Egyptian Book of the Dead
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Shin)
As one of the oldest civilisations in the world, ancient Egypt boasts an academic field of its own called Egyptology, which is the study of its history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art, with prestigious universities in the United States and United Kingdom offering degrees and courses on this subject matter.
The beliefs in the divine and afterlife were central to ancient Egyptians, and life on earth was seen as a small segment of an eternal journey. The general belief held that the deceased’s soul would go on a journey in the underworld, passing through a series of caverns and gates guarded by fearsome beasts to finally arrive in the Hall of Truth for judgement. There, the deceased’s heart would be weighed against the feather of truth and justice to determine whether the deceased qualified to live again in the Field of Reeds for eternity. In order to assist the deceased to navigate their passage safely on this dangerous journey, spells were carved on the tombs and graves.
“The intimate connection between the secret doctrine of Egypt’s most venerated books, and the secret significance of her most venerable monument, seems impossible to separate, and each form illustrates and interpenetrates the other. As we peruse the dark utterances and recognize the mystic allusions of the Book, we seem to stand amid the profound darkness enwrapping the whole interior of the building… Dimly before our eyes, age after age, the sacred procession of the Egyptian dead moves silently along as they pass to the tribunal of Osiris. In vain do we attempt to trace their footsteps till we enter with them into the Hidden Places and penetrate the secret of the House of Light (compare the Ancient Egyptian name for the Great Pyramid – “Khut,” or “Light”). But no sooner do we tread the chambers of the mysterious Pyramid than the teaching of the Sacred Books seems lit up as with a tongue of flame”.
– Marsham Adams (1838-1899), Egyptologist
In 1895, Marsham Adams proposed the idea that the Great Pyramid of Giza is the Egyptian “Book of the Dead” symbolised in stone. According to him, the Egyptian Book of the Dead refers to an “ideal structure and to the passages and chambers therein, and that these passages and chambers followed precisely the order and description of those of the Great Pyramid“. He concluded that the unique system of passages and chambers in the Great Pyramid have little meaning as a tomb, but have an allegorical significance only explained by referring to the Egyptian Book of the Dead. His claim was supported by Sir Gaston Maspero, who mentioned that “the Pyramids and the Book of the Dead reproduce the same original, the one in words, the other in stone.”
Basil Stewart, who published The Mystery of the Great Pyramid in 1929 seemed to also support Adams’ claim that the purpose of building the Great Pyramid was to enshrine the knowledge and understanding of the mysteries that Ancient Egyptians knew for future generations as the structure would remain unchanged and uncorrupted over the generations. However, Stewart is of the idea that “the allegory contained in the Egyptian Book of the Dead is merely a corrupt survival of the allegory enshrined in the Great Pyramid itself”.
In this post, we explore the history and function of this ancient funerary text, as well as content and chapters in the Book of the Dead. We also refer to the famous Papyrus of Ani, complete with all the plates and translation of the content.
What Is the Book of the Dead?
The Book of the Dead is an Ancient Egyptian funerary text that was used from around 1550 BC to around 50 BC. Later versions of the Book of the Dead suggested that the author of these texts was the god Thoth, known to the Greeks as Hermes, who is the “lord of divine books”, “scribe of the company of the gods”, and “lord of divine speech”. This book is considered to be one of the most sacred books of the Egyptians.
The Book of the Dead is said to be the work of Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing and knowledge.
The name “Book of the Dead” is derived from the German name “Totenbuch”, used in the 19th Century. It was perhaps influenced by the Arabic phrase “kutub al-umwat”, meaning “books of the dead”, which was used by Egyptian villagers to describe papyri found in tombs. The Ancient Egyptians referred to this sacred composition as “The Book of Going Forth by Day” or “Spells of Going Forth by Day”, which refers to the day when the “ba” (Egyptian: soul) leaves the tomb and flies out into daylight to join the sun god in the journey across the heavens and be “mighty among the gods”.
The spells contained in these books were intended to assist the deceased on his/her journey through the dangers of the “Duat”, or the underworld, making its way toward the Hall of Truth with Anubis, the guide of the dead, to be judged by Osiris. The heart of the deceased would be weighed in the golden scales against the white feather of truth. If the heart happened to be lighter than the feather, then the deceased could move on to the Field of Reeds, where one would enjoy an eternal life similar to the one left behind on earth, in the presence of one’s favourite people, animals, and most loved possessions. If one failed, then he/she would be condemned to the “Great Death”, where one’s heart would be eaten by Ammut, the “female devourer of the dead”, and one would cease to exist, a condemnation probably worse than burning in hell, as there is no ‘hell’ in the Egyptian afterlife.
History of the Book of the Dead
The origins of the Book of the Dead can be seen in earlier funerary texts in the form of the Pyramid Texts and later the Coffin Texts, both of which were painted onto objects, not papyrus. A few of these spells were drawn from older works of the 3rd millennium BC; you can still find these spells adorning the tomb walls and sarcophagi from where they originated.
Archaeologists commonly divide the history of ancient Egypt into three main periods, namely the Old Kingdom (around 2649-2130 BC), the Middle Kingdom (around 2030-1650 BC) and the New Kingdom (around 1550-1070 BC), with shorter intermediate periods separating the kingdoms.
The Pyramid Texts on the walls and inner chamber of the pyramids
Pyramid Texts
Commonly inscribed on the walls and inner chamber of the pyramids during the period of the Old Kingdom, this collection of mortuary prayers, hymns, and spells carved in monumental hieroglyphs by the Egyptians is one of the oldest surviving religious and funerary writings we have today. The earliest known texts can be found in the Pyramid of Unas, the last king of the 5th dynasty. They were later made available to other members of the royal family, nobles and the middle classes.
The Coffin Texts, a collection of Ancient Egyptian funerary spells written on coffins
Coffin Texts
During the Middle Kingdom period, the spells and texts began to be inscribed on coffins. These were also available to the ordinary Egyptians who could afford them and were not limited to royalty. These texts were mostly written in ink, using small-scale cursive hieroglyphic script and in vertical columns on the interior walls of wooden coffins from as early as the second half of the 11th dynasty.
Book of the Dead, Ancient Egyptian collection of mortuary texts made up of spells or magic formulas, placed in tombs
Book of The Dead (16th Century BC)
The Book of the Dead first emerged in Thebes around 1700 BC. The spells were written on papyrus rolls, with colourful illustrations and sold for burial use. In some cases, papyrus was made and customised for individuals.
Estimated to be around 200 chapters, they are not uniform in content. They are commonly written in hieroglyphic or hieratic script, illustrated with vignettes, portraying the deceased’s journey into the afterlife. The Egyptians stopped using these texts as funerary texts in the 1st Century BC.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt mentions that the text was not part of a ritual but it was made for the deceased to recite in the afterlife. It provided them with the foreknowledge of what to expect at various stages of the afterlife, instructing the deceased to overcome the dangers of the afterlife by enabling them to assume the form of several mythical creatures and it gave them the passwords necessary for admittance into certain stages of the underworld.
From the duration of the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BC), the Book of the Dead was produced by master draftsmen and painters in varying forms and sizes. It was only during 650 BC that the standard of 190 uniform spells was fixed, although the choice still remained with the individual to add or remove content from the text, including the numbers of chapters, types of illustrations, and so on. For example, a Book of the Dead produced for Tentruty, a woman from the Ptolemaic Dynasty, included The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys, which was not originally a part of the Book of the Dead.
Production of a Book of the Dead
Creating a Book of the Dead was not a small task as it was heavy on the pocket. Evidence suggests one copy of the Book of the Dead cost one deben of silver, which was almost half a year’s wage of a workman or the price of three donkeys.
The main centres of the production were in Memphis, Thebes, and Akhmim, although they were produced at other locations too. The actual institutions that produced these books are not confirmed, but they were most likely produced in the scriptoria of the temples. The creation of this spell corpus required the expertise of experienced scribes and illustrators/painters, although some work was identified to be done by one scribe. An example is the early Ptolemaic Papyrus of Hor, which was written by at least four copiers.
Evidence suggests that books were often produced on order or on stock (prefabricated) in funerary workshops, with spaces left empty for the name of the deceased, titles, and filiation to be written in later. For instance, in the Papyrus of Iufankh, the scribes forgot to supplement the name of the owner in some of the lacunae left for this purpose.
Ancient Egyptian capitals such as Memphis and Thebes have been identified as key locations where the Book of the Dead was produced
The text of a Book of the Dead from the New Kingdom period was typically written in cursive hieroglyphs in columns and were separated by black lines, similar to those carved on tomb walls or monuments. Illustrations were drawn in frames above, below, or between the columns of text.
The length of the book and the size varied. Although an extensive book may have contained an extensive collection of more than 150 spells, most books only had a selection of these spells, affecting the dimensions and size of the books. A book that had more than 100 spells could be over 20 metres long, while those with only a few could be only around one metre long. An extreme comparison has been made between the longest text measured at about 40 metres in length, while an exemplary specimen of the Papyrus of Isetemakhbit is only 89 centimetres long. It was concluded that the varying factors for an individual’s choice revolved around economic factors and preferences.
The text of a Book of the Dead was written in both black and red ink. Red ink was used for the titles of spells, the opening and closing sections of spells, the instructions to perform the spells correctly in rituals, and the names of horrible creatures. Black ink was used for the rest of the text.
Variations can also be seen in the style and nature of the illustrations. The more lavish ones included gold leaves, while the simpler ones only had simple line drawings at the opening.
Rediscovery of the Book of the Dead
In the 16th Century, pharaonic objects, including the Book of the Dead, ended up in the private collection of those who went to the extent of creating “wonder rooms” where exotic items from many fields in the natural world, such as archaeology, geology, ethnography and so on were kept. These people included merchants, aristocrats, kings and rulers, and many collections became part of public museums’ exhibits.
The Ptolemaic Papyrus of Cadet is considered the first facsimile reproduction of a complete Book of the Dead manuscript. It was completed by the original owner, Jean-Marcel Cadet, in 1805, based on the original papyrus in Paris in hieroglyphic texts. Another manuscript was published in the Napoleonic edition (Description de l’Égypte II) in hieratic (a cursive form of hieroglyphs).
The Papyrus of Cadet dates from the Ptolemaic Era (c. 332-30 BC)
However, it was Karl Richard Lepsius (1810-1884), also known as the “father of German Egyptology”, who first established the modern title “Book of the Dead”, and who also got his former student, the Swiss Egyptologist Edouard Naville (1844-1926), to have a new and full comparative edition of the New Kingdom sources. After more than a decade of collecting, copying, and transcribing all the known and available material of the time, three volumes with illustrations were completed. This work became the standard edition for more than a hundred years of Book of the Dead studies as it comprised an introductory description of the sources, a volume with facsimiles of the most relevant illustrations, and a volume showing all 186 spells in vignettes and spells in parallels. An English translation was published in 1867 by Samuel Birch of the British Museum. In 1876, Naville published the Papyrus of Nebseni, one of the longest and most complete papyri of the Theban Recension, for his synoptic edition.
New studies of the texts also came into being with the facsimile publications of the papyri in England (by British Museum’s Sir E.A. Wallis Budge), in the Netherlands (Leemans, 1882), in France (Deveria & Pierret, 1872; Guieysse & Lefebure, 1877), and many more.
One of the books from the series Catalogue of the Books of the Dead in the British Museum
Thomas George Allen of the Oriental Institute of Chicago produced two translations of the Book of the Dead (1960 and 1974), with the first showcasing the two most prominent Book of the Dead manuscripts in Chicago from the Ptolemaic period, known as Papyrus Milbank and Papyrus Ryerson.
The German Book of the Dead project was initiated in 1992 as a collaboration between Bonn University and the University of Cologne. The collaboration concluded in 2012, and now has in its archive around 3000 records of most of the existing Book of the Dead material worldwide. The archive is publicly accessible on the internet for researchers.
The British Museum began a series called Catalogue of the Books of the Dead in the British Museum that showcases some of their most prominent and well-preserved manuscripts, like the Papyri of Nu, Hor, and Nebseni. Other international scholars also continue to publish monographs on particular Books of the Dead.
Chapters in the Book of the Dead
There are around 150-190 different chapters in a Book of the Dead. Richard Lepsius started assigning the numbers 1 to 165 for his Papyrus of Iufankh, considered the longest manuscript from the Late to Ptolemaic period, in which the sequence of compositions was most regular. Additions were made by Edouard Naville and Wallis Budge, with manuscripts from the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period.
Deciphering the Book of the Dead
But despite attempts to study the principles of compiling the sequence for individuals, little progress or conclusion was made. Gunther Lapp concluded on some groups of formulae in his edition of the Papyrus of Nu, while Paul Barguet attempted to explain the more regular Late Period sequence, arranging them in the following headings:
- Chapter 1 to 16: Proceeding to the burial-place
- Chapters 17 to 63: Regeneration
- Chapters 64 to 129: Transfiguration – including taking various forms, and the judgement of the dead
- Chapters 130-162: The Underworld
- Chapters 163-165: Additional Formulae (rare title copied from another book, added to the original the Book of the Dead)
The Papyrus of Ani
The Papyrus of Ani in cursive hieroglyphs
Considered the best-preserved, longest, most ornate and beautifully made copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Papyrus of Ani was written in cursive hieroglyphs and illustrated with colour miniatures during the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt for the royal scribe Ani.
Ani and his wife Tutu selected 80 out of 200 prayers, hymns, spells, and ritual texts which they related to the most. This resulted in a scroll measuring around 78 feet in length and 15 inches in height. This customised papyrus roll was buried with them to ensure they reached the Fields of Reeds in the afterlife.
Sir E.A. Wallis Budge, an English Egyptologist, orientalist, and philologist who worked for the British Museum
In 1888, Ani’s papyrus was acquired by Sir E.A. Wallis Budge, who was the Assistant Keeper of the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum, where the collection still remains today. An author of numerous books on ancient Near Eastern civilisations, Wallis Budge described the papyrus as the largest he had ever seen. He was said to be “amazed at the beauty and freshness of the colours of the human figures and animals, which in the dim light of the candles and heated air of the tomb, seemed to be alive.” According to Wallis Budge, the Papyrus of Ani was the greatest of such scrolls ever found.
Unfortunately, Wallis Budge cut the 78-foot scroll into 37 sheets of nearly equal size, damaging the scroll’s integrity. In 1890, the British Museum published a large and elaborate folio colour facsimile of the 37 sheets, entitled The Book of the Dead: Facsimile of the Papyrus of Ani in the British Museum, with an introduction by Peter le Page Renouf. In 1895, Wallis Budge published a translation, The Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani in the British Museum.
The most recent publication in relation to this papyrus is The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day, The First Authentic Presentation of the Complete “Papyrus of Ani”, first published in 1998 with an introduction and commentary by Dr. Ogden Goelet, and translation by Dr. Raymond O. Faulkner.
Short Video on the Papyrus of Ani
Watch this short video to learn more
about the Papyrus of Ani
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TheBookOfAni.mp4
Below is the content of the Papyrus of Ani, with thematic titles instead of
the traditional listing, for easier overview of the work
Introductory Hymns and the Judgment of the Soul
- Chapter 15, Hymn to Ra: An adoration of Ra when he rises on the eastern horizon of heaven
- Chapter 15, Hymn to Osiris: An adoration of Osiris Wen-Nefer, the great god in Abydos
- Chapter 30b: (A spell for not letting the heart of the deceased be driven away from him in the underworld–title not given in this copy)
Miscellaneous Necessary Prayers and Spells
- Chapter 1: The beginning of the spells of coming forth by day, of exalting and glorifying, etc.
- Chapter 22: A spell to give a mouth to the deceased
- Chapter 17: The beginning of the exultations and glorifications, of coming forth and going down in the underworld, etc.
