Ancient Egypt: Origin of the term “Asia” in Modern Ancient Egyptian translations

It may surprise you that the word “Asia” was never used by the ancient Egyptians. They generally never mentioned any region starting from the east of northern Iraq to Japan.

The ancient Egyptians referred to various regions east of Egypt with specific names, reflecting their understanding of the neighboring territories. They had about 15 names, for these territories compared to about 40 names for territories within the African interior.

For most of Egyptian history—approximately from 3000 BCE to the end of the New Kingdom around 1070 BCE—the Egyptians lacked a specific name for regions east of northern Iraq (the upper Euphrates) and north of southeastern Turkey. Their geographic knowledge and terminology mainly encompassed neighboring regions they had direct contact with, such as the Levant, Syria, and Mesopotamia, rather than the distant lands of Iran and beyond.

Here’s a list of the key names they used:

• Retjenu (Rṯnw): General term for the Levant, especially modern Syria, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine.

• Djahy (Ṯ3ḥy): Southern Levant, including Canaan.

• Amurru (Amw): Northern Levant, especially Syria and northern Lebanon.

• Mitanni (Nhrn) or Naharin: Northern Syria and the upper Euphrates region.

• Hatti (Ḥtṯ): The Hittite kingdom in central Turkey.

• Kharu (Ḫ3rw): Coastal Levantine regions, including Phoenicia and Canaan.

• Shasu (Š3sw): Nomadic groups in the southern Levant, often associated with desert regions east of Egypt.

• Iasy (i3sy): Regions and people near the Aegean or Anatolia.

• Qedem (Qdm): Eastern lands generally, meaning “East,” possibly referring to distant areas.

• Tunip: City-state in Syria, near Aleppo.

• Ugarit: Coastal city-state in northern Syria.

• Kadesh (Qdš): City in Syria, known for the Battle of Kadesh.

• Asiatics (Aamu): Broad term for people from the east, without specifying particular lands.

• Keftiu (Kftiw): Typically Crete, sometimes broadly for the Aegean region.

• Sekhet-Iaru (Sekhet-i3rw): “Fields of Reeds,” symbolizing distant lands to the east in religious texts.

These names show the Egyptians’ familiarity with specific areas and cultures rather than a unified concept like “Asia.” Each name corresponded to a known region or people they encountered in trade, diplomacy, or conflict.

The use of the term Asia in Stelae and propaganda art translations therefore created a misleading impression of what the ancient Egyptians actually said in their writings.