A historical novel written by Mika Waltari, published 1945 and translated to English in 1949. (Original Finnish title "Sinuhe, Egyptiläinen").
The book is set in 1300 BC in Egypt (of course). It opens when yet another baby is found floating in basket in the Nile - this is Sinuhe, who grows up and becomes a physician, so good in fact that he becomes the royal physician of pharaoh Ekhnaton.
The book was Mika Waltari's first book that enjoyed success outside Finland, and is now considered one of the big classics of world literature.
(Regrettably I haven't yet read the book in full - maybe I should start again =)
Also filmed (by the Hollywoodians) in 1954. (haven't seen it, but they say it took "some" liberties from the book plot and historical details...)