The first public presentation on the earliest connected Semitic text ever deciphered has taken place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The presentation was made by Prof. Richard Steiner, professor of Semitic languages and literature at Yeshiva University in New York, in a lecture entitled "Proto-Canaanite Spells in the Pyramid Texts: a First Look at the History of Hebrew in the Third Millennium B.C.E." The lecture was sponsored by the Academy of the Hebrew Language in cooperation with the Hebrew University and the World Union of Jewish Studies.

Prof. Steiner, a past fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University and a member of the Academy of the Hebrew Language, has deciphered a number of Semitic texts in various Egyptian scripts over the past 25 years. In his lecture he interpreted Semitic passages in Egyptian texts that were discovered more than a century ago, inscribed on the subterranean walls of the pyramid of King Unas at Saqqara in Egypt. The pyramid dates from the 24th century B.C.E., but Egyptologists agree that the texts are older. The dates proposed for them range from the 25th to the 30th centuries B.C.E. No continuous Semitic texts from this period have ever been deciphered before...

Presentation made in lecture at Hebrew University, EurekAlert, USA, January 29, 2007.

Previously: Deciphering of earliest Semitic text reveals talk of snakes and spells, January 23, 2007.

"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" will open its doors February 3 [2007] at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia as the final of four venues scheduled during its current 27-month tour of the United States. The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Mellon Financial Corporation is the presenting sponsor and PECO is the associate sponsor in Philadelphia. The exhibition is supported by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation.

"Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922, Tutankhamun has captured the hearts of people around the world. Buried with him were treasures beyond the imagination, giving us a glittering glimpse into the past," said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "Philadelphia is an important city. I spent time working there and earned my doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. It's my time to tell the people of Philadelphia 'thank you.' It's my time to show to them the most beautiful and important exhibit that ever left Egypt; King Tut, the golden boy who has captured the hearts of everyone..."

'Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs' to Begin Its February 3 - September 30 Run at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Franklin Institute via Yahoo! Finance, USA, January 31, 2007.

... The University of Pennsylvania participated in excavations at Amarna during the early 20th century and its Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has an extensive collection of artefacts from the site. These form the basis of a new exhibition, " Amarna: Ancient Egypt's Place in the Sun." (See "Excavating Amarna," our interview with Barry Kemp about current excavations at the site).

After a short, informative introductory video, the exhibition opens into four small galleries organized by the show's curators to tell the story of the Amarna period and not to merely highlight the artefacts. The first gallery examines life in polytheistic ancient Egypt prior to Akhenaten. The gallery includes a visual timeline of 18th Dynasty rulers featuring their portraits and busts (using pieces from the exhibit whenever possible) on a stunning backdrop of Queen Hatshepsut's temple. The next gallery features the royal family during the Amarna period. Because the sun disk or Aten had no physical manifestation to worship, art of the period focused on portraits and depictions of the royal family. Upon entering the gallery, one confronts a striking floor-to-ceiling representation of Akhenaten, statues of the family, and partial reliefs. The gallery also includes a comprehensive family tree displaying the relationships between Akhenaten, his daughters with Nefertiti, and his probable son Tutankhamun. This is very helpful in understanding the dynasty's complex genealogy...

Amarna at Penn, Tracy Spurrier, Archaeology Magazine, Archaeological Institute of America, New York, USA, January 29, 2007.