papyrus
- Museum number
- EA10699,9
- Title
- Object: Papyrus Chester Beatty 19
- Description
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Papyrus Chester Beatty XIX; frame 9; Teaching of Khety (the so-called "Satire on Trades").
- Dimensions
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Length: 30.50 centimetres (frame)
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Width: 20.40 centimetres (frame)
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
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The Instruction or Teaching of Dua-Khety, also known as The Satire of the Trades, was composed in the Middle Kingdom. Teachings are didactic works, mostly ascribed to famous sages, and they discuss general matters of life and moral principles in the form of short sayings and warnings. The main story tells of a father who seeks to encourage his son to become a scribe during their journey from their home to the royal residence. He extols the virtue of the scribal profession whilst disparaging other trades, including brickmaking, carpentry, weaving, weapon making, farming and others. Although the entire composition may not have been intended as satire, many of the descriptions of the other professions clearly have satirical and exaggerated elements. The last third of the text becomes more like traditional instructional literature, with general advice.
The text was clearly a popular learning resource, perhaps in scribal schools, and dozens of copies survive on papyri, writing boards, and ostraca. Mistakes slipped in in the process, which were then subsequently copied. The most complete known version is found on the Papyrus Sallier II (EA10182,3-11).
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A few fragments of Sheet 1 published:
Gardiner, Hieratic Papyri Vol. 1, p. 132; Vol. 2, Plate 72.
For edition of the Teaching of Khety (so-called Satire on Trades): S. Jäger Altägyptische Berufstypologien (Lingua Aegyptia Studia Monographica 4, 2004);
W. Helck, Die Lehre des DwA-xtjj, Kleine Ägyptische Texte, Wiesbaden 1970.
The text of this poem is available on T.L.A. (http://aaew.bbaw.de/tla/)
Translation : Parkinson, The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems 1940–1649 BC. (Oxford World’s Classics 1999), 273-83.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Papyrus Survey:
Condition Details:
Papyrus: bloom, displaced fragments
Black ink
Red ink
Tabbed: silk
Tabbed: kraft paper
Mount Details:
Sandwich: glass
Binding: leather
Object Priority: B
Mount Priority: A
Overall Condition: B
Curatorial condition comment:
incomplete/fragmentary
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Satire on the Trades
- Acquisition date
- 1930
- Department
- Egypt and Sudan
- BM/Big number
- EA10699,9
- Registration number
- 1930,0710.18.9
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: Frame.9