Comparison of the texts and scenes in the Greenfield Papyrus and the tombs of Osorkon II (Tanis) and Sheshonq (Memphis)

Abstract

The Greenfield Papyrus (papyrus London BM EA 10554) from the Royal Cachette in Deir el-Bahari provides a selection of various texts such as spells from the Book of the Dead, hymns and litanies, as well as “mythological” vignettes. Some parts of this hieratic papyrus, which probably date to the end of the 21st dynasty, are displayed in a very similar way on the walls of the tomb of King Osorkon II in Tanis and in the tomb of his son Sheshonq, High Priest of Ptah, in Memphis (now in Cairo, JE 88131) during the 22nd dynasty. This paper aims to compare the texts and scenes on these different mediums and to investigate the transmission of the texts between Thebes and the north.