ea wallis budge - the book of the dead

8/8/2019 EA Wallis Budge - The Book of the Dead

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TheBookoftheDead

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CHAPTERI

TheTitle.

BookoftheDead is the titlenowcommonlygiven tothegreatcollection of funerary texts which the ancient Egyptian scribescomposedforthebenefitofthedead.Theseconsistofspellsandincantations, hymns and litanies, magical formulae and names,wordsofpowerandprayers,andtheyarefoundcutorpaintedonwalls of pyramids and tombs, and painted on coffins andsarcophagi and rolls of papyri. The title Book of theDead issomewhatunsatisfactoryandmisleading,forthetextsneitherform

a

connected

work

nor

belong

to

one

period;

they

are

miscellaneous

incharacter,andtellusnothingaboutthelivesandworksofthedead with whom they were buried. Moreover, the Egyptianspossessed many funerary works that might rightly be calledBooksoftheDead,butnoneofthemboreanamethatcouldbetranslatedbythetitleBookoftheDead.Thistitlewasgiventothe great collection of funerary texts in the first quarter of thenineteenth century by the pioneer Egyptologists,who possessednoexactknowledgeoftheircontents.Theywerefamiliarwiththe

rollsof

papyrus

inscribed

in

the

hieroglyphic

and

the

hieratic

character, for copies of several had been published, [1] but thetexts in themwereshortandfragmentary.ThepublicationoftheFacsimile[2]ofthePapyrusofPetaAmennebnesttaui[3]byM.Cadet in 1805 made a long hieroglyphic text and numerouscoloured vignettes available for study, and the FrenchEgyptologistsdescribed it asa copyof theRituelFunraireofthe ancient Egyptians.Among thesewasChampollion le Jeune,but later, on his return from Egypt, he and others called it Le

Livredes

Morts,

The

Book

of

the

Dead,

Das

Todtenbuch,

etc.

These titles are merely translations of the name given by theEgyptian tombrobbers to every roll of inscribed papyruswhichthey foundwithmummies,namely,KitbalMayyit, Bookofthedeadman,orKitbalMayyitun,Bookofthedead(plur.).Thesemenknewnothing of the contents of such a roll, and alltheymeanttosaywasthatitwasadeadmansbook,andthatitwasfoundinhiscoffinwithhim.


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CHAPTERII

ThePreservationoftheMummifiedBodyintheTombbyThoth.

TheobjectsfoundinthegravesofthepredynasticEgyptians,i.e.,vessels of food, flint knives and otherweapons, etc., prove thattheseearlydwellersintheNileValleybelievedinsomekindofafutureexistence.Butas theartofwritingwas,unknown to themtheirgraves containno inscriptions, andwe canonly infer fromtextsofthedynasticperiodwhattheirideasabouttheOtherWorldwere.Itisclearthattheydidnotconsideritofgreatimportancetopreserve the dead body in as complete and perfect state as

possible,

for

in

many

of

their

graves

the

heads,

hands

and

feet

have been found severed from the trunks and lying at somedistance from them.On the other hand, the dynastic Egyptians,eitherastheresultofadifferenceinreligiousbelief,orundertheinfluence of invaderswho had settled in their country, attachedsupremeimportancetothepreservationandintegrityofthedeadbody,andtheyadoptedeverymeansknowntothemtopreventitsdismembermentanddecay.Theycleanseditandembalmeditwithdrugs,spicesandbalsams;theyanointeditwitharomaticoilsand

preservativefluids;

they

swathed

it

in

hundreds

of

yards

of

linen

bandages;and then they sealed itup ina coffinor sarcophagus,whichtheylaidinachamberhewninthebowelsofthemountain.All these thingswere done to protect the physical body againstdamp,dryrotanddecay,andagainsttheattacksofmoth,beetles,wormsandwildanimals.Butthesewerenottheonlyenemiesofthedeadagainstwhichprecautionshad tobe taken, forboth themummifiedbodyandthespiritualelementswhichhadinhabitedituponearthhad tobeprotected fromamultitudeofdevilsand

fiends,and

from

the

powers

of

darkness

generally.

These

powers

of evil had hideous and terrifying shapes and forms, and theirhaunts were well known, for they infested the region throughwhich the roadof thedead laywhenpassing from thisworld totheKingdomofOsiris.Thegreatgodswereafraidofthem,andwere obliged to protect themselves by the use of spells andmagicalnames, andwordsofpower,whichwere composed andwrittendownbyThoth.InfactitwasbelievedinveryearlytimesinEgyptthatRatheSungodowedhiscontinuedexistencetothe

possessionof

asecret

name

with

which

Thoth

had

provided

him.

And each morning the rising sun was menaced by a fearfulmonstercalledAapep,whichlayhiddenundertheplaceofsunrisewaiting toswallowup thesolardisk.Itwasimpossible,evenfor


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the Sungod, to destroy this GreatDevil, butby reciting eachmorning thepowerfulspellwithwhichThothhadprovidedhimhewas able toparalyse allAapeps limbs and to riseupon this

world.

Since

then

the

great

gods,

even

though

benevolently

disposedtowardsthem,werenotabletodeliverthedeadfromthedevils that lived upon the bodies, souls, spirits, shadows andhearts of the dead, the Egyptians decided to invoke the aid ofThoth on behalf of their dead and to place them under theprotection of his almighty spells. Inspired by Thoth thetheologiansofancientEgyptcomposedalargenumberoffunerarytextswhichwerecertainly ingeneraluseunder the IVthdynasty(about 3700B.C.), andwere probablywell known under the Ist

dynasty,

and

throughout

the

whole

period

of

dynastic

history

ThothwasregardedastheauthoroftheBookoftheDead.


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CHAPTERIII

TheBookPertemhru,or[TheChaptersof]Comingforthby(or,

into)

the

Day,

commonly

called

the

Book

of

the

Dead.

The spells and other textswhichwerewrittenbyThoth for thebenefit of the dead, and are directly connected with him, werecalled,accordingtodocumentswrittenundertheXIthandXVIIIthdynasties,Chaptersof theComingForthby (or, into) theDay.OnerubricinthePapyrusofNu(Brit.Mus.No.10477)statesthatthetextoftheworkcalledPERTEMHRU,i.e.,ComingForth(or, into) the Day, was discovered by a high official in the

foundations

of

a

shrine

of

the

god

Hennu

during

the

reign

of

Semti,orHesepti,akingoftheIstdynasty.AnotherrubricinthesamepapyrussaysthatthetextwascutuponthealabasterplinthofastatueofMenkaura (Mycerinus),akingoftheIVthdynasty,and that the letterswere inlaidwith lapis lazuli.Theplinthwasfound by PrinceHerutataf, a son ofKingKhufu (Cheops),whocarried itoff tohiskingandexhibited itasamostwonderfulthing. This composition was greatly reverenced, for it wouldmake a man victorious upon earth and in the Other World; it

wouldensure

him

asafe

and

free

passage

through

the

Tuat

(Under

World);itwouldallowhimtogoinandtogoout,andtotakeatanytimeanyformhepleased;itwouldmakehissoultoflourish,andwouldpreventhim fromdying the [second]death.For thedeceasedtoreceivethefullbenefitofthistextithadtoberecitedbyamanwhowasceremoniallypure,andwhohadnoteatenfishormeat, andhadnot consortedwithwomen.On coffinsof theXIthdynasty andonpapyriof theXVIIIthdynastywe find twoversionsof thePERTEMHRU,one long andone short.As the

titleof

the

shorter

version

states

that

it

is

the

Chapters

of

the

PER

T EMHRU in a single chapter, it is clear that thiswork, evenunder the IVth dynasty, containedmany Chapters, and that amuchabbreviated formof theworkwasalsocurrentat thesameperiod.The rubric thatattributes thefindingof theChapter toHerutataf associates it with Khemenu, i.e., Hermopolis, andindicatesthatThoth,thegodofthiscity,wasitsauthor.

TheworkPERTEMHRUreceivedmanyadditionsinthecourse

ofcenturies,

and

at

length,

under

the

XVIIIth

dynasty,

it

contained

about190distinctcompositions,orChapters.TheoriginalformsofmanyofthesearetobefoundinthePyramidTexts(i.e.,thefunerary compositions cut on the walls of the chambers and


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corridors of the pyramids of Kings Unas, Teta, Pepi I MeriRa,MerenraandPepi IIatSakkrah),whichwerewrittenunder theVthandVIthdynasties.Theformswhichmanyotherchaptershad

under

the

XIth

and

XIIth

dynasties

are

well

represented

by

the

texts painted on the coffins ofAmamu, Sen, andGuatep in theBritishMuseum (Nos. 6654, 30839, 30841), but it ispossible thatboth theseand thesocalledPyramidTextsallbelonged to thework PERT EM HRU, and are extracts from it. The PyramidTextshavenoillustrations,butafewofthetextsonthecoffinsoftheXIth andXIIthdynastieshave coloured vignettes, e.g., thosewhich refer to the region tobe traversedby thedeceasedonhisway to the Other World, and the Islands of the Blessed or the

Elysian

Fields.

