The Instructions of Amenemope

Introduction
The composition of this work is usually assigned to the Ramesside
period that is between 1295-1069 BC, although all the manuscript copies that
have reached us are of later date. This was the time that the tribes of Israel
became a nation. There had been some contacts between the works of Israel
and Egypt. Its seen that the Instruction of Amenehope is embedded in the
Book of Proverbs of Judaism. It can hardly be doubted that the author of
Proverbs was acquainted with the Egyptian work and borrowed from it.
The Instruction of Amenemope is completely preserved in the British
Museum Papyrus 10474. The papyrus was discovered in a Theban tomb and
presented to the British Museum by W. Budge in 1888. It was recognized that
a wooden writing tablet at the Turin Museum contained thirty lines of the same
text. H. O. Lange translated the Turin tablet into Germany.
The work is divided into thirty numbered chapters.
In the prologue, its written that Amenemope is the son of Kanakht.
He also tells us why he wrote these instructions; they are for wellbeing, for relations with elders, to know how to speak, to be prosper upon
earth, for the clearing of evil, for the officers who control measure, set the
harvest-dues, register the lands, record the markers on the borders of fields.
In the first chapter, it signifies that to understand these sayings, the
reader has to give his ears and heart. If the reader makes his life with these in
his heart then he will find it a success, he says. To put the teaching in the
heart signifies the learning way of Disciple that is to live them in the soul or to
make them a part of his soul.
These are advices for a corrupted society or a society falling into
corruption so very helpful for the societies of our time.
About abusing of power.
There are some advices not to abuse our power over the weak people
such as a wretch, a cripple, an old man and an elder. Its sin to rob a wretch,
to attack a cripple or an old man, to talk to an elder man rudely. Todays world
is full of abusing of the power; the political power, the economical power, the
physical power and the mental power are used to enslave and to use the
others for their own benefits. This kind of people chooses to rise up by
standing on the others. They only think themselves. They are in ignorant of
knowing that mankind is a great family. To have more power means having
more profit.
If the man has a power in government or rhetoric then hes advised not
to use that power on poor people to gain profit for himself because Better is
praise with the love of man than wealth in the storehouse, better is bread with
a happy heart than wealth with vexation1 says Amenemope. Its worth to
have a happy heart instead of satisfying a desire with suffering heart.

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On the other side, do not accept bribes or gifts to change your altitude is
another advise for officers in a corrupted society otherwise all laws are applied
for the interest of rich people by the officers who have the responsibility to
apply the laws.
Its a virtue to protect poor and weak people. Amenemope tells us that
if there is a large debt against a poor man, divide it into three and forgive two
of them. In corrupted societies, greedy directors put the burden on the poor
and weak people by taxes etc and it becomes unbearable for the poor people
to live in those conditions.
About Anger.
Its difficult to talk to an angry person so its advised not to quarrel, not
to needle him with words. Its better to withdraw from him, leave him alone
instead of struggling with him because hes like a fire that burns whatever
touches him but the gods know how to answer him.
Not to make mistakes in words, its better to pause and think before
talking. When we are angry, the words fly away from our mouth and generally
theyre the words of anger not us. The words can be like arrows hurting
people very deeply.
About Greed
Greed is another disease of middle ages. Greed causes corruption in
the society because the greedy people in the power abuse the power they
have. They abuse the laws for their personal interests. There are some
advices for the greedy people who think to change the measures and rations.
If you falsify the temple rations, do not think that youll get profit. To live in the
silent is better than to live in messy is the advice of Amenemope. Silence is
the medium where you find life, you feel God.
Some other frauds are the changing of field borders, cheating in
measuring, telling lies for their own benefits. A terror is waiting for such a
person. Amenemope advises us not to set our heart on wealth.
Greedy people are oppressor of the weak. The advice is that; Better is
a basket given by the god than five thousand through wrongdoing. Better is
poverty in the hand of the god than wealth in the storehouse; better is bread
with a happy heart than wealth with vexation.2. Happy heart is much more
worth than having a wealth in terror and remorse.
The wealth that will come by fraud does not stay a night with you. The
things we posses without deserving can fly away from us any time. Its a kind
expression for the Karma Law. Its also a sin to complain of being poor
because its a sign of being slave of greed.
In chapter eleven and twelve, Amenemope warns the greedy people
not to steal from the poor and the rich one. He says; A poor mans goods are
a block in the throat3. He advises the man to guard the poor one. Do not
desire a nobles wealth4 is another advice for the greedy one.

