Djadjamankh, The Magician

[The_Spartan]

I was reading through some Pdfs i have and one pdf i am reading right now is "Egyptian Magic" by Sir Wallice Budge.

In it is a description of the Westcar papyrus which describes 5 stories about the Magical Powers of Egyptian Magicians and the mircales they have performed.

The third story is told to Khufu by one of his sons Baufra about a an incident that toom place during his grandfather Sneferu's rule.

The translation of the complete Westcar Papyrus can be found here at this link and at this link (pdf)

The story of Djadjamankh

Then prince Baefre stood up to speak, and he said: "I will let Your Majesty hear of the wonders that occurred during the lifetime of your ancestor, Nebka, justified, which the chief lector priest Djadjamankh has done.

/// each /// of the palace, may it live, prosper and be healthy, to search a cool place for him, but he could not find one. Thus he said: 'Go and bring me the chief lector priest and scribe of the scrolls Djadjamankh'.

He was brought to him immediately and His Majesty said to him: 'I have gone around in every room of the palace, may it live, prosper and be healthy, to seek me a cool place, but I have not found any'.

Djadjamankh said to him: 'May Your Majesty walk to the lake of the Great House, may it live, prosper and be healthy, and may you man a galley with every beautiful girl that resides in the palace. Your Majesty's heart shall be refreshed, seeing them row up and down (the lake). While you watch the beautiful marshes of your lake and while you watch its fields and its beautiful banks, your heart will be refreshed by it'.

(The king then said:) 'Indeed, I shall go sailing. Let 20 strong oars of ebony, inlaid with fine gold, be brought to me, their grips (made of) wood and inlaid with fine good (as well). Let 20 women with beautiful bodies, be brought to me, strong breasted and with braided hair, who have not (yet) been opened by childbirth. And let 20 nets be brought to me and let these nets be placed on these women, when they have laid aside their clothes'.

One did according to everything that His Majesty had ordered.

They rowed up and down (the lake), and His Majesty's heart was glad of seeing them row. Now there was one of them, who was at the stroke oar, whose hair became entangled and her fish-shaped pendant made of turquoise fell into the water. She stopped and did not row (any more). Her (entire) gang of rowers stopped rowing (as well). His Majesty said: 'Why do you not row?'

And they said: 'Our leader has stopped rowing'.

So His Majesty said to her: 'Why is it that you do not row?'

And she said: 'My fish-shaped turquoise pendant has fallen into the water'.

/// replacement ///

But she said: 'I prefer my own possession to a copy of it'.

Thus His Majesty said: 'Fetch me the chief lector priest Djadjamankh!'

And he was brought to him immediately. His Majesty said: 'Djadjamankh, my brother, I have done as you told me, and the heart of My Majesty was refreshed at seeing them row. But the fish-shaped turquoise pendant of one of the strokers has fallen into the water and now she has stopped rowing, which has upset her entire gang. When I said to her 'Why is it that you do not row', she said to me 'My fish-shaped turquoise pendant has fallen into the water'. And when I said to her 'Row, and behold, I will replace it', she said to me 'I prefer my own possession to a copy of it'.'

Then the chief lector priest Djadjamankh said his magic spell and he placed one side of the water of the lake upon the other and he found the pendant lying on a shard. He took it and gave it back to its owner. Now the water that was 12 cubits (deep) in the middle, now was 24 cubits (deep) after he had folded (it) over. Then he said his magic spell and he brought the water of the lake back to its place.

His Majesty spent an enjoyable day along with the entire palace and (he) set out to reward the chief lector priest Djadjamankh with all good things.

Behold, the miracles that happened during the lifetime of your father, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Snofru, justified, as they were done by the chief lector priest and writer of scrolls, Djadjamankh".

The Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Kheops, justified, said: "Let a thousand offerings, a hundred jars of beer, one ox and two cones of incense be given to the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Snofru, justified. And let one give one loaf of bread, one jar of beer, a portion of meat and one cone of incense to the chief lector priest Djadjamankh, for I have seen his deed(s) of wisdom".

And one acted in accordance to all that His Majesty had ordered.

from the 1st link

So, if magic were real, the above act of folding the water, just like what Moses did at the parting of the Red Sea, was an Egyptian Maqgical Process.

[Quaentum]

I was reading through some Pdfs i have and one pdf i am reading right now is "Egyptian Magic" by Sir Wallice Budge.

In it is a description of the Westcar papyrus which describes 5 stories about the Magical Powers of Egyptian Magicians and the mircales they have performed.

The third story is told to Khufu by one of his sons Baufra about a an incident that toom place during his grandfather Sneferu's rule.

The translation of the complete Westcar Papyrus can be found here at this link and at this link (pdf)

from the 1st link

So, if magic were real, the above act of folding the water, just like what Moses did at the parting of the Red Sea, was an Egyptian Maqgical Process.

More likely not an actual process but just a story, however, it could be the basis the biblical account was derived from.

[The_Spartan]

yeah. if it were real.

[lightly]

Cool Spartan. I recently learned of other 'biblical' concepts that were earlier in Egyptian beliefs.

Apep (Apophis in Greek) the devilish serpentine devourer of souls encountered by Egyptians on their journey to the afterlife ..

A lake of fire.. also encountered by same (*where the unworthy are cast into)

And.. the idea of Osiris sitting in JUDGMENT of souls by weighing the heart against a feather.

. . . So many Bible stories and concepts are drawn from earlier sources.

Edited August 11, 2012 by lightly