14835634 Ancient Egyptian Literature

7/24/2019 14835634 Ancient Egyptian Literature

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Literature of the Ancient Egyptiansby E. A. Wallis Budge

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalost no restrictions whatsoe!er. "ou ay copy it# gi!e it away orre$use it under the ters of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title% The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians

Author% E. A. Wallis Budge

&elease 'ate% (ay )*# )++, -EBook /,*0)1

Language% English

2haracter set encoding% 345$66,*$/

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-8rontispiece% The Elysian 8ields of the Egyptians according to the Papyrus of Ani. /. Ani adoring the gods of 4ekhet$Aaru. ). Ani reaping in the 5ther World. 0. Ani ploughing in the 5ther World. C. The abode of the perfect spirits# and the agical boats.1

P&E8A2E

This little book is intended to ser!e as an eleentary introduction tothe study of Egyptian Literature. 3ts object is to present a shortseries of speciens of Egyptian copositions# which represent all thegreat periods of literary acti!ity in Egypt under the Pharaohs# to allwho are interested in the study of the ental de!elopent of ancientnations. 3t is not addressed to the Egyptological specialist# to who#

as a atter of course# its contents are well known# and therefore itspages are not loaded with elaborate notes and copious references. 3trepresents# 3 belie!e# the first attept ade to place before the publica suary of the principal contents of Egyptian Literature in a handyand popular for.

The speciens of nati!e Egyptian Literature printed herein are takenfro tobs# papyri# stel # and other onuents# and# with feweceptions# each specien is coplete in itself. Translations of ost ofthe tets ha!e appeared in learned works written by Egyptologists inEnglish# 8rench# Geran# and 3talian# but soe appear in English for thefirst tie. 3n e!ery case 3 ha!e collated y own translations with thetets# and# thanks to the accurate editions of tets which ha!e appeared

in recent years# it has been found possible to ake any hithertodifficult passages clear. The translations are as literal as thedifference between the Egyptian and English idios will perit# but ithas been necessary to insert particles and often to in!ert the order ofthe words in the original works in order to produce a connected eaningin English. The result of this has been in any cases to break up theshort abrupt sentences in which the Egyptian author delighted# andwhich he used freuently with draatic effect. Etraordinarily concisephrases ha!e been paraphrased# but the eanings gi!en to se!eral unknownwords often represent guess$work.

3n selecting the tets for translation in this book an attept has beenade to include copositions that are not only the best of their kind#

but that also illustrate the ost iportant branches of EgyptianLiterature. Aong these religious# ythological# and oral works bulklargely# and in any respects these represent the peculiar bias of theind of the ancient Egyptian better than copositions of a purelyhistorical character.


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funerary works with which we are acuainted# and the popularity of theseworks sees to show that they succeeded. 8ro the earliest ties theEgyptians regarded a life of oral ecellence upon earth as a necessaryintroduction to the life which he hoped to li!e with the blessed inhea!en. And e!en in pyraid ties he concei!ed the idea of the eistenceof a God Who judged rightly# and Who set Fright in the place of wrong.FThis fact accounts for the re!erence in which he held the Precepts ofPtah$hetep# =aena# 9erutataf# Aenehat 3# Ani# Tuauf# Aen$hetep# and

other sages. To hi# as to all Africans# the 5ther World was a !ery realthing# and death and the Last :udgent were coon subjects of his dailythoughts. The great antiuity of this characteristic of the Egyptian ispro!ed by a passage in a Book of Precepts# which was written by a kingof the ninth or tenth dynasty for his son# who reigned under the nae of(erikara. The royal writer in it reinds his son that the 2hiefs -of5siris1 who judge sinners perfor their duty with erciless justice onthe 'ay of :udgent. 3t is useless to assue that length of years willbe accepted by the as a plea of justification. With the the lifetieof a an is only regarded as a oent. After death these 2hiefs ust befaced# and the only things that they will consider will be his works.Life in the 5ther World is for e!er# and only the reckless fool forgetsthis fact. The an who has led a life free fro lies and deceit shall

li!e after death like a god.

The reader who wishes to continue his studies of Egyptian Literaturewill find abundant aterial in the list of works gi!en on pp. ),$6.

E.A. WALL34 B;'GE.

B&3T349 (;4E;(#?April? /H# /*/C.

25


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J. B55=4 58 T9E 'EA' 58 T9E G& 25$&5(A< PE&35'% ,* Book of Breathings ,* Book of Tra!ersing Eternity / The Laentations of 3sis and


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The Laent of Apuur )0

I3J. EG"PT3A< P5ET32AL 25(P543T35


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T9E L3TE&AT;&E 58 T9E A


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hand a reed with which he is writing on a palette the result of theweighing of the heart of the dead an in the Balance. The gods acceptedthe report of Thoth without uestion# and rewarded the good soul andpunished the bad according to his stateent. 8ro the beginning to theend of the history of Egypt the position of Thoth as the Frighteousjudge#F and fraer of the laws by which hea!en and earth# and en andgods were go!erned# reained unchanged.

-3llustration% Thoth# the 4cribe of the Gods.1

The substances used by the Egyptians for writing upon were !erynuerous# but the coonest were stone of !arious kinds# wood# skin# andpapyrus. The earliest writings were probably traced upon thesesubstances with soe fluid# coloured black or red# which ser!ed as ink.When the Egyptians becae acuainted with the use of the etals theybegan to cut their writings in stone. The tet of one of the oldestchapters of the Book of the 'ead KLI3J is said in the &ubric to thechapter to ha!e been FfoundF cut upon a block of Falabaster of thesouthF during the reign of (enkaura# a king of the fourth dynasty# about0H++ B.2. As tie went on and en wanted to write long tets orinscriptions# they ade great use of wood as a writing aterial# partly

on account of the labour and epense of cutting in stone. 3n the British(useu any wooden coffins ay be seen with their insides co!ered withreligious tets# which were written with ink as on paper. 4heepskin# orgoatskin# was used as a writing aterial# but its use was ne!er generalancient Egyptian docuents written on skin or# as we should say# onparchent# are !ery few. At a !ery early period the Egyptians learnedhow to ake a sort of paper# which is now uni!ersally known by the naeof Fpapyrus.F When they ade this disco!ery cannot be said# but thehieroglyphic inscriptions of the early dynasties contain the picture ofa roll of papyrus# and the antiuity of the use of papyrus usttherefore be !ery great. Aong the oldest dated eaples of inscribedpapyrus ay be noted soe accounts which were written in the reign of=ing Assa Kfourth dynasty# 0C++ B.2.# and which were found at 4akkarah#

about )+ iles to the south of 2airo.

Papyrus was ade fro the papyrus plant that grew and flourished in theswaps and arshes of Lower Egypt# and in the shallow pools that werefored by the annual


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the British (useu is /00 feet long by /$/N) inches high K9arrisPapyrus# uli powder#green paint fro sulphate of copper# and white paint fro lie$white.4oeties the ink was placed in sall wide$outhed pots ade of Egyptianporcelain or alabaster. The scribe rubbed down his colours on a stoneslab with a sall stone uller. The writing reed# which ser!ed as a pen#was fro 6 to /+ inches long# and fro one$siteenth to one$eighth of aninch in diaeter the end used in writing was bruised and not cut. 3nlate ties a !ery uch thicker reed was used# and then the end was cutlike a uill or steel pen. Writing reeds of this kind were carried in

boes of wood and etal specially ade for the purpose. (any speciensof all kinds of Egyptian writing aterials are to be seen in theEgyptian &oos of the British (useu.

-8ootnote /% 3n soe parts of (esopotaia where scribes at the presentday use rough paper ade in &ussia# each sheet before being written uponis laid upon a board and polished by eans of a glass bottle.1

-3llustration% Wooden Palette of &aeri# an official of Thothes 3J./CH+ B.2. Wooden Palette of Aahes 3# =ing of Egypt /++ B.2.1

As papyrus was epensi!e the pupils in the schools attached to the greatteples of Egypt wrote their eercises and copies of standard literary

copositions on slices of white liestone of fine teture# or uponboards# in the shape of odern slates used in schools# whitened withlie. The FcopiesF fro which they worked were written by the teacher onliestone slabs of soewhat larger si>e. 2opies of the tets that asonscut upon the walls of teples and other onuents were also written onslabs of this kind# and when figures of kings or gods were to besculptured on the walls their proportions were indicated byperpendicular and hori>ontal lines drawn to scale. Portions of brokenearthen$ware pots were also used for practising writing upon# and in thePtoleaic and &oan Periods lists of goods# and business letters# andthe receipts gi!en by the ta$gatherers# were written upon potsherds. 3n


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still later ties# when skin or parchent was as epensi!e as papyrus#the 2opts# or Egyptian 2hristians# used slices of liestone andpotsherds for drafts of portions of the 4criptures and letters in uchthe sae way as did their ancestors.

A roll of papyrus when not in use was kept in shape by a string or pieceof papyrus cord# which was tied in a bow soeties# especially in thecase of legal docuents# a clay seal bearing the owner@s nae was

staped on the cord. Jaluable rolls were kept in wooden cases or Fbookboes#F which were deposited in a chaber or FhouseF set apart for thepurpose# which was coonly called the Fhouse of books#F ?i.e.? thelibrary. 9a!ing now described the principal writing aterials used bythe ancient Egyptians# we ay pass on to consider briefly the !ariousclasses of Egyptian Literature that ha!e coe down to us.

