Chapter 6 (part 1)

THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL LIFE. Egyptian belief in a future life. The doctrine of eternal life in the VIth dynasty. The ideas and beliefs which the Egyptians held in reference to a future existence are not readily to be defined, owing to the many difficulties in translating religious texts and in harmonizing the statements made in different works of different periods. Some confusion of details also seems to have existed in the minds of the Egyptians themselves, which cannot be cleared up until the literature of the subject has been further studied and until more texts have been published. That the Egyptians believed in a future life of some kind is certain; and the doctrine of eternal existence is the leading feature of their religion, and is enunciated with the utmost clearness in all periods. Whether this belief had its origin at Annu, the chief city of the worship of the sun-god, is not certain, but is very probable; for already in the pyramid texts we find the idea of everlasting life associated with the sun's existence, and Pepi I. is said to be "the Giver of life, stability, power, health, and all joy of heart, like the Sun, living for ever."[1] The sun rose each day in renewed strength and vigour, and the renewal of youth in a future life was the aim and object of every Egyptian believer. To this end all the religious literature of Egypt was composed. Let us take the following extracts from texts of the VIth dynasty as illustrations:-- 1. ha Unas an sem-nek as met-th sem-nek anxet Hail Unas, not hast thou gone, behold, [as] one dead, thou hast gone [as] one living hems her xent Ausar. to sit upon the throne of Osiris.[2] [1. ### Recueil de Travaux , t. v., p. 167 (1. 65). 2. Recueil Travaux , t. iii., p. 201 (1. 206). The context runs "Thy Sceptre is in thy hand, and thou givest commands unto the living ones. The Mekes and Nehbet sceptres are in thy hand, and thou givest commands unto those whose abodes are secret."] {p. lvi} 2. O Ra-Tum i-nek sa-k i-nek Unas . . . . . . sa-k pu en O Ra-Turn, cometh to thee thy son, cometh to thee Unas . . . . . thy son is this of t'et-k en t'etta thy body for ever.[1] 3. Tem sa-k pu penen Ausar ta-nek set'eb-f anx-f anx-f O Turn, thy son is this Osiris; thou hast given his sustenance and he liveth; he liveth, anx Unas pen an mit-f an mit Unas pen and liveth Unas this; not dieth he, not dieth Unas this.[2] 4. hetep Unas em anx em Amenta Setteth Unas in life in Amenta.[3] 5. au am-nef saa en neter neb ahau pa neheh t'er-f He[4] hath eaten the knowledge of god every, [his] existence is for all eternity pa t'etta em sah-f pen en merer-f ari-f mest'et'-f and to everlasting in his sah [5] this; what he willeth he doeth, [what] he hateth an ari-nef not doth he do.[6] [1. Recueil Travaux , t. iii., p. 208 (ll. 232, 233). 2. Recueil de Travaux , t. iii., p. 209 (l. 240) 3. Ibid.