The Egyptian Book Of

The Dead

The great Egyptian funerary work called pert em hru properly meaning "coming forth by day" or "manifested in the light." The work consists of collections of spells which was believed to aid the dead in the crossing to the next life.

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

Its theme is thaumaturgic as its purpose is to protect the dead from dangers which they face when attempting to reach the other world. The spells were usually found on papyrus or leather in intimate association with the corpse - - beside of it in the coffin, actually inside the mummy wrappings, or inserted inside of a small statue of a funerary deity.

Origin and Development• The earliest examples of the Book of the Dead

are from the 18th dynasty (1570-1304 BC).• These were the so-called Pyramid Texts

inscribed on inner chamber walls of 5th, 6th, and 8th dynasty rulers. These Pyramid Texts insured the survival only of the pharaoh whose name they contained and his subjects over whom he would rule in the Hereafter.

–Until the final era of the Old Kingdom (2664-2155 BC) there is little knowledge of the funerary liturgy for the ordinary Egyptian. His hope for survival is suggested by the fact from earliest times he was buried in a substantial grave which his wealth would provide; and accompanying his body would be ornaments, weapons, food and beverage, clothing and cosmetics.

• The Coffin Texts, which are selections from the Pyramid Texts, were found in coffins from the late 6th dynasty (2341-2181 BC) until the Middle Kingdom (2051-1756 BC). When coffins became mummy-shaped at the beginning of the 18th century it was more convenient to set the incantations on papyrus, and the Book of the Dead proper began developing. There are discovered copies from all sequential periods of Egyptian history, with the latest being Roman in date.

Form: • Most of the texts of the Book of the Dead are arranged in vertical columns and often are written in simplified linear hieroglyphs or in old-fashioned hieratic script.

• The number and order of the spells varied greatly in the 18th and 19 dynasty versions of the Book of the Dead apparently on the command or wishes of the person commissioning the copy.

• There are presently over 200 spells, but not all are contained in any one discovered papyrus.

Concepts of the Hereafter:• A New Kingdom book (1554-1075 BC)

entitled the Book of What Is in the Netherworld describes Hereafter as a subterranean region completely devoid of light during the day. An area divided into 12 regions, each called a "cavern" and ruled by a king whose subjects are "spirits."The many sections are connected by a great river similar to the Nile. Along this river during the night, sails a boat of the sun god bringing light and joy to the dwellers of the underground regions.

• In one part were several islands, and Osiris held court on one of them. It was in the "Hall of the Two Truths" that the trails of the deceased were held. If the deceased could prove his worthiness he was ferried across the waters where he could pursue a peaceful existence of plowing, reaping, and threshing, or having these things done for him by servants who was bound to work for him at his request.

Selected Spells:

• The Book of the Dead contains a variety of hymns, magic formulae, litanies, incantations, prayers, and words of power which clearly was to be recited with the intent of helping the decease to overcome obstacles which might prevent him from achieving the above objectives.

• Spell 1b, gives the body power to enter the Hereafter immediately after burial.

• Spells 2-4 give the decease the power to revisit the earth, visit the gods, and travel in the sky.

• Spell 6 binds the funerary statuette on which it was painted or carved to "volunteer" to perform any labors required of its master or mistress in the Hereafter.

• Spells 21-23 secured the help of several gods in "opening the mouth" of the deceased, enabling him to perform such functions as breathing and eating.

• Spell 25 restored the deceased’s memory, 42 put every part of the body under the protection of a god or goddess, 43 protected the body from decapitation, 44, prevented the deceased from dying a second time, and 130-131 enable to use the boats of sunrise and sunset.

• Spell 154 has an address to Osiris by the deceased that partially said: "I continue to exist, I continue to exist, alive, alive, enduring, enduring. I awake in peace untroubled. I shall not parish younder… My skull shall not suffer, my ear shall not become deaf, my head shall not leave my neck, my tongue shall not be taken, my hair shall not be cut off, my eyebrows shall not fall off. No harm shall happen to my corpse. It shall not pass away, it shall not parish, from this land forever, and ever."

• The deceased is required to make his own defense. He first addresses Osiris in words that are part hymn and part spell.

• Next he begins addressing the 42 deities denying various faults to each.

• Lastly the dead person addresses his heart, beseeching it not to bear witness against him. It is at this point in his trial that the deceased loses all control of his defense.

Summary:• So it can be seen that according to the general outline of the

Book of the Dead that it was thought that even in the afterlife the person still might scheme and coerce if he possessed the right knowledge. Such knowledge laid in the spells and hymns of the book which a few was along with him least he would not forget them. First he needed the knowledge to fight off the dangers which he probably would face along his journey to the realm of the blessed. As in most Egyptian mythology the dead would combat malignant spirits and other dangers. Also, he needed the knowledge to influence or coerce the deities judging him at his trial in the Hall of Two Truths. The work abounds with magical references. This is why many are of the opinion that the material in the work gives the conception that stipulation is mingled with the idea of circumvention by sorcery in the most extraordinary manner.

Cricelyn D. MagamongMAT-ENGLISHreporter

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