← Home
The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 174 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 20 (part 9)

Grant ye that he may be with you for all time." (1) The adoration of Osiris, lord of Re-stau, and of the great company of the gods who are in the netherworld beside Osiris, the scribe Ani, who saith: (2) "Homage to thee, O ruler of Amenta, Unnefer within Abtu! I have come unto thee, and my heart holdeth right and truth. (3) There is no sin in my body; nor have I lied wilfully, nor have I done aught with a false heart. Grant thou to me food in the tomb, (4) and that I may come into [thy] presence at the altar of the lords of right and truth, and that I may enter into and come forth from the netherworld (my soul not being turned back), and that I may behold the face of the Sun, and that I may behold the Moon (5) for ever and ever." Vignette (Lower register): The priest Se-mer-f[3] who has on the right side of his head the lock of Heru-pa-khrat and wears a leopard's skin, introducing Ani and his wife to the gods whose names are given in Plates XIII. and XIV. [1. This and its companion vignette and the vignettes of Plates XIII.-XIV. form one composition. 2. Osiris is also called An-maut-f; see Lepsius, Todtenbuch , chap. cxlii., 1. 7. 3. For the functions of this priest see above, p. 268.] Text: Se-mer-f saith (1) I have come unto you, O godlike rulers who are in Re-stau, and I have brought unto you Osiris Ani. Grant ye [to him], as to the followers of Horus, cakes and water, and air, and a homestead in Sekhet-Hetep."[l] (1) The adoration of Osiris, the lord of everlastingness, and of all the godlike rulers of Re-stau, by Osiris, [the scribe Ani], who (2) saith: "Homage to thee, O king of Amenta, prince of Akert, I have come unto thee. I know thy ways, (3) I am furnished with the forms which thou takest in the underworld. Grant thou to me a place in the underworld near unto the lords (4) of right and truth. May my homestead be abiding in Sekhet-hetep, and may I receive cakes in thy presence."
Themes
Asha Cosmic Ordercosmology

Truth as the fundamental structure of reality.

[auto] The passage repeatedly invokes 'right and truth' (Ma'at) as the standard for judgment and the domain of the gods.

All passages →
Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The text is explicitly from the Book of the Dead and details rituals and prayers to guide the deceased Ani through the netherworld.

All passages →
Living Godtheology

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

[auto] Osiris and the gods are addressed as active rulers who can grant food, presence, and access to celestial bodies.

All passages →
Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] The vignette describes a priest introducing Ani to the gods, facilitating his passage into and out of the netherworld.

All passages →
Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics

Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.

[auto] Ani explicitly denies lying wilfully or acting with a 'false heart', emphasizing inner truth over outward appearance.

All passages →
Ritual Puritypraxis

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

[auto] Ani declares 'no sin in my body' and a heart holding truth as prerequisites for entering the divine presence.

All passages →
Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The passage invokes specific divine names and titles such as Osiris, Re-stau, Amenta, and Abtu to establish connection.

All passages →
Self Examinationpraxis

Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.

[auto] The text features a negative confession where Ani reviews his actions to assert innocence before the gods.

All passages →
Related passages · 5 parallels
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXII
LXII. Judgement of the Kings and the Mighty: Blessedness of the Righteous . CHAPTER LXII. 1. And thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted, and those who dwell on the earth, and said: 'Open your eyes and lift up your…”
Both passages describe a judgment scene where the righteous are rewarded and the unrighteous are punished. They share the theme of divine justice and the ultimate triumph of the righteous, though they come from different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXXXI
LXXXI. The Heavenly Tablets and the Mission of Enoch . CHAPTER LXXXI. 1. And he said unto me: 'Observe, Enoch, these heavenly tablets, And read what is written thereon, And mark every individual fact.' p. 108 2 And I observed the heavenly t…”
Both passages express a desire for righteousness and a connection with the divine in the afterlife. They share themes of adoration, righteous living, and the hope for a blessed existence in the presence of the divine, though they come from different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Greater Holy Assembly (Idra Rabba Qadisha)|Idra Rabba, Chapter 1 (part 2)
1 12. "For it is written, Deut. xxxiii. 29: 'Blessed art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee?' Also it is written, Exod. xv. 11: 'Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Tetragrammaton?'" 2 13. He called Rabbi Eleazer, his son, and…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of righteousness and divine favor. The Egyptian Book of the Dead highlights the speaker's purity and desire for eternal life, while the Idra Rabba discusses the fear and love of God, and the importance of spiritual firmness and secrecy. Both texts seek to align the individual with divine will and seek eternal blessings.
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 involve a plea to divine beings for favor and protection, with the individual (Ani in Passage A and Marduk in Passage B) seeking recognition, provision, and a place in the divine realm. They share themes of divine justice, righteousness, and the afterlife.
mesopotamian|Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet XI — The Flood|Tablet XI, Section 1a
THE ELEVENTH TABLET. THE FLOOD. . Gilgamish unto him spake, to Uta-Napishtim the Distant: "Uta-Napishtim, upon thee I gaze, (yet) in no wise thy presence Strange is, (for) thou art like me, and in no wise different art thou; 5. Thou art…”
[auto] Quest for immortality: Gilgamish petitioning the divine assembly for everlasting life parallels Ani seeking eternal life in the afterlife.