Excerpt - part of the Story of Sinuhe -

Whenever Bedu tribes revolted against their prince, Sinuhe led forces to quell that uprising, seizing wells, land, cattle, even the people themselves. For this, Sinuhe was raised up in rank, even above the sons of the greatest chieftain.

But there was another enemy, a hero warrior of the Tennu, the wandering Abarrut Sons of Avilim. This man began terrorizing the Sariat and swore that he would fight and kill Sinuhe, and any other champion of the Bedu.

"I do not know this man," Sinuhe told his benefactor. "I have never walked among his people or upon his land, nor have I ever opened his gate or thrown down his fences or carried stones against him. Thus I believe he has envy for me because I serve you. For that he has sworn to fight me and if his heart is set for a fight, then let him step forth and challenge me."

That night Sinuhe strung his bow, tested his arrows and sharpened his other weapons.

At dawn the entire population of Tennu, along with many of its neighbors, came down to the place where Sinuhe's people were encamped. These Tennu spoke of nothing but the coming fight, women and children as ardently as the men.

Out in front came the Tennu warrior to face Sinuhe.

"Come out and fight me, Old Man. I will eat your heart and take your wives and children as my slaves, your land and flocks!"

Every Bedu heart ached for this hero, for his fate was their fate. They whispered among themselves, "Is any man strong enough to face this Tennu beast? Behold! He has a shield, a battle-axe and an armful of spears!"

And Sinuhe, old but not yet infirm, said farewell to his Bedu wife and prayed to the Queen Mother of Pe, whom he so sorrowfully missed, even after those many years. Then he stepped out to meet the Tennu hero carrying only his bow, arrows and fighting blade.

The enemy flung his spears with deadly accuracy, but Sinuhe, mustering amazing agility, dodged each one and stood calmly awaiting the next.

The Tennu was furious when his last spear sailed harmlessly past Sinuhe's ear and he took up his axe and shield and charged at the Bedu hero. "Die, Old One!" He shouted. "Make way for destiny!"

And Sinuhe calmly notched an arrow, sent in through the Tennu's shield like a bronze knife through dry papyrus into the enemy's bellowing throat. The man fell on his nose and while he lay strangling, the Egyptian took up the Tennu's own battle-axe and struck off his bloody head.

He shouted victory and the Bedu gave thanks to Sinuhe and their war-god, Mentu.

Then, as was his due, Sinuhe marched into the enemy camp and claimed every member of the Tennu tribe, every animal of the flocks, every tent and carpet, urn and bauble for his prince, the great Bedu chief.

The Prince embraced Sinuhe once again, giving him great wealth, flocks and many servants, and the man who once had fled Pe without clean clothing now was arrayed in fine white linen and dazzlingly bejeweled.

But his memory was of Pe, the Lady-of-the-two-Lands and her temple-palace at On-on-the-Hapi. "O god, whichever god thou art, who has ordained my flight, show mercy to me and bid me return to the land where I was born. Tho a happy life has been my lot, old age approaches and my hands grow weak, my heart weary. O let the King, Great Egypt show mercy to me, that I may once again greet the Sovereign Lady and hear her speak to me of her children's beauty."

And a short time later Sesostris, King of the Two Lands, heard of this man's sorrow and sent him gifts and bade him return to the palace where he grew up and "do homage to the great doorways and take your place among the Peers."

And the god-king further promised, "When you die, I will arrange a great procession for you. Your mummy-case shall be of gold, your head of lapis-lazuli! You shall be placed upon the hearse and drawn by bull oxen, and the sacred dance of Muu shall be performed at the mouth of your tomb.

"You shall not die abroad. Asiatics shall not be your guides and witnesses. You shall not be wrapped in sheepskin and buried in the sand."

And so Sinuhe rejoiced and begged his master, the Bedu Prince, to accompany him to his homeland. At the border they were met by the king's chief huntsman and beer was brewed in Sinuhe's honor.

After a great feast, Sinuhe thanked his Bedu wife and children and friends and bade them farewell. The journey to Pe was quick, even against the Nile's strong current.

"Forgive me, Great King," said the prostrate Sinuhe. "I do not know why I fled. It was as in a dream, a dream in which one sees oneself at Elephantine while standing at On. I mourned your father, but I was afraid of your wrath."

Sesostris, from his throne of gold, in his golden hall, looked down upon the old man who had been his father's friend. He looked a savage, all bearded and dusty, still garbed in the many-colored robe of the Bedu. "Fear me not, old friend," he commanded, and to his assembled family, the Mother-queen and her children, he said, "This is Sinuhe, come home as an Asiatic, a son of the Bedouin."

The Queen uttered a cry and the royal children shouted out all together, "No! It cannot be!"

But the god-king said, "It is truly he."

And the children shook their sistrae and sang - "May thy lands prosper O King and grant good things to this traveler, Sinuhe, born of Qemt ..."

The king agreed. Sinuhe was taken to one of the royal rooms and bathed and shaved. The hair and sand of thirty years fell away from him and he was young again and vigorous. To him were given wide gardens to surround his tomb-home, and many slaves to build and tend the estate. And he slept upon a bed and was given the office of Peer. The royal children served him meals three and four times a day. There was a great celebration in the Two Lands and the night sky applauded with streaks of fire and bathed Sinuhe in dazzling glory.

And there, in the presence of the Mother-queen, he prayed - "May I always be in the favor of the Great House, of the son of the Sun and of the Great God-king, until the day of my death shall come."

So said the teacher in his role as storyteller.

Later the four young people would argue about the meaning of such a story, about what it revealed about Egypt. Bussil, quiet through much of the discussion, ended it by singing, “Sinuhe, my friends, is clearly Sin the Moon. Is he not worshiped from Sinai to Mersin? The Sun is most loved in the Two Lands. The Moon goes and returns ...” I have heard the Lybian song. It goes. “The Sun comes and goes. The stars come and go, the Moon comes and goes, but man comes only once and does not come again.”

“Yes! The Great House is called Ptah-roah, house of the sun, the new-born sun.”

“Then who is this queen? Is she not the king’s mother? Who are the children who feed and nurture Sinuhe?”

Ah, the others realized. It is a puzzle, this story, with many mysteries and answers.