Through the Eras

Philosophythe text describing his efforts to find adequate languageto describe this low point in history. Oddly, the text wascomposed in the Twelfth Dynasty, a period of socialstability. The only copy dates to Dynasty 18, anotherperiod of relative stability. Perhaps this text constitutescriticism of the current regime, though it is not specificenough to have meaning for the modern reader. It fitswell in the Egyptian tradition of laments for the lack oforder.THE DIALOGUE OF A MAN WITH HIS BA. TheDialogue of a Man with His Ba is a discussion betweena man and his own soul. The man argues that life is notworth living and that traditional funeral rites are useless.His soul responds that people must live their whole naturallives and that following his death he will reap hisreward. The end of the text is not preserved, so it is unclearhow the discussion ends.THE PROPHECY OF NEFERTY. In The Prophecy ofNeferty, the prophet Neferty describes to the Fourthdynastyking Sneferu (2625–2585 B.C.E.) the horrorsof the First Intermediate Period (2130–2008 B.C.E.).Neferty also knows that these horrors will end with theappearance of Amenemhet I (1938–1909 B.C.E.). Thusmost scholars believe the text was composed in Amenemhet’sreign. The discussion of disorder argues that thelack of maat is the cause of social chaos. When the properking arises, maat is automatically restored.FRAGMENTED TEACHINGS. Several other teachingsexist in fragments. One such fragment is The Teachingsof Hordjedef, referred to by one New Kingdom text as aclassic. Not enough of the text survives to translate itsmaxims, although a surviving frame story places theaction in the Fourth Dynasty (2625–2500 B.C.E.). Anotherwork known principally by its frame story ratherthan by its maxims is The Teachings of Kagemni. Onlythe conclusion survives, but the frame story places it inthe reigns of Huni (Third Dynasty, before 2625 B.C.E.)and Sneferu (2625–2585 B.C.E.) though this is the settingand not the time of composition. While less isknown regarding the speaker, setting, or time period,The Teachings of a Man for his Son is written in the languageof the Middle Kingdom and includes maximstypical of the teachings and statements about loyalty tothe king.CONFIDENCE. The large number of texts that discussmaat and promote ways of recognizing it attest toEgyptian confidence that the young can learn maat andthe philosophies behind it. Tremendous effort was expendedto define, teach, and propagate this core valuein Egyptian life.THE MEANING OF MAATINTRODUCTION: In The Eloquent Peasant, a corrupt officialframes a farmer passing through his territoryand seizes his goods. The farmer appears in courtnine times to demand his property. His orationsamount to a treatise on the meaning of maat, theEgyptian concept of right conduct. In the sixth oration,the farmer equates right conduct with truth,with reducing evil in the world, and with findingthe right balance.Now this farmer came to petition a sixth time saying,“Oh Overseer, my lord.”The one who lessens falsehood creates truth.The one who creates the good, reduces evil.As surfeit’s coming removes hunger,Clothing removes nakedness.As the sky is calm after a storm,Warming all who shiver;As a fire cooks that which is raw,As water satisfies thirst.Now look.The judge is a robber,The one who makes peace makes grief.He who should soothe makes sore.However, the cheater reduces justice.Justice rightly filled neither is too little or too much.SOURCE: Friedrich Vogelsang and Alan Gardiner, DieKlagen des Bauren (Leipzig, Germany: J. C. Hinrich, 1908).Translated by Edward Bleiberg.SOURCESJan Assmann, Ma-at: Gerechtigkeit und Unsterblichkeit imAlten Ägypten (Munich, Germany: Beck, 1990).Miriam Lichtheim, Late Egyptian Wisdom Literature in theInternational Context (Göttingen, Germany: Vandenhoeck& Ruprecht, 1983).SEE ALSO Literature: The Egyptian Literary CanonSECRET KNOWLEDGEGREEK BELIEFS. Ancient Egypt’s neighbors inGreece wrote of their belief that Egyptian priests andmagicians possessed secret knowledge. Greek belief inEgyptian secret knowledge is one strand of Greek philosophythat contributed to the modern belief that theEgyptians perfected mysticism, astrology, and magic.Arts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.) 193