Ancient Records of Egypt: The twentieth to the twenty-sixth dynasties

Front Cover
James Henry Breasted
University of Illinois Press, 2001 - History - 552 pages
With volume 4 of Ancient Records of Egypt, James Henry Breasted brings us to the end of the self-governed era of ancient Egyptian civilization. Chief among the documents contained in this volume are the inscriptions from the Medinet Habu Temple, one of the most completely preserved temples of Egypt, and the great Papyrus Harris, the largest (133 feet long) and most sumptuous papyrus extant, 95 percent of which Breasted was the first to study closely. Together these documents present a detailed record of the reign and benefactions of Ramesses III, whose reign lasted more than thirty years.

Volume 4 includes intriguing records of the harem conspiracy and legal documents that indicate the extent of robberies of royal tombs. Records of the Nile levels at Karnak provide important chronological landmarks, while the Stela of Piye (Piankhi), which documents the Nubian kingdom already in existence as a full-fledged power, provides information on the internal political climate of Egypt during a time when no aggressive monarch controlled the whole country. Breasted also notes where these ancient Egyptian records intersect with accounts of the same events from other sources, such as the mutiny of Psamtik I's troops as inscribed on the alabaster statue of Nesuhor and as narrated by Herodotus.

In effect, Ancient Records of Egypt offers a valuable dual record. On the one hand, Breasted presents the events and personages of ancient Egypt as recorded in the documents. On the other hand, he presents a history of the documents themselves. Fragmentary or partially destroyed, carved on temple and tomb walls or written on fragile scrolls of leather or papyrus, even inscribed on the coffins and temple linens of the royal and priestly mummy wrappings, these records offer an irreplaceable primary source on a fascinating civilization.

 

Contents

Inscriptions of PepiNakht
3
Reign of Amenemhet II 594613
4
Enactment Against Exacting Dues from a Poor
11
Reign of
21
Laudation of the King and Conclusion Left
25
Stela of Harmini
29
58
33
Relief Scenes Outside North Wall and
40
Testamentary Enactment of an Unknown Official
254
Reign of Menkure
274
THE TWENTYFIRST DYNASTY 604692
295
Shaft Inscriptions Middle Columns 308311
308
Reign of Menkuhor
312
Reign of Amenhotep II 780
313
High Priesthood of Menkheperre 650661
316
Reliefs of Transportation of Obelisks
322

Second Libyan
49
125
73
Temple of Soleb 11 2326
78
126127
79
6062
85
6365
98
Sinai Inscriptions
107
Introduction 182183
110
Inscription of the Coronation Buildings and Offerings 131166
131
Reign of Khafre
140
Wadi Halfa Stela 157161
157
Memphite Section 305351
161
THE NINTH AND TENTH DYNASTIES
180
Summary 383396
192
Historical Section 397412
198
Building Inscriptions 199250
199
Tombos Stela
203
Queen Ahmose is Led to Confinement
204
Testamentary Enactment of Senuonekh Regulating
205
Record of the Royal Jubilee 413415
206
XII
211
The Practicers of Magic 454456
220
Reign of Sahure
222
Reign of Ramses V 473
230
Proclamation as King before Amon
231
Sinai Inscriptions
236
Speech of Amon ll 1420
238
Temple Model of Heliopolis 244246
244
Inspection of Craftsmen 753755
246
Reign of Seti I
250
Reign of Ramses II 251568
251
Stela of the Great Chief of Me Sheshonk
325
Statue of Nebnefer
330
High Priesthood of Pesibkhenno
334
Reign of Ikhnaton
340
Biography of AhmosePenNekhbet
344
Presentation of Tribute
357
Inscriptions at the First Cataract
364
Reign of Takelot I
367
Inscription of Thutiy 369378
369
Reign of Takelot II
374
Record of Installation
389
Reign of Thutmose III 391779
391
Abydos Stela
396
Reign of Osorkon III 795
405
The Tell ElAmarna Landmarks
413
Reign of Thutmose IV 810840
414
THE ELEVENTH DYNASTY 415459
415
THE TWENTYFOURTH DYNASTY 884
447
Reign of Userkaf
452
Reign of Shabaka 889
454
THE TWELFTH DYNASTY 460750
460
909
462
Reign of Amenhotep III 841931
464
Reign of Tanutamon 919934
467
Reign of Merneptah 569638
472
Reign of Psamtik I 935973
477
Reign of Necho 974980
497
THE SIXTH DYNASTY
499
Reign of Siptah 639650
504
Reign of Amasis Ahmose II 9961029
509
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About the author (2001)

James Henry Breasted (1865-1935), the first American scholar to hold a professorship in Egyptology, was the author of The Battle of Kadesh, A History of Egypt, Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Times: A History of the Early World, and The Conquest of Civilization. Peter A. Piccione is an Egyptologist and professor of comparative ancient history at the University of Charleston, South Carolina, and director of the University of Charleston Serapis Research Institute Theban Tombs Publication Project.

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