Thank you, Inena

Let us now return to the papyrus. It is hard to overestimate its importance and how exceptional it is that we have access to a fairytale written over 3 millennia ago. First of all, it is amazing that the manuscript has survived over such a long time.

Papyrus is a fragile material, and it is only because of the uniquely dry and hot climate in Egypt that papyrus scrolls had a chance of survival. Many, however, have been irretrievably lost, or have not yet been discovered. It is therefore very fortunate that this particular scroll has survived.

Another fortuitous fact is that this text was written in the first place; such stories were typically not put into writing, but transmitted orally. We do not know why Inena wrote this tale and for what purpose, but we should be very grateful to him for giving us a glimpse of the undoubtedly rich reservoir of stories that circulated in the ancient world, and for showing us the impressive longevity of some literary motifs.