Egyptian Tales: Volume 2

Although some of Egypt’s most important archaeological finds were made in the late nineteenth century, at a time when historical fiction was popular, the literature of Egypt had reached very few English readers. Aiming to bring ancient Egypt to life in the public imagination, eminent archaeologist W. M. Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) published in 1895 this two-volume collection of original stories, accompanied by illustrations and helpful contextualising comments. The four tales of Volume 2 are set in the period from the reign of Thutmose III during the eighteenth dynasty to the time of Setna, a son of Ramesses II of the nineteenth dynasty. Shedding light on contemporary life and literature, the stories represent a valuable resource for Egyptologists and folklorists. Petrie’s rendering of the stories into English, based on translations of various papyri, remains accessible to all. Many more of his works, for both specialists and non-specialists, are also reissued in this series.