The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 190 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge
Chapter 25 (part 2)
Saith Osiris Ani: "Hail, thou god Annitu!
Hail, O Runner, (2) dwelling in thy hall!
O thou great god, grant thou " that my soul may come unto me from wheresoever it may be.
If it would tarry, then bring thou unto me (3) my soul from wheresoever it may be.
[ If] thou findest [me], O Eye of Horus, make thou me to stand up like those beings who are like unto Osiris and who never lie down in death.
Let not (4) Osiris Ani, triumphant, triumphant, lie down in death in Annu, the land wherein souls are joined unto their bodies, even in thousands.
My soul doth bear away with it my victorious spirit (5) whithersoever it goeth[1] .
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(6) If it would tarry, grant thou that my soul may look upon my body.
[If] thou findest [me], O Eye of Horus, make thou me to stand up like unto those[1] .
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(7) Hail, ye gods, who row in the boat of the lord of millions of years, who tow it (8) above the underworld, who make it to pass over the ways of Nu, who make souls to enter into their glorified bodies, (9) whose hands are filled with righteousness, and whose fingers grasp your sceptres, destroy ye (10) the foe.
The boat of the Sun rejoiceth, and the great god advanceth in peace.
Behold [ye gods], grant that this soul of Osiris Ani (11) may come forth triumphant before the gods, and triumphant before you, from the eastern horizon of heaven, to follow unto the place where it was yesterday, in peace, in peace, in Amenta.
(12) May he behold his body, may he rest in his glorified frame, may he never perish, and may his body never see corruption." Rubric: To be said over a golden [figure of a] soul inlaid with precious stones, which is to be placed on the neck of Osiris.
Vignette: Ani's soul, in the form of a human-headed bird, standing in front of a pylon.[2] [1.
Some words are omitted here.
2.
The three following variants show: (1) the soul flying through the door of the tomb to the deceased; (2) the deceased, accompanied by his soul, standing at the open door of the tomb; and (3) the deceased, with his soul hovering over him, standing with his back to the door of the tomb, upon which is the disk of the rayed sun.
{Illustrations} ] Text [CHAPTER XCI.]: (I) THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE SOUL OF A MAN BE CAPTIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD.
Saith Osiris Ani: "Hail thou who art exalted, thou who art adored, (2) thou mighty one of souls, thou Ram (or Soul), possessor of terrible power, who dost put fear of thee into the hearts of the gods, thou who art crowned upon thy mighty throne!
It is he who maketh the path for the khu and for (3) the soul of Osiris Ani.
I am furnished [with that which I need], I am a khu furnished [with that which I need], I have made my way unto the place wherein are Ra and Hathor." Rubric: If this chapter be known, Ani shall become like unto a shining being fully equipped in the underworld.
He shall not be stopped at any door in the underworld from going in and coming out millions of times.
Themes
◆Divine Marriagesoteriology
The reunification of complementary divine principles (male-female, spirit-matter) as a symbol of wholeness and salvation.
Chapter LXXXIX focuses centrally on the reunification of the soul with its body as a necessary condition for wholeness and salvation.
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 goal is for the deceased to stand 'like unto Osiris' and rest in a 'glorified frame,' indicating transformation into a divine state.
All passages →◇Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
[auto] Divine beings are described with human characteristics such as hands, dwelling in halls, and rowing boats.
All passages →◇Funerary Navigationpraxis
Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.
[auto] The passage is explicitly a chapter from the Book of the Dead designed to guide the soul through the underworld and ensure its survival.
All passages →◇Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
[auto] The gods are portrayed as active, responsive agents who grant requests and perform actions like rowing and making souls stand.
All passages →◇Prayerpraxis
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
[auto] The text consists almost entirely of direct petitions and invocations addressed to various deities (e.g., 'Hail, thou god Annitu!', 'Grant thou').
All passages →◇Psychopomp Journeycosmology
Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.
