The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 139 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge
Chapter 17 (part 2)
Behind them, upon a cubit-shaped base, is a house with four windows in its upper half, and upon the roof two triangular projections similar to those which admit air into modern houses in the East.
Before the door are a sycamore (?) tree and a palm tree, with clusters of fruit; on the left is the god Osiris on his throne, and behind him stands "Maat, mistress of the two countries, daughter of Ra," above whom are two outstretched female arms proceeding from a mountain and holding a disk between the hands.
In the centre, between Osiris and the deceased, is a pool of water with three sycamore (?) trees on each side, and at each corner a palm tree bearing clusters of dates; and from it there springs a vine laden with bunches of grapes.
In British Museum papyrus No.
10,472 the god seated in the shrine wears the crown of the god Tanen, and is called "Ptah-Seker-Ausar, within the hidden place, great god, lord of Ta-sert, king of eternity, prince of the everlasting." Text: Saith Horus, the son of Isis: "I have come unto thee, O Unnefer, and I have brought the Osiris Ani unto thee.
His heart is [found] righteous coming forth from the balance, and it hath not sinned against god or goddess.
Thoth hath weighed it according to the decree uttered unto him by the company of the gods; and it is very true and righteous.
Grant him cakes and ale; and let him enter into the presence of Osiris; and may he be like unto the followers of Horus for ever." Behold, Osiris Ani saith: "O Lord of Amentet (the underworld), I am in thy presence.
There is no sin in me, I have not lied wittingly, nor have I done aught with a false heart.
Grant that I may be like unto those favoured ones who are round about thee, and that I may be an Osiris, greatly favoured of the beautiful god and beloved of the lord of the world, [I] the royal scribe indeed, who loveth him Ani, triumphant before the god Osiris." Appendix: The usual title of this chapter [XXX B .] is, "Chapter of not allowing the heart of [the deceased] to be driven away from him in the underworld."[1] it is an address by the deceased to his own heart, which he calls his ka or "double" within his body.
It should be accompanied by a vignette of the trial of the heart in which the heart is weighed against the dead man himself, as in the ancient Nebseni papyrus.
In the Ani papyrus, however, it will be observed that the heart is being weighed against the feather of the Law, Maat, a scene which often accompanies Chapter CXXV.
Interesting variants of the vignettes of Chapter XXX B .
are given by Naville ( Todtenbuch , Bd.
I., Bl.
43), where we find the deceased addressing either his heart placed on a stand, or a beetle, or a heart to which are attached the antennæ of a beetle.
In certain papyri this chapter is followed by a rubric:--"[This chapter is] to be said over a scarab[2] of green stone encircled with smu metal, and [having] a ring of silver, which is to be placed upon the neck of the dead.
This chapter was found in Khemennu.[3] [1.
### 2.
Chapter XXX A .
is never found inscribed upon scarabs.
3.
I.e.
Themes
◆Theosis Deificationsoteriology
The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.
The deceased petitions to become an Osiris and be like the followers of Horus, indicating transformation into divine status.
The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike.
[auto] The passage explicitly centers on Maat as the feather of Law against which the heart is weighed to determine righteousness.