Archaeological Museum of Bologna

Lecture of Luigi Prada, University of Oxford

It is not widely known that, amongst the gems of the Egyptian collection in Bologna, there are two demotic papyri from Saqqara, which date from the II century BC (EG 3171 and 3173) and preserve two enigmatic lists of dreams. In all likelihood, these jottings had been written in order to be submitted to the examination of a dream interpreter.

Moving from these fascinating Bologna texts, the audience will hear about the role and popularity that the art of dream interpretation, i.e. oneiromancy, enjoyed in ancient Egypt. The first known manual attesting this ancient divinatory practice dates from the reign of Ramses II, and similar handbooks are attested for approximately a millennium and a half, until the III century AD, when the indigenous Egyptian culture and religion were collapsing under the increasing pressure of Christianity.

This talk will also offer the opportunity to introduce the audience to a wide range of still unpublished documents, which are currently being studied in preparation for their edition within the framework of a larger research project on dreams and their interpretation in ancient Egypt.

of a dream interpreter.
Moving from these fascinating Bologna texts, the audience will hear about the role and popularity that the art of dream interpretation, i.e. oneiromancy, enjoyed in
ncient Egypt. The first known manual attesting this ancient divinatory practice dates from the reign of Ramses II, and similar handbooks are attested for approximately
preparation for their edition within the framework of a larger research project on dreams and their interpretation in ancient Egypt.