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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.] {p. lxvii} supported by a passage in the XCIInd Chapter of the Book of the Dead,[1] 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.[2] 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 ,"[3] and one of the gods is asked to "give him his sceptre among the khu's ; "[4] when the souls of the gods enter into Unas, their khu's are with and round about him.[6] 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).] {p. lxviii} nehem-nef maat-f maf er ta-nef nek seba-k He[1] 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 .[2] 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 .[1] 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";[4] and in the XC Ist Chapter[5] 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.
Themes
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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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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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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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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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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Related passages · 8 parallels
christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 10 (part 2)
8. 1.) "The name Jesus was incorporated into the image of eternity as a future Christ, that it may become a redeemer of men, and out of the dying in the wrath regenerate them again into the pure being of divine and paradisiacal power." ( S…”
Both passages discuss the concept of different aspects or parts of the human being that exist beyond the physical body and have a spiritual or divine nature. The Egyptian Book of the Dead describes the soul, shadow, khu, and sekhem, while the Christian mystical text discusses the divine light, the name of Jesus, and the soul's relationship with God.
christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 11 (part 7)
48.) "The soul and the Word are not one or one being. The soul is born from the centre of nature, from the essences, and belongs to the body, for she issues from the essences of the body, and attracts to herself the body; but the Word is f…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine. The Egyptian Book of the Dead describes the soul's unity with the gods and its pure existence among them, while the Christian mystical text describes the soul's penetration and illumination by the divine Word. Both highlight the soul's connection to a higher, divine reality.
christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 13 (part 4)
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of My Father in heaven." It would seem self-evident that no being inferior to the Father in heaven can possibly do the will of the Father, because no one can do the will of God unl…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul and its liberation, as well as the idea of a spiritual or celestial body that transcends the physical form. They share a mystical perspective on the afterlife and the transformation of the individual.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XXII (part 1)
XXII. Sheol, or the Underworld . CHAPTER XXII. 1. And thence I went to another place, and he showed me in the west ⌈ another ⌉ great and high mountain [ and ] of hard rock. E 2 And there was in it †four† hollow places, deep and wide an…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul and its journey after death, with the Egyptian Book of the Dead describing various aspects of the soul (ba, shadow, khu, sekhem) and their liberation, while the passage from the Book of Enoch describes the separation of spirits in the underworld based on their righteousness or sinfulness. Both texts explore the idea of the soul's existence and its fate after death.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 407
Section 7 7. The Kind, then, with which we are dealing is twofold, the Intellectual against the sensible: better for the soul to dwell in the Intellectual, but, given its proper nature, it is under compulsion to participate in the sense-rea…”
Both passages discuss the nature and role of the soul in relation to the divine and the body. They explore the soul's connection to the divine realm and its governance over the physical world, showing a conceptual parallel in their mystical traditions.
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 nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine or higher realms. They explore the soul's journey, its connection to the divine, and its state in the afterlife or lower sphere, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across 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 discuss the nature and role of the soul in relation to the divine and the cosmos. They emphasize the soul's connection to the gods and its role in animating and giving life to the universe, though they come from different mystical traditions.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 652 (part 2)
To a traveller over land, all is earth but earth abounding in difference: so in this journey the life through which Intellectual-Principle passes is one life but, in its ceaseless changing, a varied life. Throughout this endless variation…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine or higher realms. The Egyptian Book of the Dead describes the soul's integration with the gods and its purification, while the Neoplatonic text discusses the soul as the Reason-Principle that shapes and elevates human existence. Both texts explore the concept of the soul as a bridge between the human and the divine.