[auto] The text describes gods rowing a boat and guiding souls to pass over the ways of Nu and enter glorified bodies.
All passages →◇Sacred Namestheology
Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.
[auto] The passage relies on invoking specific divine names and titles such as Annitu, Eye of Horus, and Osiris Ani to effect magical change.
All passages →◇Spiritual Ascentpraxis
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
[auto] The deceased petitions to stand up and pass over the ways of Nu, indicating a movement upward or forward through the afterlife realms.
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.
[auto] The rubric specifies a ritual action involving a material object ('golden figure of a soul... placed on the neck') to engage divine power directly.
All passages →◇Tripartite Soulanthropology
Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).
[auto] The text distinguishes between the soul, the victorious spirit, and the body as distinct components of the human being.
All passages →Related passages · 16 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 14 (part 7)
“This light moderates the action of the fiery will still active in them, the blessings of their good deeds surround them, the hope for still greater glorification is their life, and from the trouble and persecution which they have suffered t…”
Both passages discuss the union of the soul with the body after death and the concept of a glorified or celestial body. They also emphasize the importance of righteous deeds and the joy or victory that awaits the soul in the afterlife.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 14 (part 11)
“309 As a matter of course, no dead soul can be made alive by prayer, neither can mere lip-prayer or any empty ceremony aid the soul in freeing herself from the bonds of matter, but the living may aid the "dead," and especially the dying, by…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's journey and the role of intercession or prayer in aiding the soul. Passage A focuses on Christian prayer and its effect on the soul's liberation from darkness, while Passage B describes ancient Egyptian rituals and invocations to reunite the soul with the body in the afterlife. Both share the theme of spiritual aid for the soul in the afterlife.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document FIRSTu
“Now therefore let all the gates rejoice.
Seek ye all after the Light, that may live the power of your soul which is in you: because the Light heard the (things of) matter and it would not leave any matter which it did not purge.
Let the s…”
Both passages deal with the theme of the soul's journey and its reunion with the body, as well as the intervention of divine entities to aid in this process. They share a mystical focus on the afterlife and the transcendence of the soul.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document FIRSTw
“My mouth was full of glory, that I should say the mystery of thy [54 ] greatness at every time.
Now therefore, O Light, leave me not in the Chaos for the completion of all my time.
Leave me not behind thee O Light, because they took away…”
Both passages express a plea for divine intervention and protection, with the speakers seeking the restoration of their light or soul. They share themes of redemption, deliverance from darkness, and the restoration of power or spiritual essence.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document THIRDs
“Concerning this word therefore my Lord, which thou saidst unto us once, (Become) being reconciled with thine enemy while thou art on the road with him, lest-haply thine enemy should give thee to the judge, and the judge should give thee to…”
Both passages deal with the journey of the soul after death and the importance of spiritual knowledge or rituals to ensure a favorable outcome. They share a common theme of the soul's need for guidance and protection in the afterlife, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document THIRD{
“These therefore having said them the Saviour, sprang up forward Maria, said she, My Lord, there is ear of my Light-dweller, and I understood all the word which thou saidst: concerning this word therefore which thou saidst unto us once in a…”
Both passages deal with the theme of the soul's journey and the importance of spiritual preparation. They emphasize the need for the soul to be ready and to receive divine mysteries or teachings to ensure a favorable outcome in the afterlife.
◆gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document THIRD
“And I shall say unto you the name of the counterfeit spirit, and I shall say unto you the name of the Fate, and I shall say unto you the name of all the bonds, these in which are wont the Rulers to bind the counterfeit spirit in unto the so…”
Both passages deal with the concept of the soul's liberation and its journey towards a higher state of being. They share themes of redemption, the soul's struggle against forces that bind it, and the ultimate goal of achieving a pure, enlightened state.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 1: Poimandres|Section 1f
“All this befell me from my Mind, that is Man-Shepherd, Word (Logos) of all masterhood, by whom being God-inspired I came unto the Plain of Truth.
