THE BOOK OF THE DEAD
The Papyrus of Ani
by
E. A. WALLIS BUDGE
Late keeper of Assyrian and Egyptian Antiquities
in the British Museum
[1895]
INTRODUCTION.
NOTE : Because the original e-text is not readable for "unschooled" readers, due to a mass of refers to other scripts, I removed most of them to make this book a little readable for my readers.
THE VERSIONS OF THE BOOK OF THE DEAD.
The four great Versions of the Book of the Dead.
THE history of the great body of religious compositions which form the Book of Dead of the ancient Egyptians may conveniently be divided into four of the periods, which are represented by four versions:--
1. The version which was edited by the priests of the college of Annu (the On of the Bible, and the Heliopolis of the Greeks), and which was based upon a series of texts now lost, but which there is evidence to prove had passed through a series of revisions or editions as early as the period of the Vth dynasty. This version was, so far as we know, always written in hieroglyphics, and may be called the Heliopolitan version. It is known from five copies which are inscribed upon the walls of the chambers and passages in the pyramids of kings of the Vth and VIth dynasties at Sakka; and sections of it are found inscribed upon tombs, sarcophagi, coffins, steland papyri from the XIth dynasty to about A.D. 200.
II. The Theban version, which was commonly written on papyri in hieroglyphics and was divided into sections or chapters, each of which had its distinct title but no definite place in the series. The version was much used from the XVIIIth to the XXth dynasty.
III. A version closely allied to the preceding version, which is found written on papyri in the hieratic character and also in hieroglyphics. In this version, which came into use about the XXth dynasty, the chapters have no fixed order.
IV. The so-called Sae version, in which, at some period anterior probably to the XXVIth dynasty, the chapters were arranged in a definite order. It is commonly written in hieroglyphics and in hieratic, and it was much used from the XXVIth dynasty to the end of the Ptolemaic period.
Early forms of the Book of the Dead.
The earliest inscribed monuments and human remains found in Egypt prove that the ancient Egyptians took the utmost care to preserve the bodies of their dead by various processes of embalming. The deposit of the body in the tomb was accompanied by ceremonies of a symbolic nature, in the course of which certain compositions comprising prayers, short litanies, etc., having reference to the future life, were recited or chanted by priests and relatives on behalf of the dead. The greatest importance was attached to such compositions, in the belief that their recital would secure for the dead an unhindered passage to God in the next world, would enable him to overcome the opposition of all ghostly foes, would endow his body in the tomb with power to resist corruption, and would ensure him a new life in a glorified body in heaven. At a very remote period certain groups of sections or chapters had already become associated with some of the ceremonies which preceded actual burial, and these eventually became a distinct ritual with clearly defined limits. Side by side, however, with this ritual there seems to have existed another and larger work, which was divided into an indefinite number of sections or chapters comprising chiefly prayers, and which dealt on a larger scale with the welfare of the departed in the next world, and described the state of existence therein and the dangers which must be passed successfully before it could be reached, and was founded generally on the religious dogmas and mythology of the Egyptians. The title of "Book of the Dead" is usually given by Egyptologists to the editions of the larger work which were made in the XVIIIth and following dynasties, but in this Introduction the term is intended to include the general body of texts which have reference to the burial of the dead and to the new life in the world beyond the grave, and which are known to have existed in revised editions and to have been in use among the Egyptians from about B.C. 4500, to the early centuries of the Christian era.
Uncertainty of the history of its source
The home, origin, and early history of the collection of ancient religious texts which have descended to us are, at present, unknown, and all working theories regarding them, however strongly supported by apparently well-ascertained facts, must be carefully distinguished as theories only, so long as a single ancient necropolis in Egypt remains unexplored and its inscriptions are untranslated. Whether they were composed by the inhabitants of Egypt, who recorded them in hieroglyphic characters, and who have left the monuments which are the only trustworthy sources of information on the subject, or whether they were brought into Egypt by the early immigrants from the Asiatic continent whence they came, or whether they represent the religious books of the Egyptians incorporated with the funeral texts of some prehistoric dwellers on the banks of the Nile, are all questions which the possible discovery of inscriptions belonging to the first dynasties of the Early Empire can alone decide. The evidence derived from the enormous mass of new material which we owe to the all-important discoveries of mastaba tombs and pyramids by M. Maspero, and to his publication of the early religious texts, proves beyond all doubt that the greater part of the texts comprised in the Book of the Dead are far older than the period of Mena (Menes), the first historical king of Egypt.[1] Certain sections indeed appear to belong to an indefinitely remote and primeval time.
Internal evidence of its antiquity.
The earliest texts bear within themselves proofs, not only of having been composed, but also of having been revised, or edited, long before the days of king Meni, and judging from many passages in the copies inscribed in hieroglyphics upon the pyramids of Unas (the last king of the Vth dynasty, about B.C. 3333), and Teta, Pepi I., Mer-en-Ra, and Pepi II. (kings of the VIth dynasty, about B.C. 3300-3166), it would seem that, even at that remote date, the scribes were perplexed and hardly understood the texts which they had before them. The most moderate estimate makes certain sections of the Book of the Dead as known from these tombs older than three thousand years before Christ. We are in any case justified in estimating the earliest form of the work to be contemporaneous with the foundation of the civilization which we call Egyptian in the valley of the Nile. To fix a chronological limit for the arts and civilization of Egypt is absolutely impossible.
Evidence of the antiquity of certain chapters.
The oldest form or edition of the Book of the Dead as we have received it supplies no information whatever as to the period when it was compiled; but a copy of the hieratic text inscribed upon a coffin of Menthu-hetep, a queen of the XIth dynasty, about B.C. 2500, made by the late Sir J. G. Wilkinson, informs us that the chapter which, according to the arrangement of Lepsius, bears the number LXIV., was discovered in the reign of Hesep-ti, the fifth king of the Ist dynasty, about B.C. 4266. On this coffin are two copies of the chapter, the one immediately following the other. In the rubric to the first the name of the king during whose reign the chapter is said to have been "found" is given as Menthu-hetep, which, as Goodwin first pointed out, is a mistake for Men-kau-Ra, the fourth king of the IVth dynasty, about B.C. 3633; but in the rubric to the second the king's name is given as Hesep-ti. Thus it appears that in the period of the XIth dynasty it was believed that the chapter might alternatively be as old as the time of the Ist dynasty. Further, it is given to Hesep-ti in papyri of the XXIst dynasty, a period when particular attention was paid to the history of the Book of the Dead; and it thus appears that the Egyptians of the Middle Empire believed the chapter to date from the more remote period. To quote the words of Chabas, the chapter was regarded as being "very ancient, very mysterious, and very difficult to understand" already fourteen centuries before our era.
Antiquity of Chapter LXIV.
