[The beginning of this tale is lost, but it is clear from what
remains of it that Setna Kha-em-uast, son of a Pharaoh who may
be identified with Rameses II., of the XIXth Dynasty (about
1300 B.C.), was a diligent student of the ancient writings,
chiefly for the sake of the occult knowledge which they were
supposed to contain. He discovered, or was told of, the
existence of a book which Thoth, the god of letters, science
and magic, had "written with his own hand," and learned that
this book was to be found in the cemetery of Memphis, in the
tomb of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, the only son of some earlier Pharaoh.
Setna evidently succeeded in finding and entering this tomb,
and there he saw the _kas_ or ghosts of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, his
wife (and sister) Ahura, and their little boy Merab; and with
them was the book. To dissuade Setna from abstracting the book,
Ahura tells him how they had become possessed of it, and had
paid for it with their earthly lives; and _it is with her tale
that the papyrus begins_. Setna, however, insists upon taking
the book; but Na-nefer-ka-ptah challenges him, as a good scribe
and a learned man, to a trial of skill in a game, and in the
imposition of magical penalties on the loser. Setna agrees; but
being worsted, he calls in outside help and succeeds in
carrying off the book. Na-nefer-ka-ptah comforts Ahura for its
loss by assuring her that Setna shall ignominiously restore it.
Setna studies the book with delight; but presently, by the
magic power of Na-nefer-ka-ptah, he becomes the victim of an
extraordinary hallucination, and the strength of his spirit is
broken because (in imagination at least) he is steeped in
impurity and crime. When he awakes from this trance, Pharaoh
persuades him to return the book to its dead owners. On his
return to the tomb, Na-nefer-ka-ptah exacts from him the
promise to go to the cemetery of Koptos and bring thence to
Memphis the bodies of Ahura and of Merab, which had been buried
there, apart from him. Setna duly performs his promise, and so
the story ends.
The only known copy of this tale appears to have been written
in 251 B.C., the thirty-fifth year of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and
it must have been composed at least as late as the Sebennyte
Dynasty, early in the fourth century, although it refers to
historical characters of a thousand years before.
The story is more elaborate, and its plot is more coherent than
is the case with the earlier tales such as that of Anpu and
Bata, in which events succeed each other often without natural
connection. The language however is in simple narrative style,
without any attempt at fine writing.
At the point at which the mutilated papyrus begins, we find
that Ahura is telling Setna the story of her life. Apparently
he has just been told how she sent a messenger to the king,
asking that she may be married to her brother Na-nefer-ka-ptah.
The king has refused her request, and the messenger has
reproached him for his unkindness; the king replies:--]
"It is thou who art dealing wrongly towards me. If it happen that I have
not a child after two children, is it the law to marry the one with the
other of them? I will marry Naneferkaptah with the daughter of a
commander of troops, and I will marry Ahura with the son of another
commander of troops: it has so happened in our family much.'
"It came to pass that the amusement was set before Pharaoh, and they
came for me and took me to the amusement named, and it happened that my
soul was troubled exceedingly and I behaved not in my manner of the
previous day. Said Pharaoh to me, 'Ahura, is it thou that didst cause
them to come to me in these anxieties, saying, "Let me marry with
Naneferkaptah, my elder brother"?'
"Said I to him, 'Let me marry with the son of a commander of troops, and
let him marry with the daughter of another commander of troops: it has
happened in our family much.'
"I laughed, Pharaoh laughed, and his soul was exceeding gladdened. Said
Pharaoh to the steward of the king's house, 'Let Ahura be taken to the
house of Naneferkaptah to-night, and let all things that are good be
taken with her.'
