Stern

injunctions then forbade additions or alterations; but up to the 26th dynasty scribes had been busy in collecting scattered texts—as when the 64th chapter was found in “the temple of Thoth the revealer,” by the son of King Men-ka-ra of the 4th or 5th dynasty, when making an inventory of records; or the 130th chapter in the temple of This or Abydos, in the reign of Hespu (or Hesepti) probably the 5th king of the 1st dynasty, when the coffin made by Horus for Osiris was said to have been discovered, The inscriptions on the coffin of Men-ka-ra (either 4th king of 4th dynasty or, 7th of the 5th), with contemporary documents, show the texts to have been then _ well known; and those on the coffin of Queen Mentu-hotep prove the same for the 11th dynasty. Papyri of the 18th and down to the 20th dynasty seem to have been in use for the Ritual down to 1200 Bc. The first queen of the 21st dynasty had a nearly perfect copy of the whole of the Ritual texts made for her use. Other works, such as Books of the Breath of Life, and Of the Lower Hemisphere, were also sacred, commenting on the original Per-em-hru, The Turin papyrus copy of the Ritual used to be considered the best, and was probably made in the 5th century B.C. But in 1883 the British Museum had-secured the better text written by Ani, the royal scribe in the time of the 19th dynasty, some 3200 years ago; and this has been published in fac-simile by the Trustees (see Times, 25th August 1890; Dr Pleyte’s Livre des Morts, 1883; Proc. Bib. Arch. Socy., 1885 to 1904; Academy, 23rd June 1883, 10th September 1887, 4th August 1888). The Ani version is judged by script, language, and art to belong to the 14th century Bc.; and is much more perfect than the Harris papyri, only a few characters being mi ing. It is 76 feet 10 inches long, by 1 foot 3 inches wide. Its style is the same as that of Hu-nefer, written in the age of Seti I, about 1350 pc. M. Naville, after ten years of labour, gives a translation of the Ritual (Todten-Buch der xviii-xx Dynastie, 1887), This is called “the cream of 71 papyri, of sculptured texts of six sepulchres, and of the winding sheet of Thothmes III.” From this edition came perhaps two-thirds of the you sands of le perfect papyri, which are known, but are all faulty in some degree. The old edition of Lepsius gave a corrupt text, because founded on specimens of a late period. M. Naville recognises four phases of the text: (1) that of the ancient or middle empire in hieroglyphics—as yet to be collated; (2) the Theban text (17th to 20th dynasties), also in hieroglyphics; (3) the hieratic (or running hand), as used from the 20th to the 26th dynasty; (4) the Saite and Ptolemaic text—a revised version in both hieroglyphs and hieratic script. M. Naville agrees with Mariette that there were more ancient books which were not included in the Ritual; and he accepts the great age of the 64th and 130th chapters above noticed, Ani, the author of the new text, calls himself “Scribe of the sacred revenues of all the Theban gods, and guardian of the granaries of Abydos.” A picture shows him standing with his wife before a table of offerings, with a hymn to the sun-god which he is supposed to be chanting. This pictorial introduction exhibits the teaching of the Ritual as to the future of the dead, The second picture shows the adoration, at sunrise, of the dog-headed apes—spirits of dawn, with invocation of Osiris as “ King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Ruler of Rulers, who from the womb of Nut (the sky) hast inherited the whole earth, and ruled the world and the under world.” Then comes the weighing of the heart (see Amenti): “there is no iniquity in him: he is not one who cut down the bread in the temples, he was not sordid in his actions, he is not one who set speech going against others as long as he was on earth,” He is therefore permitted to join the followers of Horus, with a permanent allotment of food; the “Devourer” not being allowed to prevail over him, He is led by Horus to Osiris, and pa es on to enjoy a renewed existence “as on earth.” He may a ume any form he pleases, may join the gods, or may be a imilated to Osiris, The next scene is the burial of the mummy, surrounded by priests, and the widow, with a group of mourning women; and the reception of the same by Anubis as god of the tomb. Afterwards we see Ani in the other world, playing draughts with his wife in a bower, while their souls stand by as human-headed birds. The lion gods of “ yesterday and to-day,” and the Bennw bird, stand between them and the bier guarded by Isis and Nephthys (dawn and eve) as two vultures. Other scenes represent the “gates of the tomb,” the meeting of Ra and Osiris in Tattu, the sun-god Mau (the cat) beheading the serpent of darkne , the sun-boat, the seven gates and ten pylons of Amenti, the “opening of the mouth” of the deceased giving him words of power, Short chapters deal with “not dying the second death,” “ not turning to corruption,” “reuniting the soul to the dead body,” “living after death,” transformations into a dove, a hawk, a good serpent Seta, a crocodile; or into Ptah, and the soul of Tmu; into a heron, a coot, a lotus, a “god enlightening the darkne .” Finally, we find the soul in the “valley of the shadow of death,” crying, “ what is this place to which I have journeyed? For it is without water and without air! It is all aby , utter darkne , sheer perplexity” (see Times, 25th August 1890, The complete translation was i ued in 1895), The Ritual shows us that the Egyptian standard of morality was very high. ‘Not one of the Christian virtues,” writes Chabas, “is forgotten in the Egyptian code: piety, charity, gentlene , self-command in word and action; chastity, the protection of the weak, benevolence towards the needy, deference to superiors, respect for property, in its minutest details.” The Ritual includes 15 Books, divided into chapters, each headed by some illustration of the contents. These may be briefly described. Book I. “ The Manifestation of Light,” in 16 chapters, opens with the “ Wisdom of Thoth,” the inspiration by Osiris of the “Osiris” of the dead man. We see Hades (Amenti) with the ploughers and sowers of the fields of Aalu, and men drawing water, and transporting the “ divine gifts, in the abodes of the ble ed.” Book IL “The Egyptian Faith ”—chapters 17 to 20. It treats of mystic matters, and of all the startling phenomena of the sky, The writer saw strange forms in the constellations—as of “seven spirits of God, Osiris, his coffin, his throne,” ete, Book III. “The Reconstruction of the Deceased ”—-chapters 21 to 26. It allegorises the various bodily members of Osiris and Isis, and the renewed creation of all things by the sun. Book IV. “The Preservation of the body in Hades ”—chapters 27 to 42. It describes the soul fighting its way through Hades. Book V. “Protection in Hades”—chapters 43 to 51. This continues the story of the soul’s journey, till it sees Osiris and cries triumphantly: “I am thy son, O Osiris, and I die not again. I have escaped the second death.” (Revelat. ii, 11). Book VI. “The Celestial Diet”—chapters 52 to 63. The Osiris of the deceased is “built up to live forever, and be one with the eternal Lord of Ages.” Book VII. Chapters 64 to 75. The progre of the soul, its trials, and egre from darkne into light. It is said to “Come forth like the sun, and live forever... to be the greatest of created forms, which has opened the doors of heaven and earth... and now sees his father face to face.” Book VIII. “The Metamorphoses "—chapters 76 to 90. The soul (as above noted) takes various forms, suitable for progre in its purification. 1t seeks to become “pure as the sun, incorruptible, undefiled, and separated from sin.” Thus (chapter 85) it exclaims, “IT am the Sun... my soul is God, I create perception. I am the Lord of Truth, and dwell in it. 46