NOTES ON LITERATURE IN EGYPT IN THE TIME OF MOSES. 191 



characterized by a highly organized civiKzation, and now 

 again, in this most brilhant nineteenth century dynasty, was 

 at the very height of her Hterary splendour. The Egyptians 

 had what Professor Erman calls " a mania for writing." 

 Scribes were at work everywhere. Learning was necessary, 

 if high literary titles were to be secured. In this most 

 literary of the nations of antiquity, with an honoured past, 

 near the period of her best literary achievements, Moses 

 appeared. Though a Hebrew in blood, he was adopted, by 

 the daughter or perhaps the sister of Pharaoh, as her own son, 

 became a member of the royal family, and was educated at 

 the royal court under the best tutors which Egypt could afford. 



Neither Greece nor Rome has bequeathed to the modern 

 world so vast an amount of writing as has Egypt. 



When we consider the literary treasures which have been 

 permanently lost, we may form some estimate of what must 

 have been available for the education of Moses. He studied 

 the religious systems. He became familiar with the Book 

 of the Dead, and perhaps listened to the chanting of hymns 

 to the gods. He knew something of the history of Egypt 

 and surrounding nations, and took a deep interest in the 

 history of his own kindred.* He had studied such branches 

 of science as ^were known to the ancients. He had read the 

 mythological tales, rustic and love songs, and books of travel 

 Avhich were accessible in his time, and had stored his memory 

 with the maxims of the sages. He had become experienced 

 in the administration of affairs of government, and may have 

 been charged with important military enterprises. He was 

 accustomed to the receipt and despatch of written reports. 

 Moses must have been endowed with learning equal to the 

 composition of the Pentateuch. Is it not probable that the 

 great leader would have caused records to be made of events 

 so closely connected with his own life and the history of his 

 people, and so momentous in their character? The age and 

 country in which he lived, the literary activity of his time, 

 his connection with the royal family, the educational oppor- 

 tunities of his day, and the custom of making records of all, 

 even the most trivial affairs, are in perfect keeping with this 

 view. To suppose that Moses did not cause such records to 

 b^ made would place him out of harmony with the spirit of 

 the times and the circumstances of the case. The contents 

 of the Pentateuch also are consistent with the view we have 



* See Stosch's Origin of Gene-ns. — Ed. 



p 2 



