Centuries before the Library of Alexandria, ancient Egypt was home to numerous temple libraries, but only a single large-scale one has survived: the Tebtunis Temple library. Abandoned around 200 CE—but rediscovered by archaeologists in 1900—the library’s contents include an array of scientific, religious, and narrative literature from the first centuries of the Common Era. This collection offers some of the narrative literature found there, translated into English— much for the first time. This book contains ten narratives in total—from stories of Prince Inaros to a new version of the mythological “The Contendings of Horus and Seth.”

Kim Ryholt is associate professor at the Institute of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen and author of several books, including The Petese Stories II, The Story of Petese son of Petetum, and The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, all published by Museum Tusculanum Press.