"I was taken as a wife to the house of Naneferkaptah in the night named,
and a present of silver and gold was brought to me; the household of
Pharaoh caused them all to be brought to me. And Naneferkaptah made a
good day[83] with me; he received all the heads of the household of
Pharaoh. And he found me pleasing, he quarreled not with me, ever, ever:
each of us loved his fellow. And when I was about to bear a child,
report of it was made before Pharaoh, and his soul was exceeding
gladdened, and Pharaoh caused many things to be taken for me on the
instant; he caused to be brought to me a present of silver and gold and
royal linen, beautiful exceedingly. Then came my time of bearing; I bore
this boy that is before thee, whose name is called Merab, and he was
caused to write in the book of the 'House of Life.'[84]
"It came to pass that Naneferkaptah, my brother, had no habit on the
earth[85] but to walk in the cemetery of Memphis, reading the writings
that were in the catacombs of the Pharaohs, with the tablets of the
scribes of the 'House of Life,' and the inscriptions that were on the
monuments; and he was eager for writing exceedingly.
"After these things it befell that there was a procession in honor of
Ptah; Naneferkaptah went into the temple to worship, and he chanced to
be walking behind the procession reading the inscriptions that were in
the shrines of the gods. An aged priest saw him and laughed.
Naneferkaptah said to him, 'For what art thou laughing at me?'
"And he said:--'I am not laughing at thee; if I laughed, it was that
thou art reading writings that no one on earth has any good of. If it be
that thou seekest to read writings, come to me, and I will bring thee to
the place where that roll is which it was Thoth that wrote with his own
hand, and which goes down to fetch the gods. There are two formulas of
writing that are upon it, and when thou readest the first formula thou
will enchant the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, and
the seas; thou shalt discover all that the birds of the heaven and the
creeping things shall say; thou shalt see the fishes of the deep, for
there is a power from God brings them into water above them. And when
thou readest the second formula, if it be that thou art in Ament[86]
thou takest thy form of earth again. Thou wilt see the sun rising in the
sky with his circle of gods, and the moon in its form of shining.'
"And Naneferkaptah said, 'As the king liveth! Let a good thing that thou
dost desire be told me, and I will have it done for thee, if thou wilt
direct me to the place where this roll is.'
"Said the priest to Naneferkaptah: 'If it be that thou desirest to be
directed to the place where this roll is, thou shalt give me three
hundred ounces of silver for my funeral, and provide that they shall
make me two coffin cases as a great priest, rich in silver.'
"Naneferkaptah called a lad, and caused to be given the three hundred
ounces of silver for the priest, and he caused to be done what he
desired for two coffin cases; he caused them to be made as for a great
and rich priest.
"Said the priest to Naneferkaptah:--'The roll named, it is in the midst
of the Sea of Koptos,[87] in a box of iron. In the iron box is a box of
bronze, in the bronze box is a box of _Kedt_ wood, in the box of _Kedt_
wood is a box of ivory and ebony, in the box of ivory and ebony is a box
of silver, in the box of silver is a box of gold in which is the roll.
There is a mile of snakes, scorpions, and every kind of reptile
surrounding the box in which the roll is; there is a snake of eternity
surrounding the box named.'
"At the time of the relation that the priest made before Naneferkaptah,
Naneferkaptah knew not what place on earth he was in.[88] And he came
out of the temple and related before me all that the priest had said to
him. He said to me, 'I shall go to Koptos, I shall fetch this roll
thence; I shall not be slow in coming back to the north again.'
"It came to pass that I opposed the priest, saying: 'Beware of this
thing that thou hast spoken before him! Thou hast brought to me the
strife of the nome of Thebes;[89] I have found it cruel.' I caused my
hand to stay[90] with Naneferkaptah, in order not to let him go to
Koptos. He did not hearken to me; he went before Pharaoh and related
before Pharaoh everything that the priest had said to him--all. Pharaoh
said to him, 'What is it that thou desirest?'
"He said to him, 'Cause to be given to me the royal pleasure boat with
its equipment: I will take Ahura and Merab her boy to the south with me;
I will fetch this roll without delaying.'
"They gave him the royal pleasure-boat with its equipment, and we went
up on board it; we set sail and reached Koptos. And they made report of
it before the priests of Isis of Koptos and the high priest of Isis;
they came down to meet us, they delayed not to meet Naneferkaptah; their
women came down to meet me also. We went up on shore; we went into the
temple of Isis and Harpokrates, and Naneferkaptah caused to be brought
ox, goose, and wine; he made a burnt-offering and a drink-offering
before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. We were taken to a house
exceeding beautiful, filled with all good things, and Naneferkaptah
spent four days making a good day with the priests of Isis of Koptos,
the women of the priests of Isis making a good day with myself.
