Episode 64: The Leyden Papyrus

The source is a compilation of writings from a Demotic magical papyrus discovered in Thebes and now held at the British Museum and Leiden. Edited by F.L. Griffith and Herbert Thompson in 1904, the document contains various spells, incantations, and rituals used for divination, medicine, and love magic, providing insight into ancient Egyptian magical practices. The text is of great philological interest due to its numerous Coptic glosses and its late Demotic script, shedding light on the language spoken by pagans at the time of the adoption of the Greek alphabet by Christians.