Seked

Dec 17, 2012

If a pyramid is 250 cubits high and the side of its base 360 cubits long, what is its seked?

Take half of 360; it makes 180. Multiply 250 so as to get 180; it makes \( 1/2 1/5 1/50 \) of a cubit. A cubit is 7 palms. Multiply 7 by \( 1/2 1/5 1/50: \) \begin{equation} \begin{array}{l|lll} 1 & 7 & \\ 1/2 & 3 & 1/2 & \\ 1/5 & 1 & 1/3 & 1/15 \\ 1/50 & 1/10 & 1/25 \end{array} \end{equation} The seked is \( 5 \tfrac{1}{25} \) palms [that is, \( (3+1/2) + (1+1/3+1/15) + (1/10+1/25) \)].
A'h-mose. The Rhind Papyrus. 33 AD

The image above presents one of the problems included in the Rhind Papyrus, written by the scribe Ahmes (A’h-mose) circa 33 AD. This is a description of all the hieroglyphs, as translated by August Eisenlohr:

The question for the reader, after going carefully over the English translation is: What does seked mean?