ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD
Introduction;
What we call the
Egyptian Book of the Dead was known to the Egyptians as Reu
nu
pert
em
hru translated
that means The Chapters of coming forth by
day. It is a collection of chapters made
up of magic spells and formulas. It was illustrated and written on
papyrus. These papyri were commissioned by the deceased before their
death. Like most products these text came in different qualities. You
could commission the finest quality papyrus money could buy or you
could purchase one "off the rack" and have a scribe fill in the
blanks with your name.
. . . .
This collection of
funerary chapters began to appear in Egyptian tombs around 1600 BC.
It can be thought of as the deceased's guidebook to a happy
afterlife. The text was intended to be read by the deceased during
their journey into the Underworld. It enabled the deceased to
overcome obstacles and not lose their way. It did this by teaching
passwords, giving clues, and revealing routes that would allow the
deceased to answer questions and navigate around hazards. It would
grant the help and protection of the gods while proclaiming the
deceased's identity with the gods. The Papyrus of Ani is one of the
finest and most complete examples of this type of Egyptian funerary
text to survive. The Papyrus of Ani now resides in The British
Museum, London.
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