Bachelor
2025/2026
Law and Justice in Ancient Egypt
Type:
Compulsory course (Egyptology)
Area of studies:
Asian and African Studies
Delivered by:
Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies
Where:
Faculty of Humanities
When:
4 year, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Online hours:
20
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors:
Alexandre Loktionov
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course familiarises students with the main features of Ancient Egyptian justice and with the key texts which can be used to study this field (royal decrees, wills, property transfers, witness depositions, transcripts of court cases, some elements of wisdom literature). It also provides an initial grounding in legal pluralism theory and judicial prosopography, giving students key methodological tools for text analysis. While much of the course is focussed on the New Kingdom owing to the greater evidence base available for this period, all main periods of Ancient Egyptian history will be covered. Students will have opportunities to develop their own research interests, culminating in the delivery of a presentation on an ancient Egyptian legal text or a feature of the ancient Egyptian justice system of their choice.
Learning Objectives
- Students will be understand the key features of Ancient Egyptian justice, including its place in wider legal history and legal theory.
- Students will gain the ability to critically analyse a wide range of Ancient Egyptian legal texts and to formulate research questions on associated topics.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Apply legal pluralism theory and basic prosopographic approaches when analysing Ancient Egyptian judicial sources
- Identify and interpret the core religious, ideological, and practical concepts underpinning Ancient Egyptian justice
- Name and discuss the key features of Ancient Egyptian justice and how these evolved over time
- Critically analyse the content of specific Ancient Egypt judicial texts
- Develop personal research interests in the field of Ancient Egyptian justice
- Integrate the study of Ancient Egyptian texts into questions of wider legal theory
Assessment Elements
- Timed presentationOne end-of-year timed presentation (20mins in length). Students are free to choose any topic related to Ancient Egyptian justice but are encouraged to seek advice from the instructor.
- ExamOne end-of-year exam (2hrs). The exam consists of a short answer section and an essay section. The date of the exam will be determined in consultation with students and a specimen paper will be provided to students at least four weeks in advance of the exam.
