Okay, so everyone on this page says that you're supposed to start with the Greeks, and I'm perfectly willing to do that, but between that , and the Old Testament, I intend to read some Ancient Egyptian, and Sumerian literature in order to both get a better grasp on the influences both of that book, and on the Greek canon, as a lot of their stuff was stolen from/built on the Egyptians. With the Greeks, it's fairly easy, follow one of the various lists beginning with Homer, and ending with Aristotle, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of unified "Egyptian Canon", could anyone educated on the topic help me to construct one, or at least give me some recommendations of the more influential? Philosophy, Mythology, or outright fiction allowed.
>>7435067
Start with the epic of Gilgamesh, pleb.
Book of the dead and gilgamesh
the written form was mostly for religious stuff so you won't get a literal canon
>>7435084
>not interpretating cave paintings before
go back to reddit
Story of Sinuhe is a short Egyptian myth. I liked it.
>>7435110
Also Eloquent Peasant. And there are two sebayts that I read Loyalist Instruction and Amenemhat's Instruction.
I can't think of much else
>>7435095
>Egyptian literature
>Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was Sumerian, I already intend on reading that, because as far as I can tell, the output of the Sumerians in terms of great literature was extremely limited, cheers for explanation for a lack of canon though.
>>7435102
>not studying stromatolites previously
Appalling
>>7435176
eh you did ask for sumer
>mfw people waste time reading through the more minor works in the classical canon
Lads, just get the essentials and skip to the 20th century, it'll save you some boring crap
>>7435243
Found the illiterate
>>7435237
Is that good OP? I haven't read Egyptian lit in a long time. And only Sumerian lit I've read is Gilgamesh and Enmerkar but I know there are other legends
>>7435237
Fucking hell, thank you.
>>7435102
gilgamesh predates any known cave painting
>>7435067
start with mika waltari
>>7435301
No problem.
>>7435392
Please be joking
>>7435392
lmao
>>7435067
If you're looking for the earliest shit why don't you just read the 4 Vedas? Then Ramayana and mahabharat.
>>7435243
Eh, the first works of literary are some of the most essential though.
>>7435067
Book of the Dead and the Book of the Heavenly Cow.
Ancient Evenings - Norman Mailer
I suggest anything written by E.A Wallis Budge. I would pick up Egyptian religion and then go book of the dean and then if you want Egyptian magic. He wrote so many books on Egyptian religion that it fills volumes. I also suggest Egyptian language by E.a.Wallis Budge