The rubric on the coffin of Queen Menthu-hetep, which ascribes the chapter to Hesep-ti, states that "this chapter was found in the foundations beneath the hennu boat by the foreman of the builders in the time of the king of the North and South, Hesep-ti, triumphant"; the Nebseni papyrus says that this chapter was found in the city of Khemennu (Hermopolis) on a block of ironstone (?) written in letters of lapis-lazuli, under the feet of the god"; and the Turin papyrus (XXVIth dynasty or later) adds that the name of the finder was Heru-ta-ta-f, the son of Khufu or Cheops, the second king of the IVth dynasty, about B.C. 3733, who was at the time making a tour of inspection of the temples. Birch and Naville consider the chapter one of the oldest in the Book of the Dead; the former basing his opinion on the rubric' and the latter upon the evidence derived from the contents and character of the text; but Maspero, while admitting the great age of the chapter, does not attach any very great importance to the rubric as fixing any exact date for its composition. Of Herutataf the finder of the block of stone, we know from later texts that he was considered to be a learned man, and that his speech was only with difficulty to be understood, and we also know the prominent part which he took as a recognized man of letters in bringing to the court of his father Khufu the sage Tetteta. It is then not improbable that Herutataf's character for learning may have suggested the connection of his name with the chapter, and possibly as its literary reviser; at all events as early as the period of the Middle Empire tradition associated him with it.
The Book of the Dead in the IInd dynasty.
Passing from the region of native Egyptian tradition, we touch firm ground with the evidence derived from the monuments of the IInd dynasty. A bas-relief preserved at Aix in Provence mentions sen and Ankef, two of the priests of Sent or Senta, the fifth king of the IInd dynasty, about B.C. 4000; and a stele at Oxford and another in the Egyptian Museum at Gizeh record the name of a third priest, Shera or Sheri, a "royal relative" On the stele at Oxford we have represented the deceased and his wife seated, one on each side of an altar, which is covered with funeral offerings of pious relatives; above, in perpendicular lines of hieroglyphics in relief, are the names of the objects offered, and below is an inscription which reads, "thousands of loaves of bread, thousands of vases of ale, thousands of linen garments, thousands of changes of wearing apparel, and thousands of oxen." Now from this monument it is evident that already in the IInd dynasty a priesthood existed in Egypt which numbered among its members relatives of the royal family, and that a religious system which prescribed as a duty the providing of meat and drink offerings for the dead was also in active operation. The offering of specific objects goes far to prove the existence of a ritual or service wherein their signification would be indicated; the coincidence of these words and the prayer for "thousands of loaves of bread, thousands of vases of ale," etc., with the promise, "Anpu-khent-Amenta shall give thee thy thousands of loaves of bread, thy thousands of vases of ale, thy thousands of vessels of unguents, thy thousands of changes of apparel, thy thousands of oxen, and thy thousands of bullocks," enables us to recognise that ritual in the text inscribed upon the pyramid of Teta in the Vth dynasty, from which the above promise is taken. Thus the traditional evidence of the text on the coffin of Menthu-hetep and the scene on the monument of Shera support one another, and together they prove beyond a doubt that a form of the Book of the Dead was in use at least in the period of the earliest dynasties, and that sepulchral ceremonies connected therewith were duly performed.
The Book of the Dead in the IVth dynasty.
With the IVth dynasty we have an increased number of monuments, chiefly sepulchral, which give details as to the Egyptian sacerdotal system and the funeral ceremonies which the priests performed. The inscriptions upon the earlier monuments prove that many of the priestly officials were still relatives of the royal family, and the tombs of feudal lords, scribes, and others, record a number of their official titles, together with the names of several of their religious festivals. The subsequent increase in the number of the monuments during this period may be due to the natural development of the religion of the time, but it is very probable that the greater security of life and property which had been assured by the vigorous wars of Seneferu, the first king of this dynasty, about B.C. 3766, encouraged men to incur greater expense, and to build larger and better abodes for the dead, and to celebrate the full ritual at the prescribed festivals. In this dynasty the royal dead were honoured with sepulchral monuments of a greater size and magnificence than had ever before been contemplated, and the chapels attached to the pyramids were served by courses of priests whose sole duties consisted in celebrating the services. The fashion of building a pyramid instead of the rectangular flat-roofed mastaba for a royal tomb was revived by Seneferu, who called his pyramid Kha; and his example was followed by his immediate successors, Khufu (Cheops), Khaf-Ra (Chephren), Men-kau-Ra (Mycerinus), and others.
Revision of certain chapters in the IVth dynasty.
In the reign of Mycerinus some important work seems to have been under taken in connection with certain sections of the text of the Book of the Dead, for the rubrics of Chapters XXXB.and CXLVIII. state that these compositions were found inscribed upon "a block of iron(?) of the south in letters of real lapis-lazuli under the feet of the majesty of the god in the time of the King it of the North and South Men-kau-Ra, by the royal son Herutataf, triumphant." That a new impulse should be given to religious observances, and that the revision of existing religious texts should take place in the reign of Mycerinus, was only to be expected if Greek tradition may be believed, for both Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus represent him as a just king, and one who was anxious to efface from the minds of the people the memory of the alleged cruelty of his predecessor by re-opening the temples and by letting every man celebrate his own sacrifices and discharge his own religious duties. His pyramid is the one now known as the "third pyramid of Gizeh," under which he was buried in a chamber vertically below the apex and 60 feet below the level of the ground. Whether the pyramid was finished or not when the king died, his body was certainly laid in it, and notwithstanding all the attempts made by the Muhammadan rulers of Egypt to destroy it at the end of the 12th century of our era, it has survived to yield up important facts for the history of the Book of the Dead.
Evidence of the Inscription on the coffin of Mycerinus.
In 1837 Colonel Howard Vyse succeeded in forcing the entrance. On the 29th of July he commenced operations, and on the 1st of August he made his way into the sepulchral chamber, where, however, nothing was found but a rectangular stone sarcophagous without the lid. The large stone slabs of the floor and the linings of the wall had been in many instances removed by thieves in search of treasure. In a lower chamber, connected by a passage with the sepulchral chamber, was found the greater part of the lid of the sarcophagus, together with portions of a wooden coffin, and part of the body of a man, consisting of ribs and vertebrae and the bones of the legs and feet, enveloped in a coarse woollen cloth of a yellow colour, to which a small quantity of resinous substance and gum adhered. It would therefore seem that, as the sarcophagus could not be removed, the wooden case alone containing the body had been brought into the large apartment for examination. Now, whether the human remains' there found are those of Mycerinus or of some one else, as some have suggested, in no way affects the question of the ownership of the coffin, for we know by the hieroglyphic inscription upon it that it was made to hold the mummified body of the king. This inscription, which is arranged in two perpendicular lines down the front of the coffin reads:--
Ausar suten net Men-kau-Ra anx t'etta mes en pet aur King of the North and South Men-kau-Ra, living for ever, born of heaven, conceived of Nut a a en Seb mer-f peses-s mut-k Nut her-k Nut, heir of Seb, his beloved. Spreadeth she thy mother Nut over thee em ren-s en seta pet ertat-nes un-k em neter in her name of "mystery of heaven," she granteth that thou mayest exist as a god an xeft-k suten net Men-kau-Ra anx t'etta without thy foes, O King of the North and South, Men-kau-Ra, living for ever!
