Chapter 43 (part 45)

Homage to thee, O my father Osiris, thy flesh suffered no decay, there were no worms in thee, thou didst not crumble away, thou didst not wither away, thou didst not become corruption and worms; and I myself am Khepera, I shall possess my flesh for ever and ever, I shall not decay, I shall not crumble away, I shall not wither away, I shall not become corruption." The sahu or spiritual body. But the body does not lie in the tomb inoperative, for by the prayers and ceremonies on the day of burial it is endowed with the power of changing into a sahu , or spiritual body. Thus we have such phrases as, "I germinate like the plants,"[3] "My flesh germinateth,"[4] "I exist, I exist, I live, I live, I germinate, I germinate,"[5] "thy soul liveth, thy body germinateth by the command of Ra [1. ###. Lepsius, Todtenbuch , Bl. 77,1. 7. 2. This chapter was found inscribed upon one of the linen wrappings of the mummy of Thothmes III., and a copy of the text is given by Naville (Todtenbuch, Bd. L, Bl. 179); for a later version see Lepsius, Todtenbuch, Bl. 75, where many interesting variants occur. 3. ###. Chapter LXXXIII., 3. 4. ###. Chapter LXIV., 1. 49. (Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd. I., Bl. 76.) 5. ###. Chapter CLIV. (Lepsius, Todtenbuch , 75.)] {p. lx} himself without diminution, and without defect, like unto Ra for ever and ever."[1] The word sahu though at times written with the determinative of a mummy lying on a bier like khat , "body," indicates a body which has obtained a degree of knowledge[2] and power and glory whereby it becomes henceforth lasting and incorruptible. The body which has become a sahu has the power of associating with the soul and of holding converse with it. In this form it can ascend into heaven and dwell with the gods, and with the sahu of the gods, and with the souls of the righteous. In the pyramid texts we have these passages:-- 1. Thes-thu Teta pu un-thu aaa peh-tha hems-k Rise up thou Teti, this. Stand up thou mighty one being strong. Sit thou xent neteru ari-k ennu ari en Ausar em Het-aa amt Annu with the gods, do thou that which did Osiris in the great house in Annu. sesep-nek sah-k an t'er ret-k em pet an Thou hast received thy sah , not shall be fettered thy foot in heaven, not xesef-k em ta shalt thou be turned back upon earth.[3] 2. anet' hra-k Teta em hru-k pen aha tha xeft Ra Hail to thee, Teta, on this thy day [when] thou art standing before Ra [as] [1. Brugsch, Liber Metempsychosis , p. 22. 2. Compare Coptic ###, "magister." 3. Recueil de Travaux , t. v., p. 36 (1. 271). From line 143 of the same text it would seem that a man had more than one sahu , for the words "all thy sahu ," occur. This may, however, be only a plural of majesty.] {p.