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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Sinuhe do with his gold before he travels on a ship to Smyrna?
(a) He gives the money to the captain.
(b) Exchanges it for clay tablets.
(c) He gives it to Kaptah to buy supplies.
(d) He trades it for goods for his travels.

2. What happens to Amenhotep in the desert with Sinuhe?
(a) He cries.
(b) He has a seizure.
(c) He steals from a crypt.
(d) He gets drunk.

3. How does Sinuhe know that he is to assist Phator and go with him to the pharaoh?
(a) He gives him his ebony box to carry.
(b) Phator sees Sinuhe's ring and knows he is destined for greatness.
(c) Sinuhe's father tells him to assist.
(d) Phator tells him to assist him in the palace.

4. What color are Nefernefernefer's eyes?
(a) Blue.
(b) Brown.
(c) Green.
(d) Gray.

5. In the land of the Hittites, how are the people ruled?
(a) By princes whose power over them is absolute.
(b) By kings in each small region.
(c) By the pharaoh from Egypt.
(d) They are self-governed.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long has Sinuhe been in exile at the beginning of the novel?

2. Who is in the pharaoh's bedroom when Ptahor and Sinuhe arrive to open the skull?

3. What is ailing the king of Babylon?

4. What, according to the prince, Amenhotep, is an abomination to Aton?

5. When Sinuhe admits to the priest that the god Ammon did not speak to him, what do the priests and his classmates do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Sinuhe continue to give Nefernefernefer all he possesses? Why can he not pull himself away from her? What is her appeal to Sinuhe? What is his behavior a metaphor for?

2. When Sinuhe opens a skull and finds that the "disease had laid its egg" what does he mean by that? What is the egg inside the man's head? What does Sinuhe do with it? How does he repair the opening? What is significant about the fact that the man falls from a wall three days later and breaks his neck and dies? What is that supposed to symbolize?

3. Sinuhe speaks of a remedy from the Hittites that cures the body of heat. What is this remedy called today? How do you think the Hittites created this drug?

4. When Ptahor is opening the skull of the pharaoh, the young prince steps forward and speaks of a blessing from the god Aton. How does Ptahor react to this? Why does he react as he does?

5. What are the two truths of the young prince and Horemheb? How are they in conflict from the beginning? How does Horemheb argue with the sickly young prince about his truth when he first meets him? What does Horemheb fear of the future?

6. Why does Sinuhe feel that Mitanni is doomed? Where is Mitanni in relation to other countries? Why does this mean extinction for these people?

7. When Sinuhe and Kaptah arrive in Babylon, Kaptah wants Sinuhe to announce his presence to the other physicians in a certain way. How does he want Sinuhe to announce that he is in Babylonia? Why? Why is this important to their relationships with others? Is this political correctness for the time? Why?

8. When Minea, Kaptah and Sinuhe are traveling pretending to be performers, Sinuhe continues to cure the sick. Why does he do this? Cannot this lead to discovery of who they are? Is this dangerous? Why would he do this and put all their lives in danger?

9. As the novel progresses, Kaptah begins to refer to the property of Sinuhe as "our" as in "our" house, "our" scarab and even "our" gold. What does this indicate to the reader? Does Sinuhe seem aware of these changes? If he does, does he care? Why? Why not? What does this say about their relationship?

10. Why do Kipa and Senmut tell their neighbors that Kipa gave birth to Sinuhe? Why does Senmut register Sinuhe in the book of births? What will this do for Sinuhe later in life? What difference will this make in his life?

(see the answer keys)

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