Papyrus Anastasi I

Papyrus Anastasi I (officially designated papyrus British Museum 10247) is an ancient gyptian papyrus containing a satirical te!t used for the training of scri"es during the #amesside Period (i$e$ %ineteenth and &'entieth dynasties)$ (ne scri"e) an army scri"e) *ori) 'rites to his fello' scri"e) Amenemope) in such a 'ay as to ridicule the irresponsi"le and second+rate nature of Amenemope,s 'or-$ .ontents /hide0 1 .ontent and importance to modern scholarship 2 An e!ample of the satire in the te!t 1 2ee also 4 #eferences 3 !ternal lin-s .ontent and importance to modern scholarship/edit0 &he letter gi4es e!amples of 'hat a scri"e 'as supposed to "e a"le to do5 calculating the num"er of rations 'hich ha4e to "e doled out to a certain num"er of soldiers digging a la-e or the 6uantity of "ric-s needed to erect a ramp of gi4en dimensions)/10 assessing the num"er of men needed to mo4e an o"elis- or erect a statue) and organi7ing the supply of pro4isions for an army$ In a long section *ori discusses the geography of the Mediterranean coast as far north as the 8e"anon and the trou"les 'hich might "eset a tra4eller there$ &his papyrus is important to historians and Bi"le scholars a"o4e all for the information it supplies a"out to'ns in 2yria and .anaan during the %e' 9ingdom$/20 &here is a long list of to'ns 'hich run along the northern "order of the d:adi or 'atershed of the ;ordan in .anaan 'hich "ound 8e"anon along the 8itani and upper retnu and 2yria along the (rontes$ &he "order lands of gypt,s pro4ince of .aanan 'ith 9adesh are defined in the <ardiner translation p$ 1=$/10 An e!ample of the satire in the te!t/edit0 *ori goes on to sho' that Amenemope is not s-illed in the role of a maher$ &he 'ord maher is discussed in <ardiner,s gyptian <rammar under >Messenger> and can "e found on the inscription of the "attle of 9adesh a"o4e the head of one such Mariannu scout$/40

*ori then relates 'hat appears to "e an actual anecdote for 'hich Amenemope is apparently infamous$ It contains a lot of detail reflecting discredita"ly on his name and comparing him to ?ed:erdi) the chief of Isser$ &his touches on the concept of gossip amongst the scri"es for 'hich the idiom is >Much in the mouths of$> &he composition of the satirical interchange "et'een the scri"es comes across as 6uite 'ell 'ritten especially 'here *ori descri"es Amenemope as incompetent to'ard the end) gi4ing as an e!ample his poor management of not :ust his chariot "ut his character$ Amenemope gets am"ushed in a mountain pass) possi"ly at a "attle in the campaigns against 9adesh 'hich go on throughout the 1@th and 1=th dynasties$ *ori ma-es clear that these in4ol4e routes that should "e 'ell -no'n to the scri"es operating as mahers or messengers and scouts in the "attles$ Illustrations from the "attle of 9adesh pro4ide an e!cellent "ac-ground for *ori,s tale sho'ing the form of the chariots) and the si7e of the 2hashu$/30 *ori sets this up as an incident in 'hich the incompetence) ine!perience and fear of Amenemope results in the 'rec- of his chariot and the panic-ed cutting of his hand 'ith a -nife 'hile trying to cut loose his horse from the 'rec- of his chariot$ Amenemope,s lac- of e!perience causes him not to "e apprehensi4e 'hen he should "e and then panic-ing 'hen he should remain calm$/A0 *ori piles on the results of Amenemope,s ine!perience and lac- of e!pertise to sho' his state of mind clearly) including the part 'here he releases his pain and fear "y forcing his 'ay to the maiden 'ho -eeps 'atch o4er the gardens 'hen he reaches ;oppa$/70 Amenmope,s chariot is on a narro' mountain pass a"o4e a ra4ine in 'hich some four or fi4e cu"it (se4en foot) tall 2hashu are lur-ing$ &he road is rough and tangled 'ith 4egetation and the 2hashu loo- dangerous and fierce$ Amenmope 'rec-s his rig and has to cut it loose 'ith a -nife from some trees it is tangled up in$ *e cuts himself trying to get the traces free of the "ranches$ >*is self a"use is much in the mouths of his follo'ers)> the scri"e *ori says$ /@0 2ee also/edit0 Ancient gyptian literature #eferences/edit0 Alan *$ <ardiner gyptian *ieratic &e!ts + 2eries I5 8iterary &e!ts of the %e' 9ingdom) Part I) 8eip7ig 1=11 9$ A$ 9itchen) #amesside Inscriptions) Blac-'ell 2000 2tephen Bryer hieratic language instruction ;ump up C Dieter Arnold &he ncyclopaedia of Ancient gyptian Architecture) I$B$&auris 2002) p$40 ;ump up C 9itchen 2000) p$310$ ;ump up C

