The Book of the Dead

by Various Egyptian scribes

Also known as: The Book of Coming Forth by Day

"A vision of the afterlife where the soul must navigate trials, affirm purity, and align with cosmic order (Ma’at) in order to be justified and reborn among the gods."
The Book of the Dead cover
Type:Funerary Text (collection of spells and hymns)
Source:Ancient Egypt
Original Date:c. 1550 BCE (New Kingdom, evolving from Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts)
Written Date:c. 1550–50 BCE, with versions continuing through the Ptolemaic period
Length:1 books, varies by papyrus (commonly 150–200 spells) lines (~6 hours)

Summary

The Book of the Dead is a collection of funerary spells, prayers, and incantations intended to guide the deceased through the trials of the underworld and into the afterlife. Each papyrus version was customized for the individual and buried with them. The text includes instructions for passing the Weighing of the Heart before Osiris, hymns to the gods, and magical formulas to provide protection and sustenance in the afterlife. It represents one of the most influential visions of death and rebirth in the ancient world, blending myth, magic, and morality.

Themes

Death and rebirthJudgment and moralityPurity and confessionDivine protectionThe cosmic order (Ma’at)Immortality of the soul

Major Characters

OsirisAnubisThothRaHorusMa’atAmmit (the Devourer)The Deceased (every soul who journeys)

Notable Quotes

"I have not committed sin. I have not committed robbery with violence. I have not stolen. I have not slain men and women."

"My heart, my mother! My heart, my mother! My heart whereby I came into being."

"Hail to you, great god, lord of the Two Truths. I have come to you, my lord, that you may bring me so that I may see your beauty."

Notable Translations

E. A. Wallis Budge(1895)

Early but outdated; Victorian English, heavily used in popular culture.

Thomas George Allen(1974)

University of Chicago, critical edition.

Raymond O. Faulkner(1972)

Modern standard translation, concise and scholarly.

Ogden Goelet (with James Wasserman and others)(1994)

The Papyrus of Ani edition with commentary.

John H. Taylor(2010)

British Museum edition with updated scholarship.