"Came the morning of our fifth day: Naneferkaptah caused to be brought
to him pure wax.[91] He made a boat, furnished with its crew and its
tackle. He read a spell to them, he caused them to live, he gave them
breath, he cast them into the sea. He loaded the royal pleasure-boat of
Pharaoh with sand; he caused the boat to be brought, he went on board. I
sat by the sea of Koptos, saying, 'I will discover what will become of
him.'
"He said, 'Boatmen, row on with me as far as the place in which this
roll is.' And they rowed by night as by midday.
"And when he reached it, in three days, he threw sand before him, then
there became a space of dry land. And when he found a mile of serpents
and scorpions, and every kind of creeping thing encompassing the box in
which the roll was, and when he found a snake of eternity encompassing
the box, he read a spell to the mile of serpents, scorpions, and every
kind of creeping thing that was around the box, and suffered them not to
leap up. He went to the place in which was the snake of eternity; he
made battle with it, he slew it. It lived; it made its form again. He
made battle with it again for a second time; he slew it: it lived. He
made battle with it again for a third time; he made it in two pieces; he
put sand between one piece and its fellow. It died; it did not make its
form ever again.
"Naneferkaptah went to the place where the box was. He found that it was
a box of iron; he opened it, he found a box of bronze; he opened it, he
found a box of _Kedt_ wood; he opened it, he found a box of ivory and
ebony; he opened it, he found a box of silver; he opened it, he found a
box of gold; he opened it, he found the book in it. He took up the roll
from in the box of gold, he read a formula of writing from it. He
enchanted the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, and the
seas; he discovered all that the birds of the heaven with the fishes of
the deep, the beasts of the mountains said--all. He read another formula
of writing, he saw the Sun rising in the sky with all his circle of
gods, and the moon rising, and the stars in their shapes; he saw the
fishes of the deep, for there was a power from God brought them into the
water over them. He read a spell to the sea, and restored it as it was.
He embarked. He said to the crew, 'Row on for me as far as the place to
which I go.' And they rowed at night like as at midday. When he reached
the place where I was, he found me sitting by the sea of Koptos, without
drinking or eating anything, without doing anything on the earth, being
in the likeness of one who has reached the Good Houses.[92]
"I said to Naneferkaptah, 'O Naneferkaptah, let me see this book, for
which we have taken these pains!'
"He put the roll into my hand. I read a formula of writing in it; I
enchanted the heaven, the earth, the underworld, the mountains, the
seas; I discovered what the birds of the sky, the fishes of the deep,
and the beasts of the hills said---all. I read another formula of the
writing, and I saw the sun rising in the sky with his circle of gods; I
saw the moon shining with all the stars of the heaven in their nature; I
saw the fishes of the deep, for it was that a power from God brought
them into the water above where they were. As I could not write, it was
that I spoke to Naneferkaptah my elder brother, who was a good scribe
and a learned man exceedingly; and he caused to be brought before him a
piece of new papyrus; he wrote every word that was on the roll before
him--all. He dipped it in beer, he melted it in water, he saw that it
had been melted, he drank it, he knew that which was in it.[93]
"We returned to Koptos on the day named: we made a good day before Isis
of Koptos and Harpokrates. We embarked, we went down to the river, we
reached north of Koptos by one mile. Behold, Thoth had discovered
everything that happened to Naneferkaptah on account of the roll; Thoth
delayed not, he complained before the Sun, saying, 'Know my right, my
judgment with Naneferkaptah the son of Pharaoh Mernebptah! He went to my
place, he robbed it, he took my box containing my book, he killed my
guard who was watching it.'
"It was said to him, 'He is before thee, with every man that belongeth
to him--all.'[94]
"There was sent a power from God down from heaven, saying, 'Let not
Naneferkaptah go to Memphis safe, with every man that belongeth to
him--all.'
"An hour passed: Merab, the boy, came out from under the awning of the
pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, he fell into the river, he did the will of Ra.
