Egypt Uncovers a New and Complete Version of the Canopus Decree of King Ptolemy III in Sharqia Governorate
The Egyptian archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, working at the site of Tell el-Pharaeen in the city of Husseiniya, Sharqia Governorate, has uncovered a stone stela representing a new version of the famous Canopus Decree. The decree was issued by King Ptolemy III in 238 BC, when the high priests convened in the city of Canopus (east of Alexandria) to honor and venerate King Ptolemy III, his wife Berenice, and their daughter, and to distribute copies of the decree to major Egyptian temples.
This discovery is considered the most significant in more than 150 years, as no new and complete version of the decree has been found since then.
Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, affirmed that the continuous achievements of Egyptian archaeological missions add new chapters to the history of Egypt's ancient civilization. He noted that this discovery highlights the archaeological importance of Sharqia Governorate and its hidden treasures that continue to amaze the world. He further stressed that the Ministry will continue to support all archaeological missions working in Egypt, ensuring the best environment for more outstanding discoveries.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the importance of this discovery lies in the fact that it is a newly found complete version of the Canopus Decree—more than a century and a half after the last was uncovered. This, he said, is a significant addition that deepens our knowledge of royal and religious texts of the Ptolemaic era and enriches our understanding of both history and the ancient Egyptian language.
He added that this copy joins six previously known versions, some complete and others fragmentary, discovered in sites such as Kom el-Hisn, Tanis, and Tell Basta. He pointed out that the newly discovered stela is inscribed entirely in hieroglyphs—unlike other versions, which were trilingual (hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Greek). This opens new horizons for understanding the ancient Egyptian language and provides additional insights into Ptolemaic decrees, as well as royal and religious ceremonial systems.
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Badi, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that the stela is made of sandstone with a rounded top, measuring 127.5 cm in height, 83 cm in width, and about 48 cm in thickness. It is topped by a winged sun disk flanked by two royal cobras wearing the White and Red Crowns, with the inscription "Di-Ankh" ("given life") between them. The central section contains 30 lines of hieroglyphic text, carved in medium-quality sunk relief.
Dr. Hisham Hussein, Head of the Central Administration for Lower Egypt, explained that the inscriptions contain detailed accounts of the deeds of King Ptolemy III and his wife Berenice (referred to as "the beneficent gods"). These include donations to Egyptian temples, maintaining internal peace, reducing taxes during periods of low Nile floods, increasing their veneration in temples, instituting a new priestly rank in their names, establishing a new religious festival on the day of the rising of the star Sirius, introducing the leap-year system by adding one day every four years dedicated to their cult, and deifying their daughter Berenice in Egyptian temples. The decree also stipulated that these stelae be inscribed in hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Greek, and placed in the most important temples across Egypt.
It is worth noting that Tell el-Pharaeen (the ancient Egyptian city of Imet) in the eastern Nile Delta was an important urban center as early as the Middle Kingdom. Previous excavations have revealed temples and luxurious residential buildings from the Ptolemaic period, including a temple dedicated to the goddess Wadjet.
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