On

the

upper

margins

of

the

insides

of

such

coffins

therearefrequentlygiventwoormorerowsofcoloureddrawingsof theofferingswhichunder theVthdynastywerepresented tothedeceasedorhisstatueduringthecelebrationoftheserviceofOpening theMouthand theperformanceof the ceremoniesofTheLiturgyofFuneraryOfferings.Under theXVIIIthdynasty,when the use of large rectangular coffins and sarcophagi fellsomewhat into disuse, the scribes began to write collections ofChaptersfromthePERTEMHRUonrollsofpapyriinsteadofon

coffins.At

first

the

texts

were

written

in

hieroglyphs,

the

greater

numberofthembeinginblackink,andanattemptwasmade toillustrateeachtextbyavignettedrawninblackoutline.Thefinestknownexampleof sucha codex is thePapyrusofNebseni (Brit.Mus.No.9900),which is77 feet71/2 inches in lengthand IfootI1/2inchesinbreadth.EarlyintheXVIIIthdynastyscribesbegantowritethetitlesoftheChapters,therubrics,andthecatchwordsin red ink and the text in black, and it became customary todecoratethevignetteswithcolours,andtoincreasetheirsizeand

number.The

oldest

codex

of

this

class

is

the

Papyrus

of

Nu

(Brit.

Mus.No.10477)whichis65feet31/2inchesinlength,and1foot11/2 inches inbreadth.Thisandmanyother rollswerewrittenbytheirowners for theirown tombs,and ineach rollboth textandvignetteswereusually,theworkofthesamehand.Later,however,thescribewrotethetextonly,andaskilledartistwasemployedtoaddthecolouredvignettes,forwhichspacesweremarkedoutandleftblankbythescribe.Thefinestexampleofthisclassofrollisthe Papyrus of Ani (Brit. Mus., No. 10470). which is 78 feet in

lengthand

1foot

3inches

in

breadth.

In

all

papyri

of

this

class

the

textiswritteninhieroglyphs,butundertheXIXthandfollowingdynasties many papyri are written throughout in the hieratic


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character; these usually lack vignettes, but have colouredfrontispieces.

Under

the

rule

of

the

High

Priests

of

Amen

many

changes

were

introducedintothecontentsofthepapyri,andthearrangementcfthe texts and vignettes of the PERT EMHRUwas altered.ThegreatconfraternityofAmenRa,theKingof theGods,feltittobenecessarytoemphasizethesupremacyoftheirgod,evenintheKingdom of Osiris, and they added many prayers, litanies andhymnstotheSungodtoeveryselectionofthetextsfromthePERT EM HRU that was copied on a roll of papyrus for funerarypurposes.Thegreaternumberoftherollsofthisperiodareshort

and

contain

only

a

few

Chapters,

e.g.,

the

Papyrus

of

the

Royal

Mother Netchemet (Brit. Mus. No. 10541) and the Papyrus ofQueenNetchemet (Brit.Mus.No.10478).Insome thetext isverydefective and carelessly written, but the coloured vignettes areremarkablefortheirsizeandbeauty;ofthisclassofrollthefinestexampleisthePapyrusofAnhai(Brit.Mus.No.10472).ThemostinterestingofalltherollsthatwerewrittenduringtheruleofthePriestKings over Upper Egypt is the Papyrus of PrincessNesitanebtashru(Brit.Mus.No.10554),nowcommonlyknownas

theGreenfield

Papyrus.

It

is

the

longest

and

widest

funerary

papyrus[4]known,foritmeasures123feetby1foot61/2inches,and it containsmoreChapters,Hymns,Litanies,Adorations andHomagestothegodsthananyotherroll.The87ChaptersfromthePERTEMHRUwhichitcontainsprovetheprincesssdevotiontothecultofOsiris,andtheHymnstoAmenRashowthatshewasabletoregardthisgodandOsirisnotasrivalsbutastwoaspectsof the same god.Shebelieved that the hidden creativepowerwhichwasmaterialized inAmenwas only another form of the

powerof

procreation,

renewed

birth

and

resurrection

which

was

typifiedbyOsiris.TheoldestcopiesofthePERTEMHRUwhichwe have on papyrus contain a few extracts from other ancientfuneraryworks, such as the Book ofOpening theMouth, theLiturgyofFuneraryOfferings,andtheBookoftheTwoWays.But under the rule of the PriestKings the scribes incorporatedwiththeChaptersofthePERTEMHRUextractsfromtheBookofAmiTuatandtheBookofGates,andseveralofthevignettesandtextsthatarefoundonthewallsoftheroyaltombsofThebes.

Oneofthemostremarkabletextswrittenatthisperiodisfoundinthe Papyrus of NesiKhensu, which is now in the EgyptianMuseum inCairo.This is really the copyof a contractwhich is


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declaredtohavebeenmadebetweenNesiKhensuandAmenRa,theholygod,thelordofallthegods.Asarewardforthegreatpietyof thequeen,andherdevotion to the interestsofAmenRa

upon

earth,

the

god

undertakes

to

make

her

a

goddess

in

his

kingdom, toprovideherwithanestate there inperpetuityandaneverfailingsupplyofofferings,andhappinessofheart,soulandbody,and the [daily]recitaluponearthof theSeventySongsofRaforthebenefitofhersoulintheKhertNeter,orUnderWorld.The contract was drawn up in a series of paragraphs in legalphraseologyby thepriestsofAmen,whobelieved theyhad thepowerofmakingtheirgoddoastheypleasedwhentheypleased.

Little

is

known

of

the

history

of

the

PER

T

EM

HRU

after

the

downfallofthepriestsofAmen,andduringtheperiodoftheruleof theNubians,but under thekings of theXXVIth dynasty theBook enjoyed a great vogue. Many funerary rolls were writtenboth in hieroglyphs and hieratic, and were decorated withvignettesdrawn inblackoutline;andabout this time thescribesbegantowritefunerarytextsinthedemoticcharacter.ButmennolongercopiedlongselectionsfromthePERTEMHRUastheyhaddoneundertheXVIIIth,XIXthandXXthdynasties,partlybecause

thereligious

views

of

the

Egyptians

had

undergone

agreat

change,

and partly because a number of Books of the Dead of a morepopularcharacterhadappeared.ThecultofOsiriswastriumphanteverywhere,andmenpreferredthehymnsandlitanieswhichdealtwithhissufferings,deathandresurrectiontothecompositionsinwhich the absolute supremacyofRa andhis solar cycleofgodsand goddesses was assumed or proclaimed. Thus, in theLamentations of Isis and the Festival Songs of Isis andNephthys, and the Litanies of Seker, and the Book of

HonouringOsiris,

etc.,

the

central

figure

is

Osiris,

and

he

alone

is

regardedasthegiverofeverlastinglife.ThedeadwerenolongerburiedwithlargerollsofpapyrusfilledwithChaptersofthePERTEMHRUlaidintheircoffins,butwithsmallsheetsorstripsofpapyrus,onwhichwere inscribedtheabovecompositions,or theshorter texts of the Book of Breathings, or the Book ofTraversingEternity,ortheBookofMaymynameflourish,orapartoftheChapteroftheLastJudgment.

AncientEgyptian

tradition

asserts

that

the

Book

PER

T

EM

HRU

wasusedearlyintheIstdynasty,andthepapyriandcoffinsoftheRoman Period afford evidence that the native Egyptians stillaccepted all the essential beliefs and doctrines contained in it.


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During the four thousand years of its existencemany additionsweremade to it,butnothing of importance seems tohavebeentakenawayfromit.Inthespacehereavailableitisimpossibleto

describe

in

detail

the

various

Recensions

of

this

work,

viz.,

(1)

the

Heliopolitan, (2) the Theban and its various forms, and (3) theSate; but it is proposed to sketch briefly themain facts of theEgyptianReligionwhichmay be deduced from them generally,and especially from the Theban Recension, and to indicate thecontentsoftheprincipalChapters.Noonepapyruscanbecitedasafinalauthority,fornopaypruscontainsall theChapters,190innumber,of theThebanRecension,and inno twopapyri are theselection and sequence of the Chapters identical, or is the

treatment

of

the

vignettes

the

same.


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CHAPTERIV

Thoth,theAuthoroftheBookoftheDead.

Thoth, in Egyptian Tchehuti or Tehuti, who has already beenmentionedastheauthorofthetextsthatformthePERTEMHRU,orBookoftheDead,wasbelievedbytheEgyptianstohavebeentheheartandmindoftheCreator,whowasinveryearlytimesinEgyptcalledbythenativesPautti,andbyforeignersRa.ThothwasalsothetongueoftheCreator,andheatalltimesvoicedthewill of the great god, and spoke the words which commandedevery being and thing in heaven and in earth to come into

existence.