- Chapter 147: The seven chambers–no title given
- Chapter 146: The ten gateways of the house of Osiris–no title given
- Chapter 18: The ten divine councils-no title given
- Chapter 23: A spell to open the mouth of the deceased
- Chapter 24: A spell to bring words of power to the deceased
- Chapter 26: A spell to give a heart to the deceased
- Chapter 30b: A spell for not letting the heart of the deceased be driven away from him in the underworld
- Chapter 61: A spell for not letting a man’s soul be snatched away from him in the underworld
- Chapter 54: A spell to give breath in the underworld
- Chapter 29: A spell for not letting the heart of a man be snatched away from him in the underworld
- Chapter 27: A spell for not letting the heart of a man be taken from him in the underworld
- Chapter 58: A spell to breathe air and have mastery over water in the underworld
- Chapter 59: A spell to breathe air and have mastery over water in the underworld
- Chapter 44: A spell for not dying again in the underworld
- Chapter 45: A spell for not rotting in the underworld
- Chapter 46: A spell for not perishing and for being alive in the underworld
- Chapter 50: A spell for not entering to the god’s execution block
- Chapter 93: A spell for not letting a man be carried to the east in the underworld
- Chapter 43: A spell for not letting a man’s head be cut off from him in the underworld
- Chapter 89: A spell to let a soul and its body come together in the underworld
- Chapter 91: A spell for not letting a man’s soul be imprisoned in the underworld
- Chapter 92: A spell to open the tomb for the soul and the shadow, to come forth by day, and to have mastery over the legs
- Chapter 74: A spell to raise up the legs and come forth on earth
- Chapter 8: A spell to cross over into the land of Amentet by day
- Chapter 2: A spell to come forth by day and live after dying
- Chapter 9: A spell to come forth by day after crossing into the death-god’s kingdom
- Chapter 132: A spell to let a man turn himself back to see his house on earth
- Chapter 10 aka Chapter 48: Another spell for a man to come forth by day against his enemies in the underworld
Hymns to Ra and Osiris
- Chapter 15, Hymn to Ra: Adoration of Ra from his rising on the horizon to his setting in life
- Chapter 15, Hymn to Osiris:Adoration of Osiris, lord of eternity, Wen-nefer, and Harmachis numerous of forms and great of images, and Ptah-Seker-Atum in Heliopolis, lord of the coffin
- Chapter 15, Litany: (no title)
- Chapter 15, Hymn to Ra: Adoration of Ra when he rises on the eastern horizon of heaven, with those who are in his following
- Chapter 133: To be spoken on the [first] day of the month
- Chapter 134: Adoration of Ra on the [first] day of the month, when [his] boat sails.
Advancing to the Divine Councils
- Chapter 18: The ten divine councils-no title given
- Chapter 124: A spell to go down to the divine Council of Osiris
The Spells of Transformation
- Chapter 86: The beginning of the spells for making transformations: To assume the form of a swallow
- Chapter 77: To assume the form of a hawk of gold
- Chapter 78: To assume the form of a divine hawk
- Chapter 87: To assume the form of a horned snake
- Chapter 88: To assume the form of Sebek
- Chapter 82: To assume the form of Ptah
- Chapter 85 (1st half): To assume the form of the soul of Atum
- Chapter 83: To assume the form of a phoenix
- Chapter 84 & (2nd half of chapter 85): To assume the form of a heron
- Chapter 81a: To assume the form of a water lily
- Chapter 80: To assume the form of a god who gives light and darkness
Not Dying Again
- Chapter 175: A spell for not dying again
In the Hall of Truth
- Chapter 125, Part 1: A spell for entering the courtyard of truth, praising Osiris at the head of the west
- Chapter 125, Part 2: The “negative confession”
- Chapter 42: The deification of members, also known as the spell to drive back slaughter in Herakleopolis
- Chapter 125, rubric: Rubric for Chapter 125
The tomb and its equipment
- Chapter 155: The spell of the Djed of gold
- Chapter 156: The spell of the Isis-amulet of red jasper
- Chapter 29c: The spell of the heart of red stone
- Chapter 166: The spell of the headrest placed under the head
- Chapter 151: The plan of the tomb–no title given
- Chapter 6: A spell for not doing work in the underworld–title not given
In the Field of Offerings
- Chapter 110: The beginning of the spells of the Field of Offerings, and the spells of coming forth by day, and entering into and coming forth from the underworld, and arriving in the Field of Reeds, and being at peace in the great town of the lady of winds
- Chapter 148: A spell to provide the deceased with nourishment–title not given
- Chapter 185: Praise of Osiris at the head of the West, Wen-nefer at the heart of Abydos
- Chapter 186: Hymn to Hathor- title not given
“The prayers of The Egyptian Book of the Dead are connected to certain archetypal images. Thus, an invocation to Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld, will be written within a painting (or vignette) of that deity. The meaning of the scene is a marriage of word and image, reaching well beyond the merely verbal level of comprehension. One of the best-known examples is the Weighing of the Heart scene below. The heart (the moral integrity of the deceased, his conscience) is weighed against the feather of Truth and Justice. If the cumulative effects of a person’s life have allowed his soul to be as light as the feather of Truth, he or she is judged pure and allowed to continue on with the journey. However, if the person’s heart is weighed down with the burden of sin, his soul is flung to the great monster who awaits the recording of the verdict and is no more.”
– James Wasserman, American author and occultist
Below are the 37 plates in the Papyrus of Ani, with the translation below if you would like to explore more. The texts were extracted from Zecharia Sitchin Index (https://zsitchinindex.wordpress.com/the-earth-chronicles-index/), originally translated by Dr. E. A. Wallis Budge, while the plates are from the British Museum’s collection online.
Plate 1 to 10
Chapter 15
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH IN THE EASTERN PART OF HEAVEN. Behold Osiris Ani the scribe who recordeth the holy offerings of all the gods, who saith: “Homage to thee, O thou who hast come as Khepera, Khepera, the creator of the gods. Thou risest, thou shinest, making bright thy mother [Nut], crowned king of the gods. [Thy] mother Nut doeth homage unto thee with both her hands. The land of Manu receiveth thee with content, and the goddess Maat embraceth thee at the two seasons. May he give splendour, and power, and triumph, and a coming-forth [i.e., resurrection] as a living soul to see Horus of the two horizons to the ka of Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant before Osiris, who saith: Hail all ye gods of the Temple of the Soul, who weigh heaven and earth in the balance, and who provide food and abundance of meat. Hail Tatunen, One, creator of mankind and of the substance of the gods of the south and of the north, of the west and of the east. Ascribe [ye] praise unto Ra, the lord of heaven, the Prince, Life, Health, and Strength, the Creator of the gods, and adore ye him in his beautiful Presence as he riseth in the atet boat. They who dwell in the heights and they who dwell in the depths worship thee. Thoth and Maat both are thy recorders. Thine enemy is given to the fire, the evil one hath fallen; his arms are bound, and his legs hath Ra taken from him. The children of impotent revolt shall never rise up again.
The House of the Prince keepeth festival and the sound of those who rejoice is in the mighty dwelling. The gods are glad [when] they see Ra in his rising; his beams flood the world with light. The majesty of the god, who is to be feared, setteth forth and cometh unto the land of Manu; he maketh bright the earth at his birth each day; he cometh unto the place where he was yesterday. O mayest thou be at peace with me; may I behold thy beauties; may I advance upon the earth; may I smite the Ass; may I crush the evil one; may I destroy Apep in his hour; may I see the abtu fish at the time of his creation, and the ant fish in his creation, and the ant boat in its lake. May I see Horus in charge of the rudder, with Thoth and Maat beside him; may I grasp the bows of the seket boat, and the stern of the atet boat. May he grant unto the ka of Osiris Ani to behold the disk of the Sun and to see the Moon-god without ceasing, every day; and may my soul come forth and walk hither and thither and whithersoever it pleaseth. May my name be proclaimed when it is found upon the board of the table of offerings; may offerings be made unto me in my presence, even as they are made unto the followers of Horus; may there be prepared for me a seat in the boat of the Sun on the day of the going forth of the god; and may I be received into the presence of Osiris in the land of triumph!
HYMN TO OSIRIS
“Glory be to Osiris Un-nefer, the great god within Abydos, king of eternity, lord of the everlasting, who passeth through millions of years in his existence. Eldest son of the womb of Nut, engendered by Seb the Erpat, lord of the crowns of the North and South, lord of the lofty white crown. As Prince of gods and of men he hath received the crook and the flail and the dignity of his divine fathers. Let thy heart which is in the mountain of Amenta be content, for thy son Horus is stablished upon thy throne. Thou art crowned lord of Tattu and ruler in Abtu. Through thee the world waxeth green in triumph before the might of Neb-er-tcher. He leadeth in his train that which is and that which is not yet, in his name Ta-her-seta-nef; he toweth along the earth in triumph in his name Seker. He is exceeding mighty and most terrible in his name Osiris. He endureth for ever and for ever in his name Un-nefer. Homage to thee, King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of princes, who from the womb of Nut hast possessed the world and hast ruled all lands and Akert. Thy body is of gold, thy head is of azure, and emerald light encircleth thee. O An of millions of years, all-pervading with thy body and beautiful in countenance in Ta-sert. Grant thou to the ka of Osiris, the scribe Ani, splendour in heaven and might upon earth and triumph in Neter-khert; and that I may sail down to Tattu like a living soul and up to Abtu like a bennu (phoenix); and that I may go in and come out without repulse at the pylons of the Tuat. May there be given unto me loaves of bread in the house of coolness, and offerings of food in Annu, and a homestead for ever in Sekhet-Aru with wheat and barley therefore.”
Chapter 30B
Osiris, the scribe Ani, saith: “My heart my mother, my heart my mother, my heart my coming into being! May there be nothing to resist me at [my] judgment; may there be no opposition to me from the Tchatcha; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him who keepeth the scales! Thou art my ka within my body [which] knitteth and strengtheneth my limbs. Mayest thou come forth to the place of happiness to which I am advancing. “May the Shenit not cause my name to stink, and may no lies be spoken against me in the presence of the god! Good is it for thee to hear.”…
Thoth, the righteous judge of the great company of the gods who are in the presence of the god Osiris, saith: “Hear ye this judgment. The heart of Osiris hath in very truth been weighed, and his soul hath stood as a witness for him; it hath been found true by trial in the Great Balance. There hath not been found any wickedness in him; he hath not wasted the offerings in the temples; he hath not done harm by his deeds; and he uttered no evil reports while he was upon earth.”
The great company of the gods reply to Thoth dwelling in Khemennu: “That which cometh forth from thy mouth hath been ordained. Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, is holy and righteous. He hath not sinned, neither hath he done evil against us. Let it not be given to the devourer Amemet to prevail over him. Meat-offerings and entrance into the presence of the god Osiris shall be granted unto him, together with a homestead for ever in Sekhet-hetepu, as unto the followers of Horus.”
(Continued)
Saith Horus, the son of Isis: “I have come unto thee, O Unnefer, and I have brought the Osiris Ani unto thee. His heart is [found] righteous coming forth from the balance, and it hath not sinned against god or goddess. Thoth hath weighed it according to the decree uttered unto him by the company of the gods; and it is very true and righteous. Grant him cakes and ale; and let him enter into the presence of Osiris; and may he be like unto the followers of Horus for ever.”
Behold, Osiris Ani saith: “O Lord of Amentet (the underworld), I am in thy presence. There is no sin in me, I have not lied wittingly, nor have I done aught with a false heart. Grant that I may be like unto those favoured ones who are round about thee, and that I may be an Osiris, greatly favoured of the beautiful god and beloved of the lord of the world, the royal scribe indeed, who loveth him Ani, triumphant before the god Osiris.”
Chapter 1
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 GLORIOUS NETER-KHERT IN THE BEAUTIFUL AMENTA; TO BE SAID ON THE DAY OF THE BURIAL: GOING IN AFTER COMING FORTH. Osiris Ani, Osiris, the scribe Ani, saith: “Homage to thee, O bull of Amenta, Thoth the king of eternity is with me. I am the great god in the boat of the Sun; I have fought for thee. I am one of the gods, those holy princes who make Osiris to be victorious over his enemies on the day of weighing of words. I am thy mediator, O Osiris. I am [one] of the gods born of Nut, those who slay the foes of Osiris and hold for him in bondage the fiend Sebau. I am thy mediator, O Horus. I have fought for thee, I have put to flight the enemy for thy name’s sake. I am Thoth, who have made Osiris victorious over his enemies on the day of weighing of words in the great House of the mighty Ancient One in Annu. I am Tetteti, the son of Tetteti; I was conceived in Tattu, I was born in Tattu. I am with those who weep and with the women who bewail Osiris in the double land of Rechtet; and I make Osiris to be victorious over his enemies. Ra commanded Thoth to make Osiris victorious over his enemies; and that which was bidden for me Thoth did. I am with Horus on the day of the clothing of Teshtesh and of the opening of the storehouses of water for the purification of the god whose heart moveth not, and of the unbolting of the door of concealed things in Re-stau. I am with Horus who guardeth the left shoulder of Osiris in Sekhem, and I go into and come out from the divine flames on the day of the destruction of the fiends in Sekhem. I am with Horus on the day of the festivals of Osiris, making the offerings on the sixth day of the festival, [and on] the Tenat festival in Annu. I am a priest in Tattu, I Rere in “the temple of Osiris, [on the day of] casting up the earth. I see the things which are concealed in Re-stau. I read from the book of the festival of the Soul [which is] in Tattu. I am the Sem-priest, and I perform his course. I am the great chief of the work on the day of the placing of the hennu boat of Seker upon its sledge. I have grasped the spade on the day of digging the ground in Suten-henen. O ye who make perfected souls to enter into the Hall of Osiris, may ye cause the perfected soul of Osiris, the scribe Ani, victorious [in the Hall of Double Truth], to enter with you into the house of Osiris. May he hear as ye hear; may he see as ye see; may he stand as ye stand; may he sit as ye sit!
Chapter 1 (Continued)
“O ye who give bread and ale to perfected souls in the Hall of Osiris, give ye bread and ale at the two seasons to the soul of Osiris Ani, who is victorious before all the gods of Abtu, and who is victorious with you.
“O ye who open the way and lay open the paths to perfected souls in the Hall of Osiris, open ye the way and lay open the paths to the soul of Osiris, the scribe and steward of all the divine offerings, Ani [who is triumphant] with you. May he enter in with a bold heart and may he come forth in peace from the house of Osiris. May he not be rejected, may he not be turned back, may he enter in [as he] pleaseth, may he come forth [as he] desireth, and may he be victorious. May his bidding be done in the house of Osiris; may he walk, and may he speak with you, and may he be a glorified soul along with you. He hath not been found wanting there, and the Balance is rid of [his] trial.”
Chapter 22
CHAPTER OF GIVING A MOUTH TO OSIRIS ANI, THE SCRIBE AND TELLER OF THE HOLY OFFERINGS OF ALL THE GODS. MAY HE BE VICTORIOUS IN NETER-KHERT! “I rise out of the egg in the hidden land. May my mouth be given unto me that I may speak with it before the great god, the lord of the underworld. May my hand and my arm not be forced back by the holy ministers of any god. I am Osiris, the lord of the mouth of the tomb; and Osiris, the victorious scribe Ani, hath a portion 3 with him who is upon the top of the steps. According to the desire of my heart, I have come from the Pool of Fire, and I have quenched it. Homage to thee, O thou lord of brightness, thou who art at the head of the Great House, and who dwellest in night and in thick darkness; I have come unto thee. I am glorious, I am pure; my arms support thee. Thy portion shall be with those who have gone before. O grant unto me my mouth that I may speak therewith; and that I may follow my heart when it passeth through the fire and darkness.”
Rubric to Chapter 72
If this writing be known [by the deceased] upon earth, and this chapter be done into writing upon [his] coffin, he shall come forth by day in all the forms of existence which he desireth, and he shall enter into [his] place and shall not be rejected. Bread and ale and meat shall be given unto Osiris, the scribe Ani, upon the altar of Osiris. He shall enter into the Fields of Aaru in peace, to learn the bidding of him who dwelleth in Tattu; there shall wheat and barley be given unto him; there shall he flourish as he did upon earth; and he shall do whatsoever pleaseth him, even as [do] the gods who are in the underworld, for everlasting millions of ages, world without end.
Chapter 17
HERE BEGIN THE PRAISES AND GLORIFYINGS OF COMING OUT FROM AND GOING INTO THE GLORIOUS NETER-KHERT IN THE BEAUTIFUL AMENTA, OF COMING OUT BY DAY IN ALL THE FORMS OF EXISTENCE WHICH PLEASE HIM (I.E., THE DECEASED), OF PLAYING AT DRAUGHTS AND SITTING IN THE SEH HALL, AND OF COMING FORTH AS A LIVING SOUL. Behold Osiris, the scribe Ani, after he hath come to his haven [of rest]. That which hath been done upon earth [by Ani] being blessed, all the words of the god Tmu come to pass. “I am the god Tmu in [my] rising; I am the only One. I came into existence in Nu. I am Ra who rose in the beginning. [He hath ruled that which he made.]”
