Robert Kriech Ritner (April 5, 1953 – July 25, 2021) was an American

Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...

most recently at the Oriental Institute of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

Life

Education

Ritner received his BA in psychology from

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

in 1975, and his Ph.D. (with honors) in Egyptology from the

in 1987. His dissertation was ''The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice''.

Teaching

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 Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. In 1996, he was recruited to the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute and Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

Field of work

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 The Joseph Smith Papyri (JSP) are Egyptian funerary papyrus fragments from ancient Thebes dated between 300 to 100 BC which, along with four mummies, were once owned by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith said that t ...

. Ritner has concluded that the

Book of Abraham The Book of Abraham is a collection of writings claimed to be from several Egyptian scrolls discovered in the early 19th century during an archeological expedition by Antonio Lebolo. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purc ...

is "a perhaps well-meaning, but erroneous invention by

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

." He was a descendant of

Joseph Ritner Joseph Ritner (March 25, 1780 – October 16, 1869) was the eighth Governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and was a member of the Anti-Masonic Party. Elected Governor of Pennsylvania during the 1835 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, h ...

, who served as the Anti-Masonic

Governor of Pennsylvania A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

from 1835 to 1839, which Professor Ritner has noted with some amusement as he personally credits

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

with helping to popularize ancient Egyptian culture and architecture.

Death

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

Works

;Books * * * * * * * ;Chapters * ;Articles * * * * * * * *

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * ;Academic reviews of his works * * * — a review of: "The 'Breathing Permit of Hôr' Thirty-four Years Later" and "'The Breathing Permit of Hôr' among the Joseph Smith Papyri"

External links

Robert Ritner, Professor of Egyptology
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Division of Humanities,

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritner, Robert K. 1953 births 2021 deaths People from Houston American Egyptologists Rice University alumni University of Chicago alumni University of Chicago faculty Yale University faculty Book of Abraham