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42 negative confessions papyrus of ani11/29/2023 Unlike the later Coffin Texts and Book of the Dead, the Pyramid Texts do not contain any illustrations.ĭuring the Old Kingdom, the Pyramid Texts were reserved for the pharaoh, and this is reflected in the spells found in this work. These spells were found to have been carved onto the walls and sarcophagi of the pyramids at Saqqara (hence the name of the work), which were constructed during the 5th and 6th dynasties. Like the Book of the Dead, the Pyramid Texts are also a collection of spells. The Pyramid Texts are the older of the two and were ‘written’ during the time of the Old Kingdom. The 13th dynasty is often considered to be part of the Middle Kingdom (though some consider it to be part of the Second Intermediate Period), during which two collections of funerary texts, the Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts, were being used. Due to the presence of new spells, scholars have considered the Mentuhotep’s sarcophagus as the earliest example of the Book of the Dead that we have at present. Nevertheless, the earliest known example of this work was found on the sarcophagus of Mentuhotep, a 13th dynasty queen. It is unclear as to when the Book of the Dead was first produced. Although it is commonly called the Book of the Dead, its original name in ancient Egyptian is transliterated as rw nw prt m hrw, which may be translated as Book of Coming Forth by Day or Book of Emerging Forth into the Light. Many of the spells have their origin in the earlier Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, which shows the continuity, as well as changes in the beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians regarding the afterlife. In general, the spells are meant to aid the recently deceased in their journey through the underworld, which is perilous, and full of obstacles. In total, about 200 spells are known, and these may be divided into several themes. ![]() Each ‘book’ is unique, as it contains its own combination of spells. The Book of the Dead is not a book per se, but rather, a corpus of ancient Egyptian funerary texts from the New Kingdom.
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