APPENDIX
The Instruction of Amenemhê'et I. is here given as a contrast to the foregoing. It is a Testament, however, rather than an Instruction, and contains more historical matter than didactic. It is written in a terse and pointed style, combined with the parallelism and antithesis which was the prevailing vehicle of poetic thought in Egyptian. The rank of its author and the exceeding bitterness of his mood make it a document of great interest. There is no reason to doubt its authenticity.
This King was the founder of the glorious Twelfth Dynasty, a period which has been called the Golden Age of Egypt. He ruled from about 2778-2748 B.C., and, although he describes himself as over-lenient, was really one of the most vigorous and powerful of all the Sons of the Sun who for five thousand years wore the double crown of the Two Egypts.
The circumstances in which the new dynasty arose are not known; nor have we any other record of the attempt on his life, here recounted. In the twentieth year of his reign he associated his son, Senwesert I., with him in a co-regency which lasted ten years. From §8 we gather that the attempted assassination took place just before the dual rule; while the Instruction was evidently penned shortly before the writer's death. The 'house' referred to is presumably his pyramid-tomb, called Ke'-nôfer-amenemhê'et. Amenemhê'et is exalted and good. The site of this building is not known.
This Instruction was popular as a school exercise in the 'New Kingdom,' and we possess several copies or parts of copies. There is no good text for the latter part (§§ 12 ff), which is corrupt in such MSS. as contain it.
I have used the critical text of Mr. Griffith, published in the Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache, 1896.
It is hoped that the Bibliography will be useful to students of the books of Ptah-hotep and Ke'gemni.
B. G. G.