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Ancient Egyptian Texts
    ( Late & Ptolemaic Periods )


The kernel of this collection of translations is the large number of annotated texts compiled by André Dollinger, which are no longer available on the   reshafim.org.il   website.   Most of his texts from the 8th century B.C. onwards have been copied here, along with many additional translations of hieroglyphic and demotic texts from the Ptolemaic period (mostly without notes), which are flagged with a *.   There is also a list of these texts in chronological order.

There is an extensive collection of texts from earlier periods of Egyptian history in the St Andrews Corpus.   There are two very useful collections of demotic documents in German translation: Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae and Demotic Palaeographical Database Project.


Contents: 1. Mythology and hymns ,   2. Magic and dreams ,   3. Tales and teachings ,   4. Biographies of men ,   5. Memorials of women ,   6. Letters, personal matters ,   7. Legal and economic matters ,   8. Official accounts and decrees ,   9. Miscellaneous documents



[1]   1. Mythology, hymns, and oracles

1    The Legend of Horus of Behutet and the Winged Disk   (Ptolemaic Period)

2    The Legend of Re and Isis   (19th Dynasty)

3    The book of the victory over Seth   (4th century B.C.)

4    Two versions of the creation myth   (late 4th century B.C.)

5    Hymn to Hathor: the Egyptian agricultural cycle   (1st century B.C.)

6    The Famine Stela   (Ptolemaic Period)

7    The Potter's Oracle   (Ptolemaic Period)

8    * Oracle of the Lamb   (Ptolemaic Period)

9    * Maat and the Golden Age   (3rd century B.C.)

10    * The Songs of Isis and Nephthys   (4th century B.C.)

11    * The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys   (2nd century B.C.)

12    * The Sacred Drama of Horus at Edfu   (c. 110 B.C.)

13    * Hymns to Horus at Edfu   (222-206 B.C.)

14    * Praise of the Creator Gods at Medinet Habu   (145-116 B.C.)

    See also: Hymns to Isis at Philae


[2]   Magic and dreams

1    Incantations against reptiles and noxious creatures   (4th century B.C.)

2    The Demotic Magical Papyrus of London and Leiden   (3rd century A.D.)

3    * Dreams of Ḥor   (2nd century B.C.)

4    Fragments of Demotic dreambooks   (Ptolemaic & Roman Periods)

5    * Nectanebo's Dream   (c. 150 B.C.)

6    * Dreams in the Serapeum at Memphis   (161-158 B.C.)

7    * Prayer of a blind man   (265 B.C.)


[3]   Tales, teachings and instructions

1    The Bentresh Stela

2    * The First Tale of Setne Khamwas: Setne and Naneferkaptah

3    The Second Demotic Tale of Khamuas: Prince Khamuas and Si-Osiri

4    Demotic papyrus of moral precepts   (Ptolemaic Period)

5    * The Instruction of Ankhsheshonq

6    * Book of the Faiyum   (Ptolemaic Period)   - offsite


[4]   Biographies, memorials of men

1    The stela of Rudamen   (23th dynasty : 8th century B.C.)

2    The inscription of the general Psamtik   (7th/6th century B.C.)

3    The inscription of Nesuhor   (26th dynasty : 6th century B.C.)

4    The stela of Besmut   (26th dynasty : 6th century B.C.)

5    The inscription of Udjahorresne   (26th dynasty : 6th century B.C.)

6    The petition of Pediese   (6th century B.C.)

7    The biographical inscription of Petosiris   (4th century B.C.)

8    The inscription of Hor-nefer   (c. 300 B.C.)

9    * Statues of Djedhor, a Healer-Priest   (323-317 B.C.)

10    * Statues of Nesmin, a young priest   (c. 300 B.C.)

11    * Epitaph of Nesisti   (c. 250 B.C.)

12    * Statue of Teos   (3rd century B.C.)