29APTE& 33

T9E P"&A(3' TEIT4

FPyraid TetsF is the nae now coonly gi!en to the long hieroglyphicinscriptions that are cut upon the walls of the chabers and corridorsof fi!e pyraids at 4akkarah. The oldest of the was built for ;nas# aking of the fifth dynasty# and the four others were built for Teta# Pepi3# (erenra# and Pepi 33# kings of the sith dynasty. According to thecalculation of 'r. Brugsch# they were all built between 00++ and 0/,+B.2.# but ore recent theories assign the to a period about H++ yearslater. These Tets represent the oldest religious literature known tous# for they contain beliefs# dogas# and ideas that ust be thousandsof years older than the period of the sith dynasty when the bulk ofthe was drafted for the use of the asons who cut the inside the

pyraids. 3t is probable that certain sections of the were coposed bythe priests for the benefit of the dead in !ery priiti!e ties inEgypt# when the art of writing was unknown# and that they were repeatedeach tie a king died. They were first learned by heart by the funerarypriests# and then handed on fro outh to outh# generation aftergeneration# and at length after the Egyptians had learned to write# andthere was danger of their being forgotten# they were coitted towriting. And just as these certain sections were absorbed into the greatbody of Pyraid Tets of the sith dynasty# so portions of the Tets ofthe sith dynasty were incorporated into the great Theban Book of the'ead# and they appear in papyri that were written ore than )+++ yearslater. The Pyraid Tets supply us with uch inforation concerning thereligious beliefs of the priiti!e Egyptians# and also with any

isolated facts of history that are to be found nowhere else# but of theeaning of a !ery large nuber of passages we ust always reainignorant# because they describe states of ci!ilisation# and conditionsof life and cliate# of which no odern person can for any trueconception. Besides this the eanings of any words are unknown# thespelling is strange and often ineplicable# the construction of thesentence is freuently unlike anything known in later tets# and theideas that they epress are wholly foreign to the inds of students ofto$day# who are in e!ery way aliens to the priiti!e Egyptian Africanwhose beliefs these words represent. The pyraids at 4akkarah in whichthe Pyraid Tets are found were disco!ered by the 8renchan# (ariette#


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in /66+. Paper casts of the inscriptions# which are deeply cut in thewalls and painted green# were ade for Professor (aspero# the 'irectorof the 4er!ice of Antiuities in Egypt# and fro these he printed anedition in hieroglyphic type of all fi!e tets# and added a 8renchtranslation of the greater part of the. Professor (aspero correctlyrecognised the true character of these old$world docuents# and histranslation displayed an unri!alled insight into the true eaning ofany sections of the. The disco!ery and study of other tets and the

labours of recent workers ha!e cleared up passages that offereddifficulties to hi# but his work will reain for a !ery long tie thebase of all in!estigations.

The Pyraid Tets# and the older tets uoted or ebodied in the# werewritten# like e!ery religious funerary work in Egypt# for the benefit ofthe king# that is to say# to effect his glorious resurrection and tosecure for hi happiness in the 5ther World# and life e!erlasting. Theywere intended to ake hi becoe a king in the 5ther World as he hadbeen a king upon earth in other words# he was to reign o!er the gods#and to ha!e control of all the powers of hea!en# and to ha!e the powerto coand the spirits and souls of the righteous# as his ancestors thekings of Egypt had ruled their bodies when they li!ed on earth. The

Egyptians found that their king# who was an incarnation of the FGreatGod#F died like other en# and they feared that# e!en if they succeededin effecting his resurrection by eans of the Pyraid Tets# he ightdie a second tie in the 5ther World. They spared no effort and left noeans untried to ake hi not only a Fli!ing soulF in the Tuat# or 5therWorld# but to keep hi ali!e there. The object of e!ery prayer# e!eryspell# e!ery hyn# and e!ery incantation contained in these Tets# wasto preser!e the king@s life. This ight be done in any ways. 3n thefirst place it was necessary to pro!ide a daily supply of offerings#which were offered up in the funerary teple that was attached to e!erypyraid. The carefully selected and duly appointed priest offered theseone by one# and as he presented each to the spirit of the king heuttered a forula that was belie!ed to con!ert the aterial food into a

substance possessing a spiritual character and fit to for the food ofthe ?ka?# or Fdouble#F or F!ital power#F of the dead king. The offeringsassisted in renewing his life# and any failure to perfor this ser!icewas counted a sin against the dead king@s spirit. 3t was also necessaryto perfor another set of cereonies# the object of which was to Fopenthe outhF of the dead king# ?i.e.? to restore to hi the power tobreathe# think# speak# taste# sell# and walk. At the perforance ofthese cereonies it was all$iportant to present articles of food#wearing apparel# scents and unguents# and# in short# e!ery object thatthe king was likely to reuire in the 5ther World. The spirits of allthese objects passed into the 5ther World ready for use by the spirit ofthe king. 3t follows as a atter of course that the king in the 5therWorld needed a retinue# and a bodyguard# and a host of ser!ants# just as

he needed sla!es upon earth. 3n priiti!e ties a large nuber ofsla!es# both ale and feale# were slain when a king died# and theirbodies were buried in his tob# whilst their spirits passed into the5ther World to ser!e the spirit of the king# just as their bodies hadser!ed his body upon earth. As the king had eneies in this world# so itwas thought he would ha!e eneies in the 5ther World# and en fearedthat he would be attacked or olested by e!illy$disposed gods andspirits# and by deadly anials and serpents# and other noious reptiles.To ward off the attacks of these fro his tob# and his uified body#and his spirit# the priest coposed spells of !arious kinds# and theutterance of such# in a proper anner# was belie!ed to render hi iune


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fro the attacks of foes of all kinds. Jery often such spells took thefor of prayers. (any of the spells were eceedingly ancient# e!en inthe Pyraid Period they were# in fact# so old that they wereunintelligible to the scribes of the day. They date fro the tie whenthe Egyptians belie!ed ore in agic than religion it is possible thatwhen they were coposed# religion# in our sense of the word# was stillunde!eloped aong the Egyptians.

When the Pyraid Tets were written en belie!ed that the welfare ofsouls and spirits in the 5ther World could be secured by the prayers ofthe li!ing. 9ence we find in the nuerous prayers for the dead# andhyns addressed to the gods on their behalf# and etracts fro anykinds of ancient religious books. When these were recited# and offeringsade both to the gods and to the dead# it was confidently belie!ed thatthe souls of the dead recei!ed special consideration and help fro thegods# and fro all the good spirits who fored their train. Theseprayers are !ery iportant fro any points of !iew# but specially sofro the fact that they pro!e that the Egyptians who li!ed under thesith dynasty attached ore iportance to the than to agical spellsand incantations. 3n other words# the Egyptians had begun to rejecttheir belief in the efficacy of agic# and to de!elop a belief of a ore

spiritual character. There were any reasons for this de!elopent# butthe ost iportant was the etraordinary growth of the influence of thereligion of 5siris# which had before the close of the period of thesith dynasty spread all o!er Egypt. This religion proised to all whofollowed it# high or low# rich or poor# a life in the world beyond thegra!e# after a resurrection that was ade certain to the through thesufferings# death# and resurrection of 5siris# who was the incarnationof the great prie!al god who created the hea!ens and the earth. A fewetracts illustrating the general contents of the Pyraid Tets ay nowbe gi!en.

3. (ention has already been ade of the Fopening of the outhF of thedead king% under the earliest dynasties this cereony was perfored on a

statue of the king. Water was sprinkled before it# and incense wasburnt# and the statue was anointed with se!en kinds of unguents# and itseyes seared with eye paint. After the statue had been washed anddressed a eal of sepulchral offerings was set before it. The essentialcereony consisted in applying to the lips of the statue a curiouslyshaped instruent called the PE49 =E8# with which the bandages thatco!ered the outh of the dead king in his tob were supposed to be cutand the outh set free to open. 3n later ties the Liturgy of 5peningthe (outh was greatly enlarged and was called the Book of 5pening the(outh. The cereonies were perfored by the =her$heb priest# the son ofthe deceased# and the priests and inistrants called 4aeref# 4e# 4er#A$as# A$khent# and the assistants called (esentiu. 8irst of allincense was burnt# and the priest said# FThou art pure#F four ties.

Water was then sprinkled o!er the statue and the priest said# FThou artpure. Thou art pure. Thy purifications are the purifications of9orus#-/1 and the purifications of 9orus are thy purifications.F Thisforula was repeated three ties# once with the nae of 4et#-)1 oncewith the nae of Thoth#-01 and once with the nae of 4ep. The priestthen said# FThou hast recei!ed thy head# and thy bones ha!e been broughtunto thee before =eb.F-C1 'uring the perforance of the net fi!ecereonies# in which incense of !arious kinds was offered# the priestsaid% FThou art pure Kfour ties. That which is in the two eyes of9orus hath been presented unto thee with the two !ases of Thoth# andthey purify thee so that there ay not eist in thee the power of


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destruction that belongeth unto thee. Thou art pure. Thou art pure. Pureis the ?sean? incense that openeth thy outh. Taste the taste thereofin the di!ine dwelling. ?4ean? incense is the eission of 9orus itstablisheth the heart of 9orus$4et# it purifieth the gods who are in thefollowing of 9orus. Thou art censed with natron. Thou art establishedaong the gods thy brethren. Thy outh is like that of a sucking calf onthe day of its birth. Thou art censed. Thou art censed. Thou art pure.Thou art pure. Thou art established aong thy brethren the gods. Thy

head is censed. Thy outh is censed. Thy bones are purified. -'ecay1that is inherent in thee shall not touch thee. 3 ha!e gi!en thee the Eyeof 9orus#-,1 and thy face is filled therewith. Thou art shrouded inincense Ksay twice.F-1

-8ootnote /% A for of the 4un$god.1

-8ootnote )% 5riginally a bene!olent god% later the great god of e!il.1

-8ootnote 0% The scribe of the gods# lord of wisdo% see pp. /#).1

-8ootnote C% The Earth$god.1

-8ootnote ,% 9orus ga!e his eye to 5siris# and thereby restored life tohi.1

-8ootnote % &epetitions are oitted.1

The net cereony# the ninth# represented the re$birth of the king# whowas personified by a priest. The priest# wrapped in the skin of a bull#lay on a sall bed and feigned death. When the chief priest had said# F5y father#F four ties# the priest representing the king cae forth frothe bull@s skin# and sat up this act syboli>ed the resurrection of theking in the for of a spirit$body K?sahu?. The chief priest thenasserted that the king was ali!e# and that he should ne!er be reo!ed#and that he was siilar in e!ery way to 9orus. The priest personifying

the king then put on a special garent# and taking a staff or sceptre inhis hand# said# F3 lo!e y father and his transforation. 3 ha!e ade yfather# 3 ha!e ade a statue of hi# a large statue. 9orus lo!eth thosewho lo!e hi.F 9e then pressed the lips of the statue# and said# F3 ha!ecoe to ebrace thee. 3 a thy son. 3 a 9orus. 3 ha!e pressed for theethy outh.... 3 a thy belo!ed son.F The words then said by the chiefpriest# F3 ha!e deli!ered this ine eye fro his outh# 3 ha!e cut offhis leg#F ean that the king was deli!ered fro the jaws of death# andthat a grie!ous wound had been inflicted on the god of death# ?i.e.?4et.