Wherefore with all my soul and strength thanksgiving give I unto Father-God.
31.
Holy art T…”
Both passages express a deep desire for spiritual unity and transcendence, with Passage A focusing on the awakening of the soul and union with the divine through gnosis, and Passage B focusing on the reunification of the soul with the body in the afterlife. Both texts employ a reverent and prayerful tone, seeking divine intervention and guidance.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1c
“For that the soul who hath no knowledge of the things that are, or knowledge of their nature, or of Good, is blinded by the body's passions and tossed about.
This wretched soul, not knowing what she is, becomes the slave of bodies of stran…”
Both passages discuss the soul's journey and its union with the body, emphasizing the importance of knowledge or righteousness for the soul's well-being. The Egyptian Book of the Dead focuses on the soul's reunion with the body in the afterlife, while the Hermetic text emphasizes the soul's virtue of Gnosis (knowledge) for achieving divinity.
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XV
“CHAPTER XV. 1. And He answered and said to me, and I heard His voice: 'Fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man and scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear my voice. 2. And go, say to ⌈⌈ the Watchers of heaven ⌉⌉ , who have sent thee t…”
Both passages deal with the theme of the soul's journey and its connection to the body, as well as the intervention of divine entities. The Egyptian Book of the Dead focuses on the soul's return to the body and protection in the afterlife, while the Book of Enoch discusses the fate of the spirits of the giants and their impact on the earth. Both texts involve a dialogue with divine figures and emphasize the importance of the soul's state and actions.
6 more
◆mandaean|Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth|Section 16
“When Messiah said this, Yahyā cries aloud; tears come to him without
ceasing, and he speaks: "[God] forbid that the high King of Light should look
for lot in deceivers. The soul is not like the blood, that it should become
heated in the bod…”
Both passages deal with the soul's journey after death and the desire for the soul to reunite with the body or be properly clothed for its journey. They share a common theme of the soul's transcendence and the need for divine intervention or preparation.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 406
“Section 6 6. Something besides a unity there must be or all would be indiscernibly buried, shapeless within that unbroken whole: none of the real beings [of the Intellectual Kosmos] would exist if that unity remained at halt within itself:…”
Both passages explore the concept of the soul's relationship with the body and its journey in the afterlife. They share a mystical focus on the soul's unity with the body and its transcendence, though they come from different cultural and religious contexts.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 410
“Section 1 1. That the Soul of every individual is one thing we deduce from the fact that it is present entire at every point of the body- the sign of veritable unity- not some part of it here and another part there. In all sensitive beings…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's journey and its connection to the body or the divine intellect. The Egyptian Book of the Dead focuses on the soul's reunion with the body in the afterlife, while Plotinus discusses the soul's descent and ascent between the intellectual and material realms. Both share a mystical concern with the soul's transcendence and its relationship to a higher reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 418
“Section 2 2. Let every soul recall, then, at the outset the truth that soul is the author of all living things, that it has breathed the life into them all, whatever is nourished by earth and sea, all the creatures of the air, the divine st…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of the soul and its connection to the divine and the afterlife. They share a common theme of the soul's journey and its role in the cosmic order, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 423 (part 1)
“Section 7 7.
We must be more explicit: The Intellectual-Principle stands as the image of The One, firstly because there is a certain necessity that the first should have its offspring, carrying onward much of its quality, in other words th…”
Both passages emphasize the unity and eternal nature of the soul, and its role in animating and giving life to the body and the universe. They also share a focus on the soul's journey and its connection to divine entities.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fourth Dialoguec
“Whence he says, "Come not back to me till thou art mine," and not unworthily may I say with that other— Thou has left me, oh, my heart, And thou, light of my eyes, art no more with me.
Here he describes the death of the soul, which by the…”
Both passages explore the concept of the soul's journey and its longing for union with the divine. They describe the soul's suffering and its aspiration towards the infinite or the divine, reflecting a deep mystical yearning common in various spiritual traditions.