‘A Pyramid Was Built for Me’

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Abstract Chapter 3 sets out to explore how pyramids became iconic monuments embodying Egypt for the medieval and modern world, while mapping emic ancient Egyptian perspectives on these monuments. While administrative texts focus on their construction and cult maintenance, literary works embed pyramids in imagination and memory. The Middle Kingdom Tale of Sinuhe exemplifies this: its protagonist, rewarded with a pyramid as a tomb, reflects their role as aspirational symbols of eternal legacy. Yet, contemporaneous texts like The dispute between a man and his soul and New Kingdom wisdom literature subvert this idealism, contrasting the ephemeral nature of stone monuments with the enduring power of written words. Pyramids symbolized divine authority, yet their vulnerability to decay mirrored existential doubts. This duality—pyramids as emblems of power yet subject to scepticism—highlights their dynamic role in ancient Egyptian as well as modern thought.