer: He will know a woman whom he covets.
A
nemset-pitcher: He will prosper and the god will be merciful [towards him].
A
xw-vessel He will be glad in his heart, as his [/////]
A
sSSj-sistrum (or a) sSm-sistrum: He will make [/////]
A scepter: He will overcome his [/////].
An altar [////]: He will be given property.
A
sft-utensil: He will repress his companions.
A bowl stand: There will be no writer of sacred books today.
The replacement for the things which have been taken from him.
A
mr-basin (?): He will be glad in his heart. He will be given beams and tools.
A baking trough of copper: He will [//////]
A
wtH-bowl: He will be given property. One will give him [millions (?) of years (?)]
A
qb.t-vessel of copper: He will [/////].
Worked copper: [/////]
Smoky (?) copper [/////]
.......
- The writing of dreambooks goes back to the Middle Kingdom at least (pChester Beatty III). Dreams were interpreted for a number of reasons: e.g. in order to heal disease, find answers to a problem, or foretell the future. They belonged to the realm of the divine, similar to other kinds of magic.
There were a number of ways dreams were evaluated:
  • The appearance of certain artefacts had a defined meaning (Berlin P 15683)
  • Certain actions presaged aspects of the dreamer's future (Jena 1209)
-knife (?) of copper: By this time (the Roman period) few tools would still be made of copper or bronze (Hmt).
-know (Egypt. rx): also used in the Biblical sense.
-millions: HH a great amount, often used in well-wishing: May he celebrate a million sed-festivals! (e.g. Papyrus Florence 8704).

Berlin P 15683, Demotische Textdatenbank, Akademie für Sprache und Literatur Mainz
After the transliteration and German translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site

 

[B]   ( P. Jena 1209 )
Ways of feeding, in detail:
If he feeds a crocodile: A rich man will give him possessions.
If he feeds a person: He will receive the possessions of his father, he will spend a comfortable old age.
If he feeds his mother: He will lead the same way of life this year which he has led last year.
He will consume the property of his father.
He will spend a comfortable old age.
His goddess will be favourable to him.
He will be glad in his heart.
If he feeds his father, his mother, his brother, his sister, his son, his daughter: One will punish on his behalf those who have caused (?) him harm (?).
If he feeds a bull: One will punish on his behalf those who raged against him.
One will give him food and nourishment.
If he feeds a female cow: One will give him grain (and ?) a field, and he will prosper.
If he feeds an ibis: He will have power over him who is greater than him.
If he feeds a billy-goat: He will live [///] in his house.
The god will be merciful towards him.
If he feeds a nanny-goat: [//////]
If he feeds a sheep: His master will send for him that he may live with him.
If he feeds a baboon: He will be saved from (divine ?) rage.
He will find the property [of his father (?)].
[//////]

Jena 1209, Demotische Textdatenbank, Akademie für Sprache und Literatur Mainz
After the transliteration and German translation on the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae web site

 


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