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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 162 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 19 (part 9)

, the "house of cloth," was a district belonging to the temple of Suten-henen or Heracleopolis in Upper Egypt.] Ubes-hra-per-em-khet khet,[l] and Maa (106) -em-qerh-an-nef-em-hru.[2] The chief of the holy ones (107) who minister in his chamber is Horus, the avenger of his father. As to the day (108) [upon which was said] " Come therefore thither," it concerneth the words, "Come (109) then thither," which Ra spake unto Osiris. Lo, may this be decreed for me in Amentet. "I am the soul which dwelleth in the two (110) tchafi ." What then is this? It is Osiris [when] he goeth into Tattu (111) and findeth there the soul of Ra; there the one god (112) embraceth the other, and souls spring into being within the two tchafi .[3] ["I am the Cat which fought (?) by the Persea tree hard by in Annu, on the night when the foes of Neb-er-tcher were destroyed."] What then is this? The male cat is Ra himself, and he is called Maau[4] by reason of the speech of the god Sa [who said] concerning him: "He is like ( maau ) unto that which he hath made, and his name became Maau"; or (as others say), It is Shu who maketh over the possessions of Seb to Osiris. As to the fight (?) by the Persea tree hard by, in Annu, it concerneth the children of impotent revolt when justice is wrought on them for what they have done. As to [the words] "that night of the battle," they concern the inroad [of the children of impotent revolt] into the eastern part of heaven, whereupon there arose a battle in heaven and in all the earth. "O thou who art in the egg (i.e., Ra), who shinest from thy disk and risest in thy horizon, and dost shine like gold above the sky, like unto whom there is none among the gods, who sailest over the pillars of Shu ( i.e. , the ether), who givest blasts of fire from thy mouth, [who makest the two lands bright with thy radiance, deliver] the faithful worshippers from the god whose forms are hidden, whose eyebrows are like unto the two arms of the balance on the night of the reckoning of destruction." [1. I.e. , "Blazing-face coming forth, going back." 2 I.e. , "The one who seeth by night, and leadeth by day." 3 This reading differs from that of any other papyrus of this period. After the words, "spring into being within the two tchafi ," the papyrus of Nebseni has, "It is Horus, the avenger of his father, and Horus-khenti-en-maa," or (as others say), "'the two souls within the tchafi' are the soul of Ra [and] the soul of Osiris, [or] the soul which is in Shu and the soul which is in Tefnut, that is, the two souls which are in Tattu." It appears that the scribe of the Ani papyrus has here accidentally omitted a long section; the text is therefore supplied within brackets from the Nebseni papyrus, plate xiv., 1. 16 ff. 4. Note the play upon the words maau , "cat," and maau , "like."] Who then is this? It is An-a-f, the god who bringeth his arm.
Themes
◆Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

The passage mentions the destruction of 'foes' and 'impotent revolt', suggesting a conflict between order and chaos.

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◆Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The meanings of the names and actions are concealed until revealed by the text ('What then is this?').

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◇Active Contemplationpraxis

A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.

[auto] The 'I am' formulas function as meditative identifications using imagery to align the self with divine power.

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◇Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] Divine beings are described with human or animal forms and roles (Horus as avenger, Ra as a Cat).

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◇Divine Marriagesoteriology

The reunification of complementary divine principles (male-female, spirit-matter) as a symbol of wholeness and salvation.

[auto] The text describes a moment where 'the one god embraceth the other' (Osiris and Ra), symbolizing a union of divine principles.

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◇Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The text is from the Book of the Dead and explicitly discusses decrees for Amentet and guiding the soul through the afterlife.

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◇Hidden Sayingssoteriology

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

[auto] The passage follows a riddle format ('What then is this?') revealing esoteric meanings behind names and actions reserved for the initiated.

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◇Living Godtheology

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

[auto] The deities are depicted as active agents who speak, fight, embrace, and decree justice.

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◇Mystical Unionsoteriology

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

[auto] The text describes the merging of souls ('souls spring into being within the two tchafi') and the speaker's identification with gods.

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◇Paradox As Teachingethics

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

[auto] The text uses a question-and-answer riddle structure to destabilize ordinary understanding and reveal deeper truths.

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◇Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] Horus is mentioned as the chief minister in the chamber, guiding or overseeing the deceased's passage to Amentet.

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◇Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The passage explains the etymological power and identity of names like 'Maau' and 'Ra', central to Egyptian magical efficacy.

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◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] The speaker identifies with divine archetypes ('I am the soul...', 'I am the Cat...'), asserting a true nature through knowledge of identity.

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Related passages · 1 parallel
◆mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1j
“Tutu [Marduk] is "He who created them anew"; Should their wants be pure, then are they satisfied; Should he make an incantation, then are the gods appeased; Should they attack him in anger, he withstandeth their onslaught! Let him therefor…”
Both passages describe a divine figure who is central to the creation and maintenance of the cosmic order. They also emphasize the role of this figure in judgment and the afterlife, highlighting themes of divine justice and the interplay between different deities.