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Instruction of Ankhsheshonq

ancient Egyptian literary work

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 15, 2025
Entity authorityQ770200 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Instruction of Ankhsheshonq (or Ankhsheshonqy) is an Ancient Egyptian papyrus that has been tentatively dated to the Ptolemaic period, although the content may be earlier in origin. It contains an introductory narrative and a list of maxims on many topics, its style has been described as pragmatic and humorous. The papyrus was obtained in 1896 by the British Museum (papyrus #10508).

It is twenty-eight pages long, with major damage on pages 1–2 and 24–28.

Sources

Lichtheim, Miriam (2006). Ancient Egyptian Literature: The Late Period. University of California Press. Pages 159–180.

External links

"Papyrus from the Instruction of Ankhsheshonqy". British Museum.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Instruction of Ankhsheshonq” as ancient Egyptian literary work. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Instruction, Ankhsheshonq and ancient.

Editorial reviewA useful identification and reception guide that helps separate the work itself from editions, performances, ownership and later interpretation. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1896, 2006—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Instruction, Ankhsheshonq and ancient providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Instruction of Ankhsheshonq”, the useful work is to connect “ancient Egyptian literary work” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 15, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q770200. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1896 and 2006.

Critical limits

Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

Best used for
  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
Verify next

The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Instruction of Ankhsheshonq”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Instruction of Ankhsheshonq primary sources, Instruction of Ankhsheshonq archive and Instruction research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Instruction of Ankhsheshonq”?
  2. How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
  3. Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Instruction of Ankhsheshonq” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.