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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 52 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 6 (part 8)

i-nek ba-k am neteru Cometh to thee thy soul which is among the gods.[4] 5. uab ba-k am neteru Pure is thy soul among the gods.[5] 6. anx Ausar anx ba din Netat anx Pepi pen As liveth Osiris, and as liveth the soul in Netat, so liveth Pepi this.[6] 7. ta-s baiu-k Pepi pen xent paut neteru em It[7] placeth thy soul Pepi this among the greater and lesser cycles of the gods in tut arat am-tha hat-k the form of the uræi [which] are on thy brow.[8] [1. I.e. , the soul of the gods. 2 Recueil de Travaux , t. iv., p. 61 (l. 522). 3 Recueil de Travaux , t. v-, p. 55 (l. 350), and see Pepi I., ll. 19, 20. 4 Ibid. , t. v., p. 16o (l. 13). 5 Recueil de Travaux , t. v., p. 175 0. 113). 6 Ibid. , t. v., p. 183 (l. 166). 7 I.e. , the Eye of Horus. 8 Ibid. , t. v., p. 184 (l. 167).] {p. lxvi} 8. ha Pepi pen ba-k baiu Annu as ba-k baiu Behold Pepi this, thy soul is the soul of Annu; behold thy soul is the soul Nexen as ba-k baiu Pe as ba-k seb anx as of Nekhen; behold thy soul is the soul of Pe; behold thy soul is a star living, behold, xent senu-f among its brethren.[1] The khaibit or shadow. In connection with the ka and ba must be mentioned the khaibit or shadow of the man, which the Egyptians regarded as a part of the human economy. It may be compared with the {Greek skia' } and umbra of the Greeks and Romans. It was supposed to have an entirely independent existence and to be able to separate itself from the body; it was free to move wherever it pleased, and, like the ka and ba , it partook of the funeral offerings in the tomb, which it visited at will. The mention of the shade, whether of a god or man, in the pyramid texts is unfrequent, and it is not easy to ascertain what views were held concerning it; but from the passage in the text of Unas,[2] where it is mentioned together with the souls and spirits and bones of the gods, it is evident that already at that early date its position in relation to man was well defined. From the collection of illustrations which Dr. Birch appended to his paper On the Shade or Shadow of the Dead ,[3] it is quite clear that in later times at least the shadow was always associated with the soul and was believed to be always near it; and this view is [1. Recueil de Travaux , t. v., p. 184 (l. 168). 2. Recueil de Travaux , p.62 (l. 523). 3. See Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch. , vol. viii., p. 386-97.] {p.
Themes
Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

[auto] The soul is described as a 'star living', associating the deceased with luminous divine qualities.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The passage is from the Book of the Dead, a text explicitly designed to guide the soul through death and into the afterlife.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] Deities are addressed as living entities ('as liveth Osiris'), portraying the divine as active and personal.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] The text declares the deceased's soul is identical to the souls of gods like Annu and Nekhen, indicating a merging with the divine.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

[auto] The soul is described as coming to and being placed among the gods, suggesting a return to a divine origin or state.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

[auto] The text explicitly states 'Pure is thy soul among the gods', emphasizing purity as a condition for divine association.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

[auto] The passage invokes specific divine names (Osiris, Annu, Nekhen) to effect the transformation and validation of the deceased's existence.

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Related passages · 6 parallels
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This light moderates the action of the fiery will still active in them, the blessings of their good deeds surround them, the hope for still greater glorification is their life, and from the trouble and persecution which they have suffered t…”
Both passages discuss the nature and fate of the soul after death, emphasizing its purity, its connection to the divine, and the rewards or joys it experiences. They share a mystical perspective on the soul's journey and its ultimate union with the divine, though they come from different religious traditions.
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Section 4 4. So it is with the individual souls; the appetite for the divine Intellect urges them to return to their source, but they have, too, a power apt to administration in this lower sphere; they may be compared to the light attached…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine or higher realms. They explore the soul's journey, its connection to the divine, and its existence in both higher and lower spheres, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.
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Section 1 1. That the Soul of every individual is one thing we deduce from the fact that it is present entire at every point of the body- the sign of veritable unity- not some part of it here and another part there. In all sensitive beings…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine and the material world. The Egyptian Book of the Dead describes the soul's journey and its connection to the gods, while Plotinus discusses the soul's desire to return to its divine source and its administration in the lower sphere. Both texts explore the dual nature of the soul and its interactions with different realms.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 418
Section 2 2. Let every soul recall, then, at the outset the truth that soul is the author of all living things, that it has breathed the life into them all, whatever is nourished by earth and sea, all the creatures of the air, the divine st…”
Both passages discuss the nature and significance of the soul, emphasizing its divine origin and its role in animating and connecting all living things. They share a mystical perspective on the soul's eternal and honourable nature, though they come from different cultural and religious traditions.
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Section 7 7. We must be more explicit: The Intellectual-Principle stands as the image of The One, firstly because there is a certain necessity that the first should have its offspring, carrying onward much of its quality, in other words th…”
Both passages discuss the nature and role of the soul in relation to the divine and the cosmos. They emphasize the soul's connection to the gods and its role in animating and giving life to the universe, though they come from different mystical traditions.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 644
Section 5 5. Man, thus, must be some Reason-Principle other than soul. But why should he not be some conjoint- a soul in a certain Reason-Principle- the Reason-Principle being, as it were, a definite activity which however could not exist w…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine or higher principles. The Egyptian Book of the Dead describes the soul's purity and its place among the gods, while Plotinus discusses the soul as a Reason-Principle and its role in shaping human existence. Both texts explore the concept of the soul's connection to higher realms and its transformative power.