13    * Epitaph of Psherenptah   ( 41 B.C. )

14    * Statue of Aristonikos   ( 2nd century B.C. )

15    * Epitaph of Petiesi at Aswan   ( 150-50 B.C. )

16    * Epitaph of Pasas at Edfu   ( 103-101 B.C. )

17    * Statue of the general Petimuthes   ( c. 100 B.C. )

18    * Statue of the dioiketes Harchebi / Archibios   ( c. 136-121 B.C. )

19    * Statue of the dioiketes Horpakhepesh   ( c. 193-180 B.C. )

20    * The stela of Padinefertum   (late Ptolemaic period)

21    * Statue of Platon the Younger   ( 98 B.C. )

22    * Statue of Pamenches   (c. 30 B.C.)

23    * Epitaph of Imhotep-Pedubast   (23 B.C.)

24    * Statues of General Hor   (mid 4th century B.C.)

25    * Nectanebo's son and Nectanebo's great-nephew   (c. 330-310 B.C.)

26    * Epitaph of Somtutefnakht   (c. 330 B.C.)

27    * Two statues of Senu-Sher   ( 275-255 B.C. )


[5]   Memorials of women

1    * Epitaph of Tathotis   (late 3rd century B.C.)

2    * Epitaph of Kheredankh, daughter of Shepmin   ( 2nd/1st century B.C.)

3    * Epitaph of Kheredankh, daughter of Psherenptah   (43 B.C.)   - offsite

4    * Epitaph of Tayimhotep   ( 42 B.C. )

5    * Epitaph of Berenice   ( 33 B.C. )

6    * Statue of Semset   ( c. 300 B.C. )

7    * Epitaph of Tahebet   (c. 230-220 B.C.)

8    * Epitaph of Hatheritis   (late 2nd century B.C.)

9    * Epitaph of Taneferher   (23 B.C.)

10    * Epitaph of Nefersobek   (189 B.C.)

11    * Stelas of Mut-min & Nehem-set-Rat-tawy   (late 4th century B.C.)


[6]   Letters and documents concerning personal matters

1    Aramaic Papyri from Elephantine   (27th dynasty : 5th century B.C.)

2    Marriage contracts   (Graeco-Roman Period)

3    * Marriage contracts from Pathyris   (Ptolemaic Period)

4    * Demotic divorce documents   (490, 230, 114 B.C.)

5    * Matrimonial Property Contracts   (239 & 235 B.C.)

6    * Bilingual letter from Ptolemaeus to Achilles   (3rd century B.C.)

7    * Letter from a soldier to the residents of Djeme   (? 167 B.C.)

8    * Letters to and about Pewenhor   (364-345 B.C.)

9    * Letters to and from Horhotep   (325-250 B.C.)

10    * Letter from Phib to Paret   (? 289 B.C.)

11    * Letter from a perfume trader   (215 B.C.)

12    * Letter about looters   (Ptolemaic period)

13    * Two letters from Panobchounis   (103/2 B.C.)

14    * Memorandum to the Overseer of Fields   (3rd century B.C.)

15    * Will of Heti   (68 B.C.)

16    * Letter dated to reign of Haronnophris   (205 B.C.)

17    * Memorandum to the strategos Hierax   (c. 50 B.C.)

18    * Payment for the annual maintenance of a daughter   (316 B.C.)

19    * Appeal against a cruel father   (Ptolemaic Period )

20    * Reports from Soknopaiou Nesos   (Ptolemaic Period )


[7]   Documents and records concerning legal and economic matters

1    The Naukratis Decree   (380 B.C.)

2    The Demotic Legal Code of Hermopolis West: Annuity and inheritance laws

3    * Legal Process Regulations   (Ptolemaic Period)

4    Procès verbal: a judgment in Siut   (170 B.C.)

5    A tax-collectors' oath   (236 B.C.)

6    Graeco-Roman tax-receipts

7    * Sale and Cession of House   (307 B.C.)

8    * Residents of the House of the Cow   (324-279 B.C.)

9    * Proposal to become priest of Harsaphes   (180/79 B.C.)

10    * A property settlement at Deir el Ballas   (175 B.C. )

11    Allotment of crown lands to soldiers and their rents   (c. 150 B.C.)

12    * Bilingual sale of liturgies   (136 B.C.)