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The wealth is always a weakness for man for all ages. He is tempted
by wealth, forgetting all good deeds advised by sages. There is a very clear
advice about this; God prefers him who honours the poor to him who
worships the wealthy5. So the man who is after wealth is not worthy as the
man helping to the poor people before God.
About the sins of tongue.
He explains the sins committed by tongue like saying lies or harmful
speech. It stresses the control of tongue as not give free rein to your
answer6. The falsifying of words is also a great sin that is mentioned as God
hates the falsifier of words, He greatly abhors the dissembler7. This is
especially for the sacred words, which people falsify for their interests.
Some other sins committed by tongue are to insult and to offend
people. Tongue is a tool to build up and at the same time to destroy so its
advised not to use tongue to destroy.
By tongue, man can cause his brothers to quarrel. A man can sow
hatred seeds in a society with his tongue and those seeds can be very
destructive.
Tongue is so fast to be caught like the mind so we need much practising to
control it.
Telling lies in the courts is also reproached. Another day, another
person can tell lies about you to put you guilty.
About the Scribes.
The Egyptian grain redistribution system was administered by scribal
functionaries of various ranks. Scribes were responsible for overseeing the
weighing and measuring of each years harvest. Amnemope addresses scribal
corruption in close detail that caused a grain crisis in that time because it was
a serious and widespread problem.8 So there are some advices for the
scribes; Do not dip your pen to injure a man. The finger of the scribe is the
beak of the Ibis When he sees one who cheats with his finger, He carries
his livelihood off in the flood.9
The other advices for the scribes are about the weights and measuring;
not move the scales, nor alter the weights, nor diminish the fractions of the
measure. If you do such things, you will be rich in grief. These are the
instructions for the officers that have responsibilities in governing the state.
The use of fraudulent weights also appears in the list of sins in the negative
confession of the Book of Dead.
Thoth is invoked here in the forms of the Ibis and Ape. By identifying
the finger of scribe with the beak of the Ibis, Amenemope illustrates the
gravity of the scribes responsibility. The god works through the hand of

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scribe; if he uses his pen falsely, he brushes aside the instrument of the
god.10
Scribe is also the officer who records the markers on the borders of the
fields so Amenemope gives instructions to preserve the land boundaries.
About the appearances of man.
This advice is seen clearly in Stoics too; Do not incline to the welldressed man, and rebuff the one in rags. Dont accept a gift of a powerful
man, and deprive the weak for his sake.11 People are impacted by the
appearances. When we wait for a reward for our action as Bhagavad Gita
says then we behave differently to the rich people than to the poor ones. If we
are officers, we are inclined to take decisions for the advantage of rich people.
Today we can see how some people changes easily before the people who
has money and fame. If these people are officers that it is a sign of a
corruption in the state.
Wrongdoings in sacred things.
There is a very strong and precise statement that covers many things;
Dont falsify the oracles in the scrolls, and thus disturb the plans of god12. To
be against to plans of god means to be against to Dharma, the harmony of
Nature in other words to live by transgressing the laws of Nature. And the
misfortunes befallen to us may be good in a medium or long term because we
dont know the plans of god. So try to find out the good side of misfortunes
you have in the life.
Another strong teaching that Amenemope left us is to give in the will of
God. This means to live with the will of god thats to live completely in
accordance of Dharma. Here is the statement; Settle in the arms of the god,
your silence will overthrow them13.
About heart.
In another part, the importance of heart is mentioned; Lest your
heart be aggrieved. The heart of man is a gift of god, beware of neglecting
it14. The heart of man can sense the difference between good and bad. That
is the place where we feel remorse and that remorse can only be healed by
doing good deeds. Heart is a gift from God and the means to reach God. If we
learn to listen our heart, we can hear the voice of inner Master, which is the
closest part of us to God.

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Conclusion
The pilot who sees from afar, He will not wreck his boat15. The
advices coming from wisdom give man that capacity he needs to foresee. The
words of wisdom are the signs on the life that warns us when we need.
The last chapter that is thirty expresses the goal of these chapters.
They inform, they educate; they are the foremost of all books, they make the
ignorant wise Be filled with them, put them in your heart16. As we see in
the advises of other sacred books, we should put the teachings into our heart
that is to apply them in our lives otherwise they won't be more than words.
The words of wisdom can only be understood by heart, by experiencing them,
by living them.
Amenemope left wise words to guide man in his dark ages. These wise
words would be the torches in the night if we know to walk towards them, and
give them the value and importance they deserve.
Guner Orucu
2005

Bibliography
Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume II, Miriam Lichtheim, 1976, University of
California Press.
Wealth and Poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and The Hebrew
Proverbs, Harold C. Washington, 1994, Scholars Press

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