Now it is to be noted that the passage, "Thy mother Nut spreadeth herself over thee in her name of 'Mystery of Heaven,' she granteth that thou mayest be without enemies," occurs in the texts which are inscribed upon the pyramids built by the kings of the VIth dynasty, and thus we have evidence of the use of the same version of one religious text both in the IVth and in the VIth dynasties.
Even if we were to admit that the coffin is a forgery of the XXVIth dynasty, and that the inscription upon it was taken from an edition of the text of the Book of the Dead, still the value of the monument as an evidence of the antiquity of the Book of the Dead is scarcely impaired, for those who added the inscription would certainly have chosen it from a text of the time of Mycerinus.
The Book of the Dead in the Vth dynasty.
In the Vth dynasty we have--in an increased number of mastabas and other monuments--evidence of the extension of religious ceremonials, including the celebration of funeral rites; but a text forming the Book of the Dead as a whole does not occur until the reign of Unas (B.C. 3333), the last king of the dynasty, who according to the Turin papyrus reigned thirty years. This monarch built on the plain of Sakka a stone pyramid about sixty-two feet high, each side measuring about two hundred feet at the base. In the time of Perring and Vyse it was surrounded by heaps of broken stone and rubbish, the result of repeated attempts to open it, and with the casing stones, which consisted of compact limestone from the quarries of Tura.
In February, 1881, M. Maspero began to clear the pyramid, and soon after he succeeded in making an entrance into the innermost chambers, the walls of which were covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions, arranged in perpendicular lines and painted in green. The condition of the interior showed that at some time or other thieves had already succeeded in making an entrance, for the cover of the black basalt sarcophagus of Unas had been wrenched off and moved near the door of the sarcophagus chamber; the paving stones had been pulled up in the vain attempt to find buried treasure; the mummy had been broken to pieces, and nothing remained of it except the right arm, a tibia, and some fragments of the skull and body. The inscriptions which covered certain walls and corridors in the tomb were afterwards published by M. Maspero. The appearance of the text of Unas marks an era in the history of the Book of the Dead, and its translation must be regarded as one of the greatest triumphs of Egyptological decipherment, for the want of determinatives in many places in the text, and the archaic spelling of many of the words and passages presented difficulties which were not easily overcome. Here, for the first time, it was shown that the Book of the Dead was no compilation of a comparatively late period in the history of Egyptian civilization, but a work belonging to a very remote antiquity; and it followed naturally that texts which were then known, and which were thought to be themselves original ancient texts, proved to be only versions which had passed through two or more successive revisions.
The Book of the Dead in the VIth dynasty
Continuing his excavations at Sakka, M. Maspero opened the pyramid Of Teta, king of Egypt about B.C. 3300, which Vyse thought had never been entered, and of which, in his day, the masonry on one side only could be seen. Here again it was found that thieves had already been at work, and that they had smashed in pieces walls, floors, and many other parts of the chambers in their frantic search for treasure. As in the case of the pyramid of Unas, certain chambers, etc., of this tomb were found covered with inscriptions in hieroglyphics, but of a smaller size. A brief examination of the text showed it to be formed of a series of extracts from the Book of the Dead, some of which were identical with those in the pyramid of Unas. Thus was brought to light a Book of the Dead of the time of the first king 4 of the VIth dynasty.
The pyramid of Pepi I., king of Egypt about B.C. 3233, was next opened. It is situated in the central group at Sakka, and is commonly known as the pyramid of Shh Abu-Mans. Certain chambers and other parts of the tomb were found to be covered with hieroglyphic texts, which not only repeated in part those which had been found in the pyramids of Unas and Teta, but also contained a considerable number of additional sections of the Book of the Dead. In the same neighbourhood M. Maspero, cleared out the pyramid of Mer-en-Ra, the fourth king of the VIth dynasty, about B.C. 3200;[8] and the pyramid of Pepi II., the fifth king of the VIth dynasty, about B.C. 3166.[9]
Summary of the monumental evidence.
Thus we have before the close of the VIth dynasty five copies of a series of texts which formed the Book of the Dead of that period, and an extract from a well-known passage of that work on the wooden coffin of Mycerinus; we have also seen from a number of mastabas and stelthat the funeral ceremonies connected with the Book of the Dead were performed certainly in the IInd, and with almost equal certainty in the Ist dynasty. It is easy to show that certain sections of the Book of the Dead of this period were copied and used in the following dynasties down to a period about A.D. 200.
The Book of the Dead a collection of separate works.
The fact that not only in the pyramids of Unas and Teta, but also in those of Pepi I. and his immediate successors, we find selected passages, suggests that the Book of the Dead was, even in those early times, so extensive that even a king was fain to make from it a selection only of the passages which suited his individual taste or were considered sufficient to secure his welfare in the next world. In the pyramids of Teta, Pepi I., Mer-en-Ra and Pepi II. are found many texts which are identical with those employed by their predecessors, and an examination of the inscription of Pepi II. will show that about three-fourths of the whole may be found in the monuments of his ancestors. What principle guided each king in the selection of his texts, or whether the additions in each represent religious developments, it is impossible to say; but, as the Egyptian religion cannot have remained stationary in every particular, it is probable that some texts reflect the changes in the opinions of the priests upon matters of doctrine. The "Pyramid Texts" prove that each section of the religious books of the Egyptians was originally a separate and independent composition, that it was written with a definite object, and that it might be arranged in any order in a series of similar texts. What preceded or what followed it was never taken into consideration by the scribe, although it seems, at times, as if traditions had assigned a sequence to certain texts.
Historical reference.
That events of contemporary history were sometimes reflected in the Book of the Dead of the early dynasties is proved by the following. We learn from the inscription upon the tomb of Heru-khuf at Asw, that this governor of Elephantine was ordered to bring for king Pepi II. a pigmy, from the interior of Africa, to dance before the king and amuse him; and he was promised that, if he succeeded in bringing the pigmy alive and in good health, his majesty would confer upon him a higher rank and dignity than that which king Assa conferred upon his minister Ba-ur-Tettet, who performed this much appreciated service for his master. Now Assa was the eighth king of the Vth dynasty, and Pepi II. was the fifth king of the VIth dynasty, and between the reigns of these kings there was, according to M. Maspero, an interval of at least sixty-four, but more probably eighty, years. But in the text in the pyramid of Pepi I., which must have been drafted at some period between the reigns of these kings, we have the passage, "Hail thou who [at thy will] makest to pass over to the Field of Aaru the soul that is right and true, or dost make shipwreck of it. Ra-meri (i.e., Pepi I.) is right and true in respect of heaven and in respect of earth, Pepi is right and true in respect of the island of the earth whither he swimmeth and where he arriveth. He who is between the thighs of Nut (i.e., Pepi) is the pigmy who danceth [like] the god, and who pleaseth the heart of the god [Osiris] before his great throne. . . . The two beings who are over the throne of the great god proclaim Pepi to be sound and healthy, [therefore] Pepi shall sail in the boat to the beautiful field of the great god, and he shall do therein that which is done by those to whom veneration is due." Here clearly we have a reference to the historical fact of the importation of a pigmy from the regions south of Nubia; and the idea which seems to have been uppermost in the mind of him that drafted the text was that as the pigmy pleased the king for whom he was brought in this world, even so might the dead Pepi please the god Osiris in the next world. As the pigmy was brought by boat to the king, so might Pepi be brought by boat to the island wherein the god dwelt; as the conditions made by the king were fulfilled by him that brought the pigmy, even so might the conditions made by Osiris concerning the dead be fulfilled by him that transported Pepi to his presence. The wording of the passage amply justifies the assumption that this addition was made to the text after the mission of Assa, and during the VIth dynasty.
