Sebayt

Sebayt

Sebayt (Manuel de Codage transcription: sbA.yt) [Grapow & Ermann, "op.cit.", vol.5, 288.2-289.23] is the ancient Egyptian term for a genre of pharaonic literature. The word literally means 'teachings' or 'instructions' [A further meaning is, interestingly, 'punishment', cf. Grapow & Ermann, "op.cit.", vol.5, 288.2-289.23] and refers to formally written ethical teachings focused on the "way of living truly". This genre has much in common with sapiential literature in other cultures, and is for example comparable with the Old Testament Book of Proverbs.

Most "Sebayt" are preserved on papyrus scrolls that are copies of earlier works. Four important examples of "sebayt" are preserved in the Papyrus Prisse, two papyrus scrolls in the British Museum, and the Canarvon Tablet 1 in Cairo.

Many of the earliest "Sebayt" claim to have been written in the third millennium BC, during the Old Kingdom, but it is now generally agreed that they were actually composed later, beginning in the Middle Kingdom (c.1991-1786 BC). This fictitious attribution to authors of a more distant past was intended to give the texts greater authority.

"Sebayt" were a long lived genre, with new compositions continuously appearing well into the Roman era. Some individual teachings, such as the 'Teaching of Amenemhat I' (written c. 1950 BC) were continuously copied and transmitted for over 1500 years.

Perhaps the best-known "sebayt" is the one which claims to have been written by Ptahhotep, the vizier to the Fifth Dynasty monarch Djedkare Isesi who ruled from 2388-2356 BC. Ptahhotep's "sebayt" is often called "The Teaching of Ptahhotep," or the "Maxims of Good Discourse" (the latter being a phrase used as a self-description in the "sebayt" itself). [Lichtheim, "op.cit.", pp.61ff.] Another well known "sebayt" was attributed to the Fourth dynasty of Egypt ethicist named Hardjedef. Only a few fragments survive of his "Instruction". [Lichtheim, "op.cit.", pp.58ff.]

Two "sebayt" are attributed to Egyptian rulers themselves. The first of these is entitled the "Teaching for King Merykare", who lived during the troubled First Intermediate Period (2150-2040 BC). The document claims to be written by Merykare's father, the preceding monarch. However, since Merykare and his father were kings of the unstable periods of the Ninth through Tenth Dynasties, almost nothing else is known of them, and it is quite likely that the text was composed at a later period. [Lichtheim, "op.cit.", pp.97ff.]

The other royal teaching is the "Instructions of Amenemhat". This "sebayt" was reputedly authored by Amenemhat I, the founder of the Twelfth dynasty of Egypt who ruled from 1991-1962 BC, but was probably composed after his death. [Lichtheim, "op.cit.", pp.135ff.]

References

*Bruneer, H. "Die Weisheitbuecher der Aegypter, Artemis, 1991.
*Shaw, Ian. "Ancient Egypt", Oxford University Press, 2004.
*Lichtheim, Miriam, "Ancient Egyptian Literature", Volume I, 1973
*Adolf Erman, Hermann Grapow, "Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache", Berlin 1963

External links

* [http://www.sofiatopia.org/maat/ptahhotep.htm#2.1a The Maxims of Good Discourse or the Wisdom of Ptahhotep]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sebayt — (transcripción: sb.yt)[1] es un género literario desarrollado en el Antiguo Egipto. La palabra significa literalmente enseñanzas o instrucciones y se refiere a las enseñanzas éticas y cívicas que se centraban en la «forma de vivir la verdad».[2]… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Merykara — The Teaching for King Merykara , alt. Instruction Addressed to King Merikare, is a literary composition in Middle Egyptian, the classical phase of the Egyptian language, probably of Middle Kingdom date (2025 BC 1700 BC). In this sebayt the author …   Wikipedia

  • Ancient Egyptian literature — comprises texts written in the Egyptian language during the pharaonic period of Egypt. Writing first appeared in association with kingship on labels and tags for items found in royal tombs. By the Old Kingdom, this tradition of writing had… …   Wikipedia

  • Ancient Egypt — was an ancient civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern nation of Egypt. The civilization began around 3150 BC [Only after 664 BC are dates secure. See Egyptian… …   Wikipedia

  • Instruction — may refer to:* Education, the teaching and learning of knowledge * Teaching, a form of instruction * Sebayt, a work of the ancient Egyptian didactic literature aiming to teach ethical behaviour * Instruction (band), a rock band from New York City …   Wikipedia

  • Amenemhat I — Pharaoh Infobox | Name=Amenemhat I | Caption=Relief of Amenemhat I from his mortuary complex at El Lisht ImageSize=250 NomenHiero=i mn:n m HAt:t Nomen= Amenemhat Amun is in front PrenomenHiero=ra s R4:t*p ib Prenomen= Sehetepibre Who satisfies… …   Wikipedia

  • The Maxims of Ptahhotep — or Instruction of Ptahhotep is an ancient literary work attributed to Ptahhotep, a vizier under King Isesi of the Egyptian Fifth Dynasty (ca. 2414 2375 BC).[1] It is a collection of maxims and advice in the sebayt genre on human relations, that… …   Wikipedia

  • Sátira de los negocios — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda La Sátira de los negocios, también llamada Instrucciones de Dua Jeti, es una obra literaria de tipo didáctico del Antiguo Egipto,[1] datada circa 2400 a. C.[2] Pertenece al género Sebayt, y está escrita por …   Wikipedia Español

  • Instrucciones de Kagemni — es el título de una obra literaria del Antiguo Egipto, perteneciente al género de Sebayt o Instrucciones, obras filosóficas que fueron los primeros textos seculares de la literatura del Antiguo Egipto. Aunque las primeras pruebas de su… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Libros sapienciales — El Salmo 130, ejemplo de literatura sapiencial (Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, f62v, Musée Condé, Chantilly, Francia). Se llama Libros sapienciales o poéticos (en hebreo, junto con otros libros, כתובים, Ketuvim, Escritos ) a un grupo de… …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”