A text known as The Lay of the Harper, dating from the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) encourages its audience to make the most of the time because death is a certainty:
More about: Ghosts in Ancient EgyptServer Costs Fundraiser 2024
Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.
$3926 / $18000
Definition
Timeline
-
c. 2040 BCE - c. 1782 BCELiterature from Middle Kingdom Egypt reflects skepticism of afterlife, encourages attention to ghosts.
-
c. 1971 BCE - c. 1926 BCEProbable date of Egyptian ghost narrative Instruction of King Amenemhat I to his Son Senruset I.
-
c. 1186 BCE - c. 1077 BCEDate of extant copy of A Ghost Story (Khonsemhab and the Ghost) during Ramessied Period of Egypt.