Authorship of the Book of the Dead.
Like other works of a similar nature, however, the pyramid texts afford us no information as to their authorship. In the later versions of the Book of the Dead certain chapters are stated to be the work of the god Thoth. They certainly belong to that class of literature which the Greeks called "Hermetic," and it is pretty certain that under some group they were included in the list of the forty-two works which, according to Clement of Alexandria, constituted the sacred books of the Egyptians. As Thoth, whom the Greeks called Hermes, is in Egyptian texts styled "lord of divine books," "scribe of the company of the gods," and "lord of divine speech," this ascription is well founded. The pyramid texts are versions of ancient religious compositions which the priests of the college or school of Annu succeeded in establishing as the authorized version of the Book of the Dead in the first six dynasties. Ra, the local form of the Sun-god, usurps the place occupied by the more ancient form Tmu; and it would seem that when a dogma had been promulgated by the college of Annu, it was accepted by the priesthood of all the great cities throughout Egypt. The great influence of the Annu school of priests even in the time of Unas is proved by the following passage from the text in his pyramid: "O God, thy Annu is Unas; O God, thy Annu is Unas. O Ra, Annu is Unas, thy Annu is Unas, O Ra. The mother of Unas is Annu, the father of Unas is Annu; Unas himself is Annu, and was born in Annu." Elsewhere we are told that Unas "cometh to the great bull which cometh forth from Annu, and that he uttereth words of magical import in Annu." In Annu the god Tmu produced the gods Shu and Tefnut, and in Annu dwelt the great and oldest company of the gods, Tmu, Shu, Tefnut, Seb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys. The abode of the blessed in heaven was called Annu, and it was asserted that the souls of the just were there united to their spiritual or glorified bodies, and that they lived there face to face with the deity for all eternity. judging from the fact that the texts in the tombs of Heru-hetep and Neferu, and those inscribed upon the sarcophagus of Taka, all of the XIth and XIIth dynasties, differ in extent only and not in character or contents from those of the royal pyramids of Sakka of the Vth and VIth dynasties, it has been declared that the religion as well as the art of the first Theban empire are nothing but a slavish copy of those of northern Egypt.
The Theban version.
The Theban version, which was much used in Upper Egypt from the XVIIIth to the XXth dynasty, was commonly written on papyri in the hieroglyphic character. The text is written in black ink in perpendicular rows of hieroglyphics, which are separated from each other by black lines; the titles of the chapters or sections, and certain parts of the chapters and the rubrics belonging thereto, are written in red ink. A steady development in the illumination of the vignettes is observable in the papyri of this period. At the beginning of the XVIIIth dynasty the vignettes are in black outline, but we see from the papyrus of Hunefer (Brit. Mus. No. 9901), who was an overseer of cattle of Seti I., king of Egypt about B.C. 1370, that the vignettes are painted in reds, greens, yellows, white, and other colours, and that the whole of the text and vignettes are enclosed in a red and yellow border. Originally the text was the most important part of the work, and both it and its vignettes were the work of the scribe; gradually, however, the brilliantly illuminated vignettes were more and more cared for, and when the skill of the scribe failed, the artist was called in. In many fine papyri of the Theban period it is altar that the whole plan of the vignettes of a papyrus was set out by artists, who often failed to leave sufficient space for the texts to which they belonged; in consequence many lines of chapters are often omitted, and the last few lines of some texts are so much crowded as to be almost illegible. The frequent clerical errors also show that while an artist of the greatest skill might be employed on the vignettes, the execution of the text was left to an ignorant or careless scribe. Again, the artist at times arranged his vignettes in wrong order, and it is occasionally evident that neither artist nor scribe understood the matter upon which he was engaged. According to M. Maspero the scribes of the VIth dynasty did not understand the texts which they were drafting, and in the XIXth dynasty the scribe of a papyrus now preserved at Berlin knew or cared so little about the text which he was copying that he transcribed the LXXVIIth Chapter from the wrong end, and apparently never discovered his error although he concluded the chapter with its title. Originally each copy of the Book of the Dead was written to order, but soon the custom obtained of preparing copies with blank spaces in which the name of the purchaser might be inserted; and many of the errors in spelling and most of the omissions of words are no doubt due to the haste with which such "stock" copies were written by the members of the priestly caste, whose profession it was to copy them.
Theban papyri.
The papyri upon which copies of the Theban version were written vary in length from about 20 to go feet, and in width from 14 to 18 inches; in the XVIIIth dynasty the layers of the papyrus are of a thicker texture and of a darker colour than in the succeeding dynasties. The art of making great lengths of papyrus of light colour and fine texture attained its highest perfection in the XIXth dynasty. An examination of Theban papyri shows that the work of writing and illuminating a fine copy of the Book of the Dead was frequently distributed between two or more groups of artists and scribes, and that the sections were afterwards joined up into a whole. Occasionally by error two groups of men would transcribe the same chapter; hence in the papyrus of Ani, Chapter XVIII. occurs twice (see within, p. cxlviii.).
Selection and arrangement of chapters.
The sections or chapters of the Theban version are a series of separate and distinct compositions, which, like the sections of the pyramid texts, had no fixed order either on coffins or in papyri. Unlike these texts, however, with very few exceptions each composition had a special title and vignette which indicate its purpose. The general selection of the chapters for a papyrus seems to have been left to the individual fancy of the purchaser or scribe, but certain of them were no doubt absolutely necessary for the preservation of the body of the deceased in the tomb, and for the welfare of his soul in its new state of existence. Traditional selections would probably be respected, and recent selections approved by any dominant school of religious thought in Egypt were without doubt accepted.
Change in forms.
While in the period of the pyramid texts the various sections were said or sung by priests, probably assisted by some members of the family of the deceased, the welfare of his soul and body being proclaimed for him as an established fact in the Theban version the hymns and prayers to the gods were put into the mouth of the deceased. As none but the great and wealthy could afford the ceremonies which were performed in the early dynasties, economy was probably the chief cause of this change, which had come about at Thebes as early as the XIIth dynasty. Little by little the ritual portions of the Book of the Dead disappeared, until finally, in the Theban version, the only chapters of this class which remain are the XXIInd, XXIIIrd, CVth, and CLIst. Every chapter and prayer of this version was to be said in the next world, where the words, properly uttered, enabled the deceased to overcome every foe and to attain to the life of the perfected soul which dwelt in a spiritual body in the abode of the blessed.
