EBERS, GEoin: Monrrz (1837-9S). A German Egyptologist and novelist, born in Berlin. In 1836 he entered the University of Giittingen as a student of law, but soon became interested in Egyptology and devoted himself to that study in Berlin under Lepsius, Brug,sch, and B6ckh. Receiving his degree in 1862, he spent the next three years at work in the principal Egyptologi cal museums of Europe. In 1865 he became lecturer, and in 1869 associate professor of Egyptology at Jena. In 1S(19 and 1870 he traveled extensively in Egypt and Nubia, and in the latter year accepted a call to Leipzig as associate professor. Two years later he again visited Egypt, where he discovered the celebrated hieratic medical papyrus. since known as the Papyrus Ebers. Dating from about 1550 B.C.. it is one of the best preserved Egyptian papyri in existence, and forces the chief source of in formation in regard to the medical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians. A facsimile (110 plates) was published in 1875 by the discoverer, with an introduction written by himself and a hiero glyphic-Latin glossary by L. Stern. The papy rus is now in the library of the University of Leipzig. Among Ebers's scientific works may be mentioned his Disguisitioncs do Dynastic XXV/.
Regunt .Egyptorum (1S'Il5). and Argyptcn und die Bucher If osis ( 1868 ) . His Durclt Goscn :um Sinai (I872., 2d ed. 18811 is partly of a popular character. He also wrote degyptcn in Wort ma( Bib( (2d ed. 1880, • vols., illustrated), and Richard Lcpsius. cin 1.chenshild (1885). Ebers's reputation as a novelist was established by hi: Eine iigyptische Kiinigstochter (18(1 , a picture of Egyptian life at the time of the Persian conquest. Of his later novels, rarda 08771, 110M0 (18781, Die St-Ince-s tern Dcr Kaiser (1580). and Scrapis (1885) deal with period: of Egyptian history. Others of his novel:, among them Dir Frau 11ur (1881) and Ein Wort (1852). are located either in Holland or South Germany, in the sixteenth century, while his 1..'ine Frage (IStil) is an idyl of ancient Greek life. In 1s76 Ebers beeame partially paralyzed. and for the rest of his life suffered from continued ill health. He usually spent the summer of his country place at Tutzing, neat' Munich, and there he died. An excellent sketch of Ebel-, by the historian Eduard Meyer is to be found in Biograyhischt s Jahrbuch and den tseh( r vol. iii. (Berlin. 1898).