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The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) · 347 of 357 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 43 (part 108)

O Unas, the Eye of Horus hath been given to thee that it may embrace thee.[6] O Unas, the Eye of Horus which strove with Set hath been, given unto thee, in order that the opening of thy mouth may be caused thereby.[7] O Unas, that which flowed from Osiris hath been given unto thee.[8] O Unas, the Eye of Horus hath been given unto thee, in order that without the help of iron thy mouth may be set free.[9] O Unas, the Eye of Horus hath been given unto thee, in order that thy face may be adorned therewith.[10] O Osiris Unas, the Eye of Horus hath sprinkled oil upon thee.[11] O Osiris Unas, that which hath been pressed out of thy face hath been given unto thee.[12] O Osiris Unas, the Eye of Horus hath been given unto thee, in order that it may shave (?) thee.[13] O Osiris Unas, the Eye of Horus hath been given unto thee, in order that it may anoint thee.[14] O Osiris Unas, the Eye of Horus hath been given unto thee, in order that it may lead thee unto the gods.[15] O all ye unguents, be ye laid out before your Horus,[16] and make ye him strong. Cause him to gain the mastery over his body, and make his eyes to be opened. May all the shining beings see him, may they hear his name, for the Eye of Horus hath been brought, in order that it may be placed before Osiris Unas.[17] O Osiris Unas, the two Eyes of Horus have been laid like paint upon thy face.[18] "O clothe thyself in peace! Put thou on thy apparel in peace! May Tatet put on[19] apparel in peace! Hail, Eye of Horus, in Tep, in peace! Hail, Eye of Horus, in the houses of Nit, in peace. Receive thou white apparel. O grant that the two lands which rejoiced to do homage unto Horus may do homage unto Set; and grant that the two lands which stood in awe of Set may stand in awe of Unas. Dwell thou with Unas as his god, open thou a path for him among the, shining ones, and stablish thou him among them." [1. Here [offer] two pitchers of white wine. 2. Here [offer] two pitchers of black wine. 3. Here [offer] a vase of black beer. 4. Here [offer] an altar. 5. Here [offer] a cake. 6. Here [offer] a breast. 7. Here [offer] a pitcher of white wine. 8. Here [offer] a vase of black beer. 9. Here [offer] a vase of beer of iron 10. Here [offer] a vase of beer. 11. Repeat four times and [offer] unguent of the festival. 12. Here [offer] heken oil. 13. Here [offer] a pitcher of seft . 14. Here [offer] nish-nem oil. 15. Here [offer] a pitcher of tuat . 16. Here [offer] ash unguent. 17. Here [offer] unguent. 18. Here [offer] stibium and copper. 19. Here bring two garments.] {p. cxlii} THE PAPYRUS OF ANI. General Description The papyrus of Ani, was found at Thebes, and was purchased by the Trustees of the British Museum in 1888.
Themes
Childlike Innocenceanthropology

The infant or child as symbol of the unfallen, undivided spiritual state; return to primordial simplicity.

The imagery of drinking milk from the mother's breast symbolizes a return to primordial nourishment and simplicity.

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Divine Lighttheology

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

The passage mentions that the eyes of Horus illumine the face of the deceased.

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Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

The text declares that the East/West and North/South are at peace with the deceased, harmonizing cosmic directions.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

The text functions within the broader context of guiding the soul through the transition into the afterlife realm.

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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 deceased is restored to a divine state among the gods, reversing the separation caused by death.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

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

[auto] Divine beings and the deceased are described with human physical attributes such as jaws, mouths, breasts, and faces.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The text is a chapter from the Book of the Dead explicitly designed to guide and justify the deceased in 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 gods are depicted as active agents who provide offerings, open mouths, and pour milk for the deceased.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

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

[auto] The deceased is declared established among the gods and identified with Osiris through ritual declaration.

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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 details specific purification rites involving natron and water to cleanse the head and bones of the deceased.

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Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The efficacy of the text relies on the invocation of specific divine names like Osiris, Unas, Horus, and Isis.

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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.

[auto] The deceased is addressed as Osiris and declared established among the gods, indicating a transformation into a divine state.

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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] Ritual actions involving offerings and incense are performed to engage divine power and effect change in the deceased's status.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
gnosticism|Pistis Sophia|Document SECONDv
I shall manifest to thee, O Light, because thou deliveredst me, and (for) thy wonders in the race of [166 ] the mankind, I having become deficient of my power, thou gavest power to me, and I having become deficient of my light, thou filleds…”
Both passages describe a divine intervention and deliverance, with the individual being saved from a state of darkness or affliction. The themes of restoration, purification, and guidance by a higher power are central to both texts, indicating a genuine conceptual parallel.
hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 4: The Epistles|Section 1b
And having raised themselves so far they sight the Good; and having sighted it, they look upon their sojourn here as a mischance; and in disdain of all, both things in body and the bodiless, they speed their way unto that One and Only One.…”
Both passages describe a transformative process where the individual achieves a higher state of being through divine intervention and knowledge. The Egyptian Book of the Dead focuses on the purification and illumination of the deceased through the Eye of Horus, while the Hermetic text describes the ascent of the soul through Gnosis and the rejection of bodily pleasures to achieve union with the divine.
mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1f
She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny on his breast she laid them, saving: Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.' Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu, Decreed the f…”
Both passages describe a deity or divine figure receiving power and authority from other gods, emphasizing the opening of the mouth as a symbolic act of empowerment and the establishment of divine order. The themes of divine command, the transfer of power, and the ritualistic elements are conceptually parallel across the two traditions.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 304
Section 17 17. Various considerations explain why the Souls going forth from the Intellectual proceed first to the heavenly regions. The heavens, as the noblest portion of sensible space, would border with the least exalted of the Intellect…”
Both passages describe the bestowal of gifts or blessings upon a recipient, whether it be the kosmos in Plotinus' work or Osiris Unas in the Egyptian text. They share a theme of divine beneficence and the conferring of divine attributes or powers.