Problems of Canonicity and Identity Formation in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

The term “canonicity” implies the recognition that the domain of literature and of the library is also a cultural and political one, related to various forms of identity formation, maintenance, and change. From the very earliest days of writing, texts from the written traditions of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt were accumulated, codified, and to some extent canonized, as various collections developed primarily in the environment of the temple and the palace. Problems of Canonicity and Identity Formation in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia addresses the interrelations between various forms of “canon” and identity formation in different time periods, genres, regions, and contexts, as well as the application of contemporary conceptions of canon to ancient texts.
 

Kim Ryholt is professor of Egyptology at the University of Copenhagen. Gojko Barjamovic is a lecturer on Assyriology at Harvard University.