Who then is this? It is Ra who rose for the first time in the city of Suten-henen [crowned] as a king in [his] rising. The pillars of Shu were not as yet created, when he was upon the high place of him who is in Khemennu.
“I am the great god who gave birth to himself, even Nu, [who] created his name Paut Neteru as god.”
Who then is this? It is Ra, the creator of the name of his limbs, which came into being in the form of the gods in the train of Ra.
“I am he who is not driven back among the gods.”
Who then is this? It is Tmu in his disk, or (as others say), It is Ra in his rising in the eastern horizon of heaven.
“I am Yesterday; I know Tomorrow.”
Who then is this? Yesterday is Osiris, and Tomorrow is Ra, on the day when he shall destroy the enemies of Neb-er-tcher, and when he shall stablish as prince and ruler his son Horus, or (as others say), on the day when we commemorate the festival of the meeting of the dead Osiris with his father Ra, and when the battle of the gods was fought in which Osiris, lord of Amentet, was the leader.
What then is this? It is Amentet, [that is to say] the creation of the souls of the gods when Osiris was leader in Set-Amentet; or (as others say), Amentet is that which Ra hath given unto me; when any god cometh, he doth arise and doeth battle for it.
“I know the god who dwelleth therein.”
Who then is this? It is Osiris,” or (as others say), Ra is his name, even Ra the self-created.
“I am the bennu bird which is in Annu, and I am the keeper of the volume of the book of things which are and of things which shall be.”
Who then is this? It is Osiris, or (as others say), It is his dead body, or (as others say), It is his filth. The things which are are and the things which shall be are his dead body; or (as others say), They are eternity and everlastingness. Eternity is the day, and everlastingness is the night.
“I am the god Amsu in his coming-forth; may his two plumes be set upon my head.”
Who then is this? Amsu is Horus, the avenger of his father, and his coming-forth is his birth. The plumes upon his head are Isis and Nephthys when they go forth to set themselves there, even as his protectors, and they provide that which his head lacketh, or (as others say), They are the two exceeding great uræi which are upon the head of their father Tmu, or (as others say), His two eyes are the two plumes.
“Osiris Ani, the scribe of all the holy offerings, riseth up in his place in triumph; he cometh into his city.”
Chapter 17 (Continued)
What then is this? It is the horizon of his father Tmu.
“I have made an end of my shortcomings, and I have put away my faults.”
What then is this? It is the cutting off of the corruptible in the body of Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant before all the gods; and all his faults are driven out.
What then is this? It is the purification [of Osiris] on the day of his birth.
“I am purified in my exceeding great double nest which is in Suten henen, on the day of the offerings of the followers of the great god who is therein.”
What then is this? “Millions of years” is the name of the one [nest], “Green Lake” is the name of the other; a pool of natron, and a pool of nitre; or (as others say), “The Traverser of Millions of Years” is the name of the one, “Great Green Lake” is the name of the other; or (as others say), ” The Begetter of Millions of Years” is the name of the one, “Green Lake” is the name of the other. Now as concerning the great god who is in it, it is Ra himself.
“I pass over the way, I know the head of the Pool of Maata.”
What then is this? It is Re-stau; that is to say, it is the underworld on the south of Naarut-f, and it is the northern door of the tomb.
Now as concerning She-Maaat, it is Abtu; or (as others say), It is the road by which his father Tmu travelleth when he goeth to Sekhet-Aaru, which bringeth forth the food and nourishment of the gods behind the shrine. Now the Gate of Sert is the gate of the pillars of Shu, the northern gate of the underworld; or (as others say), It is the two leaves of the door through which the god Tmu passeth when he goeth forth in the eastern horizon of heaven.
“O ye gods who are in the presence (of Osiris), grant me your arms, for I am the god who shall come into being among you.”
What then is this? It is the drops of blood which fell from Ra when he went forth to cut himself. They sprang into being as the gods Hu and Sa, who are in the following of Ra and who accompany Tmu daily and every day.
“I, Osiris, Ani the scribe, triumphant, have filled up for thee the
utchat after it was darkened on the day of the combat of the Two Fighters.”
What then is this? It is the day on which Horus fought with Set, who cast filth in the face of Horus, and when Horus destroyed the powers of Set. Thoth did this with his own hand.
“I lift the hair[-cloud] when there are storms in the sky.”
What then is this? It is the right eye of Ra, which raged against [Set] when he sent it forth. Thoth raiseth up the hair[-cloud], and bringeth the eye alive, and whole, and sound, and without defect to [its] lord; or (as others say), It is the eye of Ra when it is sick and when it weepeth for its fellow eye; then Thoth standeth up to cleanse it.
Chapter 17 (Continued)
“I behold Ra who was born yesterday from the buttocks of the cow Meh-urt; his strength is my strength, and my strength is his strength.”
What then is this? It is the water of heaven, or (as others say), It is the image of the eye of Ra in the morning at his daily birth. Meh-urt is the eye of Ra. Therefore Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, [is] a great one among the gods who are in the train of Horus. The words are] spoken for him that loveth his lord.
What then is this? [i.e., who are these gods?] Mestha, Hapi Tuamautef, and Qebhsennuf.
“Homage to you, O ye lords of right and truth, and ye holy ones who [stand] behind Osiris, who utterly do away with sins and crime, and [ye] who are in the following of the goddess Hetep-se-khus, grant that I may come unto you. Destroy ye all the faults which are within me, even as ye did for the seven Shining Ones who are among the followers of their lord Sepa. Anubis appointed their place on the day [when was said], ‘Come therefore thither.’”
What then is this? These lords of right and truth are Thoth and Astes, lord of Amenta. The holy ones who stand behind Osiris, even Mestha, Hapi, Tuamautef, and Qebhsennuf, are they who are behind the Thigh in the northern sky. They who do away with sins and crime and who are in the following of the goddess Hetep-se-khus are the god Sebek in the waters. The goddess Hetep-se-khus is the eye of Ra, or (as others say), It is the flame which followeth after Osiris to burn up the souls of his foes. As concerning all the faults which are in Osiris, the scribe of the holy offerings of all the gods, Ani, triumphant, [they are all that he hath done against the lords of eternity] since he came forth from his mother’s womb. As concerning the seven Shining Ones, even Mestha, Hapi, Tuamautef, Qebhsennuf, Maa-atef-f, Kheri-beq-f, and Horus-Khenti-maa, Anubis appointed them protectors of the body of Osiris, or (as others say), [set them] behind the place of purification of Osiris; or (as others say), Those seven glorious ones are Netcheh-netcheh, Aqet-qet, An-erta-nef-bes-f-khenti-heh-f, Aq-her-unnut-f, Tesher-maa-ammi-het-Anes,
Ubes-hra-per-em-khet khet, and Maa-em-qerh-an-nef-em-hru. The chief of the holy ones who minister in his chamber is Horus, the avenger of his father. As to the day [upon which was said] “Come therefore thither,” it concerneth the words, “Come then thither,” which Ra spake unto Osiris. Lo, may this be decreed for me in Amentet.
“I am the soul which dwelleth in the two tchafi.”
What then is this? It is Osiris [when] he goeth into Tattu and findeth there the soul of Ra; there the one god embraceth the other, and souls spring into being within the two tchafi.
[“I am the Cat which fought by the Persea tree hard by in Annu, on the night when the foes of Neb-er-tcher were destroyed.”]
What then is this? The male cat is Ra himself, and he is called Maau by reason of the speech of the god Sa [who said] concerning him: “He is like (maau) unto that which he hath made, and his name became Maau”; or (as others say), It is Shu who maketh over the possessions of Seb to Osiris. As to the fight by the Persea tree hard by, in Annu, it concerneth the children of impotent revolt when justice is wrought on them for what they have done. As to [the words] “that night of the battle,” they concern the inroad [of the children of impotent revolt] into the eastern part of heaven, whereupon there arose a battle in heaven and in all the earth.
“O thou who art in the egg (i.e., Ra), who shinest from thy disk and risest in thy horizon, and dost shine like gold above the sky, like unto whom there is none among the gods, who sailest over the pillars of Shu (i.e., the ether), who givest blasts of fire from thy mouth, [who makest the two lands bright with thy radiance, deliver] the faithful worshippers from the god whose forms are hidden, whose eyebrows are like unto the two arms of the balance on the night of the reckoning of destruction.”
Who then is this? It is An-a-f, the god who bringeth his arm. As concerning [the words] “that night of the reckoning of destruction,” it is the night of the burning of the damned, and of the overthrow of the wicked at [the sacred] block, and of the slaughter of souls.
Who then is this? It is Nemu, the headsman of Osiris; or (as others say), It is Apep when he riseth up with one head bearing maat (i.e., right and truth) [upon it]; or (as others say), It is Horus when he riseth up with two heads, whereof the one beareth maat and the other wickedness. He bestoweth wickedness on him that worketh wickedness, and maat on him that followeth after righteousness and truth; or (as others say), It is the great Horus who dwelleth in [Se] khem; or (as others say), It is Thoth; or (as others say), It is Nefer-Tmu, [or] Sept, who doth thwart the course of the foes of Neb-er-tcher.
“Deliver me from the Watchers who bear slaughtering knives, and who have cruel fingers, and who slay those who are in the following of Osiris. May they never overcome me, may I never fall under their knives.”
“What then is this? It is Anubis, and it is Horus in the form of Khent-en-maa; or (as others say), It is the Divine Rulers who thwart the works of their [weapons]; it is the chiefs of the sheniu chamber.
“May their knives never get the mastery over me, may I never fall under their instruments of cruelty, for I know their names, and I know the being Matchet Who is among them in the house of Osiris, shooting rays of light from [his] eye, but he himself is unseen. He goeth round about heaven robed in the flame of his mouth, commanding Hapi, but remaining himself unseen. May I be strong upon earth before Ra, may I come happily into haven in the presence of Osiris. Let not your offerings be hurtful to me, O ye who preside over your altars, for I am among those who follow after Neb-er-tcher according to the writings of Khepera. I fly as a hawk, I cackle as a goose; I ever slay, even as the serpent goddess Nehebka.”
What then is this? They who preside at the altars are the similitude of the eye of Ra and the similitude of the eye of Horus.
“O Ra-Tmu, lord of the Great House, prince, life, strength and health of all the gods, deliver thou [me] from the god whose face is like unto that of a dog, whose brows are as those of a man, and who feedeth upon the dead, who watcheth at the Bight of the Fiery Lake, and who devoureth the bodies of the dead and swalloweth hearts, and who shooteth forth filth, but he himself remaineth unseen.”
Who then is this? “Devourer for millions of years” is his name, and he dwelleth in the Lake of Unt. As concerning the Fiery Lake, it is that which is in Anrutf, hard by the Shenit chamber. The unclean man who would walk thereover doth fall down among the knives; or (as others say), His name is “Mathes,” and he is the watcher of the door of Amenta; or (as others say), His name is “Heri-sep-f.”
“Hail, Lord of terror, chief of the lands of the North and South, lord of the red glow, who preparest the slaughter-block, and who dost feed upon the inward parts!”
Who then is this? The guardian of the Bight of Amenta.
What then is this? It is the heart of Osiris, which is the devourer of all slaughtered things. The urerit crown hath been given unto him with swellings of the heart as lord of Suten-henen.
Chapter 17 (Continued)
What then is this? He to whom hath been given the urerit crown with swellings of-the heart as lord of Suten-henen is Osiris. He was bidden to rule among the gods on the day of the union of earth with earth in the presence of Neb-er-tcher.
What then is this? He that was bidden to rule among the gods is [Horus] the son of Isis, who was appointed to rule in the place of his father Osiris. As to the day of the union of earth with earth, it is the mingling of earth with earth in the coffin of Osiris, the Soul that liveth in Suten-henen, the giver of meat and drink, the destroyer of wrong, and the guide of the everlasting paths.
Who then is this? It is Ra himself.
“Deliver thou [me] from the great god who carrieth away souls, and who devoureth filth and eateth dirt, the guardian of the darkness [who himself liveth] in the light. They who are in misery fear him.”
As concerning the souls within the tchafi [they are those which are] with the god who carrieth away the soul, who eateth hearts, and who feedeth upon offal, the guardian of the darkness who is within the seker boat; they who live in crime fear him.
Who then is this? It is Suti, or (as others say), It is Smam-ur, the soul of Seb.
“Hail, Khepera in thy boat, the twofold company of the gods is thy body. Deliver thou Osiris Ani, triumphant, from the watchers who give judgment, who have been appointed by Neb-er-tcher to protect him and to fasten the fetters on his foes, and who slaughter in the shambles; there is no escape from their grasp. May they never stab me with their knives, may I never fall helpless in their chambers of torture. Never have the things which the gods hate been done by me, for I am pure within the Mesqet. Cakes of saffron have been brought unto him in Tanenet.”
Who then is this? It is Khepera in his boat. It is Ra himself. The watchers who give judgment are the apes Isis and Nephthys. The things which the gods hate are wickedness and falsehood; and he who passeth through the place of purification within the Mesqet is Anubis, who is behind the chest which holdeth the inward parts of Osiris.
He to whom saffron cakes have been brought in Tanenet is Osiris; or (as others say), The saffron cakes in Tanenet are heaven and earth, or (as others say), They are Shu, strengthener of the two lands in Suten-henen. The saffron cakes are the eye of Horus; and Tanenet is the grave of Osiris.
Tmu hath built thy house, and the two-fold Lion-god hath founded thy habitation; lo! drugs are brought, and Horus purifieth and Set strengtheneth, and Set purifieth and Horus strengtheneth.
“The Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant before Osiris, hath come into the land, and hath possessed it with his feet. He is Tmu, and he is in the city.”
“Turn thou back, O Rehu, whose mouth shineth, whose head moveth, turn thou back from before his strength”; or (as others say), Turn thou back from him who keepeth watch and is unseen. “The Osiris Ani is safely guarded. He is Isis, and he is found with [her] hair spread over him. I shake it out over his brow. He was conceived in Isis and begotten in Nephthys; and they cut off from him the things which should be cut off.”
Fear followeth after thee, terror is upon thine arms. Thou art embraced for millions of years in the arms [of the nations]; mortals go round about thee. Thou smitest down the mediators of thy foes, and thou seizest the arms of the powers of darkness. The two sisters (i.e., Isis and Nephthys) are given to thee for thy delight. Thou hast created that which is in Kheraba, and that which is in Annu. Every god feareth thee, for thou art exceeding great and terrible; thou [avengest] every god on the man that curseth him, and thou shootest out arrows… Thou livest according to thy will; thou art Uatchit, the Lady of Flame. Evil cometh among those who set themselves up against thee.
What then is this? The hidden in form, granted of Menhu, is the name of the tomb. He seeth [what is] in [his] hand, is the name of the shrine, or (as others say), the name of the block. Now he whose mouth shineth and whose head moveth is a limb of Osiris, or (as others say), of Ra. Thou spreadest thy hair and I shake it out over his brow is spoken concerning Isis, who hideth in her hair and draweth her hair over her. Uatchi, the Lady of Flames, is the eye of Ra.
Plate 11-20
Chapter 147
THE FIRST ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Sekhet-hra-asht-aru; the name of the watcher is Meti-heh; the name of the herald is Ha-kheru.
[WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN OSIRIS COMETH TO THE FIRST ARIT IN AMENTA.] Saith Ani, triumphant, when he cometh to the first Arit: “I am the mighty one who createth his own light. I have come unto thee, O Osiris, and, purified from that which defileth thee, I adore thee. Lead on; name not the name of Re-stau unto me. Homage to thee, O Osiris, in thy might and in thy strength in Re-stau. Rise up and conquer, O Osiris, in Abtu. Thou goest round about heaven, thou sailest in the presence of Ra, thou seest all the beings who have knowledge. Hail Ra, who circlest in [the sky]. Verily I say [unto thee], O Osiris, I am a godlike ruler. Let me not be driven hence nor from the wall of burning coals. opened the way in Re-stau; I have eased the pain of Osiris; embraced that which the balance I hath weighed; made a path for him in the great valley, it and [he] maketh a path. Osiris shineth.”
THE SECOND ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Un-hat; the name of the watcher is Seqet-hra; the name of the herald is Uset.
Saith Osiris Ani, when he cometh unto this Arit; “He sitteth to do his heart’s desire, and he weigheth words as the second of Thoth. The strength of Thoth humbleth the hidden Maata gods who feed upon Maat throughout the years [of their lives]. I make offerings at the moment when [he] passeth on his way; I pass on and enter on the way; Grant thou that I may pass through and that I may gain sight of Ra together with those who make offerings.”
