Miracles in Ancient Egypt were more than religious signs; they were part of how Egyptians explained extraordinary events through linguistic choice and visuals. Texts such as the Westcar Papyrus, Hatshepsut’s Punt inscriptions, Tutankhamun’s Restoration Stela, the Metternich Stela, and Papyrus Chester Beatty III show recurring lexis, sentence structures, and visual motifs that reveal how Egyptians understood these miracles.
This research focuses on four main groups of miracle texts: legitimization of kings, restoration of cosmic order, healing and protection, and divine communication. It examines common words used in specific genres (sAx “protect”, swnw “heal”, mAat “justice”, and isft “disorder”) alongside repeated sentence structures such as commands and performative verbs. Visual elements including gestures, sacred water, and divine creation scenes are also analyzed to show how they connect to different miracle types.
The project combines an internal perspective, reconstructing Egyptian ideas of miracles from their own language, with an external perspective that compares them to wider theories of miracles. It also examines modern Egyptian practices, such as healing water rituals and shrine visits, to show how some traditions resemble, or may be traced back to, ancient Egyptian ones. By categorizing miracle texts and highlighting specific language choices and visual motifs found in these genres, the research provides a clearer picture of how Egyptians defined miracles and how some of these ideas have endured across time.