His

words

were

almighty

and

once

uttered

never

remainedwithout effect.He framed the laws bywhich heaven,earthandall theheavenlybodiesaremaintained;heordered thecourses of the sun, moon, and stars; he invented drawing anddesign and the arts, the letters of the alphabet and the art ofwriting,andthescienceofmathematics.Ataveryearlyperiodhewascalled thescribe (orsecretary)of theGreatCompanyoftheGods,andashekeptthecelestialregisterofthewordsanddeedsofmen,hewasregardedbymanygenerationsofEgyptiansasthe

RecordingAngel.

He

was

the

inventor

of

physical

and

moral

Law and became the personification of JUSTICE; and as theCompaniesoftheGodsofHeaven,andEarth,andtheOtherWorldappointedhim toweigh thewordsanddeedsofmen,andhisverdictswereunalterable,hebecamemorepowerfulintheOtherWorldthanOsirishimself.OsirisowedhistriumphoverSetintheGreatJudgmentHalloftheGodsentirelytotheskillofThothofthe wisemouth as anAdvocate, and tohis influencewith thegods in heaven. And every follower of Osiris relied upon the

advocacyof

Thoth

to

secure

his

acquittal

on

the

Day

of

Judgment,

andtoprocureforhimaneverlastinghabitationintheKingdomofOsiris.


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CHAPTERV

ThothandOsiris.

TheEgyptianswerenotsatisfiedwiththemerepossessionofthetextsofThoth,whentheirsoulswerebeingweighedintheGreatScalesintheJudgmentHallofOsiris,buttheyalsowishedThothtoactas theirAdvocateon thisdreadoccasionand toprovetheirinnocenceashehadprovedthatofOsirisbeforethegreatgodsinprehistoric times.According toaveryancientEgyptian tradition,thegodOsiris,whowasoriginallythegodoftheprincipleofthefertilityoftheNile,becameincarnateonearthasthesonofGeb,

the

Earth

god,

and

Nut,

the

Sky

goddess.

He

had

two

sisters,

Isis

and Nephthys, and one brother, Set; he married Isis and SetmarriedNephthys.GebsetOsirisonthethroneofEgypt,andhisrulewasbeneficentandthenationwashappyandprosperous.Setmarkedthisandbecameveryjealousofhisbrother,andwishedtoslayhimsothathemightseizehisthroneandtakepossessionofIsis, whose reputation as a devoted and loving wife and ablemanager filled the country. By some means or other Set didcontrivetokillOsiris:accordingtoonestoryhekilledhimbythe

sideof

acanal

at

Netat,

near

Abydos,

and

according

to

another

he

caused him to be drowned. Isis, accompanied by her sisterNephthys,wenttoNetatandrescuedthebodyofherlord,andthetwo sisters, with the help of Anpu, a son of Ra the Sungod,embalmed it.Theythen laidthebody inatomb,andasycamoretreegrewrounditandflourishedoverthegrave.AtraditionwhichisfoundinthePyramidTextsstatesthatbeforeOsiriswaslaidinhistomb,hiswifeIsis,bymeansofhermagicalpowers,succeededinrestoringhimtolifetemporarily,andmadehimbegetofheran

heir,who

was

called

Horus.

After

the

burial

of

Osiris,

Isis

retreatedtothemarshesintheDelta,andthereshebroughtforthHorus. In order to avoid the persecution of Set, who on oneoccasionsucceededinkillingHorusbythestingofascorpion,shefledfromplacetoplaceintheDelta,andlivedaveryunhappylifefor some years.ButThothhelped her in all herdifficulties andprovided herwith thewords of powerwhich restoredHorus tolife,andenabledhertopassunharmedamongthecrocodilesandotherevilbeaststhatinfestedthewatersoftheDeltaatthattime.

WhenHorusarrivedatyearsofmaturity,hesetouttofindSetandtowagewaragainsthisfathersmurderer.Atlengththeymetandafiercefightensued,andthoughSetwasdefeatedbeforehewas


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OsiriswastobeconsideredaGreatGodandtohaveruleovertheKingdomof theUnderWorld, and thatSetwas tobepunished.Thoth convinced them thatOsiriswas MAAKHERU, trueof

word,

i.e.,

that

he

had

spoken

the

truth

when

he

gave

his

evidence,andintextsofallperiodsThothisfrequentlydescribedasSMAAKHERUASAR,i.e.,hewhoprovedOsiristobetrueofword.As forSet theLiar,hewasseizedby theministersof theGreatGods,whothrewhimdownonhishandsandfaceandmadeOsiris mount upon his back as a mark of his victory andsuperiority.After thisSetwasboundwith cords likeabeast forsacrifice,andinthepresenceofThothwashackedinpieces.


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CHAPTERVI

OsirisasJudgeoftheDeadandKingoftheUnderWorld.

WhenSetwasdestroyedOsirisdeparted from thisworld to thekingdomwhich thegodshadgivenhimandbegan toreignoverthedead.Hewasabsolutekingofthisrealm,justasRatheSungodwasabsolutekingofthesky.Thisregionofthedead,orDeadland,iscalledTat,orTuat,butwheretheEgyptiansthoughtitwas situated isnotquite clear.Theoriginalhomeof the cultofOsiriswasintheDelta,inacitywhichinhistorictimeswascalledTetu by the Egyptians and Busiris by the Greeks, and it is

reasonable

to

assume

that

the

Tuat,

over

which

Osiris

ruled,

was

situatednearthisplace.Whereveritwasitwasnotunderground,anditwasnotoriginallyintheskyorevenonitsconfines;butitwas located on the borders of the visible world, in the OuterDarkness.TheTuatwasnotaplaceofhappiness,judgingfromthedescription of it in the PERT EM HRU, or Book of the Dead.WhenAnithescribearrivedtherehesaid,WhatisthistowhichIhave come? There is neither water nor air here, its depth isunfathomable,itisasdarkasthedarkestnight,andmenwander

abouthere

helplessly.

A

man

cannot

live

here

and

be

satisfied,

and

he cannotgratify the cravingsofaffection (ChapterCLXXV). Inthe Tuat there was neither tree nor plant, for it was the landwhere nothing grew; and in primitive times itwas a region ofdestructionanddeath,aplacewherethedeadrottedanddecayed,a place of abomination, andhorror and terror, and annihilation.But in very early times, certainly in the Neolithic Period, theEgyptiansbelieved insomekindofa future life,and theydimlyconceived that theattainmentof that lifemightpossiblydepend

uponthe

manner

of

life

which

those

who

hoped

to

enjoy

it

led

here.TheEgyptians hateddeathand loved life, andwhen thebelief gained ground among them that Osiris, the God of theDead,hadhimselfrisenfromthedead,andhadbeenacquittedbythegodsofheaven after a searching trial, andhad thepower tomakemen andwomen to be born again, and to renew lifebecauseofhistruthandrighteousness,theycametoregardhimasthe Judgeaswellas theGodof theDead.As timewenton,andmoral and religious ideas developed among the Egyptians, it

becamecertain

to

them

that

only

those

who

had

satisfied

Osiris

as

totheirtruthspeakingandhonestdealinguponearthcouldhopeforadmissionintohiskingdom.


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When the power of Osiris became predominant in the UnderWorld, andhis fame as a just and righteous judge becamewellestablishedamong thenativesofLowerandUpperEgypt, itwas

universally

believed

that

after

death

all

men

would

appear

before

himinhisdreadHallofJudgmenttoreceivetheirrewardortheirsentence of doom.Thewriters of the PyramidTexts,more thanfiftyfivecenturiesago,dreamedofatimewhenheavenandearthandmendidnotexist,whenthegodshadnotyetbeenborn,whendeathhadnotbeen created,andwhen anger, speech (?), cursingand rebellionwereunknown. [5]But that timewasvery remote,andlongbeforethegreatfighttookplacebetweenHorusandSet,whentheformerlosthiseyeandthelatterwaswoundedinavital

part

of

his

body.

Meanwhile

death

had

come

into

the

world,

and

sincethereligionofOsirisgavemanahopeofescapefromdeath,and the promise of everlasting life of the peculiar kind thatappealed to thegreatmassof theEgyptianpeople, the spreadofthe cult of Osiris and its ultimate triumph over all forms ofreligion in Egypt were assured. Under the early dynasties thepriesthoodofAnu(theOnoftheBible)strovetomaketheirSungod Ra preeminent in Egypt, but the cult of this god neverappealed to the people as a whole. It was embraced by the

Pharaohs,and

their

high

officials,

and

some

of

the

nobles,

and

the

officialpriesthood,buttherewardwhichitsdoctrineofferedwasnotpopularwiththematerialisticEgyptians.A lifepassedin theBoat ofRawith the gods, being arrayed in light and fed uponlight, made no appeal to the ordinary folk since Osiris offeredthem as a reward a life in the Field ofReeds, and the Field ofOfferings of Food, and the Field of the Grasshoppers, andeverlastingexistenceinatransmutedandbeautifiedbodyamongthe resurrected bodies of father andmother,wife and children,

kinsfolkand

friends.