Theban title of the Book of the Dead.
The common name for the Book of the Dead in the Theban period, and probably also before this date, is per em hru, which words have been variously translated manifested in the light," "coming forth from the day," coming forth by day," "la manifestation au jour," "la manifestation la lumie," [Kapitel von] der Erscheinung im Lichte," "Erscheinen am Tage," "[Caput] egrediendi in lucem," etc. This name, however, had probably a meaning for the Egyptians which has not yet been rendered in a modern language, and one important idea in connection with the whole work is expressed by another title which calls it "the chapter of making strong (or perfect) the Khu."
Continuity of doctrine
In the Theban version the main principles of the Egyptian religion which were held in the times when the pyramid texts were written are maintained, and the views concerning the eternal existence of the soul remain unaltered. Many passages in the work, however, show that modifications and developments in details have taken place, and much that is not met with in the early dynasties appears, so far as we know, for the first time. The vignettes too are additions to the work; but, although they depict scenes in the life beyond the grave, they do not seem to form a connected series, and it is doubtful if they are arranged on any definite plan. A general idea of the contents of this version may be gathered from the following list of chapters:--
Theban version: list of chapters.
Chapter I. Here begin the Chapters of "Coming forth by day," and of the songs of praise and glorifying, and of coming forth from, and going into, the underworld.
Vignette: The funeral procession from the house of the dead to the tomb.
Chapter IB. The Chapter of making the mummy to go into the tuat[4] on the day of the burial.
Vignette: Anubis standing by the bier upon which the mummy of the deceased is laid.
Chapter II. [The Chapter of] coming forth by day and of living after death.
Vignette: A man standing, holding a staff.
Chapter III.* Another Chapter like unto it (i.e., like Chapter II).
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter IV.* Another Chapter of passing along the way over the earth.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter V. The Chapter of not allowing the deceased to do work in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased kneeling on one knee.
Chapter VI. The Chapter of making ushabtiu figures do work for a man in the underworld.
Vignette: An ushabti figure
Chapter VII. The Chapter of passing over the back of Apep, the evil one.
Vignette: The deceased spearing a serpent.
Chapter VIII. Another Chapter of the tuat, and of coming forth by day.
Vignette: The deceased kneeling before a ram.
Chapter IX. The Chapter of passing through the tuat.
Vignette: The deceased kneeling before a ram.
Chapter X. (This Chapter is now known as Chapter XLVIII.)
Chapter XI.* The Chapter of coming forth against his enemies in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XII. Another Chapter of going into, and coming forth from, the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XIII. The Chapter of going into, and of coming forth, from Amentet. This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XIV. The Chapter of driving away shame from the heart of the deceased.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XV. A Hymn of praise to Ra when he riseth in the eastern horizon of heaven.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Ra.
Chapter XVB. 1.A Hymn of praise to Ra when he setteth in the land of life. Vignette: The deceased adoring Ra.
Chapter XVB. 2.A Hymn of praise to Ra-Harmachis when he setteth in the western horizon of heaven.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Ra.
Chapter XVB. 3.Another hidden Chapter of the tuat, and of passing through the secret places of the underworld, and of seeing the Disk when he setteth in Amentet.
Vignette: The god or the deceased spearing a serpent.
Chapter XVIA. [No text: being only a vignette.]
Scene of the worship of the rising sun by mythological beings.
Chapter XVIB. Without title or text.
Vignette: Scene of the worship of the setting sun by mythological beings.
Chapter XVII. Here begin the praises and glorifyings of coming out from, and going into, the underworld in the beautiful Amenta; of coming out by day, and of making transformations and of changing into any form which he pleaseth; of playing at draughts in the seh chamber; and of coming forth in the form of a living soul: to be said by the deceased after his death.
Vignette: The deceased playing at draughts; the deceased adoring the lion-gods of yesterday and to-day; the bier of Osiris with Isis and Nephthys at the foot and head respectively; and a number of mythological beings referred to in the text.
Chapter XVIII. Without title.
Vignette: The deceased adoring the groups of gods belonging to various cities.
Chapter XIX.* The Chapter of the crown(?) of victory.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XX. Without title.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XXI.* The Chapter of giving a mouth to a man in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XXII. The Chapter of giving a mouth to the deceased in the underworld.
Vignette: The guardian of the scales touching the mouth of the deceased.
Chapter XXIII. The Chapter of opening the mouth of the deceased in the underworld.
Vignette: The sem priest touching the mouth of the deceased with the instrument ###.
Chapter XXIV. The Chapter of bringing words of magical power to the deceased in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XXV. The Chapter of causing a man to remember his name in the underworld.
Vignette: A priest holding up ### before the deceased.
Chapter XXVI. The Chapter of giving a heart to the deceased in the underworld.
Vignette: Anubis holding out a heart to the deceased in the underworld.
Chapter XXVII. The Chapter of not allowing the heart of a man to be taken from him in the underworld.
Vignette: A man tying a heart to the statue of the deceased.
Chapter XXVIII. [The Chapter of] not allowing the heart of a man to be taken from him in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased with his left hand touching the heart upon his breast, kneeling before a demon holding a knife.
Chapter XXIXA. The Chapter of not carrying away the heart of a man in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XXIXB. Another Chapter of a heart of carnelian.
Vignette: The deceased sitting on a chair before his heart, which rests on a stand.
Chapter XXXA. The Chapter of not allowing the heart of a man to be driven away from him in the underworld.
Vignette: A heart.
Chapter XXXB. The Chapter of not allowing the heart of a man to be driven away from him in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased being weighed against his heart in the balance in the presence of Osiris, "the great god, the prince of eternity."
Chapter XXXI. The Chapter of repulsing the crocodile which cometh to carry the magical words ### from a man in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased spearing a crocodile.
Chapter XXXII. [The Chapter of] coming to carry the magical words from a man in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XXXIII. The Chapter of repulsing reptiles of all kinds.
Vignette: The deceased attacking four snakes with a knife in each hand.
Chapter XXXIV. The Chapter of a man not being bitten by a serpent in the hall of the tomb.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XXXV. The Chapter of not being eaten by worms in the underworld.
Vignette: Three serpents.
Chapter XXXVI. The Chapter of repulsing the tortoise. (apsai).
Vignette: The deceased spearing a beetle.
Chapter XXXVII. The Chapter of repulsing the two merti.
Vignette: Two ur, which represent the two eyes of Ra.
Chapter XXXVIIIA. The Chapter of living upon the air which is in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased holding a sail, emblematic of air.
Chapter XXXVIIIB. The Chapter of living upon air and of repulsing the two merti.
Vignette: The deceased attacking three serpents, a knife in his right hand and a sail in his left.
Chapter XXXIX. The Chapter of repulsing the serpent in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased spearing a serpent.
Chapter XL. The Chapter of repulsing the eater of the ass.
Vignette: The deceased spearing a serpent which is biting the neck of all ass.
