ARTICLE 8 THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (CA, 16TH CENTURY e.c.t.) 37 The Book of the Dead (ca. 16th century B.c.e.) ‘The Book of the Dead is a collection of spells and prayers that the Egyptians believed were crucial to well-being in the aferlife. Composed of some two hundted chapter, it contains charms fiom as early as 2400 0... as well as more recent incantations, Sometime in the sixteenth century 8.c.t. anonymous prists and sobes collected the chapters into a single volume, Many copies of the book have been found in tombs and burial chansers, ihere they were presumably placed forthe use of the dead, They were copied om papyms rolls, ad some ofthe surviving ones are elaborately illustrated, The fllowing selection is aw incantation meant to prepare the deceased for the judgment ofthe gods. The chant provides much direc evidence ofthe manners and values of everyday life in ancient Egypt THE PROTESTATION OF GUILTLESSNESS What is said on reaching the Broad-Hall of the Two Justices, absolving X of every sin which he has committed, and seeing the faces of the gods Fail to thee, O great god, lord of the Two Justices! I have come to thee, my lord, I have been brought that I might see thy beauty. I know thee; I know thy name and the names of the forty-two gods who are with thee in the Broad-Hall of the ‘Two Justices, who live on them who preserve evil and who drink their blood on that day of reckoning up character in che presence of Wenofec. Behold, “Satiemertii, Lord of Justice," i thy name, {have come to thee; I have brought thee justice: I have expelled deceit for thee T have not committed evil against men, Thave not mistreated cate, Thave not blasphemed a god. Thave not done violence to a poor man, Thave not done that which the gods abominate, have not defamed a slave to his superior. Thave not made (anyone) sick. Thave not made (anyone) weep. Thave nor killed. Thave given no order to a killer. Thave not caused anyone suffering. Thave not cut down on the food-(income) in the temples. Thave not damaged the bread of the gods Thave not taken the loaves of the blessed (dead), Thave not had sexual relations with a boy. Thave not defiled myselé Thave neither increased or diminished the ggain-measure, have not taken milk from the mouths of children. Thave not driven cattle away fom their pasturage. Thave not snared the birds of the gods. Thave not eaughe fish in their marshes, Thave not held up the water in its season. Thave not built a dam against running water,38 PART | THE ORIGINS OF CIVILIZATION Thave not driven away the cattle of the god's property. T have not stopped a god on his procession. Tam pure! My purity is the purity of the great benu-bird which is in Herakleopolis, because I am really that nose of the Lord of Breath, who makes all men to live, on that day of filling out the Eye (of Homes) in Heliopolis, in the second month of the second season, the last day, in the presence of the lord of this land. I am the one who has seen the filing out of che Eye in Heliopolis. Evil will never happen to me in this land or in this Broad-Hall of the Two Justices, because 1 know the names of these gods who are in i, the followers of the great god. (© Wide-of-Stride, who comes forth fiom Heliopolis. I have not committed evil © Embracer-of Fire, who comes forth from Babylon, I have not stolen. © Nosey, who comes forth fiom Hermopolis, T have not been coverous © Swallower-of Shadows, who comes forth from the pit, I have not robbed © Dangerous-of-Face, who came forth from Rostau, I have not killed men. © Ratti, who comes forth from heaven, I have not damaged the grain-measure, (© Flamer, who comes forth backward, I have not stolen the property of a god. (© Breakes-of-Bones, who comes forth from Herakleopolis, I have not told lis. © Commander-of-Fire, who comes forth feom Memphis, I have not taken away food. © Dweller-in-the-Pit, who comes forth from the west, I have not been contentious. © White-of-Teeth, who comes forth from the Faiyaim, I have not trespased, © Eater-of-Blood, who comes forth from the execution-block, I have not slain the cattle of the god. (© Eater-of Entrails, who comes forth from the ‘Thirty, I have not practised usury. © Lord-of-Justice, who comes forth from ‘Muati, Thave not stolen the bread-ration. Egyptian Female Musicians. This New Kingdom tomb painting shows a group of musicians in graceful poses ‘The three women are carefully Individualized and supple in rendition. Their hand gestures and head positions lend