Egyptological term used to refer to the funerary text known to the Egyptians as the ‘spell for coming forth by day’. It was introduced at the end of the Second Intermediate Period and consisted of about tw o hundred spells (or ‘chapters’), over half of w'hich were derived directly from the earlier pyramid ’I’KXT. s or COFFIN TEX’I'.S.
Such ‘netherworld’ texts as the Book of the Dead were usually inscribed on papyri, although certain small extracts were inscribed on A. MULETS. Chapter 30a, for example, was known as the ‘spell for not letting the deceased’s heart create opposition against him in the realm of the dead’ and was commonly inscribed on i ieart scarabs, while a version of Chapter 6 was inscribed on siiabti figures so that they might perform corvee work on behalf of the deceased.
Chapter 125, the section of the Book of the Dead that was most commonly illustrated by a vignette, shows the last judgement of the deceased before osiRis and the forty-two ‘judges’ representing aspects of maat (‘divine order’). The judgement took the form of the weighing of the heart of the deceased against the feather of Maat. An important element of the ritual was the calling of each judge by name, while giving the relevant ‘negative confession’, such as: ‘O Far Strider who came forth from Heliopolis, I have done no falsehood; O Fire-embracer who came forth from Kherarha, I have not robbed; O Nosey who came forth from Hermopolis, I have not been rapacious.’ The desired outcome of these negative confessions was that the deceased was declared ‘true of voice’ and introduced into the realm of the deceased. Although vignettes always optimistically depict a successful outcome, the demon ammut (‘the devourer of the dead’) w'as usually shown awaiting those who might fail the test.
The Book of the Dead was often simply placed in the coffin, but it could also be roiled up and inserted into a statuette of Sokar-Osiris or even incorporated into the mummy bandaging. The texts could be written in the FnEROGLYPIlIC, llIERA'nC or DEMOTIC ScriptS. Since most wealthy individuals were provided with Books of the Dead, numerous copies have survived.
R. O. Faulkner, The ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, cd. C. .Andrews (London, 1985).
E. Hornung, Idea into image, trans. E. Bredcck (New York, 1992), 95-113.
World History