But,asaccordingtothecultofRa,thewicked,therebels,andtheblasphemersoftheSungodsufferedswiftandfinalpunishment,soalsoall thosewhohad sinnedagainst the sternmoralLawofOsiris,andwhohadfailedtosatisfyitsdemands,paidthepenaltywithoutdelay.The JudgmentofRawasheldat sunrise,and thewicked were thrown into deep pits filled with fire, and theirbodies,souls,shadowsandheartswereconsumedforthwith.The

Judgmentof

Osiris

took

place

near

Abydos,

probably

at

midnight,

and a decree of swift annihilation was passed by him on thedamned.TheirheadswerecutoffbytheheadsmanofOsiris,whowascalledShesmu,andtheirbodiesdismemberedanddestroyed


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inpitsof fire.Therewasnoeternalpunishmentformen, for thewickedwereannihilatedquicklyandcompletely;butinasmuchasOsiris sat in judgment and doomed the wicked to destruction

daily,

the

infliction

of

punishment

never

ceased.


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CHAPTERVII

TheJudgmentofOsiris.

The oldest religious texts suggest that the Egyptians alwaysassociated theLast Judgmentwith theweighingof theheart inapairofscales,andintheillustratedpapyrioftheBookoftheDeadgreat prominence is always given to the vignettes inwhich thisweighing is being carried out. The heart, ab, was taken as thesymbolofall theemotions,desires,andpassions,bothgoodandevil,andoutof itproceeded the issuesof life. Itwas intimatelyconnectedwiththeka,i.e.,thedoubleorpersonalityofaman,and

several

short

spells

in

the

Book

PER

T

EM

HRU

were

composed

to

ensureitspreservation(ChaptersXXVIXXXB*).ThegreatChapteroftheJudgmentofOsiris,theCXXVth,isdividedintothreeparts,which are sometimes (as in the Papyrus of Ani) prefaced by aHymn toOsiris.Thefirstpartcontains thefollowing,whichwassaidbythedeceasedwhenheenteredtheHallofMaati,inwhichOsirissatinjudgment:

Homagetothee,OGreatGod,LordofMaati,[6]Ihavecometo

thee,O

my

Lord,

that

Imay

behold

thy

beneficence.

Iknow

thee,

and Iknow thyname,and thenamesof theFortyTwowho livewith thee in theHallofMaati,whokeepwardoversinners,andfeedupon theirbloodon thedayofestimatingcharactersbeforeUnNefer [7] ...Behold, Ihave come to thee,and Ihavebroughtmaat(i.e.,truth,integrity)tothee.Ihavedestroyedsinforthee.Ihavenotsinnedagainstmen.Ihavenotoppressed[my]kinsfolk.Ihave done no wrong in the place of truth. I have not knownworthlessfolk.Ihavenotwroughtevil.Ihavenotdefraudedthe

oppressedone

of

his

goods.

Ihave

not

done

the

things

that

the

godsabominate.Ihavenotvilifiedaservanttohismaster.Ihavenotcausedpain. Ihavenot letanymanhunger. Ihavemadenoonetoweep.Ihavenotcommittedmurder.Ihavenotcommandedany tocommitmurder forme.Ihave inflictedpainonnoman.Ihave not defrauded the temples of their oblations. I have notpurloinedthecakesofthegods.Ihavenotstolentheofferingstothespirits(i.e.,thedead).Ihavenotcommittedfornication.Ihavenotpollutedmyselfintheholyplacesofthegodofmycity.Ihave

notdiminished

from

the

bushel.

Idid

not

take

from

or

add

to

the

acremeasure. Ididnotencroachon the fields [ofothers]. Ihavenot added to the weights of the scales. I have not misread thepointer of the scales. Ihavenot takenmilk from themouths of


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children. Ihavenotdriven cattle from theirpastures. Ihavenotsnared thebirdsof thegods. Ihavenot caught fishwith fishoftheirkind.Ihavenotstoppedwater[whenitshouldflow].Ihave

not

cut

the

dam

of

a

canal.

I

have

not

extinguished

a

fire

when

it

should burn. I have not altered the times of the chosen meatofferings. I have not turned away the cattle [intended for]offerings. I have not repulsed the god at his appearances. I ampure.Iampure.Iampure.Iampure....

In the secondpartofChapterCXXVOsiris is seen seatedatoneendoftheHallofMaatiaccompaniedbythetwogoddessesofLawandTruth, and the FortyTwogodswho are there to assisthim.

Each

of

the

Forty

Two

gods

represents

one

of

the

nomes

of

Egypt

and has a symbolic name.When the deceased had repeated themagicalnamesofthedoorsoftheHall,heentereditandsawthesegodsarrangedintworows,twentyoneoneachsideoftheHall.Atthe end,nearOsiris,were theGreatScales,under the chargeofAnpu (Anubis),and themonsterAmemit, theEaterof theDead,i.e., of the hearts of the wicked who were condemned in theJudgment ofOsiris.Thedeceased advanced along theHall and,addressingeachoftheFortyTwogodsbyhisname,declaredthat

hehad

not

committed

acertain

sin,

thus:

OUsekhnemmit, comer forth fromAnu, Ihavenot committedsin.

OFenti,comerforthfromKhemenu,Ihavenotrobbed.

ONehahau,comerforthfromRestau,Ihavenotkilledmen.

ONeba,

comer

forth

in

retreating,

Ihave

not

plundered

the

propertyofGod.

OSetqesu,comerforthfromHensu,Ihavenotlied.

OUammti,comerforthfromKhebt,Ihavenotdefiledanymanswife.

O Maaanuf, comer forth from PerMenu, I have not defiled

myself.

OTemSep,comerforthfromTetu,Ihavenotcursedtheking.


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O NeferTem, comer forth from HetkaPtah, I have not acteddeceitfully;Ihavenotcommittedwickedness.

O

Nekhen,

comer

forth

from

Heqat,

I

have

not

turned

a

deaf

ear

tothewordsoftheLaw(orTruth).

ThenamesofmostoftheFortyTwogodsarenotancient,butwereinventedbythepriestsprobablyaboutthesametimeasthenamesintheBookofHimthatisintheTuatandtheBookofGates,i.e.,between the XIIth and the XVIIIth dynasties. Their artificialcharacterisshownbytheirmeanings.ThusUsekhnemmitmeansHeofthelongstrides;FentimeansHeoftheNose;Nehahau

means

Stinking

members;

Set

qesu

means

Breaker

of

bones,

etc.TheearlyEgyptologistscalledthesecondpartoftheCXXVthChaptertheNegativeConfession,anditisgenerallyknownbythissomewhatinexacttitletothisday.

InthethirdpartoftheCXXVthChaptercomestheaddresswhichthedeceasedmadetothegodsafterhehaddeclaredhisinnocenceof the sins enumerated before the FortyTwo gods. He says:Homage toyou,Oyegodswhodwell inyourHallofMaati. I

knowyou

and

Iknow

your

names.

Let

me

not

fall

under

your

slaughteringknives.Bringnotmywickednesstothenoticeofthegodwhose followersyeare.Letnot the affair [ofmy judgment]come under your jurisdiction. Speak ye the Law (or truth)concerningmebeforeNebertcher,[8]forIperformedtheLaw(or,truth)inTamera(i.e.,Egypt).IhavenotblasphemedtheGod.Noaffair of mine came under the notice of the king in his day.Homagetoyou,OyewhoareinyourHallofMaati,whohavenoliesinyourbodies,wholiveontruth,whoeattruthbeforeHorus,

thedweller

in

his

disk,

deliver

ye

me

from

Babai

[9]

who

liveth

upon the entrails of the mighty ones on the day of the GreatReckoning (APTAAT).Beholdme! I have come to youwithoutsin,withoutdeceit (?),withoutevil,without false testimony (?) Ihavenotdonean [evil] thing. I liveupon truthand I feedupontruth. I haveperformed the behests ofmen, and the things thatsatisfy the gods. [10] I have propitiated theGod [by doing]Hiswill.Ihavegivenbreadtothehungry,watertothethirsty,raimenttothenaked,andaboattohimthatneededone.Ihavemadeholy

offeringsto

the

gods,

and

sepulchral

offerings

to

the

beautified

dead.Beye thenmysaviours,beyemyprotectors,andmakenoaccusationagainstmebeforetheGreatGod.Iampureofmouth,


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andcleanofhands;thereforeithathbeensaidbythosewhosawme,Comeinpeace,comeinpeace.