a cstinct expressiveness to the whole composition. (© Wanderer, who comes forth from Bubasts, Thave not gossiped. © Djudju-serpent, who comes forth from. Busiris, I have not argued with some one summoned because of his property. (© Wamemiti-serpent, who comes forth from the place of judgment, [ have not committed. adultery. © Supetior-of-the-Nobles, who comes forth from Imau, I have not caused terror. © Wrecker, who comes forth from the Saite Nome, I have not trespassed. © Mischief Maker, who comes forth from the sanctuary, I have not been (over) heated.ARTICLE 8 THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (CA, 16TH CENTURY a.c.e.) 39 © Child, who comes forth from the Heliopolitan Nome, I have not been unresponsive to a matter of justice. © Ser-kheru, who comes forth from Wensi, Thave not been quarrelsome. © Dark-One, who comes forth from the darkness, [have not been abusive. © Bringer-of His-Peace, who comes forth from Sais, I have not been (over)-energetic. © Lord-of Faces, who comes forth from the Heroonpolite Nome, my heart has not been hasty. © Tern-sep, who comes forth from Busitis, Thave not been abusive against a king (© Acting-with-His-Heart, who comes forth from ‘Tjebu, I have not waded in water: © Flowing-One, who comes forth from Nun, my voice has not been loud, © Commander-of-the-People, who comes forth from his shrine, I have not been abusive against a god. (© In-af serpent, who comes forth from the cemetery, [ have not blasphemed against my local god. Words to be spoken by X: Hail to you, ye gods who are in this Broad-Hall of the Two Justices! I know you; I know your names. I shall not fill for dread of you. Ye have not reported guilt of mine up to this god in whose retinue ye are; no deed of mine has come from you. Ye have spoken truth about me in the presence of the All-Lord, because I acted justly in Egypt. Hail to you who are in the Broad-Hall of the Two Justices, who have no deceit in your bodies, ‘who jive on truth and who eat of truth in the pre sence of Horus, who isin his sun dise, May ye rescue ‘me from Babi, who lives on the entrails of elders on that day of the great reckoning. Behold me—I have come to you without sin, without guilt, without evil, Without a witness (against me), without one against whom Ihave taken action. Hive on truth, and I eat of truth, [have done that which men said and that with, which gods are content. I have satisfied a god with that which he desires. I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thitsty, clothing to the mked, and a ferry-boat to him who was marooned. I have provided divine offerings for the gods and mortuary offerings for the dead, (So) rescue me, you; protect re, you. Ye will not make report against me in the presence [of the great god.] Iam one pure of mouth and pure of hands, one to whom “Welcome, wel- come, in peace!” is std by those who see him. Tam cone who has a concern for the gods, who knows the nature of their bodies. [ have come here to testify to justice and to bring the scales to their (proper) posi- tion in the cemetery thou who art high upon his standard, Lord of the AtefCrown, whose name has been made “Lord of Breath,” mayest thou rescue me fiom thy ‘messengers who give forth uncleanliness and create destruction, who have no covering up of their faces, because I have effected justice for the Lord of Justice, being pure—my front is pure, my rear is clean, my middle is in the flowing water of justice: there is no part of me fice of justice. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF THE SPELL To be done in conformance with what takes place in this Broad-Hall of the Two Justices. This spel is to be recited whe one is clean and pure, clothed in (fresh) garments, shod with white sandals, painted with stibium, and anointed with mysrh, to whom cattle, fowl, incense, bread, beer, vege tables have been offered. Then make thow this text in writing on a clean pavement with ochre smeared swith earth upon which pigs and (other) small cate have not trodden. As for him on whose behalf this book is made, he shall be prosperous and his chil- dren shall be prosperous, without greed, because he shall be a trusted man of the king and his couriers Loaves, jars, bread, and joints of meat shall be given to him from the altar of the great god. He cannot bbe held back at any door of the west, (but) he shall be ushered in with the Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt, and he shall be in the retinue of Osiris, Right and tue a million times.