# John D. Ray > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_D._Ray > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_D._Ray.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Ray > Source revision: 1342095686 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British Egyptologist (born 1945)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''John David Ray''' (born 22 December 1945) is a British [Egyptologist](/source/Egyptology) and academic. He is the former [Sir Herbert Thompson Professor of Egyptology](/source/Sir_Herbert_Thompson_Professor_of_Egyptology) at the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge). His principal field of interest covers the [Late](/source/Late_Period_of_ancient_Egypt) and [Hellenistic](/source/History_of_Ptolemaic_Egypt) periods of Egypt, with special reference to documents in the [demotic script](/source/Demotic_Egyptian_script), and he is also known for deciphering the [Carian script](/source/Carian_script), a writing system used by [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia)n mercenaries who fought for the late-period Egyptians. ==Early life== Ray was born on 22 December 1945. He was educated at [Latymer Upper School](/source/Latymer_Upper_School), a [private school](/source/Private_schools_in_the_United_Kingdom) in London. He went on to study at [Trinity Hall, Cambridge](/source/Trinity_Hall%2C_Cambridge). He graduated [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) (BA), later promoted to [Master of Arts](/source/Master_of_Arts_(Oxbridge_and_Dublin)) (MA Cantab).{{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}} While at Cambridge, he was awarded the [Thomas Young](/source/Thomas_Young_(scientist)) Medal for 'outstanding distinction in any branch of oriental archaeology'.{{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}} ==Academic career== Following his graduation from university, Ray spent some of 1970 working at the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum) as a research assistant in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities.{{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}} He then joined the [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham), where he was a [Lecturer](/source/Lecturer) in [Egyptology](/source/Egyptology) from 1970 to 1977. In 1977, he joined the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge) as a [Reader](/source/Reader_(academic_rank)) in Egyptology. In 1979, he was elected a [Fellow](/source/Fellow) of [Selwyn College](/source/Selwyn_College%2C_Cambridge) in addition to his university post. He was promoted to [Professor](/source/Professor) and appointed to the [Sir Herbert Thompson Chair in Egyptology](/source/Sir_Herbert_Thompson_Professor_of_Egyptology) in 2005. He retired in 2013 and was appointed [professor emeritus](/source/professor_emeritus).{{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}} ==Personal life== Ray is married to The Reverend Sonia Falaschi-Ray, a [Church of England](/source/Church_of_England) priest.{{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}} ==Honours== Ray was elected [Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London](/source/Fellow_of_the_Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London) (FSA) on 11 May 2000.{{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}} In 2004, he was elected [Fellow of the British Academy](/source/Fellow_of_the_British_Academy) (FBA).{{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}} ==Works== *''Reflections of Osiris: lives from ancient Egypt'' (Oxford University Press, 2002, {{ISBN|978-0-19-515871-7}})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]. *''The Rosetta Stone and the Rebirth of Ancient Egypt'' (Harvard University Press, 2007, {{ISBN|978-0-674-02493-9}}).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]. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090810083556/http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/~jdr1000/ Ray's Cambridge web page] {{Authority control}} {{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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John D. Ray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Ray) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Ray?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.