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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 168 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 20 (part 3)

I am the son of Osiris, I have made the way, I have passed thereover into Neter-khert." PLATE XII.-- Vignette V.: The fifth Arit, guarded by three gods; the first with the head of a hawk, the second the head of a man, and the third the head of a snake. Each holds a knife. [1. I.e. , "Eater of his own filth." 2. I.e. , "Making to lift up his face." 3. I.e. , "Great One." 4. I.e. , Horus and Set. 5. Var. ###. See the end of the speech of the Osiris at the first arit . 6. I.e. , "Repulsing the face, great of speech." 7 Var. ### 8. I.e. , "Repulser of the crocodile."] Text: (1) THE FIFTH ARIT. The (2) name of the doorkeeper is Ankh-f-em-fent;[1] the name of the (3) watcher is Shabu; the name of the herald is Teb-hra-keha-kheft.[2] Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, triumphant, [when he cometh to this Arit]: I have brought unto thee the bones of thy jaws in Re-stau, I have brought thee thy backbone in Annu, (7) gathering together all thy members there. (8) I have driven back Apep for thee. I have poured water upon the wounds; I have made a path among you. I am the Ancient One among the gods. I have[3] made the offering of Osiris, who hath triumphed with victory, gathering his bones and bringing together all his limbs." Vignette VI.: The sixth Arit, guarded by three gods; the first with the head of a jackal, and the second and third the head of a dog. The first holds an ear of corn (?), and each of the others a knife. Text: (I) THE SIXTH ARIT. (2) The name of the doorkeeper is Atek-au-kehaq-kheru;[4] the name of the (4) watcher is An-hri; (5) the name of the herald is Ates-hra. Saith Osiris, the scribe Ani, [when he cometh to this Arit]: "I have come (7) daily, I have come daily. I have made the way; I have passed along that which was created by Anubis. I am the lord of the (8) urerit crown . . . . . . . magical words. I, the avenger of right and truth, have avenged his eye. I have swathed the eye of Osiris, [I have] made the way]; Osiris Ani hath passed along [it] with you . . . . . . . . Vignette VII.: The seventh Arit, guarded by three gods; the first with the head of a hare, the second the head of a lion, and the third the head of a man. The first and second hold a knife, and the third an ear of corn (?). Text: (1) THE SEVENTH ARIT. The name of (2) the doorkeeper is Sekhem-Matenu-sen;[5] the name Of (4) the watcher is Aa-maa-kheru,[6] (5) and the name of the herald is Khesef-khemi. Saith Osiris, [the scribe] Ani, [when he cometh to this Arit]: (6) "I have come [1. I.e.
Themes
Mystical Unionsoteriology

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

The speaker identifies himself as the son of Osiris and the Ancient One among the gods, merging his identity with the divine.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

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

[auto] The vignette describes guardian gods with heads of a hawk, a man, and a snake, attributing physical forms to deities.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] This passage is from the Book of the Dead and explicitly details the deceased navigating the Fifth Arit gate with specific rituals and declarations.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] The text describes the soul's guided passage through afterlife realms, encountering doorkeepers and watchers at a specific gate.

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Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The passage explicitly lists the names of the doorkeeper, watcher, and herald as essential knowledge for the deceased to proceed.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

[auto] Ani declares he has passed into Neter-khert, indicating a staged journey upward through heavenly realms toward the divine.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1g
When the gods, his fathers, beheld the fulfillment of his word, They rejoiced, and they did homage unto him, saying, " Marduk is king!" They bestowed upon him the scepter, and the throne, and the ring, They give him an invincible weapony wh…”
Both passages describe a divine figure overcoming a chaotic force and restoring order. In Passage A, Osiris and Ani navigate through the afterlife, overcoming obstacles and restoring the divine order. In Passage B, Marduk battles Tiamat to establish his kingship and restore cosmic order. Both texts involve divine journeys, battles against chaos, and the restoration of order.
mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1i
He opened great gates on both sides, He made strong the bolt on the left and on the right. In the midst thereof he fixed the zenith; The Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him. He appointed him, a being of the ni…”
Both passages describe a journey through a series of gates or thresholds guarded by deities, involving rituals and invocations to ensure safe passage. They share themes of divine intervention, protection, and the restoration of order, reflecting a common mystical concern with the afterlife and the divine.
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 has power over life and death, and who has triumphed over evil forces. They also share themes of creation, purification, and the establishment of order.
mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1k
May he hold the Beginning and the Future, may they pay homage unto him, Saying, "He who forced his way through the midst of Tiamat without resting, Let his name be Nibiru, 'the Seizer of the Midst'! For the stars of heaven he upheld the pa…”
Both passages describe a divine figure overcoming a chaotic force (Apep in Passage A and Tiamat in Passage B) and establishing order, reflecting a common theme of cosmic struggle and divine triumph in mystical traditions.