Whilst these cereonies were being perfored the anials brought to besacrificed were slain. 2hief of these were two bulls# ga>elle# geese#

Dc.# and their slaughter typified the conuest and death of the eneiesof the dead king. The heart and a fore$leg of each bull were presentedto the statue of the king# and the priest said% F9ail# 5sirisO 3 ha!ecoe to ebrace thee. 3 a 9orus. 3 ha!e pressed for thee thy outh. 3a thy belo!ed 4on. 3 ha!e opened thy outh. Thy outh hath been adefir. 3 ha!e ade thy outh and thy teeth to be in their proper places.9ail# 5sirisO-/1 3 ha!e opened thy outh with the Eye of 9orus.F Thentaking two instruents ade of etal the priest went through the otionof cutting open the outh and eyes of the statue# and said% F3 ha!eopened thy outh. 3 ha!e opened thy two eyes. 3 ha!e opened thy outhwith the instruent of Anpu.-)1 3 ha!e opened thy outh with the (eskha


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instruent wherewith the outh of the gods was opened. 9orus openeth theouth and eyes of the 5siris. 9orus openeth the outh of the 5siris e!enas he opened the outh of his father. As he opened the outh of the god5siris so shall he open the outh of y father with the iron that coethforth fro 4et# with the (eskha instruent of iron wherewith he openedthe outh of the gods shall the outh of the 5siris be opened. And the5siris shall walk and shall talk# and his body shall be with the Great2opany of the Gods who dwell in the Great 9ouse of the Aged 5ne K?i.e.?

the 4un$god who dwelleth in Anu.-01 And he shall take possession of the;rrt 2rown therein before 9orus# the Lord of ankind. 9ail# 5sirisO9orus hath opened thy outh and thine eyes with the instruents 4eburand An# wherewith the ouths of the gods of the 4outh were opened....All the gods bring words of power. They recite the for thee. They akethee to li!e by the. Thou becoest the possessor of twofold strength.Thou akest the passes that gi!e thee the fluid of life# and their lifefluid is about thee. Thou art protected# and thou shalt not die. Thoushalt change thy for -at pleasure1 aong the 'oubles-C1 of the gods.Thou shalt rise up as a king of the 4outh. Thou shalt rise up as a kingof the


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for a king# Dc. As each object was presented to the spirit of the king#which was present in his statue in the Tuat 2haber of the tob# thepriest recited a for of words# which had the effect of transuting thesubstance of the object into soething which# when used or absorbed bythe king@s spirit# renewed the king@s life and aintained his eistencein the 5ther World. E!ery object was called the FEye of 9orus#F inallusion to its life$gi!ing ualities. The following etracts illustratethe Liturgy of 8unerary 5fferings%

0). This libation is for thee# 5siris# this libation is for thee#;nas.-/1 K?9ere offer cold water of the ed for thee that it ay be before thee. K?9ereoffer the finest Thehenu oil.?

333. As speciens of the hyns in the Pyraid Tets ay be uoted thefollowing% the first is a hyn to


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is a hyn to &a# the 4un$god.

-51


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Thou liftest up to hi the cakes and ale that are in thee.Thou liftest up to hi the cakes and ale that are about to be in thee.Thou liftest up to hi the gifts that are in thee.Thou liftest up to hi the gifts that are about to be in thee.Thou liftest up to hi e!erything that is in thee.Thou liftest up to hi e!erything that is about to be in thee.Thou takest the to hi in e!ery place wherein it pleaseth hi to be.The doors upon thee stand fast -shut1 like the god Anutef#-)1

They open not to those who are in the WestThey open not to those who are in the EastThey open not to those who are in the


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firstborn son of 9athorO Behold the seed of =ebO 5siris hath coandedthat ;nas shall rise as a second 9orus# and these 8our 4pirit$souls inAnu ha!e written an edict to the two great gods in the 4ky. &a set upthe Ladder-/1 in front of 5siris# 9orus set up the Ladder in front ofhis father 5siris when he went to his spirit# one on this side -and1 oneon the other side ;nas is between the. Behold# he is the god of thepure seats coing forth fro the bath K. ;nas standeth up# lo 9orus;nas sitteth down# lo 4et. &a graspeth his hand# spirit to hea!en# body

to earth.F

-8ootnote /% The Ladder by which souls ascended to hea!en. A picture ofthe Ladder is gi!en in the Papyrus of Ani# Plate II33.1

The power of the king in hea!en was alost as absolute as it was uponearth# and in a !ery rearkable passage in the tet of ;nas# which isrepeated in the tet of Teta# we ha!e a graphic description of the kingas a ighty hunter# who chases the gods and lassoes the# and then killsand eats the in order that he ay absorb their strength and wisdo# andall their di!ine attributes# and their power of li!ing eternally. Thepassage reads%

FThe skies lower# the 4tar$gods treble# the Archers-/1 uake# the bonesof the Akeru-/1 gods treble# and those who are with the are struckdub when they see ;nas rising up as a soul# in the for of the god wholi!eth upon his fathers# and who turneth his others into his food. ;nasis the lord of wisdo# and his other knoweth not his nae. Theadoration of ;nas is in hea!en# he hath becoe ighty in the hori>onlike Teu# the father that ga!e hi birth# and after Teu had gi!en hibirth ;nas becae stronger than his father. The 'oubles K?i.e.? !italstrength of ;nas are behind hi# the soles of his feet are beneath hisfeet# his gods are o!er hi# his serpents are -seated1 upon his brow#the serpent$guides of ;nas are in front of hi# and the spirit of theflae looketh upon -his1 soul. The powers of ;nas protect hi. ;nas is abull in hea!en. 9e directeth his steps where he willeth. 9e li!eth upon

the for which each god taketh upon hiself# and he eateth the flesh ofthose who coe to fill their bellies with the agical chars in the Lakeof 8ire. ;nas is euipped with power against the spirit$souls thereof#and he riseth in the for of the ighty one# the lord of those who dwellin power K. ;nas hath taken his seat with his back turned towards =ebKthe Earth$god. ;nas hath weighed his words-)1 with the hidden god Kwho hath no nae# on the day of hacking in pieces the firstborn. ;nas isthe lord of offerings# the untier of the knot# and he hiself akethabundant the offerings of eat and drink. ;nas de!oureth en# and li!ethupon the gods# he is the lord of en!oys who he sendeth forth on hisissions. @9e who cutteth off hairy scalps#@ who dwelleth in the fields#tieth the gods with ropes. Tcheser$tep shepherdeth the for ;nas anddri!eth the unto hi and the 2ord$aster hath bound the for

slaughter. =hensu# the slayer of the wicked# cutteth their throats# anddraweth out their intestines# for it is he who ;nas sendeth toslaughter -the1# and 4hesu-01 cutteth the in pieces# and boileththeir ebers in his bla>ing caldrons of the night. ;nas eateth theiragical powers# and he swalloweth their spirit$souls. The great onesaong the ser!e for his eal at daybreak# the lesser ser!e for hiseal at e!entide# and the least aong the ser!e for his eal in thenight. The old gods and the old goddesses becoe fuel for his furnace.The ighty ones in hea!en light the fire under the caldrons wherein areheaped up the thighs of the firstborn and he who aketh those who li!ein hea!en to go about for ;nas lighteth the fire under the caldrons with


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the thighs of their woen he goeth about the Two 9ea!ens in theirentirety# and he goeth round about the two banks of the 2elestial on. ;nas is the firstborn of thefirstborn gods. ;nas is surrounded by thousands# and oblations are adeunto hi by hundreds he is ade anifest as the Great Power by 4aah

K5rion# the father of the gods. ;nas repeateth his rising in hea!en#and he is crowned lord of the hori>on. 9e hath reckoned up the bandletsand the ar$rings -of his capti!es1# he hath taken possession of thehearts of the gods. ;nas hath eaten the &ed 2rown# and he hath swallowedthe White 2rown the food of ;nas is the intestines# and his eat ishearts and their words of power. Behold# ;nas eateth of that which the&ed 2rown sendeth forth# he increaseth# and the words of power of thegods are in his belly his attributes are not reo!ed fro hi. ;nashath eaten the whole of the knowledge of e!ery god# and the period ofhis life is eternity# and the duration of his eistence ise!erlastingness. 9e is in the for of one who doeth what he wisheth# andwho doth not do what he hateth# and he abideth on the hori>on for e!erand e!er and e!er. The 4oul of the gods is in ;nas# their spirit$souls

are with ;nas# and the offerings ade unto hi are ore than those thatare ade unto the gods. The fire of ;nas is in their bones# for theirsoul is in ;nas# and their shades are with those who belong unto the.;nas hath been with the two hidden K =ha K gods# ... the seat ofthe heart of ;nas is aong those who li!e upon this earth for e!er ande!er and e!er.F

-8ootnote /% These are naes of groups of stars.1

-8ootnote )% ?i.e.? entered into judgent.1

-8ootnote 0% The eecutioner of 5siris.1

The following etract is fro one of the later Pyraid Tets%

FPepi was brought forth by the god


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Gods look on in their places# and they find Pepi acting as judge of thegods. The word of e!ery spirit$soul is in hi# and they ake offeringsto hi aong the Two 2opanies of the Gods.

