Foremost among the texts that may be classified as scientific, from an ancient perspective, are those that concern various types of divination (v. Lieven 1999). If the Tebtunis temple library is representative, the dominant type of divination in the Graeco-Roman Period was celestial, i. e. astrological, and this is also suggested by the number of horoscope ostraca from the temple of Narmouthis (Ross 2006; Menchetti and Pintaudi 2007). All the texts from Tebtunis so far identified are written in Demotic. The bulk of the known astrological manuals derive from the temple library, and at the time of writing some forty-five astrological manuscripts have been identified, representing more than 10% of the entire contents. The material is almost entirely unpublished, but currently under study. The handbooks fall into several categories with different focus and methodology. One category contains predictions about the future of the state to be made at the beginning of the year on the basis of the position of the star Sirius, Egyptian Sothis, in relation to the zodiac (only published example is Hughes 1951). Others contain predictions intended for private individuals, mostly based on either the position of the seven major heavenly bodies (i. e. the sun and moon and the five visible planets, Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter) in relation to the twelve houses (only published example, not from Tebtunis, is Hughes 1986; translation Quack 2008b: 368-70), or the zodiac signs in relation to the thirty-six decans (none published, but cf. Chauveau 1992). Two of the latter are specifically written for women (personal observation). The handbooks sometime contain instructions and reference tables. A single manuscript has illustrations that might pertain to lunar observations like those attested in a contemporary papyrus in Vienna which were used to make predications concerning the state (Parker 1959a).
Among the new discoveries in the temple library is one text (P. carlsberg 104, unpublished), which has particularly thorough instructions for making astrological calculations and is remarkable in having reference tables written in Greek on the reverse. Another significant discovery is a handbook (J0rgensen 2005) that includes a table of terms which is practically identical to the Egyptian system described by Claudius Ptolemy (c.85-165 ad) in Tetrabiblos, thus confirming the accuracy of his description (another table of terms from Tebtunis belonging to a different tradition is published in Depuydt 1994; Bohleke 1996). It has been suggested that the latter system originated with Nechepsos, and it is, therefore, noteworthy that the astrological texts with preserved introductions are all ascribed to, or associated with, Imhotep (at least five examples) or the hitherto so elusive Nechepsos. The latter was long known only from the Greek tradition, where he was renowned as the wisest Egyptian king as far as science was concerned. It emerges from newly identified texts that Nechepsos is a transcription of‘‘Necho the Wise’’ and that the king in question is Necho II (Ryholt i. p.c). One text associates his accession with a historical eclipse, thus perhaps explaining his association with astrology. The full publication of the extensive material from Tebtunis is likely to shed much further light on Egyptian astrology and its relation to Greek and Babylonian traditions.
Another important group of divinatory texts is represented by the handbooks on dream interpretation or oneiromancy. A well-preserved Hieratic handbook from the Ramesside period (P. Chester Beatty III) demonstrates that we are dealing with a very long tradition. One of two other fragmentary Hieratic handbooks (Quack 2006a) can be dated to the fourth century bc, while all the Demotic material dates to the Roman Period. The Tebtunis temple library included at least six Demotic handbooks (Volten 1942; Tait 1977: nos. 16-17; Quack and Ryholt i. p.), and a few more are known from other sources (Spiegelberg 1902: 29; Zauzich 1980). The texts are arranged in thematic sections and cover a wide range of subjects, including dreams about different types of minerals, plants, fishes, and alcoholic beverages, or situations such as swimming, suckling on different animals, seeing Pharaoh, or even unnatural intercourse.
Other contemporary handbooks concern yet further methods of divination. A complex text recently published survives in one Hieratic and two Demotic copies, c. fourth century bc and first century ad respectively, and uses a combination of three numbers, perhaps involving some kind of dice (Stadler 2004; 2006; Quack 2005b; 2008b: 362-7). Still unpublished Demotic texts concern animal omina (Quack 2006a: 175-9) and weather omina (Collombert 2008).
The nature of the predictions about the state as well as private individuals forms an interesting sociological study and would merit closer study as more material becomes available. In summary, predictions about the future of the state are mainly concerned with the overall condition of the country (satisfaction, misery), the success of the king (defeating enemies, staying in power, revolts against), various types of major strife (wars, rebellion, invasion), the size of the inundation, and the availability of provisions (fish, fowl, crops). The personal predictions concern very much the same aspects of life as do modern horoscopes: the home, marriage and sex, children, personal disposition, health and happiness, career, and wealth.
Texts that may be described as astronomical are far fewer than those on astrology. The best example is P. Carlsberg 9 from the Tebtunis temple library which preserves a scheme, based on the civil calendar and arranged in a 25-year cycle, for regulating lunar months in the cult calendar (Neugebauer and Parker 1960: 217-25; Jones 1997; Depuydt 1998). Other texts record the date of specific constellations, such as the date when planets enter specific zodiacal signs (Neugebauer and Parker 1969: 225-40), lunar eclipses (Neugebauer, Parker, and Zauzich 1981; Jones 1999: I 87-91), and solstices and equinoxes (Parker and Zauzich 1981).
Demotic mathematical handbooks of both Ptolemaic and Roman date, some with illustrations, have been published by Parker (1959b; 1972; 1975). They contain a range of problems from simple arithmetic to geometry and algebra.
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