BOOK OF THE DEAD

a collection of religious compositions in hieroglyphic and hieratic characters, compiled by the early Egyptians. The name is misleading, since no single division or chapter of the book deals exclusively with funeral ritual. It is rather an unmethodical compilation of books quite unconnected with each other, relating, among other subjects, to the peregrinations of Ka in the valley of the shadow of death and the Osirian doctrine of resurrection. Itis a ‘well preserved work, despite its a umed 3,400 years of existence, dating generally from the XVIII. dynasty, and contains 186 chapters, richly illuminated. The British Museum published in 1895 a facsimile of the original papyrus, which was translated. There are other copies in American and European museums. The various papyri composing the book have been also translated into French and German. The vignettes, depicting embalming, funeral po e ions, weighing of the heart, etc., as well as the style of writing, underwent marked changes in the course of time. The earliest tests are fragmentary, inscribed on the walls of the tombs, monuments, sarcophagi and mummy cartonages. The Book of the Dead was copied on papyri by Egyptian scribes and sold to relatives of deceased persons who needed the papyrus, which was placed with the mummy. Poor people had to be content with inferior, slovenly written and abridged copies.