Certificate of Completion
At the end of this course you will be able to download a personalised certificate of completion from the classroom. A great way to keep track of your learning and celebrate your Egyptological journey.
The Wisdom of Ptahhotep
Hieroglyph Reading Class with Maiken Mosleth King
8 weeks: 11th February - 8th April (No class on 4th March)
Times: 7.30-9pm* (UK Times) Tuesday evenings to join live.
We love to see you for the live lectures, but if you have to miss one, don't worry, you can of course catch up (or watch again) at your leisure via the recordings. You will have access to the recorded lectures for a whole month after the last live lecture. Recordings will be available until 8th May.
“Do not be proud on account of your knowledge, but discuss with the ignorant as with the wise.”
This maxim forms part of The Instruction of Ptahhotep, a wisdom text purported to have been composed by vizier Ptahhotep, an Egyptian sage from the golden age of the pyramids. The text instructs noble young men in the correct ways of living, and provides us with a fascinating insight into life in ancient Egypt , its social values and expectations.
The surviving manuscript, p.Prisse, dates to the Middle Kingdom and employs Middle Egyptian grammar, which makes it suitable for anyone with a basic understanding of Middle Egyptian grammar and vocabulary. If you wish to increase your proficiency and ability to read Middle Egyptian texts, this guided reading course is for you!
We will discuss elements of grammar and the cultural meanings of the text as we go along. Students will receive access to grammar and vocabulary resources and homework is provided for self-study between sessions.
You can join the classes live to share translations, ask questions and discuss alternative readings, or if you prefer you can catch up via the recordings (which also provide a great way to revise.) You also have the option to join our supportive student hieroglyph group where you can ask questions, share information and discuss the text between classes.
So join us for 8 weeks as we read excerpts from this text on subjects such as lust, loyalty, greed, humility and matters of friendship, family and success in the workplace. It was the ultimate guide for how to succeed in the Old Kingdom.
Who knows, in addition to improving our reading of Middle Egyptian, we might learn a thing or two about humanity, as we explore the challenges and potential solutions for a good life, some that are just as relevant today, as in the ancient past! Afterall, as Ptahhotep says:
“A student who listens to what has been passed down through the ages has the ideal”!
*Please note that the session on the 11th March will start slightly later, the live lecture will start at 7.45 to enable students who are also ESB members to attend the ESB meeting
Maiken Mosleth King
Maiken Mosleth King is a Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, where she is also finalising her PhD thesis on funerary stelae and identity in Roman Egypt. She has previously completed a BA and MA in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. She has published academic articles in Gottinger Miszellen and the Journal of History and Cultures, as well as contributing to the catalogue of the exhibition ‘Emotions in Antiquity and Ancient Egypt’ at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway. Her linguistic skills are broad and include Coptic, Classical Greek, Latin, Biblical Hebrew, Phoenician, classical Arabic and hieroglyphs, which she has taught for a number of years.
Booking instructions
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Session links will be available in the course Classroom. Room opens 30 minutes before the lecture begins. If you do not have the course link or have any other queries please get in touch.