Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Ancient inscribed slab brought to light - more on the Bubastis stone

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=588&art_id=qw1082380500222B221&set_id=1
http://img.web.de/c/00/47/56/85.420 (image)
It shows a royal decree, written in ancient Greek, Demotic and Hieroglyphs. The inscription consists of 67 lines of Greek text and 24 lines of Demotic along with traces of Hieroglyphs outlining the calendar reform and praising Ptolemy. It mentions King Ptolemy III Euergetes I along with the date 238 BC. There is an interesting reference to the king having imported grain from Syria, Phoenicia and Cyprus to alleviate famine in ancient Egypt and the mention a reform of the ancient Egyptian calendar which was not in fact actually implemented until some 250 years later under Julius Caesar.

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