The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 182 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge
Chapter 23 (part 4)
May the Shenit ,[2] who make men to stand fast, not cause my name to stink."[3] Vignette: Ani holding his soul in the form of a human-headed bird.
Text: [CHAPTER LXI.] (I) CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE SOUL OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD.
Osiris the scribe Ani saith: "I, even I, am he (2) who came forth from the water-flood which I make to overflow and which becometh mighty as the River [Nile]." Appendix; In many early papyri the text of Chapter LXI.
forms part of a longer composition which M.
Naville calls Chapters LXI.,[4] LX.,[5] and LXII.,[6] and which reads:-- (1) CHAPTER OF DRINKING WATER IN THE UNDERWORLD.
[He saith]: "I, even I, am he who cometh forth from (2) Seb.
The flood hath been given unto him, [1.
This chapter is usually accompanied by a vignette.
In that in the papyrus of Nebseni the deceased is being weighed against his own heart; an ape, "Thoth, lord of the Balance," seated on a pedestal, holds the tongue of the balance.
In British Museum Papyrus No.
9964 the deceased is also weighed against his own heart, but at the same time a figure of himself is also watching the process.
In the papyrus of Sutimes a square weight lies in each pan of the scales.
Other vignettes have simply a scarab, or the deceased addressing his heart, which rests on a standard.
See Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd.
I., Bl.
43.
2.
A class of divine beings.
3.
The chapter as here given is incomplete; the missing words are: "pleasant for us, pleasant is the hearing, and there is gladness of heart at the weighing of words.
Let not lies be spoken against me near the god, in the presence of the great god, the lord of Amentet.
Verily, how great shalt thou be when thou risest up in triumph!" 4.
The vignette represents the deceased on his knees embracing his soul.
5.
Vignette: a man kneeling and holding a lotus.
6.
Vignettes: the deceased scooping water with his hands out of a tank.] and he hath gotten power over it as Hapi.
I, even I, open the (3) two doors of heaven: and the two doors of the watery abyss have been opened unto me by Thoth and by Hapi, the divine twin sons of heaven, (4) who are mighty in splendours.
O grant ye that I may gain power over the water, even as Set overcame his foes on the day(?) (5) when he terrified the world.
I have passed by the great ones shoulder against shoulder, even as they have passed by that great and splendid god who is (6) provided [with all things] and whose name is unknown.
I have passed by the mighty one of the shoulder.
(7) The flood of Osiris hath been passed through by me, and Thoth-Hapi-Tmu, the lord of the horizon, hath opened unto me the flood in his name, 'Thoth, the cleaver of the earth.' (8) I have gained power over the water, even as Set gained power over his foes.
I have sailed over heaven.
I am Ra.
I am the Lion-god.
I am the young bull (9).
I have devoured the Thigh, I have seized the flesh.
I have gone round about the streams in Seket-Aru.
Themes
◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
Survival in the underworld depends on knowing the correct formulas and identities ('I, even I, am he').
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 Ani repeatedly identifies himself with divine beings, stating 'I am Ra' and 'I am the Lion-god'.
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 spells function as ritual actions intended to compel divine powers to open doors and grant power over the flood.
The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike.
[auto] The passage references the weighing of the heart against truth and the prohibition of lies, central to the Egyptian concept of Maat.