Mind-Benders of Ancient Egyptian History
The oldest long religious text carved in stone
Around 2350 BCE the walls inside the pyramid of King Unas at Saqqara were carved with the Pyramid Texts — hundreds of inscribed spells that, Egyptians believed, would protect and guide the king after death. Cut some 4,400 years ago, they are the oldest large body of religious writing known from anywhere in the world.
How we know
Pyramid Texts first attested in the pyramid of Unas (Wenis), last king of the 5th Dynasty, reign c. 2375–2345 BCE (Shaw); texts carved c. 2350 BCE; widely described as the oldest known large corpus of religious literature. Age today: 2350 + 2026 = 4,376 ≈ 4,400 years.
One of many fact-checked wonders across eight traditions at The Spring of Wisdom.