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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 289 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 43 (part 50)

386-97.] supported by a passage in the XCIInd Chapter of the Book of the Dead, where it is said:-- em xena ba-a sauti xaibit-a un uat Let not be shut in my soul, let not be fettered my shadow, let be opened the way en ba-d en xaibit-a maa-f neter aa for my soul and for my shadow, may it see the great god. And again, in the LXXXIXth Chapter the deceased says:-- maa-a ba-a xaibit-a May I look upon my soul and my shadow. the khu or intelligence. Another important and apparently eternal part of man was the khu , which, judging from the meaning of the word, may be defined as a "shining" or translucent, intangible casing or covering of the body, which is frequently depicted in the form of a mummy. For want of a better word khu has often been translated "shining one," "glorious," "intelligence," and the like, but in certain cases it may be tolerably well rendered by "spirit." The pyramid texts show us that the khu's of the gods lived in heaven, and thither wended the khu of a man as soon as ever the prayers said over the dead body enabled it to do so. Thus it is said, "Unas standeth with the khu's ," and one of the gods is asked to "give him his sceptre among the khu's ; " when the souls of the gods enter into Unas, their khu's are with and round about him. To king Teta it is said:-- [1. Naville, Todtenbuch , Bd. I., Bl. 104, ll. 7, 8. 2. Ibid. , Bd. I., Bl. 101. 3. Recueil de Travaux , t. iii., p. x 88 (1. 71). 4. Ibid. , t. iii., p. 215 (l. 274). 5. Ibid., t iv., p. 61 (1. 522).] nehem-nef maat-f maf er ta-nef nek seba-k He hath plucked his eye from himself, he hath given it unto thee to strengthen thee am-s sexem-k am-s xent xu therewith, that thou mayest prevail with it among the khu's . And again, when the god Khent-mennut-f has transported the king to heaven, the god Seb, who rejoices to meet him, is said to give him both hands and welcome him as a brother and to nurse him and to place him among the imperishable khu's . In the XCIInd Chapter the deceased is made to pray for the liberation of his soul, shadow, and khu from the bondage of the tomb, and for deliverance from those "whose dwellings are hidden, who fetter the souls, who fetter souls and khu's cc and who shut in the shadows of the dead"; and in the XC Ist Chapter is a formula specially prepared to enable the khu to pass from the tomb to the domains where Ra and Hathor dwell. The sekhem or form. Yet another part of a man was supposed to exist in heaven, to which the Egyptians gave the name sekhem. The word has been rendered by "power," "form," and the like, but it is very difficult to find any expression which will represent the Egyptian conception of the sekhem . It is mentioned in connection with the soul and khu , as will be seen from the following passages from the pyramid texts 1.
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

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

[auto] Deities are described with human features such as eyes, brows, and the ability to speak.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

References to the 'eye of Horus' and uræi imply luminous divine protection and presence.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] This passage is from the Book of the Dead, a text specifically designed to guide the deceased soul through death and into the afterlife.

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Living Godtheology

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

[auto] The text affirms the life of Osiris and Pepi, presenting the divine as active and living rather than abstract.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] The text declares that the deceased's soul is identical to the soul of the god Annu, indicating a merging with the divine.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

The passage describes the soul's placement among the gods, confirming the successful guided passage through death.

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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 passage explicitly states 'Pure is thy soul among the gods,' emphasizing purity as a requirement for divine status.

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Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] Divine names such as Osiris, Horus, and Pepi are invoked to establish identity and effect reality in the afterlife.

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