29APTE& 333

4T5&3E4 58 (AG323A


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the lake# and the steward followed hi and threw the wa crocodile intothe water it iediately turned into a large crocodile H cubits Kabout// feet long and sei>ed the young an and swallowed hi up. When thistook place the agician ;baaner was with the king# and he reained inattendance upon hi for se!en days# during which tie the young an wasin the lake# with no air to breathe. When the se!en days were ended =ing


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a alachite ornaent which she was wearing in her hair fell into thewater and disappeared. The aiden was uch troubled o!er her loss# andstopped rowing# and as her stopping threw out of order the strokes ofthe aidens who were sitting on the sae seat as she was# they alsostopped rowing. Thereupon the king asked why the rowing had ceased# andone of the aidens told hi what had happened and when he proised thatthe ornaent should be reco!ered# the aiden said words which see toean that she had no doubt that she should reco!er it. 5n this 4eneferu

caused Tchatchaankh to be suoned into the presence# and when he caethe king told hi all that had happened. Then the agician began torecite certain spells# the effect of which was to cause the water of thelake first to di!ide into two parts# and then the water on one side torise up and place itself on the water on the other side. The boat#presuably# sank down gently on the ground of the lake# for thealachite ornaent was seen lying there# and the agician fetched it#and returned it to its owner. The depth of the water in the iddle ofthe lake where the ornaent dropped was /) cubits Kbetween /6 and /*feet# and when the water fro one side was piled up on that on theother# the total depth of the two sections taken together was# we aretold# )C cubits. As soon as the ornaent was restored to the aiden# theagician recited further spells# and the water lowered itself# and

spread o!er the ground of the lake# and so regained its noral le!el.9is (ajesty# =ing 4eneferu# assebled his nobles# and ha!ing discussedthe atter with the# ade a handsoe gift to his cle!er agician. When=ing =hufu had heard the story he ordered a large supply of funeraryofferings to be sent to the tob of 4eneferu# and bread# beer# flesh#and incense to the tob of Tchatchaankh.

T9E (AG323A< TETA W95 &E4T5&E' L38E T5 'EA' A


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the chair was set down on the ground# and he got out of it and stood upready to greet the old an# who he found lying upon a bed# with thedoor of his house lying on the ground. 5ne ser!ant stood by the bedholding the sage@s head and fanning hi# and another was engaged inrubbing his feet. 9erutataf addressed a highly poetical speech to Teta#the gist of which was that the old an seeed to be able to defy theusual effects of old age# and to be like one who had obtained the secretof e!erlasting youth# and then epressed the hope that he was well.

9a!ing paid these coplients# which were couched in dignified andarchaic language# 9erutataf went on to say that he had coe with aessage fro his father =hufu# who hereby suoned Teta to his presence.F3 ha!e coe#F he said# Fa long way to in!ite thee# so that thou ayesteat the food# and enjoy the good things which the king bestows on thosewho follow hi# and so that he ay conduct thee after a happy life tothy fathers who rest in the gra!e.F The sage replied# FWelcoe# Prince9erutataf# welcoe# 5 thou who lo!est thy father. Thy father shallreward thee with gifts# and he shall proote thee to the rank of thesenior officials of his court. Thy =a-)1 shall fight successfullyagainst thine eney# thy soul knows the ways of the 5ther World# andthou shalt arri!e at the door of those who are apparelled in ... 3salute thee# 5 Prince 9erutataf.F

-8ootnote /% These were probably books and instruents which theagicians of the day used in aking astrological calculations# or inworking agic.1

-8ootnote )% The Fdouble#F or the !ital force.1

9erutataf then held out his hands to the sage and helped hi to risefro the bed# and he went with hi to the ri!er bank# Teta leaning onhis ar. When they arri!ed there Teta asked for a boat wherein hischildren and his books ight be placed# and the prince put at hisdisposal two boats# with crews coplete Teta hiself# howe!er# wasaccoodated in the prince@s boat and sailed with hi. When they cae to

the palace# Prince 9erutataf went into the presence of the king toannounce their arri!al# and said to hi# F5 king y lord# 3 ha!e broughtTetaF and 9is (ajesty replied# FBring hi in uickly.F Then the kingwent out into the large hall of his palace# and Teta was led into thepresence. 9is (ajesty said# F9ow is it# Teta# that 3 ha!e ne!er seentheeF And Teta answered# F5nly the an who is suoned to the presencecoes so soon as the king suoned e 3 cae.F 9is (ajesty asked hi#saying# F3s it indeed true# as is asserted# that thou knowest how torejoin to its body the head which hath been cut offF Teta answered#F(ost assuredly do 3 know how to do this# 5 king y lord.F 9is (ajestysaid# FLet the bring in fro the prison a prisoner# so that hisdeath$sentence ay be carried out.F Then Teta said# FLet the not bringa an# 5 king y lord. Perhaps it ay be ordered that the head shall be

cut off soe other li!ing creature.F 4o a goose was brought to hi# andhe cut off its head# and laid the body of the goose on the west side ofthe hall# and its head on the east side. Then Teta recited certainagical spells# and the goose stood up and waddled towards its head# andits head o!ed towards its body. When the body and the head cae closetogether# the head leaped on to the body# and the goose stood up on itslegs and cackled.

Then a goose of another kind called ?khet a? was brought to Teta# and hedid with it as he had done with the other goose. 9is (ajesty net causedan o to be taken to Teta# and when he had cut off its head# and recited


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four goddesses changed thesel!es into the fors of dancing woen# andwent to the house wherein the lady &ut$tetet lay ill# and finding herhusband# the priest of &a# who was called &auser# outside# they clashedtheir cybals together# and rattled their sistra# and tried to ake hierry. When &auser objected to this and told the that his wife lay illinside the house# they replied# FLet us see her# for we know how tohelp herF so he said to the and to =hneu who was with the# FEnterin#F and they did so# and they went to the roo wherein &ut$tetet lay.

3sis#


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then took this bo# which cannot ha!e been of any great si>e# and put itin another bo# which in turn she put in another bo# which she sealed#and then wrapping this in a leather co!ering# she laid it in a chabercontaining her jar of barley beer or barley wine# and sealed the door.When &auser returned fro the fields# &ut$tetet related to hie!erything that had happened# and his heart was eceedingly glad# and heand his wife sat down and enjoyed thesel!es.

A few days after these e!ents &ut$tetet had a uarrel with herhandaiden# and she slapped her well. The handaiden was !ery angry# andin the presence of the household she said words to this effect% 'ostthou dare to treat e in this way 3 who can destroy thee 4he has gi!enbirth to three kings# and 3 will go and tell the (ajesty of =ing =hufuof this fact. The handaiden thought that# if =hufu knew of the !iews of&auser and &ut$tetet about the future of their three sons# and theprophecies of the goddesses# he would kill the children and perhapstheir parents also. With the object in her ind of telling the king thehandaiden went to her aternal uncle# who she found wea!ing fla onthe walk# and told hi what had happened# and said she was going to tellthe king about the three children. 8ro her uncle she obtained neithersupport nor sypathy on the contrary# gathering together se!eral

strands of fla into a thick rope he ga!e her a good beating with thesae. A little later the handaiden went to the ri!er or canal to fetchsoe water# and whilst she was filling her pot a crocodile sei>ed herand carried her away and# presuably# ate her. Then the uncle went tothe house of &ut$tetet to tell her what had happened# and he found hersitting down# with her head bowed o!er her breast# and eceedingly sadand iserable. 9e asked her# saying# F5 Lady# wherefore art thou sosadF And she told hi that the cause of her sorrow was the handaiden#who had been born in the house and had grown up in it# and who had justleft it# threatening that she would go and tell the king about the birthof the three kings. The uncle of the handaiden nodded his head in aconsoling anner# and told &ut$tetet how she had coe to hi andinfored hi what she was going to do# and how he had gi!en her a good

beating with a rope of fla# and how she had gone to the ri!er to fetchsoe water# and how a crocodile had carried her off.

There is reason to think that the three sons of &ut$tetet becae thethree kings of the fifth dynasty who were known by the naes of =hafra#(enkaura# and ;serkaf. The stories gi!en abo!e are !aluable because theycontain eleents of history# for it is now well known that the iediatesuccessors of the fourth dynasty# of which =hufu# =hafra# and (enkaura#the builders of the three great pyraids at Gi>ah# were the ostiportant kings# were kings who delighted to call thesel!es sons of &a#and who spared no effort to ake the for of worship of the 4un$god thatwas practised at Anu# or 9eliopolis# uni!ersal in Egypt. 3t is probablethat the three agicians# ;baaner# Tchatchaankh# and Teta were

historical personages# whose abilities and skill in working agicappealed to the iagination of the Egyptians under all dynasties# andcaused their naes to be !enerated to a reote posterity.

29APTE& 3J

T9E B55= 58 T9E 'EA'


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FBook of the 'eadF is the nae that is now generally gi!en to the largecollection of F2hapters#F or copositions# both short and long# whichthe ancient Egyptians cut upon the walls of the corridors and chabersin pyraids and rock$hewn tobs# and cut or painted upon the insides andoutsides of coffins and sarcophagi# and wrote upon papyri# etc.# whichwere buried with the dead in their tobs. The first odern scholar tostudy these 2hapters was the einent 8renchan# :. 8ran ois 2hapollion

he rightly concluded that all of the were of a religious character# buthe was wrong in calling the collection as a whole F8unerary &itual.F Thenae FBook of the 'eadF is a translation of the title FTodtenbuch#Fgi!en by 'r. &. Lepsius to his edition of a papyrus at Turin# containinga !ery long selection of the 2hapters#-/1 which he published in /6C).FBook of the 'eadF is on the whole a !ery satisfactory generaldescription of these 2hapters# for they deal alost entirely with thedead# and they were written entirely for the dead. They ha!e nothing todo with the worship of the gods by those who li!e on the earth# and suchprayers and hyns as are incorporated with the were supposed to be saidand sung by the dead for their own benefit. The author of the 2haptersof the Book of the 'ead was the god Thoth# whose greatness has alreadybeen described in 2hapter 3 of this book. Thus they were considered to

be of di!ine origin# and were held in the greatest re!erence by theEgyptians at all periods of their long history. They do not all belongto the sae period# for any of the allude to the diseberent andburning of the dead# custos that# though coon enough in !erypriiti!e ties# were abandoned soon after royal dynasties becaeestablished in Egypt.

