The concept of Ma’at has been interpreted in many ways by Egyptologists: Cosmic Order, Connective Justice, Natural Order. Yet no single English term can fully convey its complexity and depth.
In this first episode of our Law, Crime and Punishment series, we therefore take an in-depth look at Ma’at, a principle that permeated every aspect of ancient Egyptian society.
Our Question: What was Ma’at, and how did it influence the Egyptian legal system?
Bibliography:
Assmann, J. (2017). Ma'at: Gerechtigkeit und Unsterblichkeit im alten Ägypten. CH Beck.
Karenga, M. N. (1994). Maat, the moral ideal in ancient Egypt: A study in classical African ethics. University of Southern California.
Manning. (2012). The representation of justice in ancient Egypt. In Yale Journal of Law & the humanities 24, no 1: 111-118
Tyldesley, J. (2000). Judgement of the Pharaoh: Crime and Punishment in ancient Egypt. Weidenfeld & Nicolson; London
Van Loon, A. J. (2014). Law and Order in Ancient Egypt: The Development of Criminal Justice from the Pharaonic New Kingdom until the Roman Dominate. Leiden University
VerSteeg, R. (2002). Law in ancient Egypt. Carolina Academic Press
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