Papyrus (Demotic)

Wisdom texts were an old tradition in Ancient Egypt. This literary genre, consisting of lessons about life and admonitions, had existed since the days of the Old Kingdom. The lessons were handed down in hieratic script on numerous papyri and ostraca. The maxims were mainly used in education. Some wisdom texts were also written in demotic. Unfortunately most are brief and poorly preserved. This papyrus, which was purchased in 1885 by the Dutchman Jan Hendrik Insinger, is the most important long wisdom text to have been preserved. It is clear from the papyrus that this Egyptian tradition was still full of vitality after 3,000 years and had been thoroughly adapted to suit the demands of the day.