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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 223 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 38 (part 3)

. . . . . . I have not behaved myself with arrogance (?). (40) Hail, Neheb-kau, who comest forth from thy city, I have not been overweeningly proud. (40) Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have never magnified my condition beyond what was fitting. (42) Hail, thou who bringest thine arm, who comest forth from Aukert, I have never slighted the god in my town." In the Nebseni papyrus (Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd. I., Bll. 137, 138), the CXXVth Chapter ends as follows:-- (2) "Homage to you, O ye gods, I know You, (3) and I know your names. Cast me not down to your (4) knives of slaughter, and bring not my wickedness into the presence of the god whom ye follow, (5) and let not the time of my failings come before you. I pray you, declare me right and true in the presence of the (6) universal God, because I have done that which is right and true in Ta-mera; I have not cursed the god . . . . . . . "Homage to you, O ye gods who live in your hall Of (7) Right and Truth, and who have no evil in your bodies, who feed on your own substance in (8) the presence of Horus who liveth in his disk, deliver ye me from Baabi, who feedeth on the inwards of the mighty ones on the day of the great judgment which shall be holden by you. (9) I have come unto you; I have committed no faults; I have not sinned; I have done no evil; I have accused no man falsely; therefore let nothing be done against me. I live in right and truth, (10) and I feed my heart upon right and truth. That which men have bidden I have done, and the gods are satisfied thereat. I have pacified the god, for I have done his (11) will. I have given bread unto the hungry and water unto those who thirst, clothing unto the naked, and a boat unto the shipwrecked mariner. (12) I have made holy offerings unto the gods; and I have given meals of the tomb to the sainted dead. O, then, deliver ye me, and protect me; accuse me not before the great god. (13) I am pure of mouth, and I am pure of hands. May those who see me say, 'Come in peace, come in peace.' For I have heard the speech which the Ass held with the Cat in the House of Hept-re. (14) 1 have borne witness before him [the god] and he hath given judgment. I have beheld the dividing of the persea trees (15) within Re-stau. I offer up prayers in the presence of the gods, knowing that which concerneth them. I have come forward to make a declaration of right and truth, and to place (16) the balance upon its supports within the groves of amaranth. Hail, thou who art exalted upon thy resting place, thou lord of the atef crown, who declarest thy name as the lord of the (17) winds, deliver thou me from thine angels of destruction, who make dire deeds to happen and calamities to arise, and (18) who have no covering upon their faces, because I have done right and truth, O thou Lord of right and truth.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology

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

Gods are attributed human characteristics such as lips, ears, and the capacity for anger.

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◆Living Godtheology

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

Deities are described with active verbs indicating they move, speak, and observe the deceased.

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◆Love Of Neighbourethics

Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.

Moral declarations include refraining from harming neighbors' property or speaking maliciously against them.

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◆Prayerpraxis

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

Each line begins with 'Hail,' functioning as a direct address or prayer to the deities.

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◆Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The ultimate goal of the judgment is to join the divine realm after purification.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The journey described is an upward movement toward the divine presence after death.

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◇Cosmic Dualismtheology

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

[auto] The confessions presuppose a fundamental opposition between Right/Truth (Ma'at) and acts of falsehood or evil.

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◇Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

[auto] The passage is a declaration of innocence recited before divine judges to determine the deceased's fate in the afterlife.

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◇Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The text is a spell from the Book of the Dead explicitly designed to guide the deceased through the judgment process in the afterlife.

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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 repeatedly invokes 'Right and Truth' (Ma'at) as the fundamental standard for judgment and ethical conduct.

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◇Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] Addressing gods who 'comest forth' from various locations implies navigating through different regions of the afterlife.

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◇Ritual Puritypraxis

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

[auto] The deceased declares moral and physical cleanliness, such as not polluting themselves, to qualify for divine presence.

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◇Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The passage invokes specific divine titles and names to establish a connection with the deities presiding over judgment.

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◇Self Examinationpraxis

Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.

[auto] The deceased systematically reviews their life actions by denying specific sins committed against others and the divine order.

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Related passages · 3 parallels
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 4 (part 2)
“Wherein have I done amiss? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought to have done? 43. If in this examination thou find that thou hast done amiss, reprimand thyself severely for it; 44. And if thou hast done any good, rejoice.…”
Both passages involve a form of moral self-examination and confession, with the individual reflecting on their actions and seeking to align themselves with divine principles. The Egyptian Book of the Dead lists negative confessions, while the Pythagorean text encourages daily self-reflection and moral improvement.
◆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 vindicated and the unrighteous are punished. They share themes of moral accountability, divine justice, and the exaltation 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 emphasize moral conduct, righteousness, and the importance of living a virtuous life. They also share a concern with divine judgment and the consequences of one's actions, though they come from different mystical traditions.