-8ootnote /% The actual nuber of 2hapters in this papyrus is /,.1

3t is probable that in one for or another any of the 2hapters were ineistence in the predynastic period#-/1 but no copies of such priiti!e!ersions# if they e!er eisted# ha!e coe down to us. 5ne Egyptiantradition# which is at least as old as the early part of the eighteenth

dynasty K/++ B.2.# states that 2hapters IIIB and LI3J wereFdisco!eredF during the reign of 4eti# a king of the first dynasty# andanother tradition assigns their disco!ery to the reign of (enkaura Kthe(ycerinus of classical writers# a king of the fourth dynasty. 3t iscertain# howe!er# that the Egyptians possessed a Book of the 'ead whichwas used for kings and royal personages# at least# early under the firstdynasty# and that# in a for ore or less coplete# it was in use downto the tie of the coing of 2hristianity into Egypt. The tobs of theofficials of the third and fourth dynasties pro!e that the Book of5pening the (outh and the Liturgy of 8unerary 5fferings Ksee pp. /0$/6were in use when they were ade# and this being so it follows as aatter of course that at this period the Egyptians belie!ed in theresurrection of the dead and in their iortality# that the religion of

5siris was generally accepted# that the efficacy of funerary offeringswas unuestioned by the religious# and that en died belie!ing thatthose who were righteous on earth would be rewarded in hea!en# and thatthe e!il$doer would be punished. The Pyraid Tets also pro!e that aBook of the 'ead di!ided into chapters was in eistence when they werewritten# for they ention the F2hapter of those who coe forth K?i.e.?appear in hea!en#F and the F2hapter of those who rise upF KPepi 3# l.C0# and the F2hapter of the ?betu? incense#F and the F2hapter of thenatron incenseF KPepi 3# C*. Whether these 2hapters fored parts ofthe Pyraid Tets# or whether both they and the Pyraid Tets belongedto the Book of the 'ead cannot be said# but it sees clear that the four


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2hapters entioned abo!e fored part of a work belonging to a Book ofthe 'ead that was older than the Pyraid Tets. This Book of the 'eadwas no doubt based upon the beliefs of the followers of the religion of5siris# which began in the 'elta and spread southwards into ;pper Egypt.3ts doctrines ust ha!e differed in any iportant particulars frothose of the worshippers of the 4un$god of 9eliopolis# whose priestspreached the eistence of a hea!en of a solar character# and taughttheir followers to belie!e in the 4un$god &a# and not in Teu# the

ancient nati!e god of 9eliopolis# and not in the di!ine an 5siris. Theeposition of the 9eliopolitan creed is found in the Pyraid Tets#which also contain the proofs that before the close of the sith dynastythe cult of 5siris had !anuished the cult of &a# and that the religionof 5siris had triuphed.

-8ootnote /% ?i.e.? before (enes becae king of both ;pper and LowerEgypt.1

2ertain of the 2hapters of the Book of the 'ead K?e.g.? IIIB and LI3Jwere written in the city of Thoth# or =heenu# others were written inAnu# or 9eliopolis# and others in Busiris and other towns of the 'elta.5f the Book of the 'ead that was in use under the fifth and sith

dynasties we ha!e no copies# but any 2hapters of the &ecension in useunder the ele!enth and twelfth dynasties are found written in cursi!ehieroglyphs upon wooden sarcophagi# any of which ay be seen in theBritish (useu. With the beginning of the eighteenth dynasty the Book ofthe 'ead enters a new phase of its eistence# and it becae the custoto write it on rolls of papyrus# which were laid with the dead in theircoffins# instead of on the coffins thesel!es. As the greater nuber ofsuch rolls ha!e been found in the tobs of priests and others at Thebes#the &ecension that was in use fro the eighteenth to the twenty$firstdynasty K/++$*++ B.2. is coonly called the T9EBA< &E2E


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the deceased# or laid between the thighs or just abo!e the ankles K0in hollow wooden figures of the god 5siris# or Ptah$4eker$5siris# or inthe hollow pedestals on which such figures stood.

The Egyptians belie!ed that the souls of the dead on lea!ing this worldhad to tra!erse a !ast and difficult region called the Tuat# which wasinhabited by gods# de!ils# fiends# deons# good spirits# bad spirits#and the souls of the wicked# to say nothing of snakes# serpents# sa!age

anials# and onsters# before they could reach the Elysian 8ields# andappear in the presence of 5siris. The Tuat was like the African Fbush#Fand had no roads through it. 3n priiti!e ties the Egyptians thoughtthat only those souls that were pro!ided with spells# incantations#prayers# chars# words of power# and aulets could e!er hope to reachthe =ingdo of 5siris. The spells and incantations were needed for thebewitchent of hostile beings of e!ery kind the prayers# chars# andwords of power were necessary for aking other kinds of beings thatpossessed great powers to help the soul on its journey# and to deli!erit fro foes and the aulets ga!e the soul that was euipped with thestrength# power# will# and knowledge to eploy successfully e!ery eansof assistance that presented itself.

The 5B:E2T 58 T9E B55= 58 T9E 'EA' was to pro!ide the dead an with allthese spells# prayers# aulets# Dc.# and to enable hi to o!ercoe allthe dangers and difficulties of the Tuat# and to reach 4ekhet Aaru and4ekhet 9etep Kthe Elysian 8ields# and to take his place aong thesubjects of 5siris in the Land of E!erlasting Life. As tie went on thebeliefs of the Egyptians changed considerably about any iportantatters# but they ne!er attepted to alter the 2hapters of the Book ofthe 'ead so as to bring the# if we ay use the epression# Fup todate.F The religion of the eighteenth dynasty was far higher in itsspiritual character generally than that of the twelfth dynasty# but the2hapters that were used under the twelfth dynasty were used under theeighteenth# and e!en under the twenty$sith dynasty. 3n religion theEgyptian forgot nothing and abandoned nothing what was good enough for

his ancestors was good enough for hi# and he was content to go into thenet world relying for his sal!ation on the tets which he thought hadprocured their sal!ation. Thus the Book of the 'ead as a whole is a workthat reflects all the religious beliefs of the Egyptians fro the tiewhen they were half sa!ages to the period of the final downfall of theirpower.

-3llustration% Jignette and Part of the I233nd 2hapter of the Book ofthe 'ead. KAni and his 4oul are lea!ing the Tob ?8ro the Papyrus ofthe Ani in the British (useu.?1

The Theban &ecension of the Book of the 'ead contains about one hundredand ninety 2hapters# any of which ha!e &ubrics stating what effects

will be produced by their recital# and describing cereonies that ustbe perfored whilst they are being recited. 3t is ipossible to describethe contents of all the 2hapters in our liited space# but in thefollowing brief suary the ost iportant are enuerated. 2hap. /contains the forulas that were recited on the day of the funeral. 2hap./,/ gi!es a picture of the arrangeent of the uy chaber# and thetets to be said in it. 2hap. /0H describes certain agical cereoniesthat were perfored in the uy chaber# and describes the objects ofagical power that were placed in niches in the four walls. 2hap. /),gi!es a picture of the :udgent 9all of 5siris# and supplies thedeclarations of innocence that the deceased ade before the 8orty$two


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:udges. 2haps. /CC$/CH# /C*# and /,+ describe the 9alls# Pylons# and'i!isions of the =ingdo of 5siris# and supply the nae of the gods whoguard the# and the forulas to be said by the deceased as he coes toeach. 2hap. //+ gi!es a picture of the Elysian 8ields and a tetdescribing all the towns and places in the. 2hap. , is a spell by theuse of which the deceased a!oided doing work# and 2hap. is another#the recital of which ade a figure to work for hi. 2hap. /, containshyns to the rising and to the setting sun# and a Litany of 5siris and

2hap. /60 is a hyn to 5siris. 2haps. )# 0# /)# /0# and others enabled aan to o!e about freely in the 5ther World 2hap. * secured his freepassage in and out of the tob and 2hap. // o!erthrew his eneies.2hap. /H deals with iportant beliefs as to the origin of God and thegods# and of the hea!ens and the earth# and states the differentopinions which Egyptian theologians held about any di!ine andythological beings. The reason for including it in the Book of the 'eadis not uite clear# but that it was a ost iportant 2hapter is beyondall doubt. 2haps. )/ and )) restored his outh to the deceased# and2hap. )0 enabled hi to open it. 2hap. )C supplied hi with words ofpower# and 2hap. ), restored to hi his eory. 2haps. )$0+B ga!e tothe deceased his heart# and supplied the spells that pre!ented thestealers of hearts fro carrying it off# or fro injuring it in any way.

Two of these 2hapters K)* and 0+B were cut upon aulets ade in thefor of a huan heart. 2haps. 0/ and 0) are spells for dri!ing awaycrocodiles# and 2haps. 00$06# and C+ are spells against snakes andserpents. 2haps. C/ and C) preser!ed a an fro slaughter in the 5therWorld# 2hap. C0 enabled hi to a!oid decapitation# and 2hap. CCpreser!ed hi fro the second death. 2haps. C,# C# and /,C protectedthe body fro rot or decay and wors in the tob. 2hap. ,+ sa!ed thedeceased fro the headsan in the Tuat# and 2hap. ,/ enabled hi toa!oid stubling. 2haps. 06# ,)$+# and ) ensured for hi a supply ofair and water in the Tuat# and 2hap. 0 protected hi fro drinkingboiling water there. 2haps. C$HC ga!e hi the power to lea!e the tob#to o!erthrow eneies# and to Fcoe forth by day.F 2haps. H$6* enabled aan to transfor hiself into the Light$god# the prie!al soul of God#

the gods Ptah and 5siris# a golden hawk# a di!ine hawk# a lotus# a?benu? bird# a heron# a swallow# a serpent# a crocodile# and into anybeing or thing he pleased. 2hap. 6* enabled the soul of the deceased torejoin its body at pleasure# and 2haps. */ and *) secured the egress ofhis soul and spirit fro the tob. 2haps. *C$*H ade the deceased anassociate of Thoth# and 2haps. *6 and ** secured for hi the use of theagical boat# and the ser!ices of the celestial ferryan# who wouldferry hi across the ri!er in the Tuat to the 3sland of 8ire# in which5siris li!ed. 2haps. /+/ and /+) pro!ided access for hi to the Boat of&a. 2haps. /+6# /+*# //)# and // enabled hi to know the 4ouls K?i.e.?gods of the East and West# and of the towns of Pe#-/1


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perfected the spirit$soul# and ga!e it celestial powers# and enabled itto enjoy intercourse with the gods as an eual# and enabled it toparticipate in all their occupations and pleasures. We ay now gi!e afew etracts that will gi!e an idea of the contents of soe of the ostiportant passages.