Chapter XLI. The Chapter of doing away with the wounding of the eyes in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased holding a knife in the right hand and a roll in the left.
Chapter XLII. [The Chapter] of doing away with slaughter in Suten-henen. Vignette: A man holding a serpent.
Chapter XLIII. The Chapter of not allowing the head of a man to be cut off from him in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XLIV. The Chapter of not dying a second time.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XLV. The Chapter of not seeing corruption.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XLVI. The Chapter of not decaying, and of living in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XLVII. The Chapter of not carrying off the place (or seat) of the throne from a man in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XLVIII. [The Chapter of a man coming against] his enemies.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter XLIX.* The Chapter of a man coming forth against his enemies in the underworld.
Vignette: A man standing with a staff in his hand.
Chapter L. The Chapter of not going in to the divine block a second time.
Vignette: A man standing with his back to the block.
Chapter LI. The Chapter of not walking upside down in the underworld.
Vignette: A man standing.
Chapter LII.* The Chapter of not eating filth in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LIII. The Chapter of not allowing a man to eat filth and to drink polluted water in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LIV. The Chapter of giving air in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LV. Another Chapter of giving air.
Vignette: The deceased holding a sail in each hand.
Chapter LVI. The Chapter of snuffing the air in the earth.
Vignette: The deceased kneeling, and holding a sail to his nose.
Chapter LVII. The Chapter of snuffing the air and of gaining the mastery over the waters in the underworld.
Vignette: A man holding a sail, and standing in a running stream.
Chapter LVIII.* The Chapter of snuffing the air and of gaining power over
the water which is in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased holding a sail.
Chapter LIX. The Chapter of snuffing the air and of gaining power over
the water which is in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased standing with his hands extended.
Chapters LX., LXI., LXII. The Chapters of drinking water in the under
world.
Vignettes: The deceased holding a lotus; the deceased holding his soul in his arms; and the deceased scooping water into his mouth from a pool.
Chapter LXIIIA. The Chapter of drinking water, and of not being burnt with fire.
Vignette: The deceased drinking water from a stream.
Chapter LXIIIB. The Chapter of not being boiled (or scalded) in the water.
Vignette: The deceased standing by the side of two flames.
Chapter LXIV. The Chapter of coming forth by day in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased adoring the disk, which stands on the top of a tree.
Chapter LXV. [The Chapter of] coming forth by day, and of gaining the mastery over foes.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Ra.
Chapter LXVI. [The Chapter of] coming forth by day.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LXVII. The Chapter of opening the doors of the tuat and of coming forth by day.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LXVIII. The Chapter of coming forth by day.
Vignette: The deceased kneeling by the side of a tree before a goddess.[1]
Chapter LXIX. Another Chapter.
Chapter LXX. Another Chapter.
Chapter LXXI. The Chapter of coming forth by day.
Vignette: The deceased with both hands raised in adoration kneeling before the goddess Meh-urt.
Chapter LXXII. The Chapter of coming forth by day and of passing through the hall of the tomb.
Vignette: The deceased adoring three gods.
Chapter LXXIII. (This Chapter is now known as Chapter IX.)
Chapter LXXIV. The Chapter of lifting up the legs and coming forth upon earth.
Vignette: The deceased standing upright.
Chapter LXXV. The Chapter of travelling to Annu (On), and of receiving an abode there.
Vignette: The deceased standing before the door of a tomb.
Chapter LXXVI. The Chapter of [a man] changing into whatsoever form he pleaseth.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LXXVII. The Chapter of changing into a golden hawk.
Vignette: A golden hawk
Chapter LXXVIII. The Chapter of changing into a divine hawk.
Vignette: A hawk.
Chapter LXXIX. The Chapter of being among the company of the gods, and of becoming a prince among the divine powers.
Vignette: The deceased adoring three gods.
Chapter LXXX. The Chapter of changing into a god, and of sending forth light into darkness.
Vignette: A god.
Chapter LXXXIA. The Chapter of changing into a lily.
Vignette: A lily.
Chapter LXXXIB. The Chapter of changing into a lily.
Vignette: The head of the deceased rising out of a lily.
Chapter LXXXII. The Chapter of changing into Ptah, of eating cakes, of drinking ale, of unloosing the body, and of living in Annu (On).
Vignette: The God Ptah in a shrine.
Chapter LXXXIII. The Chapter of changing into a phnix.
Vignette: A phoenix.
Chapter LXXXIV. The Chapter of changing into a heron.
Vignette: A heron.
Chapter LXXXV. The Chapter of changing into a soul, of not going into
the place of punishment: whosoever knoweth it will never perish.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter LXXXVI. The Chapter of changing into a swallow.
Vignette: A swallow.
Chapter LXXXVII. The Chapter of changing into the serpent Sa-ta.
Vignette: A serpent.
Chapter LXXXVIII. The Chapter of changing into a crocodile.
Vignette: A crocodile.
Chapter LXXXIX. The Chapter of making the soul to be united to its body.
Vignette: The soul visiting the body, which lies on a bier.
Chapter XC. The Chapter of giving memory to a man.
Vignette: A jackal.
Chapter XCI. 'The Chapter of not allowing the soul of a man to be shut in.
Vignette: A soul standing on a pedestal.
Chapter XCII. The Chapter of opening the tomb to the soul and shadow of a man, so that he may come forth and may gain power over his legs.
Vignette: The soul of the deceased flying through the door of the tomb.
Chapter XCIII. The Chapter of not sailing to the east in the underworld.
Vignette: The hands of a buckle grasping the deceased by his left arm.
Chapter XCIV. The Chapter of praying for an ink jar and palette.
Vignette: The deceased sitting before a stand, upon which are an ink jar and palette.
Chapter XCV. The Chapter of being near Thoth.
Vignette: The deceased standing before Thoth.
Chapters XCVI., XCVII. The Chapter of being near Thoth, and of giving . . . . . . .
Vignette: The deceased standing near Thoth.
Chapter XCVIII. [The title of this chapter is incomplete.]
Chapter XCIX. The Chapter of bringing a boat in the underworld.
Vignette: A boat.
Chapter C. The Chapter of making perfect the khu, and of making it to enter into the boat of Ra, together with his divine followers.
Vignette: A boat containing a company of gods.
Chapter CL.* The Chapter of protecting the boat of Ra.
Vignette: The deceased in the boat with Ra.
Chapter CII. The Chapter of going into the boat of Ra.
Vignette: The deceased in the boat with Ra.
Chapter CIII. The Chapter of being in the following of Hathor.
Vignette: The deceased standing behind Hathor.
Chapter CIV. The Chapter of sitting among the great gods.
Vignette: The deceased seated between two gods.
Chapter CV. The Chapter of satisfying the ka.
Vignette: The deceased burning incense before his ka.
Chapter CVI. The Chapter of causing joy each day to a man in Het-ka-Ptah (Memphis).
Vignette: An altar with meat and drink offerings.
Chapter CVII.* The Chapter of going into, and of coming forth from, the gate of the gods of the west among the followers of the god, and of knowing the souls of Amentet.