The

deceased

then

addresses

Osiris,

and

says,

Hail,

thou

who

art

exalteduponthystandard, thouLordoftheAtefuCrown,whosename is Lord of Winds, save me from thy Messengers (orAssessors)with uncovered faces,who bring charges of evil andmake shortcomingsplain,because Ihaveperformed theLaw (orTruth)for theLordof theLaw (orTruth).Ihavepurifiedmyselfwithwashingsinwater,mybackhathbeencleansedwithsalt,andmyinnerpartsareinthePoolofTruth.Thereisnotamemberofmine that lacketh truth.From the lines that follow theabove in

the

Papyrus

of

Nu

it

seems

as

though

the

judgment

of

the

deceased

by theFortyTwogodswaspreliminary to the final judgmentofOsiris.Atallevents,afterquestioninghimabouttheperformanceofcertainceremonies,theyinvitedhimtoentertheHallofMaati,butwhenhewasabouttodosotheporter,andthedoorbolts,andthevariouspartsofthedooranditsframe,andthefloor,refusedtopermit him to enter until he had repeated theirmagical names.Whenhehadpronounced these correctly theporter tookhim inand presented him to Maau (?)Taui, who was Thoth himself.

Whenasked

by

him

why

he

had

come

the

deceased

answered,

I

have come that report may be made of me. Then Thoth said,Whatisthycondition?Andthedeceasedreplied,Iampurifiedfromevilthings,Iamfreefromthewickednessofthosewholivedinmydays;Iamnotoneofthem.OnthisThothsaid,Thoushaltbereported.[Tellme:]Who ishewhoseroof isfire,whosewallsarelivingserpents,andwhosefloorisastreamofwater?Who ishe? The deceased having replied Osiris, Thoth then led himforward to thegodOsiris,who receivedhim, andpromised that

subsistenceshould

be

provided

for

him

from

the

Eye

of

Ra.

IngreatpapyrioftheBookoftheDeadsuchasthoseofNebseni,Nu, Ani, Hunefer, etc., the Last Judgment, or the GreatReckoning,ismadethemostprominentsceneinthewholework,and thevignette inwhich it isdepicted is several feet long.ThemostcompleteformofitisgiveninthePapyrusofAni,andmaybethusdescribed:AtoneendoftheHallofMaatiOsirisisseatedonathronewithinashrinemadeintheformofafunerarycoffer;

behindhim

stand

Isis

and

Nephthys.

Along

one

side

of

the

Hall

are seated thegodsHarmachis,Tem,Shu,Tefnut,Geb,Nut, IsisandNephthys,Horus,Hathor,HuandSaa,whoaretoserveasthedivine jury; these formed the GreatCompany of theGods of


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Anu (Heliopolis).By these stands theGreatBalance, and on itspillar sits the dogheaded apeAstes, orAstenu, the associate ofThoth.ThepointeroftheBalanceisinthechargeofAnpu.Behind

Anpu

are

Thoth

the

scribe

of

the

gods,

and

the

monster

Amemit,

withtheheadofacrocodile,theforepawsandshouldersofalion,and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus; the duty of the lastnamedwastoeatuptheheartsthatwerelightinthebalance.OntheothersideoftheBalanceAni,accompaniedbyhiswife,isseenstandingwithheadbent low inadoration,andbetweenhimandtheBalancestandthetwogoddesseswhonurseandrearchildren,MeskhenetandRennet,Anissoul, in the formofamanheadedhawk,aportionofhisbody,andhisluckShai.Sincetheheartwas

considered

to

be

the

seat

of

all

will,

emotion,

feeling,

reason

and

intelligence,Anisheart,isseeninonepanoftheBalance,andinthe other is the feather, symbolic of truth and righteousness.Whilsthisheartwas in theBalanceAni, repeating thewordsofChapterXXXB*oftheBookoftheDead,addressedit,saying,Myheartofmymother!Myheartofmymother!Myheartofmybeing!Make no stand againstmewhen testifying, thrust me not backbefore theTchatchaut (i.e., theoverseersofOsiris),andmakenofailureinrespectofmebeforetheMasteroftheBalance.Thouart

myKa,

the

dweller

in

my

body,

uniting

(?)

and

strengthening

my

members. Thou shalt come forth to the happiness to whichweadvance.Makenotmynametostinkwith theofficers[ofOsiris]whomademen,utternolieagainstmebeforetheGreatGod,theLordofAmentt.

ThenThoth,theJudgeofTruth,oftheGreatCompanyoftheGodswhoareinthepresenceofOsiris,saithtothegods,Hearkenyetothisword:InverytruththeheartofOsirishathbeenweighed,and

hissoul

hath

borne

testimony

concerning

him;

according

to

the

GreatBalancehiscaseistruth(i.e.,just).Nowickednesshathbeenfoundinhim.Hedidnotfilchofferingsfromthetemples.Hedidnot act crookedly, and he did not vilify folk when he was onearth.

AndtheGreatCompanyoftheGodssaytoThoth,whodwellethin Khemenu (Hermopolis): This that cometh forth from thymouthoftruthisconfirmed(?)TheOsiris,thescribeAni,trueof

voice,hath

testified.

He

hath

not

sinned

and

[his

name]

doth

not

stinkbeforeus;Amemit(i.e.,theEateroftheDead)shallnothavethemastery over him. Let there be given unto him offerings of


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foodandanappearancebeforeOsiris,andanabidinghomesteadintheFieldofOfferingsasuntotheFollowersofHorus.

Thus

the

gods

have

declared

that

Ani

is

true

of

voice,

as

was

Osiris,andtheyhavecalledAniOsiris,becauseinhispurityofwordanddeedheresembledthatgod.InallthecopiesoftheBookof theDead thedeceased isalwayscalledOsiris,andas itwasalwaysassumedthatthoseforwhomtheywerewrittenwouldbefound innocent whenweighed in the Great Balance, the wordstrue of voice,whichwere equivalent inmeaning to innocentandacquitted,werealwayswrittenafter theirnames. ItmaybenotedinpassingthatwhenAnisheartwasweighedagainstTruth,

the

beam

of

the

Great

Balance

remained

perfectly

horizontal.

This

suggeststhatthegodsdidnotexpecttheheartofthedeceasedtokick the beam, but were quite satisfied if it exactlycounterbalancedTruth.TheydemandedthefulfilmentoftheLawandnothingmore,andwerecontent tobestow immortalityuponthemanonwhomThothsverdictwashehathdonenoevil.

InaccordancewiththecommandofthegodsAnipassesfromtheGreat Balance to the end of the Hall of Maati where Osiris is

seated,and

as

he

approaches

the

god

Horus,

the

son

of

Isis,

takes

himby thehandandleadshimforward,andstandingbeforehisfather Osiris says, I have come to thee, UnNefer, [11] I havebrought to thee theOsirisAni.Hisheart is righteous [and]hathcomeforthfromtheBalance.Ithathnosinbeforeanygodoranygoddess.Thoth hath setdown his judgment inwriting, and theCompany of the Gods have declared on his behalf that [his]evidenceisverytrue.LettherebegivenuntohimofthebreadandbeerwhichappearbeforeOsiris.LethimbeliketheFollowersof

Horusfor

ever!

Next

we

see

Ani

kneeling

in

adoration

before

Osiris, and he says, Behold, I am in thy presence, O Lord ofAmentt. There is no sin in my body. I have not uttered a lieknowingly. [Ihave]noduplicity (?)Grant that Imaybe like thefavoured(orrewarded)oneswhoareinthytrain.UnderfavourofOsirisAnithenbecameasahu,orspiritbody,andinthisformpassedintotheKingdomofOsiris.


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CHAPTERVIII

TheKingdomofOsiris.

According to the Book of Gates and the other Guides to theEgyptianUnderWorld, theKingdomofOsiris formed theSixthDivision of the Tuat; in very early times it was situated in theWesternDelta, but after theXIIthdynasty theologians placed itnearAbydosinUpperEgypt,andbeforethecloseoftheDynasticPeriodtheTuatofOsirishadabsorbedtheUnderWorldofeverynome of Egypt. When the soul in its beautified or spirit bodyarrived there, theministersofOsiris took it to thehomesteador

place

of

abode

which

had

been

allotted

to

it

by

the

command

of

Osiris,and there itbegan itsnewexistence.Thelargevignettetothe CXth Chapter shows us exactly what manner of place theabodeoftheblessedwas.Thecountrywasflatandthefieldswereintersectedby canals of runningwater inwhich therewere nofish and no worms (i.e., water snakes). In one part of it wereseveralsmallislands,andononeofthemOsiriswassupposedtodwellwithhissaints.ItwascalledtheIslandofTruth,andtheferrymanofOsiriswouldnotconvey to itanysoul thathadnot

beendeclared

true

of

word

by

Thoth,

Osiris

and

the

Great

Gods

at theGreatReckoning.Theportionof theKingdomofOsirisdepicted in the large Books of the Dead represents in manyrespectsatypicalEgyptianfarm,andweseethedeceasedengagedinploughingand reapinganddriving theoxen thatare treadingoutthecorn.HewasintroducedintotheSekhetHeteput(asectionoftheSekhetAaru,i.e.,FieldofReeds,ortheElysianFields)byThoth,andtherehefoundthesoulsofhisancestors,whowerejoinedtotheCompanyoftheGods.Onecornerofthisregionwas

speciallyset

apart

for

the

dwelling

place

of

the

aakhu,

i.e.,

beautifiedsouls,orspiritsouls,whoweresaidtobesevencubitsinheight,and to reapwheatorbarleywhichgrew toaheightofthree cubits. Near this spot were moored two boats that werealwaysreadyfortheuseofthedenizensofthatregion;theyappeartohavebeenspiritboats,i.e.,boatswhichmovedofthemselvesandcarriedthebeautifiedwheresoevertheywantedtogowithoutanytroubleorfatigueontheirpart.