13    * Contracts for sale of wheat with deferred delivery   (108 B.C.)

14    Contract with linen manufacturers at Coptos   ( 31 B.C. )   - offsite

15    * Contract for hire of a wagon   ( 7 B.C. )

16    Economic aspects of religious life in Rifeh   (c. 150 B.C. )

17    * Proposal to become a Scribe in Pathyris   (204 B.C. )

18    * Two contracts for sale of liturgical days   (194 + 187 B.C.)

19    * Agreement to provide surety for a prisoner   (247 B.C.)

20    * Oath in the king's name   (261 B.C.)

21    * Contract concerning collection-boxes   (100 B.C.)

22    * Contracts between sculptors and a temple at Tholthis   (148 B.C. ?)

23    * Lease of land at Philadelphia   (190 B.C.)

24    * Sale of a Cow   (106 B.C.)

25    * Sale of an empty plot at Djeme   (140 B.C.)

26    * Cession following judges' decision   (141 B.C.)

27    * Decisory Oaths   (Ptolemaic Period)

28    * Contract and Cession concerning burial arrangements at Hawara   (220 B.C.)

29    * Contract for the hire of a donkey   (145 B.C.)

30    * Contract for sale of a house by four siblings   (64 B.C.)


[8]   Historical, political writings, official accounts, decrees

1    The Stela of Piye   (25th dynasty : 8th century B.C.)

2    The adoption stela of Nitocris, daughter of Psamtik I   (26th dynasty : 7th century B.C.)

3    The stela of Ankhenesneferibre   (26th dynasty : 6th century B.C.)

4    * The Demotic Chronicle   ( 4th/3rd century B.C. )   - offsite

5    Decree of the satrap Ptolemy Lagides   (311 B.C.)

6    * Honours for Sheamenopy, a wool-trader in Naucratis   (280 B.C.)

7    The Great Mendes Stela   (264 B.C.)

8    * Edict concerning a comprehensive survey of Egypt   ( 258 B.C. )   - offsite

9    * Report on migrants   (264/3 B.C.)

10    The Canopus Decree   (238 B.C.)

11    The Greek section of the Rosetta Stone   (196 B.C.)

12    * Hieroglyphic and demotic sections of the Rosetta Stone   (196 B.C.)

13    * History of the temple of Horus at Edfu   (c. 90 B.C.)

14    * Construction of the new temple of Hathor at Dendera   (22/1 B.C.)

16    * The Kingston Lacy Obelisk   (c. 124-116 B.C.)

17    Decrees of King Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II   (118 B.C.)

18    * Donation of Ptolemy VI to Isis at Philae   (157 B.C.)


[9]   Miscellaneous documents concerning religious matters

1    * Breathing Permit of Hôr   (Ptolemaic Period)

2    * Epitaphs of Buchis bulls   (Ptolemaic Period)

3    The last funerary stela of a Buchis bull   (340 A.D.)

4    * Self-dedications to Egyptian gods   (2nd century B.C. )

5    * Admission of a priest at Tebtunis   (141 B.C. )

6    Documents concerning Ptolemaic religious associations   (109-106 B.C.)

7    * Visits of the strategos to the temple of Djeser-set   (55 & 48 B.C.)

8    * The glorifications of Herisenef   (c. 325 B.C.)   - offsite

9    * Two horoscopes from Athribis   (44 & 27 B.C.)

10    * Graffito in the temple of Satis, Elephantine   (281-277 or 168-164 B.C.)

11    * Inscription of Ankh-pa-hered in the temple of Luxor   (320 B.C.)


Background information

•   Dynasties XXI to XXXI : The rule of the foreigners

•   Transliteration and pronunciation of ancient Egyptian




Some other English translations of Ptolemaic decrees can be found elsewhere on this website.
Some other English translations of Demotic papyri can be found on the papyri.info website.
Translations of the Elephantine papyri (Hieratic, Aramaic, Demotic and Greek) are available online in PDF format.



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