Vignette: Three deities: Ra, Sebek, and Hathor.
Chapter CVIII. The Chapter of knowing the souls of the West.
Vignette: Three deities: Tmu, Sebek, and Hathor.
Chapter CIX. The Chapter of knowing the souls of the East.
Vignette: The deceased making adoration before Ra-Heru-khuti.
Chapter CX. The beginning of the Chapters of the Fields of Peace, and of the Chapters of coming forth by day, and of going into, and of coming forth from, the underworld, and of attaining unto the Fields of Reeds, and of being in the Fields of Peace.
Vignette: The Fields of Peace.
Chapter CXI. (This Chapter is now known as Chapter CVIII.)
Chapter CXII. The Chapter of knowing the souls of Pe.
Vignette: Horus, Mesthi, and Ha-pi.
Chapter CXIII. The Chapter of knowing the souls of Nekhen.
Vignette: Horus, Tuamautef, and Qebhsennuf.
Chapter CXIV. The Chapter of knowing the souls of Khemennu (Hermopolis).
Vignette: Three ibis-headed gods.
Chapter CXV.* The Chapter of coming forth to heaven, of passing through the hall of the tomb, and of knowing the souls of Annu.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Thoth, Sau and Tmu.
Chapter CXVI. [The Chapter of] knowing the souls of Annu.
Vignette: The deceased adoring three ibis-headed gods.
Chapter CXVII. The Chapter of taking a way in Re-stau.
Vignette: The deceased, holding a staff in his hand, ascending the western hills.
Chapter CXVIII. The Chapter of coming forth from Re-stau.
Vignette: The deceased holding a staff in his left hand.
Chapter CXIX. The Chapter of knowing the name of Osiris, and of going into, and of coming forth from, Re-stau.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Osiris.
Chapter CXX. (This Chapter is now known as Chapter XII.)
Chapter CXXI. (This Chapter is now known as Chapter XIII.)
Chapter CXXII.* The Chapter of the deceased going in after coming forth from the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased bowing before his tomb, which is on a hill.
Chapter CXXIII. The Chapter of going into the great house (i.e., tomb).
Vignette: The soul of the deceased standing before a tomb.
Chapter CXXIV. The Chapter of going in to the princes of Osiris.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Mestha, Hapi, Tuamautef and Qebbsennuf.
Chapter CXXV. The words which are to be uttered by the deceased when he cometh to the hall of Maati, which separateth him from his sins, and which maketh him to see God, the Lord of mankind.
Vignette: The hall of Maati, in which the heart of the deceased is being weighed in a balance in the presence of the great gods.
Chapter CXXVI. [Without title.]
Vignette: A lake of fire, at each corner of which sits an ape.
Chapter CXXVIIA. The book of the praise of the gods of the qerti.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXXVIIB. The Chapter of the words to be spoken on going to the chiefs of Osiris, and of the praise of the gods who are leaders in the tuat.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXXVIII.* The Chapter of praising Osiris.
Vignette: The deceased adoring three deities.
Chapter CXXIX. (This Chapter in now known as Chapter C.)
Chapter CXXX. The Chapter of making perfect the khu.
Vignette: The deceased standing between two boats.
Chapter CXXXI.* The Chapter of making a man go into heaven to the side of Ra.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXXXII. The Chapter of making a man to go round about to see his house.
Vignette: A man standing before a house or tomb.
Chapter CXXXIII. The Chapter of making perfect the khu in the under world in the presence of the great company of the gods.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Ra, seated in a boat.
Chapter CXXXIV. The Chapter of entering into the boat of Ra, and of being among those who are in his train.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Shu, Tefnut, Seb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Hathor.
Theban version: list of chapters.
Chapter CXXXV.* Another Chapter, which is to be recited at the waxing of the moon [each] month.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXXXVIA. The Chapter of sailing in the boat of Ra.
Vignette: The deceased standing with hands raised in adoration.
Chapter CXXXVIB. The Chapter of sailing in the great boat of Ra, to pass round the fiery orbit of the sun.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXXXVIIA. The Chapter of kindling the fire which is to be made in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXXXVIIB. The Chapter of the deceased kindling the fire.
Vignette: The deceased seated, kindling a flame.
Chapter CXXXVIII. The Chapter of making the deceased to enter into Abydos.
Vignette: The deceased adoring the standard ###.
Chapter CXXXIX. (This Chapter is now known as Chapter CXXIII.)
Chapter CXL.* The Book which is to be recited in the second month of pert, when the utchat is full in the second month of pert.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Anpu, the utchat, and Ra.
Chapters CXLI-CXLIII. The Book which is to be recited by a man for his father and for his son at the festivals of Amentet. It will make him perfect before Ra and before the gods, and he shall dwell with them. It shall be recited on the ninth day of the festival.
Vignette: The deceased making offerings before a god.
Chapter CXLIV. The Chapter of going in.
Vignette: Seven pylons.
Chapter CXLVA. [Without title.]
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXLVB. [The Chapter] of coming forth to the hidden pylons.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXLVI. [The Chapter of] knowing the pylons in the house of Osiris in the Field of Aaru.
Vignette: A series of pylons guarded each by a god.
Chapter CXLVII. [A Chapter] to be recited by the deceased when he cometh to the first hall of Amentet.
Theban version: list of chapters.
Vignette: A series of doors, each guarded by a god.
Chapter CXLVIII. [The Chapter] of nourishing the khu in the underworld, and of removing him from every evil thing.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CXLIX. [Without title.]
Vignette: The divisions of the other world.
Chapter CL. [Without title.]
Vignette: Certain divisions of the other world.
Chapter CLI. [Without title.]
Vignette: Scene of the mummy chamber.
Chapter CLIA. [Chapter] of the hands of Anpu, the dweller in the sepulchral chamber, being upon the lord of life (i.e., the mummy).
Vignette: Anubis standing by the bier of the deceased.
Chapter CLIB. The Chapter of the chief of hidden things.
Vignette: A human head.
Chapter CLII. The Chapter of building a house in the earth.
Vignette: The deceased standing by the foundations of his house.
Chapter CLIIIA. The Chapter of coming forth from the net.
Vignette: A net being drawn by a number of men.
CLIIIB. The Chapter of coming forth from the fishing net.
Vignette: Three apes drawing a fishing net.
Chapter CLIV. The Chapter of not allowing the body of a man to decay in the tomb.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLV. The Chapter of a Tet of gold to be placed on the neck of the khu.
Vignette: A Tet.
Chapter CLVI. The Chapter of a buckle of amethyst to be placed on the neck of the khu.
Vignette: A Buckle.
Chapter CLVII*. The Chapter of a vulture of gold to be placed on the neck of the khu.
Vignette: A vulture.
Chapter CLVIII.* The Chapter of a collar of gold to be placed on the neck of the khu.
Vignette: A collar.
Theban version: list of chapters.
Chapter CLIX.* The Chapter of a sceptre of mother-of-emerald to be placed on the neck of the khu.
Vignette: A sceptre.
