Foreigners in Ancient Egyptian Art and Literature

This book is a broad overview of the role of foreigners in ancient Egyptian art and literature, spanning the dynastic period until the end of the Ptolemaic period. It considers archaeological and historical evidence for Egypt’s actual encounters with non-Egyptians and how this relates to the Egyptians’ portrayal of non-Egyptians. It surveys a broad range of sources, including monumental artworks; the description of foreigners in Egyptian texts; and the choice, use, and representation of hieroglyphs that were used in reference to foreigners. In doing this, it highlights the role of foreigners in the ancient Egyptian belief system and the qualities and concepts that the Egyptians ascribed to foreigners. Moreover, these ascribed identities contrasted and reinforced Egyptian identity. By focusing on foreigners, an important theme in Egyptian art and literature that is often neglected, through both textual and artistic materials from across three thousand years, this book fills a major gap in Egyptological literature and offers new insights into how the ancient Egyptian understanding of Otherness remained consistent while also changing over time.