Howthe

beautified

passed

their

time

in

the

Kingdom

of

Osiris

maybeseenfromthepicturescutonthealabastersarcophagusofSetiI,nowpreservedinSirJohnSoanesMuseuminLincolnsInnFields.Hereweseethemoccupiedinproducingthecelestialfood


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on which they and the god lived. Some are tending the wheatplantsas theygrow,andothersarereaping the ripegrain. In thetextsthataccompanythesescenestheearsofwheataresaidtobe

the

members

of

Osiris,

and

the

wheat

plant

is

called

the

maat

plant.Osiriswas theWheatgod and also the personification ofMaat(i.e.,Truth),andthebeautifiedliveduponthebodyoftheirgodandatehimdaily,andthesubstanceofhimwastheBreadofEverlastingness,which ismentioned in thePyramidTexts.ThebeautifiedaredescribedasThosewhohaveofferedupincensetothe gods, and whose kau (i.e., doubles, or persons) have beenwashedclean.Theyhavebeenreckonedupandtheyaremaat(i.e.,Truth) in the presence of the Great God who destroyeth sin.

Osiris

says

to

them,

Ye

are

truth

of

truth;

rest

in

peace.

And

of

themhe says, Theyweredoersof truthwhilst theywereuponearth,theydidbattlefortheirgod,andtheyshallbecalledtotheenjoymentoftheLandoftheHouseofLifewithTruth.Theirtruthshallbe reckoned to them in thepresenceof theGreatGodwhodestroyethsin.Thenaddressing themagainOsirissays,YearebeingsofTruth,OyeTruths.Takeyeyourrestbecauseofwhatyehavedone,becomingevenasthosewhoareinmyfollowing,andwho direct theHouse ofHimwhose Soul is holy.Ye shall live

thereeven

as

they

live,

and

ye

shall

have

dominion

over

the

cool

waters of your land. I command that yehave your being to thelimit[ofthatland]withTruthandwithoutsin.Inthesepassageswe have the two conceptions of Osiris well illustrated. As theWheatgod he would satisfy those who wished for a purelymaterial, agricultural heaven,where hungerwould be unknownand where the blessed would be able to satisfy every physicaldesire and want daily; and as the God of Truth, of whom thespirituallymindedhopedtobecomethecounterpart,hewouldbe

theirhope,

and

consolation,

and

the

image

of

the

Eternal

God.


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CHAPTERIX

AShortDescriptionoftheDoorsorChaptersoftheBookofthe

Dead.

AllthegreatpapyrioftheBookoftheDeadbeginwithaHYMNTORA,whofromtheperiodoftheIVthdynastywastheKingoftheGodsofEgypt.Hiscultwas finallyestablishedunder theVth dynasty when the king of Egypt began to call himself inofficialdocumentsandmonumentsSonoftheSun,SaRa.ThisHymnissupposedtobesungbythedeceased,whosays:

Homage

to

thee,

O

Ra,

at

thy

beauteous

rising.

Thou

risest,

thou

risest;thoushinest,thoushinestatthedawn.ThouartKingoftheGods,andtheMaatigoddessesembracethee.TheCompanyoftheGodspraise thee at sunrise and at sunset.Thou sailest over theheightsofheavenandthyheartisglad.ThyMorningBoatmeeteththyEveningBoatwith fairwinds.Thy father is theSkygodandthymotheristheSkygoddess,andthouartHorusoftheEasternandWestern skies. ...O thouOnlyOne,O thouPerfectOne,Othouwhoarteternal,whoartneverweak,whomnomightyone

canabase;

none

hath

dominion

over

the

things

which

appertain

to

thee. Homage to thee in thy characters of Horus, Tem, andKhepera, thou Great Hawk, who makest man to rejoice by thybeautiful face. When thou risest men and women live. Thourenewest thyyouth,anddost set thyself in theplacewhere thouwast yesterday. O Divine Youth, who art selfcreated, I cannotcomprehendthee.Thouartthelordofheavenandearth,anddidstcreate beings celestial and beings terrestrial. Thou art the GodOne,whocamestintobeinginthebeginningoftime.Thoudidst

createthe

earth,

and

man,

thou

didst

make

the

sky

and

the

celestial

riverHep;thoudidstmakethewatersanddidstgivelifeuntoallthat therein is.Thouhastknit together themountains, thouhastmademankindandthebeastsofthefieldtocomeintobeing,andhastmadetheheavensandtheearth.ThefiendNakisoverthrown,his arms are cut off. O thou Divine Youth, thou heir ofeverlastingness, selfbegotten and selfborn, One, Might, ofmyriadformsandaspects,PrinceofAn(i.e.,On),LordofEternity,EverlastingRuler, theCompany of theGods rejoice in thee.As

thourisest

thou

growest

greater:

thy

rays

are

upon

all

faces.

Thou

artunknowable,andno tonguecandescribe thysimilitude; thouexistest alone. Millions of years have passed over the world, Icannot tell thenumberof those throughwhich thouhastpassed.


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Thou journeyest through spaces [requiring]millionsofyears [topassover]inonelittlemomentoftime,andthenthousettestanddostmakeanendofthehours.

ThesubjectmatteroftheaboveextractistreatedatgreaterlengthinChapterXV,whichcontainsalongHymntoRaathisrising,orAmenRa, or Ra united to other solar gods, e.g., Horus andKhepera,andashortHymn toRaathis setting. In the latter thewelcomewhichRareceivesfromthedwellersinAmentt(i.e.,theHiddenPlace,liketheGreekHades)isemphasizedthus:

All thebeautifieddead (Aakhu) in theTuat receivehim in the

horizon

of

Amentt.

They

shout

praises

of

him

in

his

form

of

Tem

(i.e.,thesettingsun).Thoudidstriseandputonstrength,andthousettest,alivingbeing,andthygloriesareinAmentt.ThegodsofAmentt rejoice in thybeauties (orbeneficence).Thehiddenonesworshipthee,theagedonesbringtheeofferingsandprotectthee.The Souls ofAmentt cry out, andwhen theymeet thyMajesty(Life, Strength, Health be to thee!) they shout Hail! Hail! Thelordsof themansionsof theTuat stretchout theirhands to theefrom their abodes, and they cry to thee, and they follow in thy

brighttrain,

and

the

hearts

of

the

lords

of

the

Tuat

rejoice

when

thou sendest thy light intoAmentt.Their eyes follow thee, theypressforwardtoseethee,andtheirheartsrejoiceatthesightofthyface.Thouhearkenest to thepetitions of thosewho are in theirtombs, thou dispellest their helplessness and drivest away evilfrom them.Thougivestbreath to theirnostrils.Thou artgreatlyfeared,thyformismajestic,andverygreatlyartthoubelovedbythosewhodwellintheOtherWorld.

TheIntroductory

HYMN

TO

RA

is

followed

by

aHYMN

TO

OSIRIS,inwhichthedeceasedsays:

Glory be to thee, O Osiris UnNefer, thou great god in Abtu(Abydos),King of Eternity, Lord of Everlastingness,Godwhoseexistenceismillionsofyears,eldestsonofNut,begottenbyGeb,the AncestorChief, Lord of the Crowns of the South and theNorth,Lordof theHighWhiteCrown.Thouart theGovernorofgodsandofmenandhastreceivedthesceptre,thewhip,andthe

rankof

thy

Divine

Fathers.

Let

thy

heart

in

Amentt

be

content,

for

thy sonHorus is seatedupon thy throne.Thou artLordofTetu(Busiris)andGovernorofAbtu(Abydos).ThoumakestfertiletheTwoLands(i.e.,allEgypt)by[thy]truewordbeforetheLordtothe


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UttermostLimit....Thypoweriswidespread,andgreatistheterrorofthynameOsiris. ThouendurestforalleternityinthynameofUnNefer(i.e.,BeneficentBeing).Homagetothee,Kingofkings,

Lord

of

lords,

Governor

of

governors,

who

from

the

womb

of

the

Skygoddess hast ruled the World and the Under World. Thylimbsareassilvergold,thyhandisbluelikelapislazuli,andthespace on either side of thee is of the colour of turquoise (oremerald). Thou god An of millions of years, thy body is allpervading,OdwellerintheLandofHoliness,thyfaceisbeautiful...Thegodscomebeforetheebowinglow.Theyholdtheeinfear.They withdraw and retreat when they see the awfulness of Rauponthee;the[thought]oftheconquestsofthyMajestyisintheir

hearts.

