Egyptian Historical Inscriptions of the Twentieth Dynasty.

• Author: Wente, Edward F.

Peden's volume goes a long way toward providing reliable up-to-date translations of many of the major historical documents of the Twentieth Dynasty. The texts that he has chosen to translate include both hieroglyphic inscriptions and papyri written in the cursive hieratic script. With the exception of a selection from the Great Harris Papyrus (translated on pp. 211-24) and a brief temple inspection text of Ramesses III's Year 15 (translated on pp. 190-91), all of the texts treated by Peden have appeared in hieroglypic form in K. A. Kitchen's monumental Ramesside Inscriptions, vols. 5 and 6 (Oxford: B. H. Blackwell, 1970-90). Because of the accessibility of Kitchen's work, it does seem somewhat superfluous, at least to the Egyptologist, to have all the texts transliterated on pages opposite the translations, practically doubling the size of the book. Readers unacquainted with ancient Egyptian might have preferred to have more space devoted to explanatory notes, which have been kept to a minimum.

By way of introduction, Peden provides a succinct account of the history of the Twentieth Dynasty, which, following the great wars of Ramesses III against the Libyans and Sea Peoples, witnessed the steady decline of the empire and the state. Because the materials translated are organized topically into four chapters, there is no overall chronological arrangement. Rather, within each chapter the inscriptions are presented chronologically, so that, for example, texts from the reigns of Ramesses III and Ramesses IX appear in each of the chapters. Although there is no general introduction to each chapter, Peden does provide for each document a bibliography and pertinent information. Following the translation there are a few brief explanatory notes serving to elucidate points the author regards as worthy of comment. (The only note to the Abydos stela of Ramesses IV [p. 158] dwells more on the reign of Ramesses II than Ramesses IV!)

The initial chapter on wars and diplomacy begins with a fresh translation of King Setnakhte's Elephantine stela, first published in 1972; but because no reliable facsimile has been made of this important text, uncertainties still remain. There is no indication that Peden has actually collated this stela, or, for that matter, any of the other hieroglyphic texts translated in this volume. The bulk of the first chapter is naturally devoted to re-translating the major records of Ramesses III's wars against the Libyans and Sea...