← Home
The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 175 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 21 (part 1)

PLATE XIII. Vignettes (Upper register): A pylon, or gateway, surmounted by the feathers of Maat and uræi wearing disks. (Lower register): A pylon, surmounted by Anubis and an utchat . Text [CHAPTER XVIII.]: [" (1) Hail Thoth, who madest Osiris (2) victorious over his enemies, make thou Osiris [the scribe Ani] to be victorious over his enemies, as thou didst make Osiris victorious over his enemies' in the presence of (3) the godlike rulers who are with Ra and Osiris in Annu, on the night of 'the things for the night,'[2] and on the night of battle, and (4) on the shackling of the fiends, and on the day of the destruction of Neb-er-tcher."][3] §A. Vignette: The gods Tmu, Shut Tefnut, Osiris,[4] and Thoth. Text: (1) The great godlike rulers in Annu are Tmu, Shu, Tefnut [Osiris, and Thoth], (2) and the shackling of the Sebau signifieth the destruction of the fiends of Set when he worketh evil (3) a second time. "Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris (4) Ani to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the great divine beings who are in Tattu, on the night of making the Tat to stand up in Tattu." [1. I.e. , the Fields of Peace. 2. The words are explained to mean, "the daybreak on the sarcophagus of Osiris." 3. This section, omitted in the Ani papyrus, is supplied from the papyrus of Nebseni. 4. This god is omitted from the copy of this chapter given on Plate XXIII.] §B. Vignette: The gods Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus. Text: (1) The great godlike rulers in Tattu are Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus, the avenger of his father. Now the "night of making the Tat to stand (2) Up in Tattu" signifieth [the lifting up of] the arm and shoulder of Osiris, lord of Sekhem; and these gods stand behind Osiris [to protect him] even as the swathings; which clothe[1] him. (3) "Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani triumphant over his enemies (4) in the presence of the great godlike rulers who are in Sekhem, on the night of the things of the night [festival] in Sekhem." §C. Vignette: The gods Osiris and Horus, two utchats upon pylons, and the god Thoth. Text: (1) The great godlike rulers who are in Sekhem are Horus, who is without sight, and Thoth, who is with the godlike rulers in Naarerutf. (2) Now the "night of the things of the night festival in Sekhem" signifieth the light of the rising sun on the coffin of Osiris. "Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious (3) over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani triumphant over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike rulers in Pe and Tep,[2] on the (4) night of setting up the columns of Horus, and of making him to be established the heir of the things which belonged to his father." §D.
Themes
◆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 vignettes explicitly feature the feathers of Maat surmounting the pylon, symbolizing the cosmic order required for the deceased's success.

All passages →
◆Mystical Unionsoteriology

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

The goal expressed is for Ani to become 'the Osiris,' merging his identity with the divine figure of resurrection.

All passages →
◆Prayerpraxis

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

The text consists of direct petitions and invocations addressed to the gods, such as 'Hail Thoth... make thou...'

All passages →
◆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 text repeatedly petitions Thoth to 'make thou the Osiris Ani,' indicating a process where the deceased is transformed into or identified with the god.

All passages →
◆Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

The passage describes ritual spells and vignettes intended to actively engage divine powers to secure victory over enemies in the afterlife.

All passages →
◇Anthropomorphismtheology

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

[auto] The vignettes describe deities with human or animal forms such as Anubis and feathered pylons.

All passages →
◇Asha Cosmic Ordercosmology

Truth as the fundamental structure of reality.

[auto] The feathers of Maat symbolize truth and order as the fundamental structure of reality.

All passages →
◇Cosmic Dualismtheology

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

[auto] The text depicts a conflict between the forces of order (Osiris/Maat) and chaos (Set/fiends).

All passages →
◇Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] This passage is from the Book of the Dead, explicitly designed to guide the deceased soul through the perils of the afterlife.

All passages →
◇Living Godtheology

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

[auto] Deities like Thoth are portrayed as active agents who intervene to make the deceased victorious.

All passages →
◇Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] Anubis is depicted in the vignette, serving as a guide for the soul's passage through the afterlife realms.

All passages →
◇Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The invocation of Thoth and Osiris relies on the ontological power of their names to secure victory for Ani.

All passages →
Related passages · 1 parallel
◆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 divine judgment scene where the righteous are vindicated and the unrighteous are punished. They share a common theme of divine intervention and the triumph of the righteous, though they come from different mystical traditions.