THE THIRD ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Qeq-hauau-ent-pehui; the name of the watcher is Se-res-hra; the name of the herald is Aaa.
Saith Osiris Ani, [when he cometh to this Arit]: “I am hidden [in] the great deep, the judge of the Rehui. I have come and I have done away with the offences of Osiris. I am building up the standing place which cometh forth from his urerit crown. I have done his business in Abtu, I have opened the way in Re-stau, I have eased the pain which was in Osiris. I have made straight his standing place, and I have made [his] path. He shineth in Re-stau.”
THE FOURTH ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Khesef-hra-asht-kheru; the name of the watcher is Seres-tepu; the name of the herald is Khesef-At.
Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, [when he cometh to this Arit]: “I am the [mighty] bull, the son of the ancestress of Osiris. O grant ye that his father, the lord of his godlike companions, may bear witness for him. Here the guilty are weighed in judgment. I have brought unto his nostrils eternal life. I am the son of Osiris, I have made the way, I have passed thereover into Neter-khert.”
Chapter 147 (Continued)
THE FIFTH ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Ankh-f-em-fent; the name of the watcher is Shabu; the name of the herald is Teb-hra-keha-kheft.
Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, [when he cometh to this Arit]: I have brought unto thee the bones of thy jaws in Re-stau, I have brought thee thy backbone in Annu, gathering together all thy members there. I have driven back Apep for thee. I have poured water upon the wounds; I have made a path among you. I am the Ancient One among the gods. I have made the offering of Osiris, who hath triumphed with victory, gathering his bones and bringing together all his limbs.”
THE SIXTH ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Atek-au-kehaq-kheru; the name of the watcher is An-hri; the name of the herald is Ates-hra.
Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, [when he cometh to this Arit]: “I have come daily, I have come daily. I have made the way; I have passed along that which was created by Anubis. I am the lord of the urerit crown … magical words. I, the avenger of right and truth, have avenged his eye. I have swathed the eye of Osiris, made the way]; Osiris Ani hath passed along [it] with you…
THE SEVENTH ARIT. The name of the doorkeeper is Sekhem-Matenu-sen; the name Of the watcher is Aa-maa-kheru, and the name of the herald is Khesef-khemi.
Saith Osiris, [the scribe] Ani, [when he cometh to this Arit]: “I have come unto thee, O Osiris, who art cleansed of [thine] impurities. Thou goest round about heaven, thou seest Ra, thou seest the beings who have knowledge. Hail Only One! behold, thou art in the sektet boat, He goeth round the horizon of heaven. I speak what I will unto his body; it waxeth strong and it cometh to life, as he spake. Thou turnest back his face. Prosper thou for me all the ways [which lead] unto thee!”
Chapter 146
THE FIRST PYLON. WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE FIRST PYLON. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the lady of terrors, with lofty walls, the sovereign lady, the mistress of destruction, who uttereth the words which drive back the destroyers, who delivereth from destruction him that travelleth along the way. The name of the doorkeeper is Neruit.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE SECOND PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the lady of heaven, the mistress of the world, who devoureth with fire, the lady of mortals; how much greater is she than all men! The name of the doorkeeper is Mes-Ptah.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE THIRD PYLON OF THE HOUSE OF OSIRIS. Saith the scribe Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the lady of the altar, the mighty one to whom offerings are made, the beloved of every god, who saileth up to Abtu. The name of the doorkeeper is Sebaq.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE FOURTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, [triumphant]: “Lo, she who prevaileth with knives, mistress of the world, destroyer of the foes of the Still-Heart, she who decreeth the escape of the needy from evil hap. The name of the doorkeeper is Nekau.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE FIFTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the flame, the lady of breath for the nostrils; one may not advance to entreat her shall not come into her presence. The name of the doorkeeper is Hentet-Arqiu.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE SIXTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the lady of light, the mighty one, to whom men cry aloud; man knoweth neither her breadth nor her height; there was never found her like from the beginning. There is a serpent thereover whose size is not known; it was born in the presence of the Still-Heart. The name of the doorkeeper is Semati.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE SEVENTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the robe which doth clothe the feeble one (i.e., the deceased), weeping for what it loveth and shroudeth. The name of the doorkeeper is Sakti-f.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE EIGHTH PYLON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: “Lo, the blazing fire, the flame whereof cannot be quenched, with tongues of flame which reach afar, the slaughtering one, the irresistible, through which one may not pass by reason of the hurt which it doeth. The name of the doorkeeper is Khu-tchet-f.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE NINTH PYLON. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “Lo, she who is chiefest, the lady of strength, who giveth quiet of heart to her lord. Her girth is three hundred and fifty measures; she is clothed with mother-of-emerald of the south; and she raiseth up the godlike form and clotheth the feeble one The name of the doorkeeper is Ari-su-tchesef.”
WORDS TO BE SPOKEN WHEN [ANI] COMETH UNTO THE TENTH PYLON. Saith Osiris Ani, [triumphant]: “Lo, she who is loud of voice, she who causeth those to cry who entreat her, the fearful one who terrifieth, who feareth none that are therein. The name of the doorkeeper is Sekhen-ur.”
Chapter 17: Introduction
An-maut-f saith: “I have come unto you, O mighty and godlike rulers who are in heaven and in earth and under the earth; and I have brought unto you Osiris Ani. He hath not sinned against any of the gods. Grant ye that he may be with you for all time.”
The adoration of Osiris, lord of Re-stau, and of the great company of the gods who are in the netherworld beside Osiris, the scribe Ani, who saith: “Homage to thee, O ruler of Amenta, Unnefer within Abtu! I have come unto thee, and my heart holdeth right and truth. There is no sin in my body; nor have I lied wilfully, nor have I done aught with a false heart. Grant thou to me food in the tomb, and that I may come into [thy] presence at the altar of the lords of right and truth, and that I may enter into and come forth from the netherworld (my soul not being turned back), and that I may behold the face of the Sun, and that I may behold the Moon for ever and ever.”
Se-mer-f saith I have come unto you, O godlike rulers who are in Re-stau, and I have brought unto you Osiris Ani. Grant ye [to him], as to the followers of Horus, cakes and water, and air, and a homestead in Sekhet-Hetep.”
The adoration of Osiris, the lord of everlastingness, and of all the godlike rulers of Re-stau, by Osiris, [the scribe Ani], who saith: “Homage to thee, O king of Amenta, prince of Akert, Ihave come unto thee. I know thy ways, I am furnished with the forms which thou takest in the underworld. Grant thou to me a place in the underworld near unto the lords of right and truth. May my homestead be abiding in Sekhet-hetep, and may I receive cakes in thy presence.”
Chapter 18
[“Hail Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou Osiris [the scribe Ani] to be victorious over his enemies, as thou didst make Osiris victorious over his enemies’ in the presence of the godlike rulers who are with Ra and Osiris in Annu, on the night of ‘the things for the night,’ and on the night of battle, and on the shackling of the fiends, and on the day of the destruction of Neb-er-tcher.”]
The great godlike rulers in Annu are Tmu, Shu, Tefnut [Osiris, and Thoth], and the shackling of the Sebau signifieth the destruction of the fiends of Set when he worketh evil a second time.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the great divine beings who are in Tattu, on the night of making the Tat to stand up in Tattu.”
The great godlike rulers in Tattu are Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus, the avenger of his father. Now the “night of making the Tat to stand up in Tattu” signifieth [the lifting up of] the arm and shoulder of Osiris, lord of Sekhem; and these gods stand behind Osiris [to protect him] even as the swathings; which clothe him.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani triumphant over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike rulers who are in Sekhem, on the night of the things of the night [festival] in Sekhem.
The great godlike rulers who are in Sekhem are Horus, who is without sight, and Thoth, who is with the godlike rulers in Naarerutf. Now the “night of the things of the night festival in Sekhem” signifieth the light of the rising sun on the coffin of Osiris.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani triumphant over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike rulers in Pe and Tep, on the night of setting up the columns of Horus, and of making him to be established the heir of the things which belonged to his father.”
The great divine rulers who are in Pe and Tep are Horus, Isis, Mestha, and Hapi. Now setting up the columns of Horus [signifieth] the command given by Set unto his followers: “Set up columns upon it.”
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris-Ani triumphant over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike it rulers in… Rekhit, on the night when Isis lay down to keep watch in It order to make lamentation for her brother Osiris.”
The great godlike rulers who are in… Rekhit are Isis, Horus, and Mestha.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris, the scribe Ani (triumphant in peace!), to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike ones who are in Abtu, on the night of the god Naker, at the separation of the wicked dead, at the judgment of spirits made just, and at the arising of joy in Tenu.”
Chapter 18 (Continued)
The great godlike rulers who are in Abtu are Osiris, Isis, and Ap-uat.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani, the scribe and teller of the sacred offerings of all the gods, to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the godlike rulers who judge the dead, on the night of the condemnation of those who are to be blotted out.”
The great godlike rulers in the judgment of the dead are Thoth, Osiris, Anubis, and Astennu. Now the “condemnation of those who are to be blotted out” is the withholding of that which is so needful to the souls of the children of impotent revolt.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris, the scribe Ani (triumphant!), to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike rulers, on the festival of the breaking and turning up of the earth in Tattu, on the night of the breaking and turning up of the earth in their blood and of making Osiris to be victorious over his enemies.”
When the fiends of Set come and change themselves into beasts, the great godlike rulers, on the festival of the breaking and turning up of the earth in Tattu, slay them in the presence of the gods therein, and their blood floweth among them as they are smitten down. These things are allowed to be done by them by the judgment of those who are in Tattu.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the godlike rulers who are in Naarutef, on the night of him who concealeth himself in divers forms, even Osiris.”
The great godlike rulers who are in Naarutef are Ra, Osiris, Shu, and Bebi. Now the night of him who concealeth himself in divers forms, even Osiris,” is when the thigh [and the head], and the heel, and the leg, are brought nigh unto the coffin of Osiris Un-nefer.
“Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani (triumphant before Osiris) victorious over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike rulers who are in Re-stau, on the night when Anubis lay with his arms and his hands over the things behind Osiris, and it when Horus was made to triumph over his enemies.”
The great godlike rulers in Re-stau are Horus, Osiris, and Isis. The heart of Osiris rejoiceth, and the heart of Horus is glad; and therefore are the east and the west at peace.
“Hail Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani, the scribe and teller of the divine offerings of all the gods, to triumph over his enemies in the presence of the ten companies of great godlike rulers who are with Ra and with Osiris and with every god and goddess in the presence of Neb-er-tcher. He hath destroyed his enemies, and he hath destroyed every evil thing belonging unto him.”
Chapter 23
THE CHAPTER OF OPENING THE MOUTH OF OSIRIS, THE SCRIBE ANI. To be said: “May Ptah open my mouth, and may the god of my town loose the swathings, even the swathings which are over my mouth. Moreover, may Thoth, being filled and furnished with charms, come and loose the bandages, the bandages of Set which fetter my mouth; and may the god Tmu hurl them at those who would fetter [me] with them, and drive them back. May my mouth be opened, may my mouth be unclosed by Shu with his iron knife, wherewith he opened the mouth of the gods. I am Sekhet, and I sit upon the great western side of heaven. 1 am the great goddess Sah among the souls of Annu. Now as concerning every charm and all the words which may be spoken against me, may the gods resist them, and may each and every one of the company of the gods withstand it them.”
Chapter 24
THE CHAPTER OF BRINGING CHARMS UNTO OSIRIS ANI [IN NETER-KHERT]. [He saith]: “I am Tmu-Khepera, who gave birth unto himself upon the thigh of his divine mother. Those who are in Nu are made wolves, and those who are among the godlike rulers are become hyenas. Behold, I gather together the charm from every place where it is and from every man with whom it is, swifter than greyhounds and fleeter than light. Hail thou who towest along the makhent boat of Ra, the stays of thy sails and of thy rudder are taut in the wind as thou sailest over the Lake of Fire in Neter-khert. Behold, thou gatherest together the charm from every place where it is and from every man with whom it is, swifter than greyhounds and fleeter than light, [the charm] which createth the forms of existence from the mother’s thigh and createth the gods from (or in) silence, and which giveth the heat of life unto the gods. Behold, the charm is given unto me from wheresoever it is [and from him with whom it is], swifter than greyhounds and fleeter than light,” or, (as others say), “fleeter than a shadow.”
Chapter 26
CHAPTER OF GIVING A HEART UNTO OSIRIS ANI IN THE UNDERWORLD. [Ani saith]: “May my heart be with me in the House of Hearts. May my heart be with me, and may it rest in [me], or I shall not eat of the cakes of Osiris on the eastern side of the Lake of Flowers, [neither shall I have] a boat wherein to go down the Nile, and another wherein to go up, nor shall I go forward in the boat with thee. May my mouth be given unto me that I may speak with it, and my two feet to it walk withal, and my two hands and arms to overthrow my foe. May the doors of heaven be opened unto me ; may Seb, the Prince of the gods, open wide his two jaws unto me; may he open my two eyes which are blinded; may he cause me to stretch out my feet which are bound together; and may Anubis make my legs firm that I may stand upon them. May the goddess Sekhet make me to rise so that I may ascend unto heaven, and there may that be done which I command in the House of the Ka of Ptah. I know my heart, I have gotten the mastery over my heart, I have gotten the mastery over my two hands and arms, I have gotten the mastery over my feet, and I have gained the power to do whatsoever my ka pleaseth. My soul shall not be shut off from my body at the gates of the underworld; but I shall enter in peace, and I shall come forth in peace.”
Chapter 30B
THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF OSIRIS, THE SCRIBE OF THE SACRED OFFERINGS OF ALL THE GODS, ANI, TRIUMPHANT, BE DRIVEN FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Ani saith: “My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother. My heart whereby I come into being. May there be nothing to withstand me at [my] judgment; may there be no, resistance against me by the Tchatcha; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him who keepeth the Scales! Thou art my ka within my body, [which] knitteth and strengtheneth my limbs. Mayest thou come forth in the place of happiness [to which] I advance. May the Shenit, who make men to stand fast, not cause my name to stink.”
Chapter 61
CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE SOUL OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Osiris the scribe Ani saith: “I, even I, am he who came forth from the water-flood which I make to overflow and which becometh mighty as the River [Nile].”
Chapter 54
CHAPTER OF GIVING BREATH IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “I am the Egg of the Great Cackler, and I watch and guard that great place which the god Seb hath proclaimed upon earth. I live; and it liveth; I grow strong, I live, I sniff the air. I am Utcha-aab, and I go round behind [to protect] his egg. I have thwarted the chance of Set, the mighty one of strength. Hail thou who makest pleasant the world with tchefa food, and who dwellest in the blue [sky]; watch over the babe in his cot when he cometh forth unto thee.”
Chapter 29
THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “Turn thou back, O messenger of all the gods. Is it that thou art come to carry away[5] this my heart which liveth? My heart which liveth shall not be given unto thee. [As I] advance, the gods give ear unto my supplications, and they fall down upon their faces wheresoever they be.”
Chapter 27
THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, ye who carry away hearts, [hail] ye who steal hearts! ye have done. Homage to you, O ye lords of eternity, ye possessors of everlastingness, ” take ye not away this heart of Osiris Ani in your grasp, this heart of Osiris. And cause ye not evil words to spring up against it; because this heart of Osiris Ani is the heart of the one of many names, the mighty one whose words are his limbs, and who sendeth forth his heart to dwell in his body, heart of Osiris Ani is pleasant unto the gods; he is victorious, he hath gotten power over it; he hath not revealed what hath been done unto it. He gotten power over his own limbs. His heart obeyeth him, he is the lord thereof, it is in his body, and it shall never fall away therefrom. I, Osiris, the scribe Ani, victorious in peace, and triumphant in the beautiful Amenta and on the mountain of eternity, bid thee be obedient unto me in the underworld.”
Chapter 58
THE CHAPTER OF BREATHING THE AIR AND OF HAVING POWER OVER THE WATER IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Open to me! Who art thou then, and whither dost thou fare? I am one of you. Who is it with thee? It is Merti. Separate thou from him, each from each, when thou enterest the Mesqen. He letteth me sail to the temple of the divine beings who have found their faces(?). The name of the boat is ‘Assembler of Souls’; the name of the oars is ‘Making the hair to stand on end’; the name it of the hold is ‘Good’; and the name of the rudder is ‘Making straight for the middle’… Grant ye to me vessels of milk together with cakes, loaves of bread, cups of drink, and flesh in the temple of Anubis.”