Everybody that was on board uttered a cry--all. Naneferkaptah came out
from under his cabin, he read a writing over him, he caused him to come
up, for it was that a power from God in the water was laid on his upper
side.[95] He read a writing over him, he made him relate before him of
everything that had happened to him--all, and the accusation that Thoth
made before Ra.
"We returned to Koptos with him. We caused him to be taken to the Good
House and laid in state; we caused him to be embalmed like a prince and
great man; we caused him to rest in his coffin in the cemetery of
Koptos.
"Said Naneferkaptah my brother, 'Let us go down the river, let us not
delay before Pharaoh hear the things that have happened to us, and his
soul be sad therefore.'
"We embarked, we went down-stream, we delayed not; and traveled to the
north of Koptos by one mile. At the place of the falling of Merab the
boy into the river, I came out from under the awning of the
pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, I fell into the river, I did the will of Ra.
Everybody that was on board uttered a cry--all. They told it to
Naneferkaptah, he came out from under the awning of the pleasure-boat of
Pharaoh, he read a writing over me, he caused me to leap up, for it was
that a power from God in the water rested on my upper side. He caused me
to be taken up, he read a writing over me, he caused me to relate before
him everything that had happened unto me--all; and the accusation that
Thoth had made before Ra. He returned to Koptos with me, he caused me
to be brought to the Good House, he caused me to be laid in state, he
caused me to be embalmed with the embalmment of a prince and very great
person, he caused me to rest in the tomb where Merab the boy lay.
"He embarked, he went down-stream, he hastened north of Koptos by one
mile to the place of our falling into the river. He spake with his soul,
saying:--'Can I go to Koptos and dwell there? Otherwise, if it be that I
go to Memphis, the moment that Pharaoh asks me after his children, what
shall I say to him? Can I tell it to him, saying, I took thy children to
the nome of Thebes, I killed them, I being alive; I came to Memphis, I
being alive still?'
"He caused them to bring a strip of royal linen before him; he made it
into a girdle. He bound the roll, he put it upon his stomach, he made it
firm. Naneferkaptah came out from under the awning of the pleasure-boat
of Pharaoh, he fell into the river, he did the will of Ra. Everybody
that was on board uttered a cry--all, saying: 'Great woe! Oppressive
woe! Has he gone back,[96] the good scribe, the learned man, to whom
there is no equal?'
"The pleasure-boat of Pharaoh went down-stream, without any one on earth
knowing where Naneferkaptah was. They reached Memphis, they made report
of it before Pharaoh. Pharaoh came down to meet the pleasure-boat of
Pharaoh in mourning, the army of Memphis took mourning--all, together
with the priests of Ptah, the chief prophet of Ptah, with the officials
and household of Pharaoh--all. They saw Naneferkaptah clinging to the
rudders of the pleasure-boat of Pharaoh, by virtue of his art of a good
scribe. They drew him up, they saw the roll on his stomach. Said
Pharaoh, 'Let this roll that is on his stomach be hidden away.'
"Said the officers of Pharaoh, with the priests of Ptah, and the chief
prophet of Ptah, before Pharaoh: 'O our great lord the King, may he
accomplish the duration of Ra![97] Naneferkaptah was a good scribe, a
learned man exceedingly.'
"Pharaoh caused to be given to him entrance to the Good House for
sixteen days, wrapping for thirty-five and coffining for seventy; he was
caused to rest in his tomb, in his places of rest."
[Having finished her story, Ahura proceeds to point out the
moral to Setna.]
"I am suffering the ills which have come upon us because of this roll of
which thou sayest, 'Let it be given to me!' Thou hast no claim to it:
our life on earth has been taken for it."
Said Setna, "Ahura, let this roll be given me which I see between thee
and Naneferkaptah, else will I take it by force."
Rose Naneferkaptah on the couch; he said: "Art thou Setna, before whom
this woman has told these misfortunes which thou hast not suffered--all?
The book named, canst thou take it only by strength of a good scribe? It
were sufficient to play draughts with me. Let us play for it at the game
of fifty-two points."