A papyrus from the Middle Kingdom
This papyrus is considered one of the rarest and strangest texts that have reached us from ancient Egypt from the era of the Middle Kingdom, around 1900 BC. It is 350 cm long and 16 cm wide, and has 155 vertical columns written on it in hieratic script.
It was written by an Egyptian philosopher 4000 years ago, in which he recorded his reflections on life and death in the oldest meditative text in history. The text is called The Dialogue of the Desperate One of Life with His Soul, and it says:
To whom do I speak today? Brothers are evil and friends are hateful. To whom do I speak today? Hearts are filled with greed and everyone steals the belongings of their comrades. To whom do I speak today? Goodness has disappeared and insolence prevails.
To whom do I speak today? People are satisfied with evil and good lying on the ground. To whom do I speak today? No one remembers the past. No one helps those who are helped. Faces are pale. To whom do I speak today? No one rejoices. Misguidance spreads throughout the earth without end.
Death is before me today, like healing the sick, like freedom after prison. Death is before me today, like the smell of incense, like sitting under the sail in the cool breeze. Death is before me today, like the clarity of the sky, like knowledge after ignorance.
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