ABSTRACT
The English translation used for this work is the one done by Battiscombe Gunn published by John Murray in 1918. It is one of two translated texts from ancient Egypt that Gunn published with the title: The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep and The Instruction of Ke’gemni: The Oldest Books in the World. There are other translations of ancient Egyptian texts contained in the book as well. Lichtheim (1973) correctly notes that there is a more recent translation (Zaba, 1956). I examined closely, also, the translation used by Lichtheim (1973), in her discussion on Ptah-Hotep, to determine whether or not there are signifi cant variations particularly as they may pertain to the number of maxims and their content. I discovered no variations signifi - cant enough to warrant a switch from Battiscombe Gunn’s translation. Lichtheim does acknowledge Gunn’s work and presents no criticism or objection against any aspect of Gunn’s translation. She provides in her introduction of her work information about the various translations, recognizing that the “text is exceedingly diffi cult and the translations differ widely” (p.62). She prefers the Zaba (1956) translation and does cite Gunn’s as among the extant translations. Upon close scrutiny, the translation she presents does not differ signifi cantly other than in the style of Gunn’s translation (old English phraseology) that was consistent with the date of his publication. The essential substance of the text is consistent with the set of values enunciated and celebrated in hers’ and Gunn’s.
