What do historians infer about the world view of the ancient Egyptians based on the prophecy of Neferty?

Question

Here are some excerpts of Neferty's prophecy

Papyrus Hermitage 1116B, lines 17- to 21

Utterly destroyed are those times of happiness at those basin lakes, with men set to slitting fish, overflowing with fish and fowl. All happiness has departed, flung down in the land of hardship, from those (weights) of supplies of the Asiatics who are throughout the land. Men of violence have emerged in the East, Asiatics are coming down into Egypt, The confines are lost, another is beside, who will not be heard. The ladder will be blocked in the night, the camps will be entered, the bleary-eyed will be overpowered, as the sleeper says 'I am awake'.

Papyrus Hermitage 1116B, lines 21- to 23

Do not tire: look at it before you, Stand up to what is in front of you, Look, now, the great are in the condition of the land, what was made is become unmade, Ra (must) begin his creation. the land is destroyed entirely, nothing is left overm there is not a trace of the fingernail in its fixed place.

13 (Papyrus Hermitage 1116B, lines 57 to 61)

“There is a king who will come from the south Ameny true of voice is his name. He is the son of a woman of the Land of the Bow, he is a child of the Heartland of Nekhen. He will take up the White Crown, he will raise up the Red Crown, he will unite the Two Mighty Goddesses, he will appease the Two Lord Gods, with what they desire. The field circuit is in his grasp, the oar in the jump.”

14 (Papyrus Hermitage 1116B, lines 61 to 65)

Rejoice O people of his time The son of a man will make his name for eternity and everlasting time. Those who fall into evil, or plan treason, they will be overthrown on themselves for fear of him, the Asiatics will fall at his slaughter, the Libyans will fall at his fire, the rebels at his force, the evil-hearted at his majesty. The rising cobra who is in the palace will overpower the evil-hearted for him.

15 (Papyrus Hermitage 1116B, lines 65 to 71)

They will build the Walls of the Ruler may he live, prosper, and be well, to prevent the Asiatics from coming down into Egypt if they request water in the proper manner, to let their flocks drink. Right is returned to its place, and evil is expelled. rejoice whoever will see, whoever will live in the following of the king. The wise man will pour water for me, when he sees what I have said come to pass.

• Where was the heartland of Nekhen located?

• Who were these Asiatics who the Egyptians despised so deeply?

• Who was referred to as Ameny true of voice?

• Where is the land of the Bow located?

• How does this prophecy fit with the dynastic race theory along with other theories that claim a Semitic, West Asian or middle Eastern origin of the ancient Egyptians?

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/nefertytransl.html

Answer 1

There's various interpretations of Neferti that Historians have argued about over the years. Simpson considered it to be essentially a propaganda pamphlet aiming at legitimizing and drumming up support for the newly established Twelfth Dynasty, the first King of which was Amenemhat I and that "Ameny true of voice" is supposed to refer to him. (Amenemhat was not of royal lineage and there is some suggestion that he might have overthrown his predecessor a bit of PR always comes in handy in such circumstances). Hans Goedicke suggested that the "Prophecy" was more likely to be a commentary on events in the east of Egypt during the Twelfth Dynasty - in particular the influx of the Hyksos and the perceived threat to established Egyptian culture. Others such as Morenz take the position that the "Prophecy" was actually written later and was a something of a mythologizing of Amenemhat I's reign.

Where is the land of the Bow located?

Ta-Seti, it was a "nome" or administrative region in Upper Egypt near the border with Nubia.

Where was the heartland of Nekhen located?

Nekhen (aka Hierakonpolis) was the capital of Prehistoric Egypt (and of religious significance as well) - it's on the West Bank of the Nile in what is now the Aswan Governorate

Who were these Asiatics who the Egyptians despised so deeply?

It's been a while since I looked closely at Ancient Egypt but I think "Asiatic" usually referred to those in Eastern Egypt although it depends on when the author was writing as I think it was used for the Hyksos who were migrating in the general direction of Egypt ~1900BC. Whether the Hyksos were a howling horde of bloodthirsty warriors or a more gentle migratory drift is still up for debate but given the nature of propagandist rants about immigrants either would fit with the theory of Neferti-as-political-leaflet.

Was Herodotus correct about the matriarchal society of ancient Egypt based on the fact that the king is referred to as "the son of a woman..."?

Don't know to be honest.. feels like a bit of a leap though. Especially since the main thrust of the text regards a near deified male king. Herodotus isn't considered particularly reliable with regards to Egypt - with there being substantial doubt that he ever even visited.

Answer 2

Has anyone considered the possibility that this prophesy is yet to be fulfilled...?

Before the actual prophetic line, the writer describes "the land is destroyed entirely, nothing is left over there is not a trace of the fingernail in its fixed place." When did the land of Kemet ever fell so desolate? If not in our day and age?

Consider this: "Rejoice O people of his time The son of a man will make his name for eternity and everlasting time." No other ruler in Kemet or Nubia called himself by this name "Son of Man" meaning this ruler will not consider his kingship to be of divine origin, unlike the other rulers of the land before him.

And finally: "he will appease the Two Lord Gods, with what they desire." This ruler is probably not coming to replace the two rulers, he'll give them what each of them wants, that's how he'll succeed in setting himself between the two, and then "He will take up the White Crown, he will raise up the Red Crown"

Conclusion: This will be an unconventional king who will rule in the presence of both the upper and lower "kings" maybe even under their protection.