Chapter 59
THE CHAPTER OF SNIFFING THE AIR, AND OF GETTING POWER OVER THE WATERS IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, sycamore tree of the goddess Nut! Grant thou to me of the water and the air which are in thee. I embrace thy throne which is in Unnu, and I watch and guard the egg of the Great Cackler. It groweth, I grow; it liveth, I live; it sniffeth the air, I sniff the air, I the Osiris Ani, in triumph.”
Chapter 44
THE CHAPTER OF NOT DYING A SECOND TIME IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “My place of hiding is opened, my place of hiding is revealed! Light hath shone in the darkness. The eye of Horus hath ordered my coming into being, and the god Apuat hath nursed me. I have hidden myself with you, O ye stars that never set. My brow is like unto that of Ra; my face is open; my heart is upon its throne; I utter words, and I know; in very truth, I am Ra himself. I am not treated with scorn, and violence is not done unto me. Thy father, the son of Nut, liveth for thee. I am thy first-born, and I see thy mysteries. I am crowned like unto the king of the gods, and I shall not die a second time in the underworld.”
Chapter 45
THE CHAPTER OF NOT CORRUPTING IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “O thou who art without motion like unto Osiris! O thou who art without motion like unto Osiris! O thou whose limbs are without motion like unto [those of] Osiris! Let not thy limbs be without motion, let them not corrupt, let them not pass away, let them not decay; let it be done unto me even as if I were the god Osiris.”
Chapter 46
THE CHAPTER OF NOT PERISHING AND OF BECOMING ALIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, children of: Shu! Hail, children of Shu, [children of] the place of the dawn, who as the children of light have gained possession of his crown. May I rise up and may I fare forth like Osiris.”
Chapter 40
THE CHAPTER OF NOT ENTERING IN UNTO THE BLOCK. Saith Osiris Ani: “The four bones of my neck and of my back are joined together for me in heaven by Ra, the guardian of the earth. This was granted on the day when my rising up out of weakness upon my two feet was ordered, on the day when the hair was cut off. The bones of my neck and of my back have been joined together by Set and by the company of the gods, even as they were in the time that is past; may nothing happen to break them apart. Make ye [me] strong against my father’s murderer. I have gotten power over the two earths. Nut hath joined together my bones, and behold [them] as they were in the time that is past [and I] see [them] even in the same order as they were [when] the gods had not come into being in visible forms. I am Penti, I, Osiris the scribe Ani, triumphant, am the heir of the great gods.”
Chapter 93
THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING A MAN PASS OVER TO THE EAST IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, manhood of Ra, which advanceth and beateth down opposition; things which have been without movement for millions of years come into being through the god Baba. Hereby am I made stronger than the strong, and hereby have I more power than they who are mighty. And therefore neither shall I be borne away nor carried by force to the East, to take part in the festivals of the fiends; nor shall there [be given unto me] cruel gashes with knives, nor shall I be shut in on every side, nor gored by the horns [of the god Khepera]”…
Chapter 93A
ANOTHER CHAPTER.[Saith Osiris Ani]: “So then shall no evil things be done unto me by the fiends, neither shall I be gored by the horns [of Khepera]; and the manhood of Ra, which is the head of Osiris, shall not be swallowed up. Behold me, I enter into my homestead, and I reap the harvest. The gods speak with me. Gore thou not them, O Ra-khepera. In very truth sickness shall not arise in the eye of Tmu nor shall it be destroyed. Let me be brought to an end, may I not be carried into the East to take part in the festivals of the fiends who are my enemies; may no cruel gashes be made in me. I, Osiris, the scribe Ani, the teller of the divine offerings of all the gods, triumphant with happy victory, the lord to be revered. am not carried away into the East.”
Chapter 53
THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEAD OF A MAN BE CUT OFF FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD.Saith Osiris Ani: “I am the great One, son of the great One; I am Fire, the son of Fire, to whom was given his head after it had been cut off. The head of Osiris was not carried away from him; let not the head of Osiris Ani be carried away from him. I have knit together my bones, I have made myself whole and sound; I have become young once more; I am Osiris, the Lord of eternity.”
Chapter 89
THE CHAPTER OF CAUSING THE SOUL TO BE UNITED TO ITS BODY IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, thou god Annitu! Hail, O Runner, dwelling in thy hall! O thou great god, grant thou that my soul may come unto me from wheresoever it may be. If it would tarry, then bring thou unto me my soul from wheresoever it may be. [If] thou findest [me], O Eye of Horus, make thou me to stand up like those beings who are like unto Osiris and who never lie down in death. Let not Osiris Ani, triumphant, triumphant, lie down in death in Annu, the land wherein souls are joined unto their bodies, even in thousands. My soul doth bear away with it my victorious spirit whithersoever it goeth… If it would tarry, grant thou that my soul may look upon my body. [If] thou findest [me], O Eye of Horus, make thou me to stand up like unto those… Hail, ye gods, who row in the boat of the lord of millions of years, who tow it above the underworld, who make it to pass over the ways of Nu, who make souls to enter into their glorified bodies, whose hands are filled with righteousness, and whose fingers grasp your sceptres, destroy ye the foe. The boat of the Sun rejoiceth, and the great god advanceth in peace. Behold [ye gods], grant that this soul of Osiris Ani may come forth triumphant before the gods, and triumphant before you, from the eastern horizon of heaven, to follow unto the place where it was yesterday, in peace, in peace, in Amenta. May he behold his body, may he rest in his glorified frame, may he never perish, and may his body never see corruption.”
Chapter 91
THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE SOUL OF A MAN BE CAPTIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail thou who art exalted, thou who art adored, thou mighty one of souls, thou Ram (or Soul), possessor of terrible power, who dost put fear of thee into the hearts of the gods, thou who art crowned upon thy mighty throne! It is he who maketh the path for the khu and for the soul of Osiris Ani. I am furnished [with that which I need], I am a khu furnished [with that which I need], I have made my way unto the place wherein are Ra and Hathor.”
Chapter 92
THE CHAPTER OF OPENING THE TOMB TO THE SOUL OF THE SHADOW, OF COMING FORTH BY DAY, AND OF GETTING POWER OVER THE LEGS. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: “The place of bondage is opened, that which was shut is opened, and; the place of bondage is opened unto my soul [according to the bidding of] the eye of Horus. I have bound and stablished glories upon the brow of Ra. [My] steps are made long, [my] thighs are lifted up; I have passed along the great path, and my limbs are strong. 1 am Horus, the avenger of his father, and I bring the ureret crown to rest upon its place. The path of souls is opened [to my soul].”
Chapter 92 (Continued)
My soul seeth the great god within the boat of Ra on the day of souls. My soul is in the front among those who tell the years. Come; the eye of Horus, which stablisheth glories upon the brow of Ra and rays of light upon the faces of those who are with the limbs of Osiris, hath delivered my soul. O shut ye not in my soul, fetter ye not my shade may it behold the great god within the shrine on the day of the judgment of souls, may it repeat the words of Osiris. May those beings whose dwelling-places are hidden, who fetter the limbs of Osiris, who fetter the souls of the khu, who shut in the shade of the dead and can do evil unto me-may they do no evil unto me, may they turn away their path from me. Thy heart is with thee; may my soul and my khu be prepared against their attack. May I sit down among the great rulers who dwell in their abodes; may my soul not be set in bondage by those who fetter the limbs of Osiris, and who fetter souls, and who shut in the shade of the dead. The place which thou possessest, is it not Heaven?”
Chapter 74
THE CHAPTER OF WALKING WITH THE TWO LEGS, AND OF COMING FORTH UPON EARTH. Saith Osiris Ani: “Thou hast done all thy work, O Seker, thou hast done all thy work, O Seker, in thy dwelling place within my legs in the underworld. I shine above the Leg of the Sky, I come forth from heaven; I recline with the glorified spirits. Alas! I am weak and feeble; alas! I am weak and feeble. I walk. I am weak and feeble in the presence of those who gnash with the teeth in the underworld, I Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant in peace.”
Chapter 8
THE CHAPTER OF PASSING THROUGH AMENTA, AND OF COMING FORTH BY DAY. Saith Osiris Ani: “The hour openeth; the head of Thoth is sealed up; perfect is the eye of Horus. I have delivered the eye of Horus which shineth with splendours on the forehead of Ra, the father of the gods. I am the same Osiris, dwelling in Amenta. Osiris knoweth his day and that he shall not live therein; nor shall I live therein. I am the Moon among the gods; I shall not come to an end. Stand up, therefore, O Horus; Osiris hath counted thee among the gods.”
Chapter 2
THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY, AND OF LIVING AFTER DEATH. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, Only One, shining from the Moon! Hail, Only One, shining from the Moon! Grant that this Osiris Ani may come forth among the multitudes which are round about thee; let him be established as a dweller among the shining ones; and let the underworld be opened unto him. And behold Osiris, Osiris Ani shall come forth by day to do his will upon earth among the living.”
Chapter 9
THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY, HAVING PASSED THROUGH THE TOMB. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail Soul, thou mighty one of strength! Verily I am here, I have come, I behold thee. I have passed through the underworld, I have seen [my] father Osiris, I have scattered the gloom of night. I am his beloved one. I have come; I behold my father Osiris. I have stabbed Set to the heart. I have done the things [needed] by my father Osiris. I have opened every way in heaven and upon earth. I am the son beloved of his father Osiris. I have become a ruler, I have become glorious, I am furnished [with what I need]. Hail, all ye gods, and all ye shining ones, make ye a way for me, the Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant.”
Chapter 132
THE CHAPTER OF MAKING A MAN TO RETURN TO SEE AGAIN HIS HOME UPON EARTH. Saith Osiris Ani: “I am the Lion-god coming forth with strides. I have shot forth arrows, I have wounded [the prey], I have wounded the prey. I am the Eye of Horus; I have opened the eye of Horus in his hour. I am come unto the furrows. Let Osiris Ani come in peace.”
Chapter 10 (Chapter 48)
ANOTHER CHAPTER OF ONE WHO COMETH FORTH BY DAY AGAINST HIS FOES IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: “I have divided the heavens, I have passed through the horizon, I have traversed the earth, [following] upon his footsteps. I am borne away by the mighty and shining ones because, behold, I am furnished with millions of years which have magic virtues. I eat with my mouth, I chew with my jaws; and, behold, I am the god who is the lord of the underworld: May there be given unto me, Osiris Ani, that which abideth for ever without corruption.”
Chapter 15
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH UPON THE HORIZON, AND WHEN HE SETTETH IN THE [LAND OF] LIFE. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani: “Homage to thee, O Ra, when thou risest [as] Tmu-Heru-khuti (Harmachis), Thou art adored [by me] when thy beauties are before mine eyes, and when thy shining rays [fall] upon my body. Thou goest forth in peace in the Sektet boat with [fair] winds, and thy heart is glad; [thou goest forth] in the Atet boat, and its heart is glad. Thou stridest over the heavens in peace, and thy foes are cast down; the never-resting stars sing hymns of praise unto thee, and the stars which never set glorify thee as thou sinkest in the horizon of Manu, O thou who art beautiful in the two parts of heaven, thou lord who livest and art established, O my lord! Homage to thee, O thou who art Ra when thou risest, and Tmu when thou settest in beauty. Thou risest and shinest upon the back of thy mother [the sky], O thou who art crowned king of the gods. Nut doth homage unto thee, and everlasting and never-changing order embraceth thee at morn and at eve. Thou stridest over the heaven, being glad of heart, and the Lake Testes is at peace. The Fiend hath fallen to the ground; his arms and his hands have been hewn off, and the knife hath severed the joints of his body. Ra hath a fair wind; the Sektet boat goeth forth and sailing along it cometh into port. The gods of the south and of the north, of the west and of the east praise thee, from whom all forms of life came into being. Thou sendest forth the word, and the earth is flooded with silence, O thou only One, who livedst in heaven before ever the earth and the mountains were made. O Runner, Lord, only One, thou maker of things which are, thou hast moulded the tongue of the company of the gods, thou hast drawn forth whatsoever cometh from the waters, and thou springest up from them over the flooded land of the Lake of Horus . Make me to sniff the air which cometh forth from thy nostrils, and the north wind which cometh forth from thy mother [the Sky]. Make thou glorious my shining form, O Osiris, make thou strong my soul. Thou art worshipped in peace, O lord of the gods, thou art exalted by reason of thy wondrous works. Shine with thy rays of light upon my body day by day, upon me, Osiris, the scribe, the teller of the divine offerings it of all the gods, the overseer of the granary of the lords of Abydos, the royal it scribe in truth, who loveth him (i.e., Ra); Ani, triumphant in peace.”
A HYMN OF PRAISE. “O OSIRIS, lord of eternity, Un-nefer, Horus of the two horizons, whose forms are manifold, whose creations are without number, Ptah-Seker-Tem in Annu, the lord of the tomb, and the creator of Memphis and of the gods, the guide of the underworld, whom [the gods] glorify when thou settest in Nut. Isis embraceth thee in peace, and she driveth away the fiends from the mouth of thy paths. Thou turnest thy face upon Amenta, thou makest the world to shine as with smu metal. The dead rise up to behold thee, they breathe the air and they look upon thy face when the disk shineth on its horizon; their hearts are at peace for that they behold thee, O thou who art eternity and everlastingness.”
[Litany]: (1) “Homage to thee, [O lord of] starry deities in An, and of heavenly beings in Kher-aba; thou god Unti, who art more glorious than the gods who are hidden in Annu.
“(2) Homage to thee, O An in Antes (?), Horus, thou dweller in both horizons, with long strides thou stridest over heaven, O thou who dwellest in both horizons.
“(3) Homage to thee, O soul of everlastingness, thou Soul who dwellest in Tattu, Un-nefer, son of Nut; thou art lord of Akert.
“(4) Homage to thee in thy dominion over Tattu; the urerit crown is established upon thy head; thou art the One whose strength is in himself, and thou dwellest in peace in Tattu.
“(5) Homage to thee, O lord of the acacia tree, the Seker boat is set upon its sledge; thou turnest back the Fiend, the worker of evil, and thou causest the utchat to rest upon its seat.
“(6) Homage to thee, O thou who art mighty in thine hour, thou great and mighty god, dweller in An-rut-f, lord of eternity and creator of everlastingness; thou art the lord of Suten-henen.
“(7) Homage to thee, O thou who restest upon Right and Truth, thou art the lord of Abtu, and thy limbs are joined unto Ta-sertet; thou art he to whom fraud and guile are hateful.
“(8) Homage to thee, O thou who art within thy boat, thou bringest Hapi (i.e., the Nile) forth from his source; the light shineth upon thy body, and thou art the dweller in Nekhen.
“(9) Homage to thee, O creator of the gods, thou King of the North and of the South; O Osiris, victorious, ruler of the world in thy gracious seasons; thou art the lord of the world.
“O grant thou unto me a path whereon I may pass in peace, for I am just and true; I have not spoken lies wittingly, nor have I done aught with deceit.”
Chapter 15 (Continued)
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE HEAVEN. They who are in his train rejoice, and lo! Osiris Ani in triumph saith “Hail, thou Disk, thou lord of rays, who risest in the horizon day by day. Shine thou with thy beams of light upon the face of Osiris Ani, who is victorious: for he singeth hymns of praise unto thee at dawn, and he maketh thee to set at eventide with words of adoration. May the soul of Osiris Ani, the triumphant one, come forth with thee from heaven, may he go forth in the matet boat, may he come into port in the sektet boat, may he cleave his path among the never resting stars in the heavens.”
Osiris Ani, being at peace and in triumph, adoreth his lord, the lord of eternity, saying: “Homage to thee, O Horus of the two horizons, who art Khepera the self-created; when thou risest on the horizon and sheddest thy beams of light upon the lands of the North and the South thou art beautiful, yea beautiful, and all the gods rejoice when they behold thee, the King of heaven. The goddess Nebt-Unnet is stablished upon thy head; her portions of the south and of the north are upon thy brow; she taketh her place before thee. The god Thoth is stablished in the bows of thy boat to destroy utterly all thy foes. Those who dwell in the underworld come forth to meet thee, bowing in homage as they come towards thee, and to behold [thy] beautiful Image. And I have come before thee that I may be with thee to behold thy Disk every day. May I not be shut in the tomb, may I not be turned back, may the limbs of my body be made new again when I view thy beauties, even as do all thy favoured ones, because I am one of those who worshipped thee whilst they lived upon earth. May I come in unto the land of eternity, may I come even unto the everlasting land, for behold, O my lord, this hast thou ordained for me.”
