13.2.1960 Czech Egyptologist František Lexa died

Czech Egyptology has gained fame all over the world. Its foundations were laid by Professor František Lexa, whose teachers included Alois Jirásek. He translated one chapter of the Book of the Dead into Czech and was dean of Charles University. He died on 13 February 1960.

He was born in house No. 49 on Pernštýnské náměstí in Pardubice into the family of Vilibald Lexa, a doctor of law, and his wife Elonora. František was the second child of seven. He attended the local municipal school, but did not finish it. The family moved to Prague because his father closed his law practice for health reasons. The future Czech renowned Egyptologist got into the Prague Gymnasium in Žitná Street, where he was taught geography and history by the aforementioned Alois Jirásek.

Lexa was most interested in mathematics and physics, and was even preparing for a job as a high school professor for these two subjects. His interests also included psychology, and he attended the T. G. Masaryk Seminary. A turning point came around 1903, when Lexa received his doctorate in philosophy, the topic of his thesis being the question of the origin and psychology of writing. He was convinced that we must be based on the ancient Egyptian script and therefore began to work on its translation.

His work aroused great interest, and among the highlights of his work was the translation of a chapter of the Book of the Dead. "In the time of the new empire, the custom of writing religious texts which were intended to confer all kinds of benefits on the spirit of the deceased in the afterlifeon scrolls of papyrus, and either to be packed with mummies, or to be deposited in a special case in the grave; hence they are now called the Books of the Dead. Whereas some of these scrolls contain only a few columns. For they are not, as a rule, written from the right hand to the left, as has been the custom since the time of the new empire, butbut from top to bottom, as was the custom in the days of the old empire," says Lexa in the preface to his translation.

In 1907 Lexa was awarded a scholarship in Berlin by the Egyptologist Erman, and a year later in Strasbourg by Professor Spiegelberg. Twelve years later he habilitated and became a private lecturer in Egyptology at Charles University. In 1922, he became an extraordinary professor and was able to devote himself fully to his field of study without teaching at the gymnasium for existential reasons. His most important work is undoubtedly the Vocabulary of the Demotic Language.

He contributed to the founding of the Czechoslovak Institute of Egyptology based in Prague and Cairo. However, he did not live to see any more archaeological excavations; he died at the age of 83. Lexa loved hiking and tried to relax by hiking in the mountains. He fell in love with Bulgaria, where he also went with his family.

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