Life

is

with

thee.

LetmefollowthyMajestyaswhenIwasonearth,letmysoulbesummoned, and let it be found near the Lords ofTruth. I havecometotheCityofGod,theregionthatiseternallyold,withmysoul (ba),double (ka)and spiritsoul (aakhu), tobeadweller inthisland.ItsGodistheLordofTruth...hegivetholdagetohimthatworkethTruth, andhonour tohis followers, and at the lastabundant equipment for the tomb, and burial in the Land of

Holiness.Ihave

come

unto

thee,

my

hands

hold

Truth,

and

there

is

no falsehood in my heart ... Thou hast set Truth before thee: Iknowonwhat thou livest. Ihavecommittednosin in this land,and I have defrauded no man of his possessions. (ChapterCLXXXIII.)

ChapterIwasrecitedbythepriestwhoaccompaniedthemummyto the tombandperformed theburial ceremonies there. In it thepriest(kherheb)assumedthecharacterofThothandpromisedthe

deceasedto

do

for

him

all

that

he

had

done

for

Osiris

in

days

of

old.ChapterIBgavethesahu,orspiritbody,powertoentertheTuat immediately after the burial of the material body, anddelivereditfromtheNineWormsthatlivedonthedead.ChaptersIIIVareshortspellswrittentogivethedeceasedpowertorevisittheearth,tojointhegods,andtotravelaboutthesky.ChaptersVandVIprovidedfortheperformanceofagriculturallaboursintheOtherWorld.The textofChapterVIwascuton figuresmadeofstone,wood,etc. (ushabtiu),whichwereplaced in the tomb,and

whenthe

deceased

recited

it

these

figures

became

alive

and

did

everything he wished. The shabti figure, took the place of thehumanfunerarysacrificewhichwascommonalloverEgyptbeforethegeneraladoptionofthecultofOsirisundertheXIIthdynasty.


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TheBookoftheDead

27

About700ushabtiufigureswerefoundinthetombofSetiI,andmanyofthemareintheBritishMuseum.ChapterVIIisaspelltodestroy theGreat SerpentAapep, theArchenemy ofHorus the

Elder,

Ra,

Osiris,

Horus

son

of

Isis,

and

of

every

follower

of

Osiris.

ChaptersVIIIandIXsecuredapassagefor thedeceased throughtheTuat,andChaptersXandXIgavehimpowerovertheenemieshemet there.Chapters XII and XIII gave him great freedom ofmovement in theKingdomofOsiris.ChapterXIV isaprayer inwhichOsirisisentreatedtoputawayanyfeelingofdissatisfactionthathemayhaveforthedeceased,whosays,Washawaymysins,Lord of Truth; destroy my transgressions, wickedness andiniquity, O God of Truth. May this god be at peace with me.

Destroy

the

things

that

are

obstacles

between

us.

Give

me

peace,

andremovealldissatisfactionfromthyheartinrespectofme.

ChapterXVhasseveralforms,andeachofthemcontainsHymnsto Ra, which were sung daily in the morning and evening;specimenparagraphsaregivenabove(pp.33,34).ChapterXVI isonlyavignettethatillustratesChapterXV,ChapterXVIIisaveryimportantchapter,foritcontainsstatementsofdivinedoctrineasunderstoodbythepriestsofHeliopolis.Theopeningwordsare,I

amTem

in

rising.

Iam

the

Only

One.

Icame

into

being

in

Nu

(the

Sky). I amRa,who rose inprimeval time, rulerofwhathehadmade.Followingthiscomesthequestion,Whoisthis?andtheansweris,ItisRawhoroseinthecityofHensu,inprimevaltime,crowned as king. He existed on the height of the Dweller inKhemenu (i.e., Thoth of Hermopolis) before the pillars thatsupporttheskyweremade.ChapterXVIIIcontainstheAddressestoThoth,who is entreated tomake thedeceased tobe declaredinnocentbeforethegodsofHeliopolis,Busiris,Latopolis,Mendes,

Abydos,etc.

These

addresses

formed

avery

powerful

spell

which

was used by Horus, and when he recited it four times all hisenemieswereoverthrownandcuttopieces.ChaptersXIXandXXarevariantformsofChapterXVIII.ChaptersXXIXXIIIsecuredthehelpofThothinopeningthemouthofthedeceased,wherebyheobtainedthepowertobreatheandthinkanddrinkandeat.Thothrecitedspellsover thegodswhilstPtahuntied thebandagesandShuforcedopentheirmouthswithaniron(?)knife.ChapterXXIVgavetothedeceasedaknowledgeofthewordsofpower(hekau)

whichwere

used

by

the

great

god

Tem

Khepera,

and

Chapter

XXV

restored to him his memory. Five chapters, XXVIXXX, containprayersandspellswherebythedeceasedobtainedpoweroverhisheart and gained absolute possession of it. The most popular


32/37

TheBookoftheDead

28

prayeristhatofChapterXXXB(seeabove,p.4)which,accordingtoitsrubric,wasfound,i.e.,edited,byHerutataf,thesonofthegreatCheops,about3600B.C.Thisprayerwas still inuse in the

early

years

of

the

Christian

Era.

In

the

Papyrus

of

Nu

it

is

associated with Chapter LXIV, and the earliest form of it wasprobablyinexistenceundertheIstdynasty.

ChaptersXXXIXLIIwerewrittentodeliverthedeceasedfromtheGreatCrocodileSui,andtheSerpentsRerekandSeksek,andtheLynxwithitsdeadlyclaws,andtheBeetleApshait,andtheterribleMerti snakegoddesses, and a group of three particularlyvenomousserpents,andAapepapersonificationofSetthegodof

evil,

and

the

Eater

of

the

Ass,

and

a

series

of

beings

who

lived

by

slaughteringthesoulsofthedead.InChapterXLIIeverymemberofthedeceasedisputundertheprotectionof,oridentifiedwith,agodorgoddess,e.g.,thehairwithNu,thefacewithAten(i.e.,thesolar disk), the eyes with Hathor, and the deceased exclaimstriumphantly,There isnomemberofmybodywhich isnot themember of a god. Chapter XLIII. A spell to prevent thedecapitationof thedeceased,who assumes in it the characterofOsiristheLordofEternity.ChapterXLIV.Anancientandmighty

spell,the

recital

of

which

prevented

the

deceased

from

dying

a

secondtime.ChaptersXLVandXLVIpreservedthemummyofthedeceasedfromdecay,andChapterXLVIIpreventedtheremovalofhis seat or throne.Chapter L enabled the deceased to avoid theblockofexecutionof thegodShesmu.ChaptersLILIIIprovidedthedeceasedwithpurefoodandcleanwaterfromthetableofthegods;heliveduponwhattheylivedupon,andsobecameonewiththem.ChaptersLIVLXIIgave thedeceasedpower toobtain coolwaterfromtheCelestialNileandthespringsofwatersofheaven,

andbeing

identified

with

Shu,

the

god

of

light

and

air,

he

was

enabledtopassoverall theearthatwill.HislifewasthatoftheEggoftheGreatCackler,andthegoddessSeshetabuiltahouseforhimintheCelestialAnu,orHeliopolis.

The recital of Chapter LXIII enabled the deceased to avoiddrinkingboilingwaterintheTuat.Thewaterinsomeofitspoolswascoolandrefreshing to thosewhowerespeakersof the truth,butitturnedintoboilingwaterandscaldedthewickedwhenthey

triedto

drink

of

it.