And lo, Osiris Ani, triumphant in peace, the triumphant one, saith Homage to thee, O thou who risest in thy horizon as Ra, thou art stablished by a law which changeth not nor can it be altered. Thou passest over the sky, and every face watcheth thee and thy course, for thou hast been hidden from their gaze. Thou dost show thyself at dawn and at eventide day by day. The Sektet boat, wherein is thy majesty, goeth forth with might; thy beams shine upon [all] faces; [the number] of thy yellow rays cannot be known, nor can thy bright beams be told. The lands of the gods, and the colours of the eastern lands of Punt, must be seen, ere that which is hidden [in thee] may be measured [by man]. Alone and by thyself thou dost manifest thyself [when] thou comest into being above Nu. May Ani advance, even as thou dost advance; may he never cease [to go forward], even as thy majesty ceaseth not [to go forward], even though it be for a moment; for with strides dost thou in one little moment pass over the spaces which would need hundreds of thousands and millions of years [for man to pass over; this] thou doest, and then dost thou sink down. Thou puttest an end to the hours of the night, and thou dost number them, even thou; thou endest them in thine own appointed season, and the earth becometh light. Thou settest thyself before thy handiwork in the likeness of Ra; thou risest in the horizon.”
Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, declareth his praise of thee when thou shinest, and when thou risest at dawn he crieth in his joy at thy birth: “Thou art crowned with the majesty of thy beauties; thou mouldest thy limbs as thou dost advance, and thou bringest them forth without birth-pangs in the form of Ra, as thou dost climb up into the upper air. Grant thou that I may come unto the heaven which is everlasting, and unto the mountain [where dwell] thy favoured ones. May I be joined unto those shining beings, holy and perfect, who are in the underworld; and may I come forth with them to behold thy beauties when thou shinest at eventide and goest to thy mother Nut.
Plate 21-30
Chapter 15 (Continued)
“Thou dost place thy disk in the west, and my two hands are [raised] in adoration [of thee] when thou settest as a living being. Behold, thou art the maker of eternity, and thou art adored [when] thou settest in the heavens. I have given my heart unto thee without wavering, O thou who art mightier than the gods.”
Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith: “A hymn of praise to thee, O thou who risest like unto gold, and who dost flood the world with light on the day of thy birth. Thy mother giveth thee birth upon [her] hand, and thou dost give light unto the course of the Disk. O thou mighty Light, who shinest in the heavens, thou dost strengthen the generations of men with the Nile-flood, and dost cause gladness in all lands, and in all cities, and in all the temples. Thou art glorious by reason of thy splendours, and thou makest strong thy ka with hu and tchefau foods. O thou who art the mighty one of victories, thou who art the Power of [all] Powers, who dost make strong thy throne against the powers of wickedness, who art glorious in majesty in the sektet boat, and who art exceeding (1-6) mighty in the atet boat, make thou glorious Osiris Ani with victory in the netherworld; grant thou that in the underworld he may be void of sin. I pray thee to put away [his] faults behind thee; grant that he may be one of thy venerable servants who are with the shining ones; may he be joined unto the souls which are in Ta-sertet; and may he journey into the Sekhet-Aaru by a prosperous and happy path, he the Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant.
“Thou shalt come forth into heaven, thou shalt pass over the sky, thou shalt be joined unto the starry deities. Praises shall be offered unto thee in thy boat, thou shalt be hymned in the diet boat, thou shalt behold Ra within his shrine, thou shalt set together with his disk day by day, thou shalt see the ant fish when it springeth into being in the waters of turquoise, and thou shalt see the abtu fish in his hour. May it come to pass that the Evil One shall fall when he layeth a snare to destroy me, and may the joints of his neck and of his back be cut in sunder.”
“Ra [saileth] with a fair wind, and the sektet boat draweth on and cometh into port. The mariners of Ra rejoice, and the heart of Nebt-ankh is glad, for the enemy of her lord hath fallen to the ground. Thou shalt behold Horus on the watch [in the Boat], and Thoth and Maat upon either side of him. All the gods rejoice when they behold Ra coming in peace to make the hearts of the shining ones to live. May Osiris Ani, triumphant, the scribe of the divine offerings of the lords of Thebes, be with them.”
Chapter 133
TO BE SAID ON THE DAY OF THE MONTH. Osiris Ani, the scribe, triumphant in peace, triumphant, saith: “Ra risethin his horizon, and the company of his gods follow after the god when he appeareth from his secret place, when he showeth strength and bringeth himself forth from the eastern horizon of heaven at the word of the goddess Nut. They rejoice at the journeyings of Ra, the Ancient One; the Great One rolleth along in his course. Thy joints are knitted together, O Ra, within thy shrine. Thou breathest the winds, thou drawest in the breezes, thou makest thy jaw-bones to cat in thy dwelling on the day when thou dost scent right and truth. Thou turnest aside the godlike followers [who] sail after the sacred boat, in order that they may return again unto the mighty ones according to thy word. Thou numberest thy bones, thou gatherest together thy members; thou turnest thy face towards the beautiful Amenta; thou comest thither renewed day by day. Behold, thou Image of gold, who possessest the splendours of the Disk of heaven, thou lord of terror; thou rollest along and art renewed day by day. Hail, there is rejoicing in the heavenly horizon, and shouts of joy are It raised to the ropes which tow thee along. May the gods who dwell in heaven ascribe praises unto Osiris Ani, when they behold him in triumph, as unto Ra. May Osiris, the scribe Ani, be a prince who is known by the ureret crown; and may the meat offerings and the drink offerings of Osiris Ani, triumphant, be apportioned unto him; may he wax exceeding strong in his body; and may he be the chief of those who are in the presence of Ra. May Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, be strong upon earth and in the world under the earth; and O Osiris, scribe Ani, triumphant, mayest thou rise up strengthened like unto Ra day by day. Osiris Am, triumphant, shall not tarry, nor shall he rest without motion in the earth for ever. Clearly, clearly shall he see with his two eyes, and with his two ears shall be hear what is right and true. Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, cometh back, cometh back from Annu; Osiris Ani, triumphant, is as Ra when he rangeth the oars among the followers of Nu.
Chapter 133 (Continued)
“Osiris Ani, triumphant, hath not revealed what he hath seen, he hath not, he hath not told again what he hath heard in the house which is hidden. Hail, there are shouts of joy to Osiris Ani, triumphant, for he is a god and the flesh of Ra, he is in the boat of Nu, and his ka is well pleased according to the will of the god. Osiris Ani, triumphant, is in peace, he is triumphant like unto Horus, and he is mighty because he hath divers forms.”
Chapter 134
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA ON THE DAY OF THE MONTH WHEREON HE SAILETH IN THE BOAT. [Osiris, the scribe Ani, saith]: “Homage to thee, O thou who art in thy boat! Thou risest, thou risest, thou shinest with thy rays, and thou hast made mankind to rejoice for millions of years according to thy will. Thou showest thy face unto the beings whom thou hast created, O Khepera, in thy boat. Thou hast overthrown Apepi. O ye children of Seb, overthrow ye the foes of Osiris Ani, triumphant, destroy ye the adversaries of righteousness from the boat of Ra. Horus shall cut off your heads in heaven in the likeness of ducks; ye shall fall down upon the earth and become beasts, and into the water in the likeness of fishes. [Osiris, the scribe Ani,] destroyeth every hostile fiend, male and female, whether he passeth through heaven, [or] appeareth upon earth, or cometh forth upon the water, or passeth along before the starry deities; and Thoth strengtheneth them… coming forth from Anreti. Osiris, the scribe Ani, is silent, and becometh the second of Ra. Behold thou the god, the great slaughterer, greatly to be feared, he washeth in your blood, he batheth in your gore; Osiris, the scribe Ani, destroyeth them from the boat of his father Ra-Horus. The mother Isis giveth birth unto Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, whose heart liveth, and Nephthys nurseth him; even as they did for Horus, who drove back the fiends of Sut. They saw the urertu crown stablished upon his head, and they fell down upon their faces. Behold, O ye shining ones, ye men and gods, ye damned ones, when ye behold Osiris Ani, triumphant like unto Horus and adored by reason of the ureret crown, fall ye down upon your faces; for Osiris Ani is victorious over his foes in the heavens above and [on the earth] beneath, in the presence of the godlike rulers of all the gods and goddesses.”
Chapter 18 (Repeated, Pt. 1. See Plates 13 & 14)
The whole of Plate 23 and part of Plate 24 contain a repetition of the 18th Chapter of the “Book of the Dead,” which has also been given on Plates 13 and 14. The arrangement of the gods in the vignette is, however, slightly different.
Chapter 18 (Repeated, Pt. 2. See Plates 13 & 14)
The whole of Plate 23 and part of Plate 24 contain a repetition of the 18th Chapter of the “Book of the Dead,” which has also been given on Plates 13 and 14. The arrangement of the gods in the vignette is, however, slightly different.
Chapter 124
THE CHAPTER OF GOING UNTO THE GODLIKE RULERS OF OSIRIS. Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, saith: “My soul hath builded for me a dwelling-place in Tattu. I have waxed strong in the town Pe. I have ploughed [my] fields in all my forms, and my palm tree standeth therein like unto the god Amsu. I eat not that which I abominate, I eat not that which I loathe; that which I abominate I abominate, and I feed not upon filth. There are food offerings and meat for those who shall not be destroyed thereby. I raise not up myself on my two arms unto any abomination, I walk not thereupon with my shoes, because my bread is [made] from white grain, and my ale from the red barley of the Nile. The sektet boat and the atet boat bring them unto me, and I feed upon them under the trees, whose beautiful branches I myself do know. How glorious do I make the white crown [when] I lift up the uræi! Hail, guardian of the door, who givest peace unto the two lands, bring thou unto me those who make offerings! Grant that I may lift up the earth; that the shining ones may open their arms unto me; that the company of the gods may speak with the words of the shining ones unto Osiris Ani; that the hearts of the gods may direct [him]; and that they may make him powerful in heaven among the gods who have taken unto themselves visible forms. Yea, let every god and every goddess whom he passeth make Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant at the new year. He feedeth upon hearts and consumeth them when he cometh forth from the east. He hath been judged by the forefather of Light. He is a shining one arrayed in heaven among the mighty ones. The food of Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, is even the cakes and ale which are made for their mouths. I go in through the Disk, I come out through the god Ahui. I speak with the followers of the gods, I speak with the Disk, I speak with the shining ones, and the Disk granteth me to be victorious in the blackness of night within Meh-urt near unto his forehead. Behold, I am with Osiris, and I proclaim that which he telleth forth among the mighty ones. He speaketh unto me the words of men, and I listen and 1 tell again unto him the words of the gods. I, Osiris Ani, triumphant, come even as one who is equipped for the journey. Thou raisest up [right and truth] for those who love them. I am a shining one clothed in power, mightier than any other shining one.”
Chapter 86
HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF MAKING TRANSFORMATIONS. THE CHANGING INTO A SWALLOW. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “I am the swallow, the swallow, the scorpion, the daughter of Ra. Hail, ye gods, whose scent is sweet; hail, ye gods, whose scent is sweet! Hail, thou Flame, which comest forth from the horizon! Hail, thou who art in the city. May the Guardian of the Bight lead me on. O stretch out up unto me thine bands that I may be able to pass my days in the Island of Flame. I have fared forth with my warrant. I have come with the power thereof. Let the doors be opened unto me. How shall I tell what I have seen therein? Horus was like unto the prince of the sacred bark, and the throne of his father was given unto him. Sut, the son of Nut, also hath gotten the fall which he wrought for Horus. He who is in Sekhem passed judgment upon me. I stretched out my hands and my arms unto Osiris. I have passed on to judgment, and I have come that I may speak; grant that I may pass on and deliver my message. I enter in, having been judged; I come out at the door of Neb-er-tcher magnified and glorified. I am found pure at the Great place of passage [of souls]. I have put away my faults. I have done away mine offences. I have cast out the sins which were a part of me. I, even I, am pure, I, even I, am mighty. O ye doorkeepers, I have made my way [unto you]. I am like unto you. I have come forth by day. I have walked with my legs, and I have gotten the power of the footstep wherewith do walk the shining ones of light. I, even I, know the hidden ways to the doors of the Field of Aaru; and, though my body be buried, yet let me rise up; and may I come forth and overthrow all my foes upon earth.”
Chapter 77
CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO A GOLDEN HAWK. Saith Osiris Ani: “May I, even I, arise in the seshet chamber, like unto a hawk of gold coming forth from his egg. May I fly and may I hover as a hawk, with a back seven cubits wide, and with wings made of emeralds of the South. May I come forth from the sektet boat, and may my heart be brought unto me from the mountain of the east. May I alight on the atet boat, and may those who are in their companies be brought unto me, bowing down as they come. May I rise, may I gather myself together as the beautiful golden hawk [which hath] the head of a bennu bird. May I enter into the presence of Ra daily to hear his words, and may I sit down among the mighty gods of Nut. May a homestead be made ready for me, and may offerings of food and drink be put before me therein. May I eat therein; may I become a shining one therein; may I be filled therein to, my heart’s fullest desire; may sacred wheat be given unto me to eat. May I, by myself, get power over the guardian of my head.”
Chapter 78
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO A SACRED HAWK. Saith Osiris Ani: “Hail, thou mighty one, come unto Tattu. Make thou my paths, and let me pass round [to visit] my hrones. Make me to renew myself and make me to wax strong. Grant that I may be feared, and make me to be a terror. May the gods of the underworld fear me, and may they fight for me in their habitations. Let not him that would do harm unto me draw nigh unto me. Let me walk through the house of darkness. May I, the feeble, clothe and cover myself; and may they (i.e., the gods) not do the like unto me. Hail, ye gods who hear my speech! Hail, ye rulers who are among the followers of Osiris. Be ye therefore silent, O ye gods, [when] the god speaketh with me; he heareth what is right and true. What I speak unto him, do thou also speak, O Osiris. Grant thou that I may go round my course according to the order which cometh forth from thy mouth concerning me. May I see thy forms; may I be able to understand thy will. Grant that I may come forth, that I may get power over my legs, and that I may be like unto Neb-er-tcher upon his throne. May the gods of the underworld fear me, and may they fight for me in their habitations. Grant thou that I may pass on my way with the godlike ones who rise up. May I be set up upon my resting-place like unto the Lord of Life; may I be joined unto Isis, the divine Lady. May the gods make me strong against him that would do harm unto me, and may no one come to see me fall helpless. May I pass over the paths, may I come into the furthermost parts of heaven. I entreat for speech with Seb, I make supplication unto Hu and unto Neb-er-tcher that the gods of the underworld may fear me, and that they may fight for me in their habitations, when they see that thou hast provided me with the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea.
“I am one of those shining ones who live in rays of light. 1 have made my form like unto the form [of the god] who cometh out and manifesteth himself in Tattu; for I have become worthy of honour by reason of his honour, and he hath spoken unto thee of the things which concern me. Surely he hath made the fear of me [to go forth], and hath created terror of me! The gods of the … [to continue in the next plate]
Chapter 78 (Continued)
underworld fear me, and they fight for me [in their habitations]. I, in very truth I am a shining one and a dweller in light, who hath been created and who hath come into being from the body of the god. I am one of the shining ones who dwell in light, whom Tmu himself hath created, and who have come into being from the eyelashes of his eye. He doth create and glorify and make noble the faces of those who live with him. Behold, the only One in Nu! They do homage unto him as he cometh forth from the horizon, and they strike fear of him into the gods and into the shining ones who have come into being with him.
