Papyrus British Museum 10808 and Its Cultural and Religious Setting (Probleme der Agyptologie)

This volume presents a new reading of an extraordinary Proto-Coptic magical text. Papyrus British Museum EA 10808 features a unique spell for a victim of divine wrath composed in the liturgical language of ancient Egypt but in Greek script with a few Demotic signs. Sederholm reveals a coherent and distinctive text that contributes to the illumination of Egyptian thought in the Graeco-Roman Period just before the great shutdown of the ancient temple learning. In nine chapters of transcription, translation, and commentary, Sederholm considers such features as taboo, secrecy, and the efficacy of magical words and names. He also discusses the destructive nature of the stars and the role of Fate in the bloody slaughter of divine enemies within the text. Papyrus British Museum 10808 and Its Cultural and Religious Setting......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 10 PREFACE......Page 12 PART ONE......Page 20 1. COMPARATIVE INTERLINEAR TRANSCRIPTION: SEDERHOLM, CRUM, OSING......Page 22 Spell One......Page 37 Spell Two......Page 40 Spell Three......Page 44 3. PHRASE-BY-PHRASE OLD COPTIC TRANSCRIPTION, EGYPTIAN TRANSLITERATION, AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION......Page 47 Vignette......Page 66 Spell One......Page 67 Spell Two......Page 83 Spell Three......Page 94 Summary......Page 102 Translation......Page 109 5. ANNOTATED COMMENTARY......Page 113 PART TWO......Page 162 6. THE RAM......Page 164 7. THE ENEMY OF OSIRIS......Page 189 8. ṯmś.w: THE RED TALLY OF FATE......Page 208 9. THE rn mȝˁ......Page 223 WORKS CITED......Page 244 AUTHOR AND SUBJECT INDEX......Page 252 INDEX OF COMPARISONS OF WORDS......Page 259 INDEX OF SELECTED PASSAGES......Page 261 Back Matter: Probleme der Ägyptologie......Page 264 ISBN-13: 9789004143494 Papyrus British Museum 10808 and Its Cultural and Religious Setting 4 CONTENTS 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 10 PREFACE 12 PART ONE 20 1. COMPARATIVE INTERLINEAR TRANSCRIPTION: SEDERHOLM, CRUM, OSING 22 2. OSING’S EGYPTIAN TRANSLITERATION AND GERMAN TRANSLATION (WITH SELECTIONS FROM CRUM AND VOLTEN) 37 Spell One 37 Spell Two 40 Spell Three 44 3. PHRASE-BY-PHRASE OLD COPTIC TRANSCRIPTION, EGYPTIAN TRANSLITERATION, AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION 47 4. EGYPTIAN TRANSLITERATION AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION WITH RUNNING COMMENTARY 66 Vignette 66 Spell One 67 Spell Two 83 Spell Three 94 Summary 102 Translation 109 5. ANNOTATED COMMENTARY 113 PART TWO 162 6. THE RAM 164 7. THE ENEMY OF OSIRIS 189 8. ṯmś.w: THE RED TALLY OF FATE 208 9. THE rn mȝˁ 223 WORKS CITED 244 AUTHOR AND SUBJECT INDEX 252 INDEX OF COMPARISONS OF WORDS 259 INDEX OF SELECTED PASSAGES 261 Back Matter: Probleme der Ägyptologie 264 Brill,Academic,Publishers Brill Academic Publishers By Val Hinckley Sederholm. Includes The German Translation Of Pbm 10808 Found In Der Spätägyptische Papyrus Bm 10808 By J. Osing. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [225]-232) And Indexes. Old Coptic Text In Egyptian Transliteration With English And German Translations; Commentary In English. This new reading of a unique Egyptian spell illuminates Egypt's Graeco-Roman Period. The author considers such linguistic features as taboo, the efficacy of magical words and names, and the role of stars and fate in the slaughter of divine enemies as portrayed in the text.