Papyrus Harris 500
Encyclopedia
The Papyrus Harris 500, alt. pHarris 500 or P. British Museum 10060, contains copies of the ancient Egyptian tales of The Doomed Prince
and The Taking of Joppa
, of love poems and of the Harper's Song from the tomb of King Intef. The papyrus dates from the Ramesside Period (Dynasties 19 and 20).
The papyrus was part of the collection of Anthony Charles Harris
(1790–1869) and was purchased after his death, in 1872 by the British Museum from Selima Harris. It is 19.5 centimeters in height, and 142.5 centimeters long. It is located in the British Museum’s Ancient Egypt and Sudan department, with the registration number 1872,1101.2. According to reports the papyrus had been intact when discovered, but was damaged in an explosion which wrecked the house in Alexandria where it was kept. The rumour that a copy of the complete document had been made by Harris before the explosion has never been verified.
Tale of the doomed prince
The Tale of the Doomed Prince is an ancient Egyptian story, dating to the 18th Dynasty, written in hieratic text, which survived partially on the verso of Papyrus Harris 500 currently housed in the British Museum. The papyrus was burned in an explosion; because of this damage the conclusion of the...
and The Taking of Joppa
The Taking of Joppa
The Taking of Joppa is an ancient Egyptian tale describing the conquest of the town of Joppa by Thutmose III's general Djehuti. The extant copy of the text is on the verso of Papyrus Harris 500....
, of love poems and of the Harper's Song from the tomb of King Intef. The papyrus dates from the Ramesside Period (Dynasties 19 and 20).
The papyrus was part of the collection of Anthony Charles Harris
Anthony Charles Harris
Anthony Charles Harris was a noted collector of ancient Egyptian papyri. As antiquary, merchant, and official supplier of the army he was based in Alexandria, Egypt for the last four decades of his life. He made many journeys on the Nile to Upper Egypt where he acquired papyri and artefacts...
(1790–1869) and was purchased after his death, in 1872 by the British Museum from Selima Harris. It is 19.5 centimeters in height, and 142.5 centimeters long. It is located in the British Museum’s Ancient Egypt and Sudan department, with the registration number 1872,1101.2. According to reports the papyrus had been intact when discovered, but was damaged in an explosion which wrecked the house in Alexandria where it was kept. The rumour that a copy of the complete document had been made by Harris before the explosion has never been verified.