“I am the One among the worms which the eye of the Lord, the only One, hath created. And lo! before Isis was, and when Horus was not yet, I had waxed strong, and flourished. I had grown old, and I had become greater than they who were among the shining ones who had come into being with him, and I, even I, arose in the form of a sacred hawk, and Horus made me worthy in the form of his own soul, to take possession of all that belongeth unto Osiris in the underworld. The double Lion-god, the warder of the things that belong to the house of the nemmes crown which is in his hiding place, saith unto me: ‘Get thee back to the heights of heaven, seeing that through Horus thou hast become glorified in thy form; the nemmes crown is not for thee; thou hast speech even unto the ends of heaven.’ I, the guardian, take possession of the things which belong to Horus and Osiris in the underworld. Horus telleth aloud unto me that which his father had said concerning me in years [gone by], on the day of the burial [of Osiris]. I have given unto thee the nemmes of the double Lion-god which I possess, that thou mayest pass onward and mayest travel over the path of heaven, and that they who dwell on the confines of the horizon may see thee, and that the gods of the underworld may fear thee and may fight for thee in their habitations. The god Auhet is of them. The gods, the lords of the boundaries of heaven, they who are the warders of the shrine of the lord, the only One, have fallen before my words, have fallen down before [my] words. Hail! He that is exalted upon his tomb is on my side, and he hath bound upon my head the nemmes crown. The double Lion-god hath decreed it, the god Auhet hath made a way for me. I, even I, am exalted, and the double Lion-god hath bound the nemmes crown on me, and my head covering hath been given unto me. He hath stablished my heart through his strength and through his great might, and I shall not fall through Shu. I am Hetep, the lord of the two uræi, the being who is adored. I know the shining god, and breath is in my body. I shall not be driven back by the Bull which causeth men to tremble, but I shall come daily into the house of the double Lion-god, and I shall come forth therefrom into the house of Isis. I shall behold sacred things which are hidden, there shall be done unto me holy hidden rites, I shall see what is there; my words shall make full the majesty of Shu, and they shall drive away evil hap. I, even I, am Horus who dwell in splendours. I have gained power over his crown, I have gained power over his radiance, and I have travelled over the remotest parts of heaven. Horus is upon his throne, Horus is upon his seat. My face is like unto that of a divine hawk. I am one who hath been armed by his lord. I have come forth from Tattu. I have seen Osiris, I have risen up on either side of him. Nut [hath shrouded me]. The gods behold me, and I have beheld the gods. The eye of Horus hath consumed me, who dwell in darkness. The gods stretch forth their arms unto me. I rise up, I get the mastery, and I drive back evil which opposeth me. The gods open unto me the holy way, they see my form, and they hear my words which I utter in their presence. O ye gods of the underworld, who set yourselves up against me, and who resist the mighty ones, the stars which never set have led me on my way. I have passed along the holy paths of the hemtet chamber unto your lord, the exceedingly mighty and terrible Soul. Horus hath commanded that ye lift up your faces to look upon me. I have risen up in the likeness of a divine hawk, and Horus hath set me apart in the likeness of his own soul, to take possession of that which belongeth unto Osiris in the underworld. I have passed along the way, I have travelled on and I have come even among those who live in their hiding places and who guard the house of Osiris. I speak unto them of his power and I make them to know the terrible power of him that is provided with two horns [to fight] against Sut; and they know who hath carried off the sacred food which the power of Tmu had brought for him. The gods of the underworld have proclaimed a happy coming for me. O Ye who live in your hiding places and who guard the house of Osiris, and who have magnified your names, grant ye that I may come unto you. I bind together and I gather up your powers, and I order the strength of the paths of those who guard the horizon of the hemtet of heaven. I have stablished their habitations for Osiris, I have ordered his ways, I have done what hath been bidden. I have come forth from Tattu, I have beheld Osiris, I have spoken unto him concerning the things of his son, the divine Prince whom he loveth. There is a wound in the heart of Set, and I have seen him who is without… [to continue in the next plate]
Chapter 78 (Continued)
life. O, I have made them to know the plans of the gods which Horus hath devised at the bidding of his father Osiris. Hail, lord, thou most terrible and mighty soul! Let me come, even me, let me lift myself up! I have opened and passed through the underworld. I have opened the paths of the warders of heaven and of the warders of the earth. I have not been driven back by them; and I have lifted up thy face, O lord of eternity.”
Chapter 87
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO SETA. Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith: “I am the serpent Seta, whose years are many. I lie down and I am born day by day. I am the serpent Seta, which dwelleth in the limits of the earth. I lie down, I am born, I renew myself, I grow young day by day.”
Chapter 88
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO A CROCODILE. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “I am the crocodile which dwelleth in terror, I am the sacred crocodile and I cause destruction. I am the great fish in Kamui. I am the lord to whom homage is paid in Sekhem; and Osiris Ani is the lord to whom homage is paid in Sekhem.”
Chapter 82
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO PTAH. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “I eat bread, I drink ale, I put on apparel, I fly like a hawk, I cackle like a goose, and I alight upon the path hard by the hill of the dead on the festival of the great Being. That which is abominable, that which is abominable, have I not eaten; and that which is foul have I not swallowed. That which my ka doth abominate hath not entered into my body. I have lived according to the knowledge of the glorious gods. I live and I get strength from their bread, I get strength when I eat it beneath the shade of the tree of Hathor, my lady. I make an offering, and I make bread in Tattu, and oblations in Annu. I array myself in the robe of the goddess Matait, and I rise up and I sit me down wheresoever my heart desireth. My head is like unto the head of Ra; when my limbs are gathered together, I am like unto Tmu. The four regions of Ra are the limits of the earth. I come forth; my tongue is like unto the tongue of Ptah, my throat is even as that of Hathor, and I tell forth the words of my father Tmu with my lips. He it is who constrained the handmaid, the wife of Seb; and unto him are bowed [all] heads, and there is fear of him. Hymns of praise are sung in honour of my mighty deeds, and I am accounted the heir of Seb, the lord of the earth, the protector. The god Seb giveth cool water, he maketh his dawnings to be mine. They who dwell in Annu bow down their heads before me, for I am their bull. I grow strong from moment to moment; my loins are made strong for millions of years.”
Chapter 85
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO THE SOUL OF TMU. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “I have not entered into the house of destruction; I have not been brought to naught, I have not known decay. I am Ra who come forth from Nu, the divine Soul, the creator of his own limbs. Sin is an abomination unto me, and I look not thereon; I cry not out against right and truth, but I have my being therein. I am the god Hu, and I never die in my name of ‘Soul.’ I have brought myself into being together with Nu in my name of ‘Khepera.’ In their forms have I come into being in the likeness of Ra. I am the lord of light.”
Chapter 83
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO A BENNU. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant in peace: “I came into being from unformed matter, I created myself in the image of the god Khepera, and I grew in the form of plants. I am hidden in the likeness of the Tortoise. I am formed out of the atoms of all the gods. I am the yesterday of the four [quarters of the world], and I am the seven uræi which came into existence in the East, the mighty one who illumineth the nations by his body. He is god in the likeness of Set; and Thoth dwelleth in the midst of them by judgment of the dweller in Sekhem and of the spirits of Annu. I sail among them, and I come; I am crowned, I am become a shining one, I am mighty, I am become holy among the gods. I am the god Khonsu who driveth back all that opposeth him.”
Chapter 84
THE CHAPTER OF CHANGING INTO A HERON. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani: “I have gotten dominion over the beasts which are brought for sacrifice, with the knife held at their heads and their hair, for those who dwell in their emerald [fields], the ancient and the shining ones who make ready the hour of Osiris Ani, triumphant in peace. He maketh slaughter upon earth, and I make slaughter upon earth. I am strong, and I have passed along the lofty path [which leadeth] unto heaven. I have made myself pure, with long strides I have gone unto my city, holding on my way to Sepu. I have stablished [the one who is] in Unnu. I have set the gods upon their places, and I have made glorious the temples of those who live in their shrines. I know the goddess Nut, I know the god Tatunen, I know Teshert, I have brought with me their horns. I know Heka, I have heard his words, I am the red calf which is limned with the pen. When they hear [my words], the gods say: ‘Let us bow down our faces, and let him come unto us; the light shineth beyond you.’ My hour is within my body. I have not spoken [evil] in the place of right and truth, and each day I advance in right and truth. I am shrouded in darkness when I sail up to celebrate the festival of the dead one, and to embalm the Aged one, the guardian of the earth—I the Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant! I have not entered into the hiding places of the starry deities. I have ascribed glory unto Osiris. I have pacified the heart of the gods who follow after him. I have not felt fear of those who cause terror, even those who dwell in their own lands. Behold, I am exalted upon [my] resting place upon my throne. I am Nu, and I shall never be overthrown by the Evil-doer. I am the god Shu who sprang from unformed matter. My soul is god; my soul is eternity. I am the creator of darkness, and I appoint unto it a resting place in the uttermost parts of heaven. I am the prince of eternity, I am the exalted one [in] Nebu. I grow young in [my] city, I grow young in my homestead. My name is ‘Never-failing.’ My name is ‘Soul, Creator of Nu, who maketh his abode in the underworld.’ My nest is not seen, and I have not broken my egg. I am lord of millions of years I have made my nest in the uttermost parts of heaven. I have come down unto the earth of Seb. I have done away with my faults. I have seen my father as the lord of Shautat. As concerning Osiris Ani, may his body dwell in Annu; may it be manifested unto those who are with the Shining One in the place of burial in Amenta…”
Chapter 81A
[THE CHAPTER OF] CHANGING INTO A LOTUS. Saith Osiris Ani: “I am the pure lotus which cometh forth from the god of light, the guardian of the nostrils of Ra, the guardian of the nose of Hathor. I advance and I hasten after him who is Horus. I am, the pure one who cometh forth from the field.”
Chapter 80
[THE CHAPTER OF] CHANGING INTO THE GOD WHO GIVETH LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant: I am the girdle of the robe of the god Nu, which shineth and sheddeth light, which abideth in his presence and sendeth forth light into the darkness, which knitteth together the two fighters who live in my body through the mighty spell of the words of my mouth, which raiseth up him that hath fallen–for he who was with him in the valley of Abtu hath fallen–and I rest. I have remembered him. I have carried away the god Hu from my city wherein I found him, and I have led away the darkness captive by my might. I have upheld the Eye [of the Sun] when its power waned at the coming of the festival of the, fifteenth day, and I have weighed Sut in the heavenly mansions beside the Aged one who is with him. I have endowed Thoth in the House of the Moon-god with all that is needful for the coming of the festival of the fifteenth day. I have carried off the ureret crown; right and truth are in my body. The months are of emerald and crystal. My homestead is among the sapphire furrows. I am the lady who sheddeth light in darkness. I have come to give forth light in darkness, and lo! it is lightened and made bright. I have illumined the blackness and I have overthrown the destroyers. I have made obeisance unto those who are in darkness, and I have raised up those who wept and who had bidden their faces and had sunk down. Then did they look upon me. I am the Lady, and I will not let you hear concerning me.”
Chapter 175
THE CHAPTER OF NOT DYING A SECOND TIME. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “Hail, Thoth! What is it that hath happened unto the holy children of Nut? They have done battle, they have upheld strife, they have done evil, they have created the fiends, they have made slaughter, they have caused trouble; in truth, in all their doings the mighty have worked against the weak. Grant, O might of Thoth, that that which the god Tmu hath decreed [may be done]! And thou regardest not evil, nor art thou provoked to anger when they bring their years to confusion and throng in and push to disturb their months; for in all that they have done unto thee they have worked iniquity in secret. I am thy writing palette, O Thoth, and I have brought unto thee thine ink jar. I am not of those who work iniquity in their secret places; let not evil happen unto me.”
Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani: (“Hail, Tmu! What manner [of land] is this into which I have come? It hath not water, it hath not air; it is deep unfathomable, it is black as the blackest night, and men wander helplessly therein. In it a man may not live in quietness of heart; nor may the longings of love be satisfied therein. But let the state of the shining ones be given unto me for water and for air and for the satisfying of the longings of love, and let quietness of heart be given unto me for bread and for ale. The god Tmu hath decreed that I shall see his face, and that I shall not suffer from the things which pain him. May the gods hand on their thrones for millions of years. Thy throne hath descended unto thy son Horus. The god Tmu hath decreed that his course shall be among the holy princes. In truth, he shall rule over thy throne, and he shall be heir of the throne of the dweller in the Lake of Fire. It hath been decreed that in me he shall see his likeness, and that my face shall look upon the lord Tmu. How long then have I to live? It is decreed that thou shalt live for millions of millions of years, a life of millions of years. May it be granted that I pass on unto the holy princes, for I am doing away with all that I did when this earth came into being from Nu, and when it sprang from the watery abyss even as it was in the days of old. I am Fate and Osiris, and I have changed my form into the likeness of divers serpents. Man knoweth not, and the gods cannot see, the two-fold beauty which I have made for Osiris, who is greater than all the gods. I have granted that he [shall rule] in the mount of the dead. Verily his son Horus is seated upon the throne of the dweller in the double Lake of Fire, as his heir. I have set his throne in the boat of millions of years. Horus is established upon his throne, amid the friends [of Osiris] and all that belonged unto him. Verily the soul of Sut, which is greater than all the gods, hath departed to [Amenta]. May it be granted that I bind his soul in the divine boat at my will… O my Osiris, thou hast done for me that which thy father Ra did for thee. May I abide upon the earth lastingly; may I keep possession of my throne; may my heir be strong; may my tomb and my friends who are upon earth flourish; may my enemies be given over to destruction and to the shackles of the goddess Serq! I am thy son, and Ra is my father. For me likewise hast thou made life, strength and health. Horus is established upon his throne. Grant that the days of my life may come unto worship and honour.”
Chapter 125
THE CHAPTER OF ENTERING INTO THE HALL OF DOUBLE RIGHT AND TRUTH: A HYMN OF PRAISE TO OSIRIS, THE DWELLER IN AMENTET. Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, saith: “I have come and I have drawn nigh to see thy beauties; my two hands are raised in adoration of thy name Right and Truth. I have drawn nigh unto the place where the acacia tree groweth not, where the tree thick with leaves existeth not, and where the ground yieldeth neither herb nor grass. And I have entered in unto the place of secret and hidden things, 1 have held converse with the god Sut… Osiris, the scribe Ani, hath entered into the House of Osiris, and he hath seen the hidden and secret things which are therein. The holy rulers of the pylons are in the form of shining ones. Anubis spake unto him with the speech of man when he came from Ta-mera, saying, ‘He knoweth our paths and our cities, I have been pacified, and the smell of him is to me even as the smell of one of you.’”
Ani saith unto him: “I am Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant in peace, triumphant! I have drawn nigh to behold the great gods, and I feed upon the meals of sacrifice whereon their kas feed. I have been to the boundaries [of the lands] of the Ram, the lord of Tattu, and he hath granted that I may come forth as a bennu bird and that I may have the power of speech. I have passed through the river-flood. I have made offerings with incense. I have made my way by the side of the thick-leaved tree of the children (?). I have been in Abtu in the House of Satet. I have flooded and I have sunk the boat of my enemies. I have sailed forth upon the Lake in the neshem boat. I have seen the noble ones of Kam-ur. I have been in Tattu, and I have constrained myself to silence. I have set the divine Form upon his two feet. I have been with the god Pa-tep-tu-f, and I have seen the dweller in the Holy Temple. I have entered into the House Of Osiris, and I have arrayed myself in the apparel of him who is therein. I have entered into Re-stau, and I have beheld the hidden things which are therein. I have been swathed, but I found for myself a thoroughfare. I have entered into An-aarut-f, and I have clothed my body with the apparel which is therein. The antu unguent of women hath been given unto me… Verily, Sut spake unto me the things which concern himself, and I said, I Let the thought of the trial of the balance by thee be even within our hearts.’”
The majesty of the god Anubis saith: “Dost thou know the name of this door to declare it unto me?” Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, triumphant in peace, saith: “‘Driven away of Shu’ is the name of this door.” Saith the majesty of the god Anubis: “Dost thou know the name of the upper leaf and of the lower leaf thereof?” [Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant in peace saith]:”‘ Lord of right and truth, [standing] upon his ‘two feet’ is the name of the upper leaf, and ‘Lord of might and power, dispenser of cattle’ [is the name of the lower leaf].” [The majesty of the god Anubis saith]: “Pass thou, for thou knowest [the names], O Osiris, the scribe, teller of the divine offerings of all the gods of Thebes, Ani, triumphant, lord to be revered.”
Plate 31-37
Chapter 125 (Continued, Also Known as ‘the Negative Confession’)
- Ani saith: “Hail, thou whose strides are long, who comest forth from Annu, I have not done iniquity.”
- “Hail, thou who art embraced by flame, who comest forth from Kheraba, I have not robbed with violence.”
- “Hail, Fentiu, who comest forth from Khemennu, I have not stolen.”
- “Hail, Devourer of the Shade, who comest forth from Qernet, I have done no murder; I have done no harm.”
- “Hail, Nehau, who comest forth from Re-stau, I have not defrauded offerings.”
- “Hail, god in the form of two lions, who comest forth from heaven, I have not minished oblations.”
- “Hail, thou whose eyes are of fire, who comest forth from Saut, I have not plundered the god.”