-8ootnote /% ?i.e.? Pe Tep# or Buto.1

-8ootnote )% Eileithyiaspolis.1

-8ootnote 0% 9eropolis.1

-8ootnote C% 9eliopolis.1

-3llustration% 9er$9eru# the first Priest$=ing# and Mueen


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-8ootnote % Abydos in ;pper Egypt.1

-8ootnote H% The Lord to the utterost liit# ?i.e.? Alighty God.1

-8ootnote 6% The goddess of physical and oral law# and thepersonification of the conscience.1

-8ootnote *% A nae of the 5ther World.1

-8ootnote /+% The 9oly Land# ?i.e.? the =ingdo of 5siris.1

-8ootnote //% A bird which has been identified with the phoeni. The soulof &a was incarnate in it.1

-8ootnote /)% A nae of the real of 5siris# or the Elysian 8ields.1

3n another 9yn to 5siris# which is found in the Papyrus of 9unefer# weha!e the following% FThe gods coe unto thee# bowing low before thee#and they hold thee in fear. They withdraw and depart when they see theeendued with the terror of &a# and the !ictory of Thy (ajesty is o!ertheir hearts. Life is with thee# and offerings of eat and drink follow

thee# and that which is thy due is offered before thy face. 3 ha!e coeunto thee holding in y hands truth# and y heart hath in it no cunningKor deceit. 3 offer unto thee that which is thy due# and 3 know thatwhereon thou li!est. 3 ha!e not coitted any kind of sin in the land 3ha!e defrauded no an of what is his. 3 a Thoth# the perfect scribe#whose hands are pure. 3 a the lord of purity# the destroyer of e!il#the scribe of truth what 3 aboinate is sin.F

9ere is an address# followed by a short Litany# which fors a kind ofintroduction to 2hapter /, in the Papyrus of Ani%

FPraise be unto thee# 5 5siris# lord of eternity# ;n$on. Their hearts are at peace# inasuch as theybehold thee# 5 thou who art Eternity and E!erlastingness.

-8ootnote /% The FhiddenF land# the West# the 5ther World.1

L3TA


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dost thou stride o!er hea!en# 5 9eru$=huti.

F0. 9oage to thee# 5 E!erlasting 4oul# who dwellest in Tatu KBusiris#;n$


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hea!en# who weigh hea!en and earth in a balance# who pro!ide celestialfoodO And hail# Tatunen#-01 5ne# 2reator of an# (aker of the gods ofthe south and of the north# of the west and of the eastO 2oe ye andacclai &a# the Lord of hea!en# the Prince$$life# health# strength be tohiO$$the 2reator of the gods# and adore ye hi in his beautiful for ashe riseth in his (orning Boat KAntchet.

FThose who dwell in the heights and those who dwell in the depths

worship thee. Thoth and the goddess (aat ha!e laid down thy course forthee daily for e!er. Thine Eney the 4erpent hath been cast into thefire# the fiend hath fallen down into it headlong. 9is ars ha!e beenbound in chains# and &a hath hacked off his legs the (esu Betshet-C1shall ne!er ore rise up. The Teple of the Aged God -in Anu1 keepethfesti!al# and the sound of those who rejoice is in the Great 9ouse. Thegods shout for joy when they see &a rising# and when his beas arefilling the world with light. The (ajesty of the 9oly God goeth forthand ad!anceth e!en unto the Land of 4unset K(anu. 9e aketh bright theearth at his birth daily# he journeyeth to the place where he wasyesterday. 5 be thou at peace with e# and let e behold thy beautiesOLet e appear on the earth. Let e site -the Eater of1 the Ass.-,1 Lete crush the 4erpent 4eba.-1 Let e destroy Aapep-H1 when he is ost

strong. Let e see the Abtu 8ish in its season and the Ant 8ish-61 inits lake. Let e see 9orus steering thy boat# with Thoth and (aatstanding one on each side of hi. Let e ha!e hold of the bows of -thy1E!ening Boat and the stern of thy (orning Boat.-*1 Grant thou unto the=a of e# the 5siris the scribe Ani# to behold the disk of the 4un# andto see the (oon$god regularly and daily. Let y soul coe forth and walkhither and thither and whithersoe!er it pleaseth. Let y nae be readfro the list of those who are to recei!e offerings# and ay offeringsbe set before e# e!en as they are set before the 8ollowers of 9orus.Let there be prepared for e a seat in the Boat of &a on the day whenthe god goeth forth. Let e be recei!ed into the presence of 5siris# inthe Land where Truth is spoken.F

-8ootnote /% The 4ky$goddess.1

-8ootnote )% Goddess of Law.1

-8ootnote 0% An ancient Earth$god.1

-8ootnote C% The associates of 4et# the god of E!il.1

-8ootnote ,% The Ass was a for of the 4un$god# and its eater was aythological onster$serpent.1

-8ootnote % Another ythological serpent.1

-8ootnote H% The serpent that tried to swallow the sun each orning# butthe 4un$god cast a spell on it and rendered it powerless.1

-8ootnote 6% The Abtu and the Ant were two fishes that swa before theboat of the sun to warn the god of danger.1

-8ootnote *% ?i.e.?# Ani wishes to be sure of a seat in both boats.1

The prayers of the Book of the 'ead consist usually of a string ofpetitions for sepulchral offerings to be offered in the tobs of the


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petitioners# and the fundaental idea underlying the is that by theirtransutation# which was effected by the words of the priests# thespirits of the offerings becae a!ailable as the food of the dead. (anyprayers contain reuests for the things that tend to the cofort andgeneral well$being of the dead# but here and there we find a prayer forforgi!eness of sins coitted in the body. The best eaple of such isthe prayer that fors 2hapter 2IIJ3. 3t reads% F9ail# ye four Ape$godswho sit in the bows of the Boat of &a# who con!ey truth to on.F

-8ootnote /% A chaber in the kingdo of 4eker in which the dead wereeained.1

-8ootnote )% The corridors in the kingdo of 4eker.1

Another prayer of special interest is that which fors 2hapter IIIB.This is put into the outh of the deceased when he is standing in the9all of :udgent watching the weighing of his heart in the Great 4calesby Anubis and Thoth# in the presence of the Great 2opany of the godsand 5siris. 9e says% F(y heart# y other. (y heart# y other. (y heartwhereby 3 cae into being. Let none stand up to oppose e at yjudgent. (ay there be no opposition to e in the presence of theTchatchau.-/1 (ayest thou not be separated fro e in the presence ofthe =eeper of the Balance. Thou art y =a K?i.e.? 'ouble# or !italpower# that dwelleth in y body the god =hneu who knitteth togetherand strengthened y libs. (ayest thou coe forth into the place ofhappiness whither we go. (ay the 4henit officers who decide thedestinies of the li!es of en not cause y nae to stink -before

5siris1. Let it K?i.e.? the weighing be satisfactory unto us# and letthere be joy of heart to us at the weighing of words K?i.e.? the Great:udgent. Let not that which is false be uttered against e before theGreat God# the Lord of Aentet K?i.e.? 5siris. Jerily thou shalt begreat when thou risest up -ha!ing been declared1 a speaker of thetruth.F

-8ootnote /% The chief officers of 5siris# the di!ine Taskasters.1

3n any papyri this prayer is followed by a &ubric# which orders that itis to be said o!er a green stone scarab set in a band of ?tchau? etal


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K?i.e.? sil!er$gold# which is to be hung by a ring fro the neck of thedeceased. 4oe &ubrics order it to be placed in the breast of a uy#where it is to take the place of the heart# and say that it will Fopenthe outhF of the deceased. A tradition which is as old as the twelfthdynasty says that the 2hapter was disco!ered in the town of =heenuK9eropolis (agna by 9erutataf# the son of =hufu# in the reign of(enkaura# a king of the fourth dynasty. 3t was cut in hieroglyphs#inlaid with lapis$la>uli on a block of alabaster# which was set under

the feet of Thoth# and was therefore belie!ed to be a ost powerfulprayer. We know that this prayer was recited by the Egyptians in thePtoleaic Period# and thus it is clear that it was in coon use for aperiod of nearly four thousand years. 3t ay well be the oldest prayerin the world. ;nder the (iddle and


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fields -of y neighbours1. 3 ha!e not added to the weights of thescales. 3 ha!e not falsified the pointer of the scales. 3 ha!e not takenilk fro the ouths of children. 3 ha!e not dri!en away the cattle thatwere upon their pastures. 3 ha!e not snared the feathered fowl in thepreser!es of the gods. 3 ha!e not caught fish -with bait ade of1 fishof their kind. 3 ha!e not stopped water at the tie -when it shouldflow1. 3 ha!e not breached a canal of running water. 3 ha!e notetinguished a fire when it should burn. 3 ha!e not !iolated the ties

-of offering1 chosen eat$offerings. 3 ha!e not dri!en off the cattlefro the property of the gods. 3 ha!e not repulsed the god in hisanifestations. 3 a pure. 3 a pure. 3 a pure. 3 a pure.F

-8ootnote /% The 8orty$two gods represent the forty$two noes# orcounties# into which Egypt was di!ided.1

-3llustration% 9er$9eru and Mueen


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KEgypt# neither blaspheing God# nor iputing e!il K to the king inhis day. 9oage to you# 5 ye gods# who li!e in your 9all of (aati# whoha!e no taint of sin in you# who li!e upon truth# who feed upon truthbefore 9orus# the dweller in his disk. 'eli!er e fro Baba# who li!ethupon the entrails of the ighty ones# on the day of the Great :udgent.Let e coe to you# for 3 ha!e not coitted offences -against you1 3ha!e not done e!il# 3 ha!e not borne false witness therefore letnothing -e!il1 be done unto e. 3 li!e upon truth. 3 feed upon truth. 3

ha!e perfored the coandents of en# and the things which ake thegods contented. 3 ha!e ade the god to be at peace -with e by doing1that which is his will. 3 ha!e gi!en bread to the hungry an# and waterto the thirsty an# and apparel to the naked an# and a ferry boat tohi that had none. 3 ha!e ade offerings to the gods# and gi!en funeraryeals to the spirits. Therefore be ye y deli!erers# be ye yprotectors ake ye no accusations against e in the presence -of theGreat God1. 3 a clean of outh and clean of hands therefore let besaid unto e by those who shall see e% @2oe in peace# coe in peace@K?i.e.? WelcoeO WelcoeO.... 3 ha!e testified before 9erfhaf#-)1 andhe hath appro!ed e. 3 ha!e seen the things o!er which the Persea treespreadeth -its branches1 in &astau. 3 offer up y prayers to the gods#and 3 know their persons. 3 ha!e coe and ha!e ad!anced to declare the

truth and to set up the Balance-01 on its stand in Aukert.F-C1

-8ootnote /% The Lord to the utterost liit# ?i.e.? Alighty God.1

-8ootnote )% The celestial ferryan who ferried the souls of therighteous to the 3sland of 5siris.


