Stories of the High Priests of Memphis - The Sethon of Herodotus and the Demotic Tales of Khamuas

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Logic

Scholarly edition presenting demotic narratives associated with the high priests of Memphis, centering on the Sethon of Herodotus and the demotic tales of Khamuas. The preface frames the work within the development of demotic decipherment, discusses prior scholarship, and explains the need for accuracy in study. It also details editorial obligations, sources for demotic texts and facsimiles, and acknowledges Professor Sethe’s contribution to classification of verbal forms in demotic.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages221

Reading Time5 h 40 min

AccessFree to download

PART I - HISTORICAL AND LITERARY

CHAPTER I - THE STORY OF SETHON

CHAPTER II - THE TALE OF KHAMUAS AND NENEFERKAPTAH

CHAPTER II - THE TALE OF KHAMUAS AND HIS SON SR-OSIRI

PART II - PHILOLOGICAL

CHAPTER IV - INTRODUCTORY

STORIES OF THE HIGH PRIESTS OF MEMPHIS HENRY FROWDE,M.A.PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD LONDON,EDINBURGH,AND NEW YORK STORIES OF THE HIGH PRIESTS OF MEMPHIS THE SETHON OF HERODOTUS AND THE DEMOTIC TALES OF KHAMUAS BY F.LL.GRIFFITH,M.A.! FORMERLY SCHOLAR OF QUEEN's coLLEGE,OXFORDCORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF sCIENCES AT BERLIN ②xforò AT THE CLARENDON PRESS ②rforo PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESSBY HORACE HART,M.A.PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY PREFACE In editing these demotic stories I have endeavouredto advance by a step that not insignificant branch ofEgyptology which counts an Englishman,ThomasYoung,among the chief founders of its study,butwhich since his time has been neglected entirely inthis country.The decipherment of demotic,inaugu-rated by Akerblad's famous letter to De Sacy in 18o2,and continued by Young and Champollion in I820-1830,was most successfully cultivated by Heinrich Brugschin the first half of his brilliant career,from I847 to1868,when he finished his dictionary of hieroglyphicand demotic.With such completeness did he triumphover the crabbed script that it remains for his successorsonly to perfect his work,at least for the later periods.Brugsch had for long been practically the sole readerof demotic when Revillout attacked the subject asa student of Coptic.By his multitudinous works thelatter has certainly thrown light on the interpretationof the legal documents—some of which belong to theearly period—and on the metrology.Demotic is,how-ever,a subject which requires above all things careand accuracy if satisfactory results are to be obtainedby the student.The recent work of W.Max Müllerommencing in 1886,but unfortunately never extending PREFACE beyond brilliant discussions of single words and groups),of Krall,Hess,and Spiegelberg,augur well for thefuture of the study,and it is certain that it willprogress rapidly as the results of Coptic and hiero-glyphic research are brought to bear in a scientificmanner upon this intermediate stage of the Egyptianlanguage. In spite of all that has been accomplished in demotic,there is much to be done that is almost of a pioneercharacter,and much that has been conjectured or con-tested must be either established or overthrown bypositive proofs.This is the main apology.for thevoluminousness of the philological notes in Part II;though many of them are due chiefly to the badwriting or bad preservation of the second tale. I may here be allowed to express my great obliga-tions to the authorities of the department of MSS.in the British Museum for permission to publish thedemotic text of the second story,and to the Delegatesof the Clarendon Press for undertaking the seriousexpense of printing this book.My thanks are alsoespecially due to the Rev.E.M.Walker,of Queen'sCollege,for encouragement and advice;the Provost ofQueen's College,Oxford,for introducing and supportingmy application to the Delegates of the Clarendon Press;Mr.Cannan,the Secretary of the Delegates;Mr.HoraceHart,the Controller of the Press;and last,but notleast,Mr.F.G.Kenyon of the British Museum,bywhose kindness I was amongst the first to see thenewly unrolled‘Papyrus DCIV,'and enjoyed everyfacility for studying it.The particulars furnished byhim in regard to the history of the papyrus and to theGreek text upon the recto will be found in a subsequentpage. A glossary of the two demotic stories has been pre- pared,and it is intended to publish it later,when thework may have had the benefit of the criticism offellow-students.A photographic facsimile and a hand-copy of the new tale are issued herewith.The firsttale has long been accessible in a good facsimile,butnegatives of the original papyrus in the Gizeh Museumhave been taken at my request by Émile Brugsch-Bey,brother of the great demotist,and are now depositedwith Mr.R.C.Murray,8 Garrick Street,Covent Garden,London,W.C.,to whom applications for prints shouldbe addressed. This volume must not go to press w

FAQs

What is the focus of this volume according to the preface and contents?

The volume edits and studies demotic stories connected with the high priests of Memphis, mainly the Sethon of Herodotus and the demotic tales of Khamuas.

Why does the author emphasize care and accuracy in demotic study?

Because satisfactory results depend on careful and accurate handling of the demotic material, and much remains to be established or corrected by positive proofs.

What kinds of material are included or planned for the edited tales?

A glossary is prepared, and a photographic facsimile plus a hand-copy of the new tale are issued, alongside references to earlier access via facsimiles and newly taken negatives.

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Logic