Rare Hieroglyphic Canopus Decree of Pharaoh Ptolemy III Unearthed in Egypt

A sandstone stela bearing the uncommon hieroglyphic Canopus Decree of Pharaoh Ptolemy III. Credit: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Archaeologists successful Egypt person uncovered the uncommon hieroglyphic Canopus Decree, a sandstone stela inscribed with a implicit mentation of the historical royal proclamation archetypal issued successful 238 B.C. during the reign of Pharaoh Ptolemy III Euergetes of the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty.

The discovery, made astatine Tell al-Faraun successful Sharqia Governorate, is the archetypal implicit transcript of the decree recovered successful much than 150 years.

Unlike antecedently known trilingual versions written successful hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Greek, this recently unearthed stela is inscribed wholly successful hieroglyphs — a item scholars accidental makes it 1 of the astir important archaeological finds of the century.

Greek rulers, Egyptian traditions

The Canopus Decree reflects the Ptolemaic dynasty’s strategy of blending Greek governmental authorization with Egyptian spiritual traditions. Issued by a assembly of priests successful Canopus, eastbound of Alexandria, the decree honored Ptolemy III, his woman Berenice, and their daughter.

It praised the royal mates arsenic “the Beneficent Gods” for their donations to temples, efforts to sphere peace, and determination to trim taxes during years of debased Nile floods.

The decree besides created a caller priestly fertile successful their names, established a festival tied to the heliacal rising of the prima Sirius. It introduced a leap-year time each 4 years — a betterment aboriginal absorbed into the Roman Julian calendar.

🚨 Breaking: Complete Canopus Decree of Ptolemy III Unearthed successful Egypt

A caller afloat intact stela bearing the Canopus Decree of King Ptolemy III (238 BC) has been unearthed successful Tell el-Pharaeen, Sharqia Governorate. It’s the archetypal implicit mentation recovered successful implicit 150 years, inscribed… pic.twitter.com/W9iUE8VD4I

— History Content (@HistContent) September 9, 2025

By ordering the substance successful 3 languages, the Ptolemies ensured accessibility crossed their divers kingdom: hieroglyphs for temple priests, Demotic for the Egyptian population, and Greek for the ruling elite.

The information that the recently recovered transcript is inscribed lone successful hieroglyphs highlights how, successful immoderate regions, accepted Egyptian individuality remained astatine the forefront adjacent nether Greek rule.

Design and inscription details

The stela measures 127.5 centimeters (50.2 inches) successful height, 83 centimeters (32.7 inches) successful width, and 48 centimeters (18.9 inches) successful thickness. Its rounded apical is decorated with a winged star disk flanked by 2 cobras wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, with the operation “Di-Ankh,” meaning “given life,” carved betwixt them.

Below, 30 lines of hieroglyphic substance were chopped successful sunk relief. While the workmanship is of mean quality, scholars accidental the uninterrupted hieroglyphic inscription provides an invaluable assets for refining cognition of Late Egyptian grammar and vocabulary.

Officials praise the discovery

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy called the find a caller section successful the communicative of Egypt’s past civilization. He said it underscores Sharqia Governorate’s relation arsenic a increasing halfway of excavation and affirmed the ministry’s committedness to supporting aboriginal archaeological work.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the find is simply a uncommon summation that enriches cognition of Ptolemaic royal and spiritual writings portion deepening our knowing of the Egyptian language.

An past crossroads of cultures

Tell al-Faraun, known successful antiquity arsenic Imet, was a large metropolis successful the eastbound Nile Delta. Excavations determination person revealed temples, elite residences, and a sanctuary to the cobra goddess Wadjet, protector of Lower Egypt.

Scholars accidental the recently discovered decree underscores however the Ptolemies, Macedonian Greeks by origin, governed a onshore profoundly rooted successful its ain traditions. By adopting Egyptian spiritual forms portion incorporating Greek practices, they created a hybrid civilization whose bequest inactive shapes the survey of past history.