Chapter

LXIV

is

an

epitome

of

the

whole

Book

oftheDead,anditformedagreatanddivineprotectionforthedeceased.Thetextisofamysticalcharacterandsuggeststhatthedeceasedcould,throughitsrecital,eitherabsorbthegodsintohis


33/37

TheBookoftheDead

29

being, or become himself absorbed by them. Its rubric ordersabstentionfrommeats,fishandwomenonthepartofthosewhowere to recite it.ChapterLXVgave thedeceasedvictoryoverall

his

enemies,

and

Chapters

LXVI

and

LXVII

gave

him

access

to

the

BoatofRa.ChaptersLXVIIILXXprocuredhimcompletefreedomof motion in heaven and on earth. Chapter LXXI is a series ofaddresses to the Seven Spiritswho punished thewicked in theKingdomofOsiris, andChapterLXXII aided thedeceased toberebornintheMesqetChamber.TheMesqetwasoriginallyabullsskin inwhich thedeceasedwaswrapped.ChapterLXXIII is thesameasChapterIX.ChaptersLXXIVandLXXVsecuredapassagefor the deceased in theHenuBoat of Seker theDeathgod, and

Chapter

LXXVI

brought

to

his

help

the

praying

mantis

which

guided him through the bush to the House of Osiris. By therecital of Chapters LXXVIILXXXVIII, i.e., the Chapters ofTransformations,thedeceasedwasenabledtoassumeatwilltheformsof(1)theGoldenHawk,(2)theDivineHawk,(3)theGreatSelfcreatedGod,(4)theLightgodortheRobeofNu,(5)thePureLily, (6) theSonofPtah, (7) theBenuBird, (8) theHeron, (9) theSoulofRa,(10)theSwallow,(11)theSataorEarthserpent,(12)theCrocodile.ChapterLXXXIXbrought thesoul(ba)of thedeceased

tohis

body

in

the

Tuat,

and

Chapter

XC

preserved

him

from

mutilation and attacks of the god who cut off heads and slitforeheads. Chapters XCI and XCII prevented the soul of thedeceased from being shut in the tomb.ChapterXCIII is a spellverydifficulttounderstand.ChaptersXCIVandXCVprovidedthedeceasedwiththebooksofThothandthepowerofthisgod,andenabled him to take his place as the scribe of Osiris. ChaptersXCVIandXCVIIalsoplacedhimunder theprotectionofThoth.TherecitalofChapterXCVIIIprovidedthedeceasedwithaboatin

whichto

sail

over

the

northern

heavens,

and

aladder

by

which

to

ascend to heaven. Chapters XCIXCIII gave him the use of themagical boat, the mystic name of each part of which he wasobligedtoknow,andhelpedhimtoentertheBoatofRaandtobewith Hathor. The Bebait, or mantis, led him to the great gods(ChapterCIV),andtheUatchamuletfromtheneckofRaprovidedhis double (ka) and his heartsoul (ba)with offerings (ChaptersCV,CVI).ChaptersCVIICIXmadehimfavourablyknowntothespirits of the East and West, and the gods of the Mountain of

Sunrise.In

this

region

lived

the

terrible

Serpent

god

Ami

hem

f;

hewas30 cubits (50 feet) long. In theEast thedeceased saw theMorningStar, and theTwoSycamores, frombetweenwhich theSungod appeared daily, and found the entrance to the Sekhet


34/37

TheBookoftheDead

30

AaruorElysianFields.ChapterCXanditsvignetteoftheElysianFieldshavealreadybeendescribed (seep.31).ChaptersCXIandCXII describe how Horus lost the sight of his eye temporarily

through

looking

at

Set

under

the

form

of

a

black

pig,

and

Chapter

CXIII refers to the legend of the drowning of Horus and therecoveryofhisbodybySebek theCrocodilegod.ChapterCXIVenabledthedeceasedtoabsorbthewisdomofThothandhisEightgods. Chapters CXVCXXII made him lord of the Tuats ofMemphis and Heliopolis, and supplied him with food, andChapter CXXIII enabled him to identify himself with Thoth.Chapters CXXIV andCXXV, which treat of the Judgment, havealreadybeendescribed.ChapterCXXVI contains aprayer to the

Four

Holy

Apes,

Chapter

CXXVII

a

hymn

to

the

gods

of

the

Circles in the Tuat, and Chapter CXXVIII a hymn to Osiris.ChaptersCXXXandCXXXIsecuredforthedeceasedtheuseoftheBoatsofSunriseandSunset,andChapterCXXXIIenabledhimtoreturn to earth and visit the house he had lived in. ChaptersCXXXIII (or CXXXIX)CXXXVI resemble in contents ChapterCXXXI.ChapterCXXXVIIdescribesaseriesofmagicalceremoniesthatweretobeperformedforthedeceaseddailyinordertomakehim tobecomealivingsoul forever.The formulaearesaid to

havebeen

composed

under

the

IVth

dynasty.

Chapter

CXXXVIII

referstotheceremonyofreconstitutingOsiris,andChaptersCXLCXLIIdealwiththesettingupoftwelvealtars,andthemakingofofferingstoallthegodsandtothevariousformsofOsiris.ChapterCXLIII consists of a series of vignettes, in three ofwhich solarboatsarerepresented.

Chapters CXLIV and CXLVII deal with the Seven Great Halls(Arit)oftheKingdomofOsiris.ThegateofeachHallwasguarded

byaporter,

awatchman,

and

amessenger;

the

first

kept

the

door,

thesecondlookedoutforthearrivalofvisitors,andthethirdtooktheirnamestoOsiris.NoonecouldenteraHallwithoutrepeatingthe name of it, of the porter, of the watchman, and of themessenger.AccordingtoalatetraditiontheGatesoftheKingdomofOsirisweretwentyoneinnumber(ChaptersCXLVandCXLVI),andeachhadamagicalname,andeachwasguardedbyoneortwogods,whosenameshadtoberepeatedbythedeceasedbeforehecould pass. Chapter CXLVIII supplied the deceased with the

namesof

the

Seven

Cows

and

their

Bull

on

which

the

gods

were

supposed to feed.ChaptersCXLIXandCLgive thenamesof theFourteenAats,ordistricts,oftheKingdomofOsiris.Chapter*CLIA and *CLIB give a picture of the mummy chamber and the


35/37

TheBookoftheDead

31

magical texts thatwere necessary for the protection of both thechamberandthemummyinit.ChapterCLIIprovidedahouseforthe deceased in the Celestial Anu, and Chapter *CLIIIA and

*CLIII

B

enabled

his

soul

to

avoid

capture

in

the

net

of

the

snarer

of souls. Chapter CLIV is an address to Osiris in which thedeceasedsays,Ishallnotdecay,norrot,norputrefy,norbecomeworms,nor see corruption. I shallhavemybeing, I shall live, Ishallflourish,Ishallriseupinpeace.ChaptersCLVCLXVIIarespellswhichwere engravedon the amulets,giving thedeceasedthe protection of Ra, Osiris, Isis, Horus, and other gods. Theremaining Chapters (CLXVIIICXC) are of a miscellaneouscharacter, and few of them are found inmore than one or two

papyri

of

the

Book

of

the

Dead.

A

few

contain

hymns

that

are

not

olderthantheXVIIIthdynasty,andoneisanextractfromthetexton the Pyramid ofUnas (lines 379399).Themost interesting is,perhaps, Chapter CLXXV, which describes the Tuat as airless,waterless,andlightless.Inthischapterthedeceasedisassuredofimmortalityinthewords,Thoushaltliveformillionsofmillionsofyears,alifeofmillionsofyears.

E.A.WallisBudge.

Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities, BritishMuseum.

April15,1920.


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TheBookoftheDead

32

Note.

TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseumhavepublished:

1.Coloured facsimileof thePapyrusofHunefer,XIXthdynasty,withhieroglyphictranscriptandtranslation.11plates,largefolio.

2.ColouredfacsimileofthePapyrusofAnhai,XXIstdynasty,withhieroglyphictranscriptandtranslation.8plates,largefolio.

3. Collotype reproduction of the Papyrus of Queen Netchemet,XXIst dynasty, with hieroglyphic transcript and translation. 12

plates,

large

folio.

4. Coloured reproduction of the hieratic text of the Book ofBreathings, with hieroglyphic transcript and translation. With 2collotypesofthevignettes,largefolio.

5.HieroglyphictranscriptofthePapyrusofNu,withonecollotypeplate.

Nos.15are

bound

in

one

volume,

price

2

10s.

6.Collotype reproductionof thePapyrusofQueenNesitanebtashru, with full descriptions of the vignettes, translations, andintroduction, containing several illustrations, and 116 plates ofhieratictext.Large4to.Price210s.


37/37

TheBookoftheDeadFOOTNOTES

[1]SeeJournaldeTrvoux,June,1704;Caylus,Antiq.Egypt.,tom.

I,

plate

21;

Denon,

Travels,

plates

136

and

137;

and

Description

de

lgypte,tom.II,plate64ff.

[2]CopieFiguredunRouleaudePapyrustrouvThbesdansun tombeaudesRois.Paris,XIII1805.Thispapyrus isnearly 30feet in length andwasbrought toStrassburgby apaymaster inNapoleonsArmy inEgypt calledPoussielgue,who sold it toM.Cadet.

[3]

[Hieroglyphs].

[4]ThelongestpapyrusintheworldisPapyrusHarrisNo.1(Brit.Mus.No.9999);itmeasures133feetby1foot41/2inches.

[5]PyramidofPepiI,ll.664and662.

[6]I.e.,Truth,orLaw,inadoubleaspect.

[7]A

name

of

Osiris.

[8]I.e.,theLordtotheuttermostlimitofeverything,orGod.

[9]HewasaccordingtoonelegendthefirstbornsonofOsiris.

[10]I.e.,IhavekepttheMoralandDivineLaw.

[11]I.e.,theBeneficentBeing,atitleofOsiris.

ea wallis budge - the book of the dead

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