The Beginning of Time and the End of Eternity
In the Presence of the Nab ra Djar – Lord of the End
Found in books in the Par ‘Anakh – House of Life
The ascending and descending of the Pasadjat war – Great Ennead
Three houses, one each, R’a – Tomorrow, A’asir – Yesterday, Har – Today
Papyrus Cairo 86637 c. 1271 – 1163 BCE
The calendar of ancient Egypt is reconstructed using the latest research from calendars found inscribed in temples or written on papyrus. Its festival days, good and combative days are found in several archaeological and literary sources. The calendar is calibrated with the Heliacal rising of spdt (Sirius) that establishes the opening of the year (wpt rnpt ) over the ancient Capital of mn nfr (Memphis) as it was traditionally established in the Early Dynastic period, c. 2773 BCE.
Archaeological Sources
Solar Temple of Nyuserre Ini, Abusir, c. 2500 BCE
Valley Temple of Sahure, Abusir c. 2465 – c. 2325 BCE
Contracts of Hapdjefa, Nomarch of Asyut, reign of Senusret I 1971 BCE to 1926 BCE, or 1920 BCE to 1875 BCE
El-Lahun (Kahun) Papyrus, 12th Dynasty, c. 1991 – 1782 BCE
Sesostris III Papyrus, 1828 BCE
Sixth Pylon built by Thutmose III, Precinct of Amun-Ra, Karnak, c. 1479 – 1425 BCE
Temple of Thutmose III to Osiris, Abydos, c. 1479 – 1425 BCE
Temple of Thutmose III to his mother (goddess Satis or Anuket c. 1479 – 1425 BCE
Temple of Thutmose III to Mut, Karnak, c. 1479 – 1425 BCE
Papyrus Sallier no. IV, 19th Dynasty, c. 1293 – 1185 BCE
Papyrus Cairo 86637 c. 1271 – 1163 BCE
Temple of Ramesses II in Abydos c. 1303 – 1213 BCE
Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, c. 1150 BCE
Thutmosis IV wall around Hatshepsut’s south Obelisk, Karnak c. 1401 – 1391 BCE or 1397 – 1388 BCE
British Museum Papyrus EA10474 verso – Calendar of Lucky and Unlucky Days, Third Intermediate Period, c. 1,080 – 525 BCE
Granite trough for seedlings, Dynasty 22 king at Koptos, c. 850 BCE
Papyrus Louvre N 3176, c. 332 – 30 BCE
Temple to Hathor, Dandara c. 305 – 100 CE
Temple to Horus of Behdet, Edfu c. 142 – 57 BCE
Temple to Sobek and Horus the Elder, Kom Ombo c. 180–47 BCE
Papyrus Jumilhac, c. 100 BCE
Literary Sources
Dawson, W. (1926). Some Observations on the Egyptian Calendars of Lucky and Unlucky Days. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 12(3/4), 260-264. doi:10.2307/3854395
El-Sabban, S. (1770). Temple Festival Calendars of Ancient Egypt. Liverpool University Press.
Gautschy, R. (2011). Der Stern Sirius im Alten Ägypten. Zeitschrift Für Ägyptische Sprache Und Altertumskunde, 138 (2), 116–131. https://edoc.unibas.ch/21752/
Helck, W. (1961). Urkunden der 18. Dynastie: übersetzung zu den Heften 17-22. Akademie-Verlag.
Sethe, K. H. (1908). Die altaegyptischen Pyramidentexte. Nach den Papierabdrücken und Photographien des Berliner Museums neu herausgegeben und erläutert von Kurt Sethe. J. C. Hinrichs’sche Buchhandlung.