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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 185 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 24 (part 1)

PLATE XVI. Vignette: Ani standing, with both hands raised in prayer, before four gods who are seated on a pedestal in the form of Maat; before him is his heart set upon a pedestal. Text [CHAPTER XXVII.]: (I) THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. Saith Osiris Ani: "Hail, ye who carry away hearts, [hail] ye who steal hearts! (2) ye have done. Homage to you, O ye lords of eternity, ye possessors of everlastingness, " take ye not away this heart of Osiris Ani (3) in your grasp, this heart of Osiris. And cause ye not evil words to spring up against it; because this heart of Osiris Ani is the heart of the one of many names, the mighty one whose words are his limbs, and who sendeth forth his heart to dwell in (4) his body. {???} heart of Osiris Ani is pleasant unto the gods; he is victorious, he hath {???} gotten power over it; he hath not revealed what hath been done unto it. He {???} gotten power (5) over his own limbs. His heart obeyeth him, he is the lord thereof, it is in his body, and it shall never fall away therefrom. I, Osiris, the scribe Ani, victorious in peace, and triumphant in the beautiful Amenta and on the mountain of eternity, bid thee be obedient unto me in the underworld." Appendix: The three following chapters, which do not occur in the Ani papyrus, form part of the group of the chapters relating to the heart. They are here supplied from Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd. I., Pl. xl., xlii., xxxix. [1. In Naville's edition there follow the words hab-nef ab-f xenti xat-f temam ab-f er neteru sexem am-f , "his heart goeth to inhabit his body; his heart is perfect before the gods, he gaineth possession of it." 2. The reading of Naville's edition is better here. "Ye who steal hearts, and who make the heart of a man to come into existence according to that which hath been done by him; may it ( i.e. , his heart) be made strong by you."] Text [CHAPTER XXIX A .]: (1) THE CHAPTER OF THE HEART NOT BEING CARRIED AWAY IN THE UNDERWORLD. He saith: "My heart (2) is with me, and it shall never come to pass that it shall be carried away. I am the lord of hearts, the slayer of the heart. (3) I live in right and in truth, and I have my being therein. I am Horus, a pure heart (4) within a pure body. I live by my word, and my heart doth live. Let not my heart be taken away (5), let it not be wounded, and may no wounds or gashes be dealt upon me because it hath been taken away from me. (6) May I exist in the body of my father Seb, and in the body of my mother Nut. I have not done evil (7) against the gods; I have not sinned with boasting." Vignette: The deceased adoring a heart. Text [CHAPTER XXX A .]: (I) THE CHAPTER OF NOT (2) LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM HIM IN THE UNDERWORLD. [He saith]: "My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother. My heart of my life upon earth.
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

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

[auto] The vignette description depicts the deceased and gods in human form, standing or seated with raised hands.

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Fasting And Prayerpraxis

Ascetic disciplines that prepare the body and mind for spiritual receptivity or purification.

The vignette description explicitly mentions Ani standing with hands raised in prayer.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The passage is a chapter from the Book of the Dead explicitly designed to guide the deceased through the underworld and protect their heart during judgment.

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Living Godtheology

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

The deities are addressed directly as active agents capable of taking or sparing the heart.

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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.

[auto] The text explicitly references Maat in the vignette and emphasizes living in 'right and in truth' as central to the deceased's standing.

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Prayerpraxis

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

The vignette depicts Ani with hands raised in prayer, and the text consists of direct addresses to gods.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] The text addresses entities in the underworld who might take the heart, implying a guided passage through afterlife realms where such dangers exist.

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Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics

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

The text explicitly denies sinning 'with boasting', implying a critique of outward pride without inner truth.

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Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The text invokes the power of names, referring to Ani as 'the one of many names' and using the name Osiris Ani for magical protection.

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Self Examinationpraxis

Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.

The deceased reviews his moral conduct, stating 'I have not done evil' and 'I have not sinned'.

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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 deceased identifies himself with Osiris and Horus ('I am Horus'), reflecting a form of divine assimilation.

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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 text employs ritual spells and commands ('bid thee be obedient') to engage divine powers for the deceased's benefit.

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