394 Tale of Khufu and the Magicians’Amarna was abandoned, the talatatblocks were removed
from the original site and used by successive rulers for
their own construction projects. They have been identi-
fied at such sites as KARNAKand HERMOPOLIS MAGNA.
Tale of Khufu and the Magicians A series of literary
texts found in the WESTCAR PAPYRUSand sometimes called
King Cheops and the Magicians.The tale in this cycle
records the stories told by KHUFU(Cheops; 2551–2528
B.C.E.) at his court. Delightful images of pharaohs sailing
in gilded barges with beautiful maidens cast only in fish-
nets and details of magical spells compose the stories, but
the important element is a prediction about the births of
the first three pharaohs of the next dynasty, the Fifth
(2465–2323 B.C.E.).
Tale of Mohor See TRAVELS OF AN EGYPTIAN.
Tale of Prince Setna A literary text discovered in the
Ptolemaic Period (304–30 B.C.E.) but concerning a sup-
posed son of RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) of the
Nineteenth Dynasty. Prince Setna sees a woman named
Tabubna, the daughter of a Bastite priest. Losing his heart
to her, Setna enters into a life of servitude and eventual
horror. Tabubna has cast a spell on him and forces him to
undertake torments and bear shame, eventually killing
his own children. At the end of the tale Setna wakes up
and discovers that he was only dreaming. He is safe and
free of his devouring love for Tabubna.
Tale of Sinuhe See SINUHE THE SAILOR.
Tale of the Doomed Prince It is an Egyptian literary
work dating to the New Kingdom Period (1550–1070
B.C.E.) and found in the HARRIS PAPYRUS500 from the
reign of RAMESSES IV(1163–1156 B.C.E.). This is a story of
an Egyptian prince among the MITANNIS. He finds true
love with a princess of that land but faces three fates. Love
and loyalty are the main elements of the tale, but the reso-
lution is missing, leaving the reader pondering the prince’s
final destiny. The tale is incomplete in extant form.
Tale of the Eloquent Peasant See “THE ELOQUENT
PEASANT” OF HERAKLEOPOLIS.
Tale of the Shepherds It is a fragmented text now in a
papyrus in the Egyptian Museum, in Berlin. Also called
the Tale of the Herders,the work relates how shepherds
discover a goddess in a shrub along the Nile. The goddess
alarms the shepherds, who run to the local chieftain and
inform him of their encounter. The chieftain returns with
them to the scene, where he chants spells that force the
goddess to leave the shelter of the shrub. She then “came
forth, terrible in appearance.” What happens at this point
is unknown as the ending of the tale has been lost.
Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor Discovered in a
papyrus from the Middle Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.E.), it
is the story of an expedition returning by sea from the
southern domains of Egypt or possibly from a trade expe-
dition. A sailor recounts the adventures that took place
when his boat was damaged and sank during a storm. He
alone survived the ordeal, swimming to an island. A
gigantic snake ruled the island, the only survivor of its
species after an attack by comets or a falling star. The ser-
pent counseled the sailor and inspired in him patience
and valor. When a ship came within sight of the island,
the serpent restored him to his fellowmen, with gifts of
ointments, myrrh, animals, and other precious objects
that the sailor delivered to the pharaoh.
The papyrus upon which the tale was copied is in the
Hermitage collection in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is noted
for its detailed account of the voyages undertaken in the
areas of the Red and Mediterranean Seas, especially the
trips to PUNT. The tale was written by a scribe, Amen-a’a,
the son of one Amenti.Tale of Two Brothers It is a text found in the Papyrus
D’ORBINEYin the British Museum in London. Considered
one of the finest examples of Egyptian narrative literature
and dated to the Nineteenth Dynasty (1307–1196 B.C.E.),
the story is an account of the adventures of two Egyptian
deities. Anup, believed to represent ANUBIS, and Bata (or
Batu), a Predynastic god, are caught in a triangle when
Anup’s wife tries to seduce Bata and fails. In revenge she
claims that he assaulted her. Anup sets out to kill Bata,
who flees.
The god SHU, seeing that evil is taking place, sepa-
rates the two with a stream filled with CROCODILES, and
there, Bata explains what really happened. Anup,
ashamed, goes home to kill his wife and to throw her to
the DOGS. Bata goes on a journey and has many adven-
tures, siring a future ruler of Egypt. His journey is reli-
gious in nature and much beloved by the Egyptians for its
didactic overtones. The tale was reported to be in the
library of SETI II(r. 1214–1204 B.C.E.).Tale of Wenamun See WENAMUN.Tamara (Ta-Mera) This was the Egyptian word for
“the Land of the Inundation” and the name for Egypt
used by the native population.Tanis This is the modern Sa’el Hagar, located in the
western Delta on an enormous mound at Lake MENZALA,
an important port. The site was once sacred to the god
SETand was a NOMEcapital. The Egyptians called it Dja-
net, Djárnet, or Dj’ane. Tanis became important during
the Twenty-first Dynasty (1070–945 B.C.E.) and the
Twenty-second Dynasty (945–712 B.C.E.), but the HYKSOS
were also in the region during the Second Intermediate