In this paper, I would like to explore the new ways of perceiving Papyri und Papyrology i.e. papyrological studies from Egyptian-Arabic perspectives. The paper will shed light on three main and, from my point of view, intertwined ways of thinking about this discipline that has been newly of importance just because of the new media. First, one should consider the question of legal status of papyri presented online, including their provenance, and the Egyptian (legal) point of view in this regard. Most, if not all, the available, papyri databases, which presents papyri online, suffice themselves with just a note about the purchase of a certain piece from unknown Egyptian, sometime known and famous like M. Nahman, without any indication about on which government, circumstances, regulations und laws this “supposedly” legal purchase has been conducted. I would suggest putting up a Wikipedia link or any other mean to give the “Egyptian” Science citizen, a further reading lists and short justifications about the transportation of this artefact from his country to Europe or the United States, where most of the papyri, presented in the moment online, are kept. Second, The provenance of the same pieces are in many cases given either with transliterated names that doesn’t exist on Arabic modern maps which one find through e.g. Google or with names that mix the archeological site with its nearby village or town. A similar database, in cooperation and with the help of with the Egyptian Universities’ students of Archeology, would solve this problem. Such links would also serve as a start for more specialized research that connects Archeology and Papyri with modern as well as recent Egyptian History. Third, an Arabic translation of the Papyri presented online, again with the help of Egyptian students of History, Classics and Archeology departments, would be a basis for more further analysis of these texts, whether they are written in Egyptian (with all its script) Greek, Latin or Coptic. These are some chances, which may seem easier to achieve, thanks to the new digital media, especially the social ones, but the challenges that would face any implementation of the above-mentioned idea in the current Egyptian academia are tremendous. This include but not limited to financial and legal matters that control the education system in Egypt.

In this paper, I would like to explore the new ways of perceiving Papyri und Papyrology i.e. papyrological studies from Egyptian-Arabic perspectives. The paper will shed light on three main and, from my point of view, intertwined ways of thinking about this discipline that has been newly of importance just because of the new media. First, one should consider the question of legal status of papyri presented online, including their provenance, and the Egyptian (legal) point of view in this regard. Most, if not all, the available, papyri databases, which presents papyri online, suffice themselves with just a note about the purchase of a certain piece from unknown Egyptian, sometime known and famous like M. Nahman, without any indication about on which government, circumstances, regulations und laws this “supposedly” legal purchase has been conducted. I would suggest putting up a Wikipedia link or any other mean to give the “Egyptian” Science citizen, a further reading lists and short justifications about the transportation of this artefact from his country to Europe or the United States, where most of the papyri, presented in the moment online, are kept. Second, The provenance of the same pieces are in many cases given either with transliterated names that doesn’t exist on Arabic modern maps which one find through e.g. Google or with names that mix the archeological site with its nearby village or town. A similar database, in cooperation and with the help of with the Egyptian Universities’ students of Archeology, would solve this problem. Such links would also serve as a start for more specialized research that connects Archeology and Papyri with modern as well as recent Egyptian History. Third, an Arabic translation of the Papyri presented online, again with the help of Egyptian students of History, Classics and Archeology departments, would be a basis for more further analysis of these texts, whether they are written in Egyptian (with all its script) Greek, Latin or Coptic. These are some chances, which may seem easier to achieve, thanks to the new digital media, especially the social ones, but the challenges that would face any implementation of the above-mentioned idea in the current Egyptian academia are tremendous. This include but not limited to financial and legal matters that control the education system in Egypt.