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allotted to hi# and# li!ing on the food of the god# he becae acounterpart of the god.

8ro first to last the Book of the 'ead is filled with spells andprayers for the preser!ation of the uy and for e!erlasting life. Asinstances of these the following passages are uoted fro 2hapters /,Cand /H,. F9oage to thee# 5 y di!ine father 5siris# thou li!est withthy ebers. Thou didst not decay. Thou didst not turn into wors. Thou

didst not waste away. Thou didst not suffer corruption. Thou didst notputrefy. 3 a the god =hepera# and y ebers shall ha!e an e!erlastingeistence. 3 shall not decay. 3 shall not rot. 3 shall not putrefy. 3shall not turn into wors. 3 shall not see corruption before the eye ofthe god 4hu. 3 shall ha!e y being# 3 shall ha!e y being. 3 shall li!e#3 shall li!e. 3 shall flourish# 3 shall flourish. 3 shall wake up inpeace. 3 shall not putrefy. (y inward parts shall not perish. 3 shallnot suffer injury. (ine eye shall not decay. The for of y !isage shallnot disappear. (ine ear shall not becoe deaf. (y head shall not beseparated fro y neck. (y tongue shall not be carried away. (y hairshall not be cut off. (ine eyebrows shall not be sha!ed off.


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not carry off y spell# thou 2rocodile that li!est on spellsF K2hap.III3.

FGet thee back# thou 2rocodile of the West# that li!est on the ne!er$resting stars. That which is thy taboo is in e. 3 ha!e eaten the brow Kor# skull of 5siris. 3 a set.

FGet thee back# thou 2rocodile of the West. The serpent


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only wealthy people could afford to bury copies of the great Book of the'ead with their deceased relati!es. Whether the chapters that fored itwere written on coffins or on papyrus the cost of copying the work by acopetent scribe ust ha!e been relati!ely !ery great. Towards the closeof the twenty$sith dynasty a feeling spread aong the Egyptians thatonly certain parts of the Book of the 'ead were essential for theresurrection of the body and for the sal!ation of the soul# and enbegan to bury with their dead copies of the ost iportant chapters of

it in a !ery uch abridged for. A little later the scribes produced anuber of works# in which they included only such portions of the ostiportant chapters as were considered necessary to effect theresurrection of the body. 3n other words# they rejected all the oldagical eleents in the Book of the 'ead# and preser!ed only the tetsand forul that appertained to the cult of 5siris# the first an whohad risen fro the dead. 5ne of the oldest of these later substitutesfor the Book of the 'ead is the ?4hai en 4ensen?# or FBook ofBreathings.F 4e!eral copies of this work are etant in the funerarypapyri# and the following sections# translated fro a papyrus in theBritish (useu# will gi!e an idea of the character of the Book%

F9ail# 5siris-/1 =ersher# son of TashenatitO Thou art pure# thy heart is

pure. Thy fore parts are pure# thy hind parts are cleansed thy interioris cleansed with incense and natron# and no eber of thine hath anydefect in it whatsoe!er. =ersher is washed in the waters of the 8ield of5fferings# that lieth to the north of the 8ield of the Grasshoppers. Thegoddesses ;atchet and on with &a.Thy soul is recei!ed in the


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change itself into any for it pleaseth. Thou canst snuff at will theodours of the holy Acacia of Anu KAn# or 9eliopolis. Thou wakest eachday and seest the light of &a thou appearest upon the earth each day#and the @Book of Breathings@ of Thoth is thy protection# for through itdost thou draw thy breath each day# and through it do thine eyes beholdthe beas of the 4un$god Aten. The Goddess of Truth !indicateth theebefore 5siris# and her writings are upon thy tongue. &a !i!ifieth thysoul# the 4oul of 4hu is in thy nostrils. Thou art e!en as 5siris# and

@5siris =henti Aenti@ is thy nae. Thy body li!eth in Tatu KBusiris#and thy soul li!eth in hea!en.... Thy odour is that of the holy gods inAentet# and thy nae is agnified like the naes of the 4pirits ofhea!en. Thy soul li!eth through the @Book of Breathings#@ and it isrejoined to thy body by the @Book of Breathings.@ These fine etractsare followed in the British (useu papyrus by the praises of =ersher bythe gods# a prayer of =ersher hiself for offerings# and an etract frothe so$called


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ay be entioned. These are% K/ The Laentations of 3sis and


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darkness to fall upon the earth each day. (y heart burneth as with fireat thy escape fro the 8iend# e!en as y heart burneth with fire whenthou turnest thy side to e 5 that thou wouldst ne!er reo!e it froeO 5 thou who unitest the Two 'oains K?i.e.? Egypt# uli.F

The third work# FThe Book of aking splendid the 4pirit of 5siris#F wasalso sung at the great festi!al of 5siris that took place during the


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last$naed works were still further abridged# and e!entually the tetsthat were considered essential for sal!ation were written upon sallsheets of papyrus fro * to /) inches high# and fro , to /+ incheswide.

29APTE& J3

T9E EG"PT3A< 4T5&" 58 T9E 2&EAT35on# and put souls into the gods. 3 openy eyes# and there is light 3 shut y eyes# and there is darkness. 3speak the word-s1# and the waters of the


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of Edfu# in ;pper Egypt# and soe of the incidents described in it areillustrated by large bas$reliefs. The for of the Legend here gi!endates fro the Ptoleaic Period# but the subject atter is soethousands of years older. The great historical fact underlying theLegend is the 2onuest of Egypt by soe !ery early king who in!adedEgypt fro the south# and who succeeded in conuering e!ery part of it#e!en the northern part of the 'elta. The e!ents described are supposedto ha!e taken place whilst &a was still reigning on the earth. The

Legend states that in the three hundred and sity$third year of thereign of &a$9arakhis# the e!er li!ing# 9is (ajesty was in Ta$stiK?i.e.? the Land of the Bow# or


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9orus set out after the# and cae up with the# and spent four days inthe water slaying his foes# who tried to escape in the fors ofcrocodiles and hippopotai. 9e captured one hundred and forty$two of theeney and a ale hippopotaus# and took the to the fore part of theBoat of &a. There he hacked the in pieces# and ga!e their inward partsto his followers# and their utilated bodies to the gods and goddesseswho were in the Boat of &a and on the ri!er banks in the town of 9eben.

Then the renant of the eney turned their faces towards the Lake of the


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land# although 9orus passed si days and si nights in looking for thebut it sees that se!eral of the followers of 4et in the fors of waterreptiles were lying on the ground under water# and that 9orus saw thethere. At this tie 9orus had strict guard kept o!er the tob of 5sirisin Anrutef#-/1 because he learned that the 4ait fiends wanted to coeand wreck both it and the body of the god. 3sis# too# ne!er ceased torecite spells and incantations in order to keep away her husband@s foesfro his body. (eanwhile the FblacksithsF of 9orus# who were in charge

of the Fiddle regionsF of Egypt# found a body of the eney# andattacked the fiercely# slew any of the# and took one hundred and siof the prisoners. The FblacksithsF of the west also took one hundredand si prisoners# and both groups of prisoners were slain before &a. 3nreturn for their ser!ices &a bestowed dwelling$places upon theFblacksiths#F and allowed the to ha!e teples with iages of theirgods in the# and arranged for offerings and libations to be ade tothe by properly appointed priests of !arious classes.

-8ootnote /% A district of 9erakleopolis.1

4hortly after these e!ents &a disco!ered that a nuber of his eneieswere still at large# and that they had sailed in boats to the swaps

that lay round about the town of Tchal# or Tchar# better known as Roanor Tanis. 5nce ore 9orus unoored the Boat of &a# and set out againstthe soe took refuge in the waters# and others landed and escaped tothe hilly land on the east. 8or soe reason# which is not uiteapparent# 9orus took the for of a ighty lion with a an@s face# and hewore on his head the triple crown. 9is claws were like flints# and hepursued the eney on the hills# and chased the hither and thither# andcaptured one hundred and forty$two of the. 9e tore out their tongues#and ripped their bodies into strips with his claws# and ga!e the o!erto his allies in the ountains# who# no doubt# ate the. This was thelast fight in the north of Egypt# and &a proposed that they should sailup the ri!er and return to the south. They had tra!ersed all Egypt# andsailed o!er the lakes in the 'elta# and down the ars of the


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narrati!e ade by scribes at a late period of Egyptian history. As itwould be uite useless to reproduce the without any eplanatory notes#for which there is no roo in this little book# they ha!e been oitted.

