JCromwell

Sickness, Treatments, and Medical Books in Late Antique Egyptian Villages

Jennifer Cromwell “I greet my Father Athanasios. I spoke to you about the medical book. I often wanted to come south, but looking after here has not allowed me to come south. I wanted to come south, (but) the roads prevented me. Now, please send it to me, either (by) Pmoute or give it toContinue reading “Sickness, Treatments, and Medical Books in Late Antique Egyptian Villages”

One-way Tickets to the Netherworld: Mummy Labels and Inscribed Mummy Shrouds

Luigi Prada On 26th April of the 24th year of reign of an unspecified Roman emperor (probably Commodus, which equals the year 184 AD), a modest Egyptian priest named Bes, son of his namesake and a lady called Tadinebhau, died in Pernebwadj, a provincial town in Middle Egypt—then a remote region within the vastness of the RomanContinue reading “One-way Tickets to the Netherworld: Mummy Labels and Inscribed Mummy Shrouds”

The Governor’s Orders

Eline Scheerlinck *This blog post was originally posted on the website of the European Research Council project, “Embedding Conquest”, and was reposted on the Leiden Islam Blog. With many thanks to the author and the original hosts for allowing the story to be reposted here. Have you ever wondered what the Arab conquests of Egypt meantContinue reading “The Governor’s Orders”

Pay After Reading: The Cost of Education in Late Antique Egyptian Villages

Jennifer Cromwell In the ancient world, education – learning to read and write – wasn’t a right and was accessible by only a small number of people. Only 5–10% of the population was literate. But what does this mean, what constitutes being literate? Does being able to write basic sentences fit the bill, or do you needContinue reading “Pay After Reading: The Cost of Education in Late Antique Egyptian Villages”

“If God saves him from death”: Donation of a boy to a Coptic monastery

Jennifer Cromwell On the 29 August 766 CE, a woman named Tachel daughter of Sophia from Luxor (ancient Apê) donated her son Athanasius to a local monastery, the monastery of Apa Phoibammon at Deir el-Bahri. “In this current 5th indiction year, an infant boy was born to me, the woman and free person Tachel, inContinue reading ““If God saves him from death”: Donation of a boy to a Coptic monastery”

“… like he’s somebody …”: Runaway Slaves in Roman Egypt

Jennifer Cromwell At some point during the third century CE, a slave-owner wrote a notice of a runaway enslaved man. The tall, thin Egyptian man in his early thirties – a weaver by trade – had gone missing and a reward was out for his return. The description of him, given by his owners, is particularly unflattering:Continue reading ““… like he’s somebody …”: Runaway Slaves in Roman Egypt”

Camel, O Camel: On Camels in Ancient Egypt

Jennifer Cromwell I recently bought my first ever Playmobil set: Egyptian Warrior with Camel. It’s only taken me thirty odd years. But I can’t resist a camel. And this kit evokes one of the key images that comes to mind when we think of ancient Egypt: the quintessential image of camels in front of theContinue reading “Camel, O Camel: On Camels in Ancient Egypt”

An Egyptian Christmas Carol

Ágnes Mihálykó **Note: an update to this post, with a correction is available in the post ‘Another Egyptian Christmas Carol‘** What did late antique Egyptians sing about at Christmas? Angels, shepherds, and the Virgin Mary, of course.Angels have the main role in what appears to be the earliest manuscript of a Christmas carol, preserved inContinue reading “An Egyptian Christmas Carol”

How to be Successful in Life (Fourth-Century Style)

Ágnes Mihálykó What did a young man in the fourth century CE wish from life? Not much different from what young men today might desire: professional success, favour with others, and, of course, women.His means of attaining his goals were, however, not that familiar to the modern reader. He resorted to a long roll filledContinue reading “How to be Successful in Life (Fourth-Century Style)”

“I am dying of a broken heart”

Moudhy Al-Rashid The Neo-Assyrian physician Nabû-tabni-uṣurseems once upon a time for reasons we may never know to have fallen out of favour with the court. Unlike his colleagues, he no longer received compensation for his work. Payments promised by the court never materialised. Concern for his financial well-being and his position in the court snowballedContinue reading ““I am dying of a broken heart””