Robert Kriech Ritner (April 5, 1953 – July 25, 2021) was an American Egyptologist most recently at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.

Dr. Robert K. Ritner
Born(1953-04-05)April 5, 1953[1]
Houston, Texas, United States
DiedJuly 25, 2021(2021-07-25) (aged 68)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Alma materRice University
University of Chicago[1]
OccupationProfessor of Egyptology[1]
Employer(s)University of Chicago, Oriental Institute[1]
Known forEgyptology, Critiquing the Book of Abraham[1]

Life

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Education

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Ritner received his BA in psychology from Rice University in 1975, and his Ph.D. (with honors) in Egyptology from the University of Chicago in 1987. His dissertation was The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice.

Teaching

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Between 1991 and 1996, Ritner held the position of Marilyn M. Simpson Assistant Professor of Egyptology in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University. In 1996, he was recruited to the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute and Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

Field of work

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Ritner was widely known for his work on Egyptian religious practices, language, medicine, literature, magic, and political history. Within the Mormon studies community, Ritner was known for confirming the conclusions of other Egyptologists who have investigated the Joseph Smith papyri. Ritner concluded that the Book of Abraham is "a perhaps well-meaning, but erroneous invention by Joseph Smith."[2]

He was a descendant of Joseph Ritner, who served as the Anti-Masonic Governor of Pennsylvania from 1835 to 1839, which Professor Ritner noted with some amusement as he personally credited Freemasonry with helping to popularize ancient Egyptian culture and architecture.

Death

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Ritner died on 25 July 2021 at the age of 68.[3]

Works

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Books
  • Ritner, Robert K. (1993), The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice, Chicago: Oriental Institute of University of Chicago, ISBN 0918986753, OCLC 28176694
  • Simpson, William Kelly; Ritner, Robert K. (2003) [1973], The literature of ancient Egypt: an anthology of stories, instructions, stelae, autobiographies, and poetry (3rd ed.), New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300128567, OCLC 234083884
  • Nissinen, Martti; Ritner, Robert Kriech; Seow, C L; Machinist, Peter (2003), Prophets and prophecy in the ancient Near East, Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, ISBN 158983027X, OCLC 51969302
  • Yener, K Aslihan; Batiuk, Stephen; Ritner, Robert Kriech (2005), The Amuq Valley regional projects, Chicago: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, ISBN 1885923325, OCLC 66385293
  • Ritner, Robert K. (2009), The Libyan Anarchy: Inscriptions from Egypt's Third Intermediate Period, Writings from the ancient world, no. 21, Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, ISBN 9781589831742, OCLC 60671773
  • ——; Coenen, Marc; Marquardt, H. Michael; Woods, Christopher (2013), The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN 978-1560852209, OCLC 869043745
  • Ritner, Robert K., ed. (2018). Essays for the Library of Seshat: Studies Presented to Janet H. Johnson on the Occasion of Her 70th Birthday. Chicago: Oriental Institute Press. ISBN 978-1614910329.
Chapters
  • Ritner, Robert K. (1989), "Horus on the crocodiles: a juncture of religion and magic in late dynastic Egypt", in Simpson, William Kelly (ed.), Religion and philosophy in ancient Egypt, New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Egyptological Seminar, Dept. of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University, ISBN 0912532181, OCLC 20996843
Articles

References

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Sources

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Academic reviews of his works
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