T9E LEGE


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-8ootnote 0% A part of (ephis.1

-8ootnote C% ?i.e.? 9eropolis# the town of Thoth.1

-8ootnote ,% ?i.e.? the library of the teple.1

9a!ing read the royal despatch the Jiceroy (eter set out to go to the

king# and when he cae to hi he proceeded to instruct the king in theatters about which he had asked uestions. The tet akes the king say%F-(eter1 ga!e e inforation about the rise of the


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ade prayer and supplication before hi. Then he opened his eyes#-/1 andhis heart inclined to e# and in a ajestic anner he said unto e% F3a =hneu who fashioned thee. (y two hands grasped thee and knittedtogether thy body 3 ade thy ebers sound# and 3 ga!e thee thy heart."et the stones ha!e been lying under the ground for ages# and no anhath worked the in order to build a god$house# to repair the -sacred1buildings which are in ruins# or to ake shrines for the gods of the4outh and


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and hated hi to such a degree that he contri!ed a plan whereby hesucceeded in putting 5siris to death. 4et then tried to usurp hisbrother@s kingdo and to ake hiself sole lord of Egypt# and# althoughno tet states it distinctly# it is clear that he sei>ed his brother@swife# 3sis# and shut her up in his house. 3sis was# howe!er# under theprotection of the god Thoth# and she escaped with her unborn child# andthe following Legend describes the incidents that befell her# and thedeath and re!i!ification of 9orus. 3t is cut in hieroglyphs upon a large

stone stele which was ade for Ankh$Psethek# a prophet of


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how to utter words so that they take effect. 9earken to e# 5 e!eryreptile that biteth Kor stingeth# and fall on the ground. 5 poison of(estet# go no further. 5 poison of (estetef# rise not up in his body. 5poison of Petet and Thetet# enter not his body. 5 poison of (aatet# fallon the ground. Ascend not into hea!en# 3 coand you by the belo!ed of&a# the egg of the goose which appeareth fro the sycaore. (y wordsindeed rule to the utterost liit of the night. 3 speak to you# 5scorpions. 3 a alone and in sorrow# and our naes will stink throughout

the noes.... The child shall li!eO The poison shall dieO 8or &a li!ethand the poison dieth. 9orus shall be sa!ed through his other 3sis# andhe who is stricken shall likewise be sa!ed.F (eanwhile the fire in thehouse of ;sert was etinguished# and hea!en was content with theutterance of 3sis. Then the lady ;sert was filled with sorrow becauseshe had shut her door in the face of 3sis# and she brought to the houseof the peasant woan gifts for the goddess# who she had apparently notrecognised. The spells of the goddess produced# of course# the desiredeffect on the poison# and we ay assue that the life of the child wasrestored to hi. The second lot of gifts ade to 3sis represented hisother@s gratitude.

Eactly when and how 3sis ade her way to a hiding place cannot be said#

but she reached it in safety# and her son 9orus was born there. Thestory of the death of 9orus she tells in the following words% F3 a3sis. 3 concei!ed a child# 9orus# and 3 brought hi forth in a clusterof papyrus plants Kor# bulrushes. 3 rejoiced eceedingly# for in hi 3saw one who would ake answer for his father. 3 hid hi# and 3 co!eredhi up carefully# being afraid of that foul one -4et1# and then 3 wentto the town of A# where the people ga!e thanks for e because they knew3 could cause the trouble. 3 passed the day in collecting food for thechild# and when 3 returned and took 9orus into y ars# 3 found hi#9orus# the beautiful one of gold# the boy# the child# lifelessO 9e hadbedewed the ground with the water of his eye and with the foa of hislips. 9is body was otionless# his heart did not beat# and his uscleswere relaed.F Then 3sis sent forth a bitter cry# and laented loudly

her isfortune# for now that 9orus was dead she had none to protect her#or to take !engeance on 4et. When the people heard her !oice they wentout to her# and they bewailed with her the greatness of her affliction.But though all laented on her behalf there was none who could bringback 9orus to life. Then a Fwoan who was well known in her town# a ladywho was the istress of property in her own right#F went out to 3sis#and consoled her# and assured her that the child should li!e through hisother. And she said# FA scorpion hath stung hi# the reptile Aunab hathwounded hi.F Then 3sis bent her face o!er the child to find out if hebreathed# and she eained the wound# and found that there was poison init# and then taking hi in her ars# Fshe leaped about with hi like afish that is put upon hot coals#F uttering loud cries of laentation.'uring this outburst of grief the goddess


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Thoth told 3sis not to fear# but to put away all aniety fro her heart#for he had coe to heal her child# and he told her that 9orus was fullyprotected because he was the 'weller in his disk# and the firstborn sonof hea!en# and the Great 'warf# and the (ighty &a# and the Great 9awk#and the 9oly Beetle# and the 9idden Body# and the Go!ernor of the 5therWorld# and the 9oly Benu Bird# and by the spells of 3sis and the naesof 5siris and the weeping of his other and brethren# and by his ownnae and heart. Turning towards the child Thoth began to recite his

spells and said# FWake up# 9orusO Thy protection is established. (akethou happy the heart of thy other 3sis. The words of 9orus bind uphearts and he coforteth hi that is in affliction. Let your heartsrejoice# 5 ye dwellers in the hea!ens. 9orus who a!enged his fathershall ake the poison to retreat. That which is in the outh of &a shallcirculate# and the tongue of the Great God shall o!ercoe -opposition1.The Boat of &a standeth still and o!eth not# and the 'isk K?i.e.? the4un$god is in the place where it was yesterday to heal 9orus for hisother 3sis. 2oe to earth# draw nigh# 5 Boat of &a# 5 ye ariners of&a ake the boat to o!e and con!ey food of the town of 4ekhe K?i.e.?Letopolis hither# to heal 9orus for his other 3sis.... 2oe to earth#5 poisonO 3 a Thoth# the firstborn son# the son of &a. Te and thecopany of the gods ha!e coanded e to heal 9orus for his other 3sis.

5 9orus# 5 9orus# thy =a protecteth thee# and thy 3age workethprotection for thee. The poison is as the daughter of its own flae itis destroyed because it sote the strong son. "our teples are safe# for9orus li!eth for his other.F Then the child 9orus returned to life# tothe great joy of his other# and Thoth went back to the Boat of (illionsof "ears# which at once proceeded on its ajestic course# and all thegods fro one end of hea!en to the other rejoiced. 3sis entreated either&a or Thoth that 9orus ight be nursed and brought up by the goddessesof the town of Pe$Tep# or Buto# in the 'elta# and at once Thothcoitted the child to their care# and instructed the about his future.9orus grew up in Buto under their protection# and in due course fought aduel with 4et# and !anuished hi# and so a!enged the wrong done to hisfather by 4et.

T9E LEGE


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Prince of Bekhten# who# in addition to his usual gift# presented to theking his eldest daughter# and he spake words of praise to the king# andprayed for his life. 9is daughter was beautiful# and the king thoughther the ost beautiful aiden in the world# and he ga!e her the nae of


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great god# who dost dri!e away the spirits who attack en. Bekhten isthine its people# both en and woen# are thy ser!ants# and 3 yself athy ser!ant. 3 a going to depart to the place whence 3 cae# so thatthy heart ay be content concerning the atter about which thou hastcoe. 3 beseech Thy (ajesty to gi!e the order that thou and 3 and thePrince of Bekhten ay celebrate a festi!al together.F The god =hensubowed his head as a sign that he appro!ed of the proposal# and told hispriest to ake arrangeents with the Prince of Bekhten for offering up

a great offering. Whilst this con!ersation was passing between the e!ilspirit and the god the soldiers stood by in a state of great fear. ThePrince of Bekhten ade the great offering before =hensu and the e!ilspirit# and the Prince and the god and the spirit rejoiced greatly. Whenthe festi!al was ended the e!il spirit# by the coand of =hensu#Fdeparted to the place which he lo!ed.F The Prince and all his peoplewere ieasurably glad at the happy result# and he decided that he wouldconsider the god to be a gift to hi# and that he would not let hireturn to Egypt. 4o the god =hensu stayed for three years and nineonths in Bekhten# but one day# whilst the Prince was sleeping on hisbed# he had a !ision in which he saw =hensu in the for of a hawk lea!ehis shrine and ount up into the air# and then depart to Egypt. When heawoke he said to the priest of =hensu# FThe god who was staying with us

hath departed to Egypt let his chariot also depart.F And the Princesent off the statue of the god to Egypt# with rich gifts of all kindsand a large escort of soldiers and horses. 3n due course the partyarri!ed in Egypt# and ascended to Thebes# and the god =hensuPa$ari$sekher$e$;ast went into the teple of =hensu


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the naes of about two hundred# but only about one hundred and fiftyha!e left behind the onuents that enable us to judge of their powerand greatness. There is no e!idence to show that the Egyptians e!erwrote history in our sense of the word# and there is not in eistenceany nati!e work that can be regarded as a history of Egypt. The onlyknown attept in ancient ties to write a history of Egypt was that adeby (anetho# a skilled scribe and learned an# who# in the reign ofPtoley 33 Philadelphus K)6*$)C B.2.# undertook to write a history of

the country# which was to be placed in the Great Library at Aleandria.The only portion of this 9istory that has coe down to us is the List of=ings# which fored a section of it this List# in a for ore or lessaccurate# is etant in the works of Africanus and Eusebius. According tothe forer ,,0 or ,,C kings ruled o!er Egypt in ,06+ years# andaccording to the latter C)/ or C)0 kings ruled o!er Egypt in C,CH orC*0* years. 3t is uite certain that the principal acts and wars of eachking were recorded by the court scribes# or official FreebrancerF orFrecorderF of the day# and there is no doubt that such records werepreser!ed in the F9ouse of Books#F or Library# of the local teple forreference if necessary. 3f this were not so it would ha!e beenipossible for the scribes of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties tocopile the lists of kings found on the Palero 4tone# and in the Turin

Papyrus# and on the Tablets set up by 4eti 3 and &aeses 33 at Abydos#and on the Tablet of Ancestors at =arnak. These Lists# howe!er# see toshow that the learned scribes of the later period were not always sureof the true seuence of the naes# and that when they were dealing withthe naes of the kings of the first two dynasties they were not alwayscertain e!en about the correct spelling and reading of their naes. Thereason why the Egyptians did not write the history of their country froa general point of !iew is easily eplained. Each king wished to bethought as great as possible# and each king@s courtiers lost noopportunity of showing that they belie!ed hi to be the greatest kingwho had sat on the throne of Egypt. To agnify the deeds of hisancestors was neither politic nor safe# nor did it lead to fa!ours orprootion. 3n no inscription of their descendants do we find the ighty

deeds and great conuests of Aenehat 333# or of ;sertsen 333# or ofThothes 333# praised or described# and no court scribe e!er dared todraft a tet stating that these were truly three of the greatest kingsof Egypt. When a local chief succeeded in aking hiself king of AllEgypt he did not concern hiself with preser!ing records of the greatdeeds of the king whose throne he had sei>ed. When foreign foes in!adedEgypt and conuered it their followers raided the towns# burnt anddestroyed all that could be got rid of# and sashed the onuentsre

Documents

14835634 Ancient Egyptian Literature