{{Short description|British Egyptologist (born 1945)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''John David Ray''' (born 22 December 1945) is a British Egyptologist and academic. He is the former Sir Herbert Thompson Professor of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge. His principal field of interest covers the Late and Hellenistic periods of Egypt, with special reference to documents in the demotic script, and he is also known for deciphering the Carian script, a writing system used by Anatolian mercenaries who fought for the late-period Egyptians.
==Early life== Ray was born on 22 December 1945. He was educated at Latymer Upper School, a private school in London. He went on to study at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He graduated Bachelor of Arts (BA), later promoted to Master of Arts (MA Cantab).<ref name="People of Today">{{cite web|title=John David RAY|url=http://www.debretts.com/people-of-today/profile/23751/John-David-RAY|website=People of Today|publisher=Debrett's|accessdate=1 August 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924050705/http://www.debretts.com/people-of-today/profile/23751/John-David-RAY|archivedate=24 September 2015}}</ref> While at Cambridge, he was awarded the Thomas Young Medal for 'outstanding distinction in any branch of oriental archaeology'.<ref name="People of Today" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Thomas Young Medal|url=https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/2011/chapter12-section2.html#heading2-602|website=Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=1 August 2014}}</ref>
==Academic career== Following his graduation from university, Ray spent some of 1970 working at the British Museum as a research assistant in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities.<ref name="People of Today" /><ref name="bio - Cambridge Archaeology">{{cite web|title=Prof. John Ray|url=http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/directory/jdr1000|website=Division of Archaeology|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=2 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601154707/http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/directory/jdr1000|archive-date=1 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> He then joined the University of Birmingham, where he was a Lecturer in Egyptology from 1970 to 1977.<ref name="bio - British Academy" /> In 1977, he joined the University of Cambridge as a Reader in Egyptology.<ref name="People of Today" /><ref name="bio - British Academy" /> In 1979, he was elected a Fellow of Selwyn College in addition to his university post.<ref name="People of Today" /> He was promoted to Professor and appointed to the Sir Herbert Thompson Chair in Egyptology in 2005.<ref name="bio - British Academy" />
He retired in 2013 and was appointed professor emeritus.<ref name="People of Today" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Senior Members of Selwyn College|url=http://www.sel.cam.ac.uk/senior-members-selwyn/|publisher=Selwyn College|accessdate=2 August 2014|archive-date=8 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054013/http://www.sel.cam.ac.uk/senior-members-selwyn/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Personal life== Ray is married to The Reverend Sonia Falaschi-Ray, a Church of England priest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Professor John Ray|url=http://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/information/guest_speaker_detail.asp?id=133|website=Guest Speaker Details|publisher=Noble Caledonia|accessdate=2 August 2014|archive-date=24 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224162411/http://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/information/guest_speaker_detail.asp?id=133|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Honours== Ray was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) on 11 May 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fellows Directory - R|url=http://www.sal.org.uk/about-us/fellows-directory/?l=R|publisher=Society of Antiquaries of London|accessdate=2 August 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924093706/http://www.sal.org.uk/about-us/fellows-directory/?l=R|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, he was elected Fellow of the British Academy (FBA).<ref name="bio - British Academy">{{cite web|title=RAY, Professor John|url=http://www.britac.ac.uk/fellowship/directory/ord.cfm?member=4496|website=British Academy Fellows|publisher=British Academy|accessdate=1 August 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808042600/http://www.britac.ac.uk/fellowship/directory/ord.cfm?member=4496|archivedate=8 August 2014}}</ref>
==Works== *''Reflections of Osiris: lives from ancient Egypt'' (Oxford University Press, 2002, {{ISBN|978-0-19-515871-7}})<ref>Reviewed in [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/aug/24/featuresreviews.guardianreview17 ''The Guardian''], and [http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=168079§ioncode=22 Times Higher Education].</ref> *''The Rosetta Stone and the Rebirth of Ancient Egypt'' (Harvard University Press, 2007, {{ISBN|978-0-674-02493-9}}).<ref>Reviewed in [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article1346101.ece ''The Times'']{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071902146.html The Washington Post], and [https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19325891.900-review-the-rosetta-stone-and-the-rebirth-of-ancient-egypt-by-john-ray.html New Scientist].</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090810083556/http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/~jdr1000/ Ray's Cambridge web page]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, John D.}} Category:Fellows of Selwyn College, Cambridge Category:English Egyptologists Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Category:Fellows of the British Academy Category:Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Category:Academics of the University of Birmingham Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:Professors of the University of Cambridge