.ome let me tell thee of other to'ns) 'hich are a"o4e(EE) them$ &hou hast not gone to the land of 9adesh) &e-hes) 9urmeren) &emenet) Deper) Idi) *erenem$ &hou hast not "eheld 9ir:ath+ana" and Beth+2epher$ &hou dost not -no' Ideren) nor yet D:edpet$ &hou dost not -no' the name of 9henered: 'hich is in the land of Fpe) a "ull upon its "oundary) the scene of the "attles of e4ery 'arrior$ Pray teach me concerning the appearance(E) of 9inG ac6uaint me 'ith #eho"G e!plain Beth+sha+el and &ere6el$ &he stream of ;ordan) ho' is it crossedE .ause me to -no' the 'ay of crossing o4er to Megiddo 'hich is a"o4e it(EE)$ ;ump up C &hou art a Maher s-illed in the deeds of the "ra4eH A Maher such as thou art is found (a"le) to march at the head of an armyH ( Mariannu) for'ard to shoot(E)H ;ump up C Behold the IIIIIIIII is in a ra4ine t'o thousand cu"its deep) filled 'ith "oulders and pe""les$ &hou dra'est "ac-(E)) thou graspest the "o') thou dost IIIIII$ &hy left hand) thou causest the great ones to loo-$ &heir eyes are good) thy hand gro's 'ea-(E)$ A"dt -m Ari mhr nam$ &hou ma-est the name of e4ery Maher) officers of the land of gypt$ &hy name "ecomes li-e (that of) ?ed:erdi) the chief of Isser) 'hen the hyena found him in the "alsam+tree$ ;ump up C + &he(E) narro' defile is infested(E) 'ith 2hosu concealed "eneath the "ushesG some of them are of four cu"its or of fi4e cu"its) from head(EE) to foot(E)) fierce of face) their heart is not mild) and they hear-en not to coa!ing$ &he 2hasu spies sho'n "eing "eaten "y the gyptians &hou art alone) there is no helper(E) 'ith thee) no army "ehind thee$ &hou findest no IIIIIIIII to ma-e for thee a 'ay of crossing$ &hou decidest(E) (the matter) "y marching on'ard) though thou -no'est not the road$ 2huddering(E) sei7es thee) (the hair of) thy head stands up(E)) thy soul is in thy hand$ &hy path is filled 'ith "oulders and pe""les) 'ithout a passa"le trac-(EE)) o4ergro'n 'ith reeds and "ram"les) "riers (E) and 'olf,s+ pad$ &he ra4ine is on one side of thee) the mountain rises(E) on the other$ (n thou goest :olting(E)) thy chariot on its side$ ;ump up C &hou fearest to crush(E) thy horse$ If it "e thro'n to'ards the a"yss(E)) thy collar+ piece(E) is left "are(E)) thy girth(E) falls$ &hou unfastenest the horse so as to repair the collar+piece(E) at the top of the defile$ &hou art not e!pert in the 'ay of "inding it togetherG thou -no'est not ho' to tie(E) it$ &he IIIIIIIII is left 'here it isG the chariot is too hea4y to "ear the load of it(E)$ &hy heart is 'eary$ &hou startest trotting(E)$ &he s-y is re4ealed$ &hou fanciest that the enemy is "ehind theeG trem"ling sei7es thee$ Jould that thou hadst a hedge of IIIIIIIII to put+upon the other sideH &he chariot is damaged(E) at the moment thou findest a camping+place(E)$ &hou percei4est the taste of painH &hou hast entered ;oppa) and findest the flo'ers "lossoming in their season$ &hou forcest a 'ay

in(E) IIIIIIIII &hou findest the fair maiden 'ho -eeps 'atch o4er the gardens$ 2he ta-es thee to herself for a companion) and surrenders to thee her charms$ ;ump up C <ardiner translates that p$ 205 &hou art recogni7ed) and "earest 'itness (against thyself/E0)$ &hou art dismissed(E) from (the ran- of) Maher$ &hy shirt of fine linen of Fpper gypt) thou sellest it$ &ell me ho'(EE) thou liest e4ery night) 'ith a piece of 'oollen cloth(E) o4er thee$ &hou slum"erest) for thou art 'orn out$ A IIIIIIIII ta-es a'ay thy "o') thy -nife for the "elt) and thy 6ui4er$ &hy reins ha4e "een cut in the dar-ness$ &hy horse is gone and is speeding(EE) o4er the slippery ground$ &he road stretches "efore it$ It smashes thy cart and ma-es thy IIIIIIIIIIIIG thy 'eapons fall to the ground) and are "uried(E) in the sandG they "ecome desert(E)$ &hy IIIIII) "egs the IIIIIIIII thy mouth5 <i4e (me) food and 'ater) for I ha4e arri4ed safely$ &hey turn a deaf ear) they do not listen) they do not heed thy tales$