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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 157 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 19 (part 4)

The draught-board of the ancient Egyptians is often a rectangular wooden box, the top divided into squares, containing a drawer in which the men are kept (British Museum, No. 21,576). Draught-boards were also made of blue glazed faïence , and bone or ivory (British Museum, No. 21,577). The draughtsmen n are of wood, bone, ivory, glazed faïence , or stone, and have at times the heads of lions 1) (British Museum, Nos. 13,417, 21,580, 21,581); jackals (British Museum, Nos. 604 b , 24,660-66); and of the god Bes (British Museum, Nos. 6413 c , 24,667-75). No. 6414 a is inscribed with the prenomen of Necho II. 2, I.e. , the Sun-god when he sets and rises. 3. Supplied from the Papyrus of Nebseni. See British Museum papyrus No. 9900; Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd. II., Pl. xxxi. 4 See supra , p. 273, note 3. 5. Adding ### or ### from the variant readings given by Naville. 6. Some papyri read Unnu ; on this town, see Brugsch, Dict. Géog. , p. 146. 7. Shu was the son of Ra and Hathor and the twin-brother of Tefnut. He typified the sunlight, and separated the earth from the sky, which he established and supported. For a drawing of Shu and his four supports, see Lanzone, Dizionario , tav. 385. 8. See Brugsch, Dict. Géog. , p. 749. 9. I.e. , " substance of the gods."] (13) Who then is this? It is Tmu in his disk, or (as others say), It is Ra in (14) his rising in the eastern horizon of heaven. "I am Yesterday; I know (15) Tomorrow." Who then is this? Yesterday is Osiris, and (16) Tomorrow is Ra, on the day when he shall destroy the (17) enemies of Neb-er-tcher, and when he shall stablish as prince and ruler (18) his son Horus, or (as others say), on the day when we commemorate the festival (19) of the meeting of the dead Osiris with his father Ra, and when the battle of the (20) gods was fought in which Osiris, lord of Amentet, was the leader. What then is this? (21) It is Amentet, [that is to say] the creation of the souls of the gods when Osiris was leader in Set-Amentet; or (22) (as others say), Amentet is that which Ra hath given unto me; when any god cometh, he doth arise and (23) doeth battle for it. "I know the god who dwelleth therein." (24) Who then is this? It is Osiris," or (as others say), Ra is his name, even Ra (25) the self-created. "I am the bennu bird (26) which is in Annu, and I am the keeper of the volume of the book of things which are and of things which shall be." Who (27) then is this? It is Osiris, or (as others say), It is his dead body, or (as others say), (28) It is his filth. The things which are are and the things which shall be are his dead body; or (as others say), (29) They are eternity and everlastingness.
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Themes
Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

References are made to the battle of gods and the destruction of enemies on a specific day of reckoning.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

Salvation and power are contingent upon specific knowledge ('I know the god who dwelleth therein', 'I know Tomorrow').

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The passage includes variant readings and esoteric identifications ('as others say') reserved for the initiated.

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Maat Cosmic Ordercosmology

The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike.

The text describes Ra destroying enemies and establishing order, reflecting the Egyptian principle of Maat as truth and balance against chaos.

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Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

The text presents temporal paradoxes such as 'Yesterday is Osiris, and Tomorrow is Ra' to convey divine identity.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

The declarative statements ('I am...', 'Who then is this?') function as liturgical spells or prayers for the deceased.

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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.

The text mentions the festival of the meeting of the dead Osiris with his father Ra, implying a reunion.

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Sacred Namestheology

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

The passage emphasizes knowing the true names and identities of gods (Osiris, Ra, Tmu) as a source of power and recognition.

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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 identifies themselves with divine figures ('It is Osiris', 'I am the bennu bird'), seeking to become like the gods.

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Related passages · 10 parallels
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