Story of Sinuhe

Light gray stone surface with carved and painted images of two woman, a falcon-headed god, a black-haired man with a long goatee, a jackal-headed god, and Egyptian hieroglyphs inscribed along the top
A raised-relief depiction of Amenemhat I accompanied by deities; the death of Amenemhat I is reported by his son Senusret I in the Story of Sinuhe.
Sinuhe in hieroglyphs
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zꜣ.nht[1]

The Story of Sinuhe (also referred to as Sanehat or Sanhath)[2] is a work of ancient Egyptian literature. It was likely composed in the beginning of the Twelfth Dynasty after the death of Amenemhat I (also referred to as Senwosret I). The tale describes an Egyptian man who flees his kingdom, and lives as a foreigner before returning to Egypt shortly before his death. It explores universal themes such as divine providence and mercy. The oldest known copy of the text dates to the reign of Amenemhat III, around 1800 BCE. The work was so popular within Egypt that newer copies have been found ranging up to 750 years after the original.[3]

  1. ^ Allen, James P. (June 21, 2000). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-52177483-3 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Roland, Koch. "Tale of Sanehat". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  3. ^ Parkinson, R.B. (1999). The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems. Oxford World's Classics. pp. 21–27.