January 19, 64 Dear Dr. Federn: I"believe that a examination of the Stele of the Banished ( I have seen only a copy in H. Brugsch, Reise nach dem Grössen Oase) may result in soine interesting discoveries, “As for any person they shall report before thee saying, ‘A slayer of living people,’”a very awkward expression which most certainly means: “If you are told that anybody of the assassins is among the living ...” and the sequel “Thou shall destroy him, thou shall slay him” should be properly translated as something like “You have certainly destroyed everyone of the assassins.” Also the sentence (Brugsch, p. 87) “Schenke mir eine schöne Lebensdauer...werde mir aller Lohn zu Teil” most probably is on the subject mentioned by Q. Curtius: “That he should continue invincible till he joined the assembly of gods,” or Diodorus, “If you will make me lord of the whole world... that the Lord would certainly bestow upon him what he had desired” and “that his wonderful successes and prosperous achievements were evidences of his divine birth” and similarly in Plutarch (whether it was given to him to become lord and master of all mankind”). In Breasted “Grant that I may spend a happy life as a follower of thy ka. There is purity and health wherever thou tarriest.” Breasted differs from Brugsch, though it seems he used the latter’s transcript of the stele. Is the stele now in Paris? Could I arrange that a photo or another reproduction should be prepared for your and Wilson’s reading? You will remember that years ago we discussed the time of the year mentioned in the text of the stele and in authors describing Alexander’s visit to the oasis. I read somewhere that Alexander came to Egypt in November (new CAH? or somewhere else). The thing we have not observed is that the stele speaks of three or four events and gives three dates. The first date refers either to Alexander’s arrival in Egypt or to the date of the erection of the stele (im Jahre 23, im Monat Epiphi, am 29 Tage.” The second date refers to his visit in Thebes... [the rest of the letter is unavailable at this time—the Editors]