Chapter CLX. [The Chapter] of placing a plaque of mother-of-emerald.
Vignette: A plaque.
Chapter CLXI. The Chapter of the opening of the doors of heaven by Thoth, etc.
Vignette: Thoth opening four doors.
Chapter CLXII.* The Chapter of causing heat to exist under the head of the khu.
Vignette: A cow.
Chapter CLXIII.* The Chapter of not allowing the body of a man to decay in the underworld.
Vignette: Two utchats, and a serpent on legs.
Chapter CLXIV.* Another Chapter.
Vignette: A three-headed goddess, winged, standing between two pigmies.
Chapter CLXV.* The Chapter of arriving in port, of not becoming unseen, and of making the body to germinate, and of satisfying it with the water of heaven.
Vignette: The god Min or Amsu with beetle's body, etc.
Chapter CLXVI. The Chapter of the pillow.
Vignette: A pillow.
Chapter CLXVII. The Chapter of bringing the utchat.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXVIIIA. [Without title.]
Vignette: The boats of the sun, etc.
Chapter CLXVIIIB. [Without title.]
Vignette: Men pouring libations, gods, etc.
Chapter CLXIX. The Chapter of setting up the offering chamber.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXX. The Chapter of the roof of the offering chamber.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXXI. The Chapter of tying the abu.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXXII. Here begin the praises which are to be recited in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXXIII. Addresses by Horus to his father.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Osiris.
Chapter CLXXIV. The Chapter of causing the khu to come forth from the great gate of heaven.
Vignette: The deceased coming forth from a door.
Chapter CLXXV. The Chapter of not dying a second time in the underworld.
Vignette: The deceased adoring an ibis-headed god.
Chapter CLXXVI. The Chapter of not dying a second time in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXXVII. The Chapter of raising up the khu, and of making the soul to live in the underworld.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXXVIII. The Chapter of raising up the body, of making the eyes to see, of making the ears to hear, of setting firm the head and of giving it its powers.
This Chapter has no Vignette.
Chapter CLXXIX. The Chapter of coming forth from yesterday, of coming forth by day, and of praying with the hands.
This Chapter has no vignette.
Chapter CLXXX. The Chapter of coming forth by day, of praising Ra in Amentet, and of ascribing praise unto those who are in the tuat.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Ra.
Chapter CLXXXI. The Chapter of going in to the divine chiefs of Osiris who are the leaders in the tuat.
Vignette: The deceased adoring Osiris, etc.
Chapter CLXXXII. The Book of stablishing the backbone of Osiris, of giving breath to him whose heart is still, and of the repulse of the enemies of Osiris by Thoth.
Vignette: The deceased lying on a bier in a funeral chest, surrounded by various gods.
Chapter CLXXXIII. A hymn of praise to Osiris; ascribing to him glory, and to Un-nefer adoration.
Vignettes: The deceased, with hands raised in adoration, and the god Thoth.
Chapter CLXXXIV. The Chapter of being with Osiris.
Vignette: The deceased standing by the side of Osiris.
Chapter CLXXXV. The ascription of praise to Osiris, and of adoration to the everlasting lord.
Vignette: The deceased making adoration to Osiris.
Chapter CLXXXVI. A hymn of praise to Hathor, mistress of Amentet, and to Meh-urt.
Vignette: The deceased approaching the mountain of the dead, from which appears the goddess Hathor.
The version akin to the Theban.
Palgraphy.
The version akin to was in vogue from the XXth to the XXVIth dynasty, i.e., about B.C. 1200-550, and was, like the Theban, usually written upon papyrus. The chapters have no fixed order, and are written in lines in the hieratic character; the rubrics, catchwords, and certain names, like that of Apep, are in red. The vignettes are roughly traced in black outline, and are without ornament; but at the ends of the best papyri well-painted scenes, in which the deceased is depicted making adoration to Ra or Horus, are frequently found. The names and titles of the deceased are written in perpendicular rows of hieroglyphics. The character of the handwriting changes in different periods: in the papyrus of the Princess Nesi-Khonsu (about B.C. 1000) it is bold and clear, and much resembles the handsome style of that found in the great Harris papyrus; but within a hundred years, apparently, the fine flowing style disappears, and the writing becomes much smaller and is somewhat cramped; the process of reduction in size continues until the XXVIth dynasty, about B.C. 550, when the small and coarsely written characters are frequently difficult to decipher. The papyri upon which such texts are written vary in length from three to about thirty feet, and in width from nine to eighteen inches; as we approach the period of the XXVIth dynasty the texture becomes coarser and the material is darker in colour. The Theban papyri of this period are lighter in colour than those found in the north of Egypt and are less brittle; they certainly suffer less in unrolling.
The Sae and Ptolemaic version.
Palgraphy.
The Sae and Ptolemaic version was in vogue from the period of the XXVIth dynasty, about B.C. 550, to probably the end of the rule of the Ptolemies over Egypt. The chapters have a fixed and definite order, and it seems that a careful revision of the whole work was carried out, and that several alterations of an important nature were made in it. A number of chapters which are not found in older papyri appear during this period; but these are not necessarily new inventions, for, as the kings of the XXVIth dynasty are renowned for having revived the arts and sciences and literature of the earliest dynasties, it is quite possible that many or most of the additional chapters are nothing more than new editions of extracts from older works. Many copies of this version were written by scribes who did not understand what they were copying, and omissions of signs, words, and even whole passages are very common; in papyri of the Ptolemaic period it is impossible to read many passages without the help of texts of earlier periods. The papyri of this period vary in colour from a light to a dark brown, and consist usually of layers composed of strips of the plant measuring about 2 inches in width and 14 to 16 inches in length. Fine examples of Books of the Dead of this version vary in length from about 24 feet (B.M. No. 10,479, written for the utcheb Heru, the son of the utcheb Tchehra) to 60 feet. Hieroglyphic texts are written in black, in perpendicular rows between rules, and hieratic texts in horizontal lines; both the hieroglyphics and the hieratic characters lack the boldness of the writing of the Theban period, and exhibit the characteristics of a conventional hand. The titles of the chapters, catchwords, the words ### which introduce a variant reading, etc., are sometimes written in red. The vignettes are usually traced in black outline, and form a kind of continuous border above the text. In good papyri, however, the scene forming the XVIth Chapter, the scene of the Fields of Peace (Chapter CX.), the judgment scene (Chapter CXXV.), the vignette of Chapter CXLVIII., the scene forming Chapter CLI. (the sepulchral chamber), and the vignette of Chapter CLXI., fill the whole width of the inscribed portion of the papyrus, and are painted in somewhat crude colours. In some papyri the disk on the head of the hawk of Horus is covered with gold leaf, instead of being painted red as is usual in older papyri. In the Gro-Roman period both texts and vignettes are very carelessly executed, and it is evident that they were written and drawn by ignorant workmen in the quickest and most careless way possible. In this period also certain passages of the text were copied in hieratic and Demotic upon small pieces of papyri which were buried with portions of the bodies of the dead, and upon narrow bandages of coarse linen in which they were swathed.
