Lives and Literacy in Ancient Egypt

Jeremy Penner is Senior Curator of African and Near Eastern Manuscripts at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, and Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Biblical Studies, University of ManchesterAaron T. Pratt is the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Curator of Early Books and Manuscripts at the Harry Ransom Center, and Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of English at The University of Texas at AustinGeoffrey S. Smith is Associate Professor and Fellow of the Louise Farmer Boyer Chair in Biblical Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, and Director of the Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins (ISAC)Katherine M. Taronas is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, and Fellow of the W. Cleigh Nease Endowment in the Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins (ISAC)

• Introduction: Lives and Literacy in Ancient Egypt – Jeremy Penner, Aaron T. Pratt, Geoffrey S. Smith, and Katherine M. Taronas1 Papyri, libraries, and scholars: an intellectual panorama of Graeco-Roman Egypt – Marina Escolano-PovedaObject spotlight: Papyrus Rylands Greek 63 (P. Ryl. Gr. 63), Plato discusses astrology with the Egyptian prophet Petese – Marina Escolano-Poveda2 Papyrus production, scribal practices, and education – Giulia Tonon3 Daily Life in Graeco-Roman Egypt – Colin AdamsObject spotlight: Papyrus Rylands Greek Additional 1057 verso (P. Ryl. Gr. Add. 1057 verso), an enslaved woman’s petition during the Antonine plague – W. Graham Claytor4 Astronomy and astrology in the papyri – Alexander Jones5 Religion in Greek and Roman Egypt – Katherine M. Taronas6 The rise of Christianity in Egypt (1st–7th centuries CE) – Sarah ParkhouseObject spotlight: Papyrus Rylands Greek 463 (P. Ryl. Gr. 463), the Gospel of Mary – Sarah ParkhouseObject spotlight: Papyrus Rylands Greek 457 (P. Ryl. Gr. 457), the Gospel of John – Brent NongbriObject spotlight: The Willoughby Papyrus – Geoffrey S. Smith7 Medicine and magic in Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt: networks of transmission and knowledge exchange – Isabel Black8 Expectations for the afterlife – Campbell Price9 Funerary masks and portraits in Roman Egypt – Louise A. O’BrienObject spotlight: Manchester Museum 2266 (Figure 9.3), funerary portrait of a woman – Louise A. O’Brien10 The afterlife of papyri – Geoffrey S. SmithObject spotlight: An erotic ostracon housed at the Harry Ransom Center – Jordan A. Swanson and Rikki Wenxin LiuBibliography