- “Hail, thou Flame, which comest and goest, I have spoken no lies.”
- “Hail, Crusher of bones, who comest forth from Suten-henen, I have not snatched away food.”
- “Hail, thou who shootest forth the Flame, who comest forth from Het-Ptah-ka, I have not caused pain.”
- “Hall, Qerer, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed fornication.”
- “Hail, thou whose face is turned back, who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have not caused shedding of tears.”
- “Hail, Bast, who comest forth from the secret place, I have not dealt deceitfully.”
- “Hail, thou whose legs are of fire, who comest forth out of the darkness, I have not transgressed.”
- “Hail, Devourer of Blood, who comest forth from the block of slaughter, I have not acted guilefully.”
- “Hail, Devourer of the inward parts, who comest forth from Mabet, I have not laid waste the ploughed land.”
- “Hail, Lord of Right and Truth, who comest forth from the city of Right and Truth, I have not been an eavesdropper.”
- “Hail, thou who dost stride backwards, who comest forth from the city of Bast, I have not set my lips in motion [against any man].”
- “Hail, Sertiu, who comest forth from Annu, I have not been angry and wrathful except for a just cause.”
- “Hail, thou. being of two-fold wickedness, who comest forth from Ati (?) I have not defiled the wife of any man.”
- “Hail, thou two-headed serpent, who comest forth from the torture-chamber, I have not defiled the wife of any man.”
- “Hail, thou who dost regard what is brought unto thee, who comest forth from Pa-Amsu, I have not polluted myself.”
- “Hail, thou Chief of the mighty, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not caused terror.”
- “Hail, thou Destroyer, who comest forth from Kesiu, I have not transgressed.”
- “Hail, thou who orderest speech, who comest forth from Urit, I have not burned with rage.”
- “Hail, thou Babe, who comest forth from Uab, I have not stopped my ears against the words of Right and Truth.”
- “Hail, Kenemti, who comest forth from Kenemet, I have not worked grief”
- “Hail, thou who bringest thy offering, I have not acted with insolence.”
- “Hail, thou who orderest speech, who comest forth from Unaset, I have not stirred up strife.”
- “Hail, Lord of faces, who comest forth from Netchfet, I have not judged hastily.”
- “Hail, Sekheriu, who comest forth from Utten, I have not been an eavesdropper.”
- “Hail, Lord of the two horns, who comest forth from Saïs, I have not multiplied words exceedingly.”
- “Hail, Nefer-Tmu, who comest forth from Het-Ptah-ka, I have done neither harm nor ill.”
Chapter 125 (Continued, Also Known as ‘the Negative Confession’)
- “Hail, Tmu in thine hour, who comest forth from Tattu, I have never cursed the king.”
- “Hail, thou who workest with thy will, who comest forth from Tebu, I have never fouled the water.”
- “Hail, thou bearer of the sistrum, who comest forth from Nu, I have not spoken scornfully.”
- “Hail, thou who makest mankind to flourish, who comest forth from Saïs, I have never cursed God.”
- “Flail, Neheb-ka, who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have not stolen.”
- “Hail, Neheb-nefert, who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have not defrauded the offerings of the gods.”
- “Hail, thou who dost set in order the head, who comest forth from thy shrine, I have not plundered the offerings to the blessed dead.”
- “Hail, thou who bringest thy arm, who comest forth from the city of Maati, I have not filched the food of the infant, neither have I sinned against the god of my native town.”
- “Hail, thou whose teeth are white, why comest forth from Ta-she, I have not slaughtered with evil intent the cattle of the god.”
- The hair of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the hair of Nu.
- The face of Osiris, the scribe Ani, is the face of Ra.
- The eyes of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the eyes of Hathor.
- The ears of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the ears of Ap-uat.
- The lips of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the lips of Anpu.
- The teeth of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the teeth of Serqet.
- The neck of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the neck of Isis.
- The hands of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the hands of the Ram, the lord of Tattu.
- The shoulder of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the shoulder of Uatchit.
- The throat of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the. blood of Mert.
- The fore-arms of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the fore-arms of the lady of Sais.
- The backbone of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the backbone of Sut.
- The chest of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the chest of the lords of Kher-aba.
- The flesh of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the flesh of the Mighty One of terror.
- The reins and back of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the reins and back of Sekhet.
- The buttocks of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the buttocks of the Eye of Horus.
- The privy member of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the privy member of Osiris.
- The legs of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the legs of Nut.
- The feet of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the feet of Ptah.
- The fingers of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the fingers of Saah (Orion).
- The leg-bones of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the leg-bones of the living uræi.
Chapter 155
THE CHAPTER OF A TET OF GOLD. Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith: “Thou risest, O still heart! Thou shinest, O still heart! Place thou thyself upon my side. I have come arid I have brought unto thee a tet of gold; rejoice thou in it.”
Chapter 156
THE CHAPTER OF A BUCKLE OF CARNELIAN. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “The blood of Isis, the charms of Isis, the power of Isis, are a protection unto me, the chief, and they crush that which I abhor.”
Chapter 29B
THE CHAPTER OF A HEART OF CARNELIAN. Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “I am the Bennu, the soul of Ra, and the guide of the gods into the underworld. The souls come forth upon earth to do the will of their ka’s, and the soul of Osiris Ani cometh forth to do the will of his ka.”
Chapter 166
THE CHAPTER OF THE PILLOW WHICH IS PLACED UNDER THE HEAD OF OSIRIS ANI, TRIUMPHANT, TO WARD OFF WOES FROM THE DEAD BODY OF OSIRIS. [Ani saith]: “Lift up thy head to the heavens, for I have knit thee together triumphantly. Ptah hath overthrown his foes and thine; all his enemies have fallen, and they shall never more rise up again, O Osiris.”
Chapter 151
[Isis saith:] “I have come to be a protector unto thee. I waft unto thee air for thy nostrils, and the north wind, which cometh forth from the god Tmu, unto thy nose I have made whole thy lungs. I have made thee to be like unto a god. Thine enemies have fallen beneath thy feet. Thou hast been made victorious in Nut, and thou art mighty to prevail with the gods.”
[Nephthys saith:] “I have gone round about to protect thee, brother Osiris; 1 have come to be a protector unto thee. [My strength shall be behind thee, my strength shall be behind thee, for ever. Ra hath heard thy cry, and the gods have granted that thou shouldst be victorious. Thou art raised up, and thou art victorious over that which hath been done unto thee. Ptah hath thrown down thy foes, and thou art Horus, the son of Hathor.]”
[The flame of Isis saith:] “I protect thee with this flame, and I drive away him (the foe) from the valley of the tomb, and I drive away the sand from thy feet. I embrace Osiris Ani, who is triumphant in peace and in right and truth.”
[The flame of Nephthys saith:] “I have come to hew in pieces. I am not hewn in pieces, nor will I suffer thee to be hewn in pieces. I have come to do violence, but I will not let violence be done unto thee, for I am protecting thee.”
[The Tet saith:] “I have come quickly, and I have driven back the footsteps of the god whose face is hidden. I have illumined his sanctuary. I stand behind the sacred Tet or, the day of repulsing disaster. I protect thee, O Osiris.”
[Mestha saith:] I am Mestha, thy son, O Osiris Ani, triumphant. I have come to protect thee, and I will make thine abode to flourish everlastingly. I have commanded Ptah, even as Ra himself commanded him.”
[Hapi saith:] “I am Hapi thy son, O Osiris Ani, triumphant. I have come to protect thee. Thy head and thy limbs are knit together; and I have smitten down thine enemies beneath thee. I have given unto thee thy head for ever and for ever, O Osiris Ani, triumphant in peace.”
[Tuamautef saith:] “I am thy beloved son Horus. I have come to avenge thee, O my father Osiris, upon him that did evil unto thee; and I have put him under thy feet for ever, and for ever, and for ever; O Osiris Ani, triumphant in peace.”
[Qebhsennuf saith:] “I am thy son, O Osiris Ani, triumphant. I have come to protect thee. I have collected thy bones, and I have gathered together thy members. ”
[The bird which faceth the setting sun saith]: “Praise be to Ra when he setteth in the western part of heaven. Osiris Ani, triumphant in peace in the underworld, saith: ‘I am a perfected soul,’”
[The bird which faceth the rising sun saith]: “Praise be to Ra when he riseth in the eastern part of heaven from Osiris Ani, triumphant.”
[The Perfected Soul saith]: “I am a perfected soul in the holy egg of the abtu fish. I am the great cat which dwelleth in the seat of right and truth wherein riseth the god Shu.”
[The text near the Ushabti Figure (Chapter VI.) reads]: Osiris Ani, the overseer, triumphant, saith: “Hail, shabti figure! If it be decreed that Osiris [Ani] shall do any of the work which is to be done in the underworld, let all that standeth in the way be removed from before him; whether it be to plough the fields, or to fill the channels with water, or to carry sand from [the East to the West].” The shabti figure replies: “I will do [it]; verily I am here [when] thou callest.”
Chapter 110
HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF THE SEKHET-HETEPU, AND THE CHAPTERS OF COMING FORTH BY DAY, AND OF GOING INTO AND OF COMING OUT FROM THE UNDERWORLD, AND OF ARRIVING IN THE SEKHET AANRU, AND OF BEING IN PEACE IN THE GREAT CITY WHEREIN ARE FRESH BREEZES. Let me have power there. Let me become strong to plough there. Let me reap there. Let me eat there. Let me drink there. [Let me woo there.] And let me do all these things there, even as they are done upon earth.
Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “Set hath carried away Horus to see what is being built in the Field of Peace, and he spreadeth the air over the divine soul within the egg in its day. He hath delivered the innermost part of the body of Horus from the holy ones of Akert. Behold I have sailed in the mighty boat on the Lake of Peace. I, even I, have crowned him in the House of Shu. His starry abode reneweth its youth, reneweth its youth. I have sailed on its Lake that I may come unto its cities, and I have drawn nigh It unto the city Hetep. For behold, I repose at the seasons [of Horus]. I have passed through the region of the company of the gods who are aged and venerable. 1 have pacified the two holy Fighters who keep ward upon life. I have done that which is right and fair, and I have brought an offering and have pacified the two holy Fighters. I have cut off the hairy scalp of their adversaries, and I have made aft end of the woes which befel [their] children; I have done away all the evil which came against their souls; I have gotten dominion over it, 1 have knowledge thereof. I have sailed forth on the waters [of the lake] that I may come unto the cities thereof. I have power over my mouth, being furnished [with] charms; let not. [the fiends] get the mastery over me, let them not have dominion over me. May I be equipped in thy Fields of Peace. What thou wishest that shalt thou do, [saith the god].”
Chapter 148
Saith Osiris Ani, triumphant: “Homage to thee, O thou lord, thou lord of right and truth, the One, the lord of eternity and creator of everlastingness, I have come unto thee, O my lord Ra. I have made meat offerings unto the seven kine and unto their bull. O ye who give cakes and ale to the shining ones, grant ye to my soul to be with you. May Osiris Ani, triumphant, be born upon your thighs; may he be like unto one of you for ever and for ever; and may he become a glorious being in the beautiful Amenta.”
[Address to the Rudders]:
- “Hail, thou beautiful Power, thou beautiful it rudder of the northern heaven.”
- “Hail, thou who goest round about heaven, thou pilot of the world, thou beautiful rudder of the western heaven.”
- “Hail, thou shining one, who livest in the temple wherein are the gods in visible forms, thou beautiful rudder of the eastern heaven.”
- “Hail, thou who dwellest in the temple of the bright-faced ones, thou it beautiful rudder of the southern heaven.”
[Address to the four Triads]:
- “Hail, ye gods who are above the earth, ye pilots of the underworld.”
- “Hail, ye mother-gods who are above the earth, who are in the underworld, and who are in the House of Osiris.”
- “Hail, ye gods, ye pilots of Tasert, ye who are above the earth, ye pilots of the underworld.”
- “Hail, ye followers of Ra, who are in the train of Osiris.”
Chapter 185
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO OSIRIS THE DWELLER IN AMENTET, UN-NEFER WITHIN ABTU, Osiris Ani, triumphant, saith: Hail, O my lord, who dost traverse eternity, and whose existence endureth for ever. Hail, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Prince, the God of gods who live with Thee, I have come unto Thee Make thou for me a seat with those who are in the underworld, and who adore the images of thy ka and who are among those who [endure] for millions of millions of years… May no delay arise for me in Ta-mera. Grant thou that they all may come unto me, great as well as small. Mayest thou grant unto the ka of Osiris Ani [the power] to go into and to come forth from the underworld; and suffer him not to be driven back at the gates of the Tuat.”
Chapter 186
Hathor, lady of Amentet, dweller in the land of Urt, lady of Ta-sert, the Eye of Ra, the dweller in his brow, the beautiful Face in the Boat of Millions of Years…
Conclusion
“The Egyptian Book of the Dead stands as one of the seminal works of religious literature — not simply of Egyptology and the ancient world, but of all human history — for its unique contribution to human conceptualizations and beliefs in the afterlife.”
– Dr. Christopher Woods, Professor of Sumerian & Director of the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago
The Book of the Dead continues to inspire those interested in Egyptology, history, or the afterlife with the spells that depict mystical Egyptian beliefs. However, for an owner of the Book of the Dead (in this case, Ani), all that mattered was whether they qualified for the afterlife – the Book of the Dead is, after all, about life or, more specifically, the eternal life of soul after death.
Interest in the Book of the Dead continues up until today – in July 2021, archaeologists managed to digitally reunite two fragments of a 2,300-year-old linen mummy wrapping, half a world apart, from a Book of the Dead. A digital image of one segment was catalogued on an open-source online database by the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Employees from the Getty Research Institute (GRI) in Los Angeles who saw the image then realised that a section in their collections fit perfectly with the piece from the University of Canterbury.
Sources:
- https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Book_of_the_Dead/
- https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/egipto/ani/default.htm
- https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-egyptian-book-of-the-dead-tejal-gala
- https://archive.org/details/papyrusanireprod01budg
- https://zsitchinindex.wordpress.com/2016/03/15/the-book-of-the-dead-papyrus-of-ani/
- http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=tomb+of+ani&images=true
- Budge, E. A. (1913). The papyrus of Ani: A reproduction in facsimile, edited, with hieroglyphic transcript, translation, and introduction. London: Philip Lee Warner.
- Budge, E.A. Wallis; Romer, John (2008). The Egyptian Book of the Dead. United States: Penguin Classics. p. xxxiii.
Faulkner, R. O., & Goelet, O. (2015). The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. - Scalf, F., & Lowry, K. B. (2017). Book of the dead: Becoming god in ancient Egypt. Chicago: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
For more interesting information:
- The Science & Mysteries category on my blog
- The Mysterious Bermuda Triangle
- The World of Chinese Ghosts
- The Devil
- Legends of Mount Shasta
- The Dalai Lama Explains What Extraterrestrial Bodies Look Like
- Interesting Signs of Reincarnation
- The Power of Sak Yant
- Archaeologists Unearth Tomb Of Genghis Khan
- Are angels ancient aliens??
- Something simple for the deceased
- The Dying Process
- I spoke about Death Meditation in more detail
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Interest read of Ancient Egypt which is one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations in world history. It is usually held to have begun around 3000 BCE, when the lower Nile Valley. As its civilization began in Africa along the Nile River and lasted over 3,000 years. Wow… its from 3150 BCE to 30 BCE. In the Book of the Dead, ancient Egyptian collection of mortuary texts which is made up of spells and magic formulas. They are then placed in tombs and believed to protect and aid the deceased. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is so important for the Egyptian as it gives insight aspects of the soul believed to live on after death. Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a cache of treasures, including more than 50 wooden sarcophagi, a funerary temple dedicated to an Old Kingdom queen. They also discovered a 13-foot-long Book of the Dead scroll at the Saqqara necropolis, a vast burial ground south of Cairo. To many of the Egyptian the book is a modern term to describe a series of ancient Egyptian funerary spells that helped the deceased find their way to the afterlife. It is an ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus which is then placed in tombs and graves with the dead . Even paintings and inscriptions were inscribed on the walls and inner chamber of the pyramids during the period of the Old Kingdom. Egyptian culture left a lasting legacy on the world with its unique contribution to human conceptualizations and beliefs in the afterlife. Interesting read , to those interested in Egyptology, history. In the Book of the Dead had inspired many archaeologists to continue with their research work to this day.
Very long article I will continue reading again just half way through. Great knowledge to know about it.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Shin for his sharing.