The Story of Sinuhe is set in the time of the Pharaoh Amenemhat I, founder of the 12th dynasty of Egypt, and is thus one of the oldest pieces of literature known. It may be likely that the tale is based on actual events, although there is great uncertainty amongst Egyptologists as to this.

It opens with the death of Amenemhat, and recounts the experiences of Sinuhe who learns of a murder plot to prevent the succession of Senusret I, with whom he is returning from a military campaign in Libya. Sinuhe, fearing for his life, fails in his duty to Senusret and instead of denouncing the plot, flees the country. Upon entering Syria, he marries the daughter of a southern chieftain, who adopts him. He later rises to power and returns to Egypt at the invitation of Senusret I - who has survived the murder plot - and who forgives him and accepts him back into royal service.

Naguib Mahfouz, the Nobel Prize for Literature-winning Egyptian writer published in 1941 a story entitled "Awdat Sinuhi" translated by Raymond Stock in 2003 as "The Return of Sinuhe" in the collection of Mahfouz's short stories entitled Voices from the Other World. The story is based directly on the "The Story of Sinuhe", although adding details of a lovers' triangle romance that does not appear in the original.

The story also formed part of the inspiration for the 1945 novel by Mika Waltari, and the 1954 Hollywood film epic, both titled The Egyptian, which although set during the reign of 18th dynasty pharaoh Akhenaten, features a lead character named Sinuhe who flees Egypt in disgrace, to return after achieving material success and personal redemption in foreign lands.

External links

• Translation which includes details on the sources for the translations, transcriptions from the original hieratic into Egyptian hieroglyphs.
• Complete English translation

Reference

Mahfouz, Naguib. "The Return of Sinuhe" in Voices from the Other World (translated by Robert Stock), Random House, 2003

Ancient Egyptian literature | Unsolved problems in Egyptology

Die Geschichte von Sinuhe | Conte de Sinouhé | Historia de Sinuhé | Szinuhe | Sinuhen tarina