DOCSLIB.ORG

The So-Called Chapter 190 of the Book of the Dead and the Linen Canopy from the Tomb of Tutankhamun 28 MIROSŁAW BARWIK

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The So-Called Chapter 190 of the Book of the Dead and the Linen Canopy from the Tomb of Tutankhamun 28 MIROSŁAW BARWIK CENTRE D’ARCHÉOLOGIE MÉDITERRANÉENNE DE L’ACADÉMIE POLONAISE DES SCIENCES ÉTUDES et TRAVAUX XIX 2001 MIROS£AW BARWIK The so-called Chapter 190 of the Book of the Dead and the Linen Canopy from the Tomb of Tutankhamun 28 MIROS£AW BARWIK One of the unsolved issues in the research on ancient Egyptian religion is the relation between the composition designated as the “Book of the Dead” and the sphere of royal mortuary beliefs. No papyrus version of the Book of the Dead is known to have originated from a royal tomb but a whole series of the Book of the Dead spells may be cited as appearing in association with royal burials.1 While papyri of this kind were expected, in vain, in Tutankhamun’s tomb,2 the list of chapters of the Book of the Dead inscribed on various objects from the tomb is extensive indeed, to the point that it is possible to speak of a specific version of the Book of the Dead represented in this tomb and having no parallel neither earlier nor later.3 Interestingly enough, most of the Book of the Dead spells represented in this tomb are inscribed on the four shrines enclosing the stone sarcopha- gus.4 On the first (outer) shrine there are three texts of the Book of the Dead (chapters 134, 1, and 141/42),5 accompanied by the Book of the Celestial Cow;6 on the third shrine there are excerpts from chapter 147,7 and on shrine four two chapters (1 and 17).8 All the other chapters occur on the walls of the second shrine. The second shrine, which took the form of a “shrine of Upper Egypt”, is decorated inside on the ceiling with the texts of Chapter 1 and fragments drawn from the Pyramid Texts.9 Chapter 144 occurs on the door (how fitting for a chapter connected with the gates of the Netherworld to be found in this position!),10 followed by chapters 148–134–133 (wall on the right side),11 chapters 141/42–130 (wall on the left side)12 and chapter 17 (on the rear wall).13 The scenes on the outer shrine walls come from a composition known * This paper has been presented at the International Symposium on the Book of the Dead held at Bonn on November 19–20, 1999. 1 Indeed, in the earliest period, the late Seventeenth and early Eighteenth Dynasties, a surprising tendency is observable. Most of the copies of the Book of the Dead from this period are connected with the members of the royal family or persons belonging to the ruler’s intimate circle. 2 See however C.N. REEVES, Tutcankhamun and his Papyri, GM 88, 1985, pp. 39 ff. 3 Cf. H. BEINLICH, Das Totenbuch bei Tutanchamun, GM 102, 1988, pp. 7–18; H. BEINLICH, M. SALEH, Corpus der hieroglyphischen Inschriften aus dem Grab des Tutanchamun, Oxford 1989 [= Corpus], p. 231; see also L.V. ABKAR, Correlation of the Transformation Spells of the Book of the Dead and the Amulets of Tut- ankhamun’s Mummy, in: Mélanges offerts à J. Vercoutter, Paris 1985, pp. 375–388. The number of chapters used in this tomb amounts to 21 (and some were inscribed twice or even several times), roughly corresponding to the content of a papyrus roll! What is surprising is that in this tomb the Book of the Dead texts are superior, not only in number, but also in volume, to the traditional royal texts, like the Amduat and the Book of the Celestial Cow. 4 Apart from this, texts of this kind are to be found on the golden anthropoid coffin, the golden mummy bands, the mask, the small coffins for the internal organs and the amulets. 5 Cf. A. PIANKOFF, Chapelles de Tout-Ankh-Amon, MIFAO LXXII, Le Caire 1951–52 [= Chapelles], pp. 14 f., 19–21; ID., The Shrines of Tut-Ankh-Amon, Princeton 1977 (2nd ed.) [= Shrines], pp. 133 ff. 6 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, p. 18, Pls. I, XXI; ID., Shrines, pp. 142 ff., Pl. 65. 7 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, Pls. V, VII; ID., Shrines, pp. 78, 84 f., Figs. 29, 31. 8 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 71 ff., Pl. XV; ID., Shrines, pp. 48 ff., 60. 9 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 42 f.; ID., Shrines, pp. 96 f. 10 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 45 ff.; ID., Shrines, pp. 99 ff., Pls. 38, 39. 11 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 57 ff., Fig. 16; ID., Shrines, pp. 103 ff., Pls. 40–42. 12 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 50 ff., Fig. 15; ID., Shrines, pp. 107 ff., Pls. 43–45. 13 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 53 f.; ID., Shrines, pp. 105 ff. CHAPTER 190 OF THE BOOK OF THE DEAD 29 from no other sources and are accompanied with texts in cryptographic writing,14 includ- ing also Book of the Dead chapters 17, 1, 26, 27 and 29 (these recorded in the standard writing system). The chapters of the last mentioned group will not be the subject of this paper. It is worthwhile to emphasize, however, that under the Eighteenth Dynasty they were usually placed in the initial section of papyrus rolls with the Book of the Dead (and to judge by their numbering they kept their place also in the Saite recension). Instead, I would like to focus attention on a group of chapters inscribed on the interior walls of the second shrine, especially chapters 130, 133, 134, 141/42, and 148. These chapters form a group that can be placed outside the mainstream body of texts making up the Book of the Dead. In any case, there is no doubt that these chapters constitute a clearly separate group: some of them are referred to in their titles as a “book” and not “spell”, and their rubrics allow them to be linked to the feasts of the liturgical calendar possibly related to the mortuary cult. It is interesting that each of these chapters has its own history, which is independent of the Book of the Dead and considerably earlier in date (only chapters 134 and 141/42 are not known from sources earlier than the Book of the Dead, although in this case also their use outside the Book of the Dead is well documented). There is much to indicate that these chapters could have been incorporated into the Book of the Dead as secondary additions.15 On some papyri of the Eighteenth Dynasty, a few chapters of this group occur together. An excellent illustration of this is provided by papyrus of Nu, which presents these chapters recorded in the following order: 141/42–190–133–136A–134–130.16 A similar sequence or grouping of chapters may be observed also in pap. Amenhotep, pap. Neferubenef Pb, pap. Kha, pap. Saimen and in the tomb of Amenemhat (TT 82), and later also pap. Neferrenpet and pap. Nedjmet.17 As far as chapters 130, 131 and 133–136 are concerned, their evident thematic relationship is noteworthy. They all refer to the celestial wanderings of the solar deity. The eschatological importance of this motif is, I presume, the reason of their appearance in association with pharaoh’s burial. For example, chapter 130 is inscribed together with chapter 144 on the wall of the burial chamber of Ay;18 in Tutankhamun’s tomb, these chapters appear not only on the second shrine, but also inside the small an- thropoid coffins intended for the internal organs of the king (chapters 130, 134, 136A and chapter 1).19 In turn, chapter 148, inscribed, as we shall recall, on the right wall of the 14 PIANKOFF, Chapelles, pp. 29–33, 35–39, Pls. II, IV; ID., Shrines, pp. 120 ff., Pls. 47–49, 51–53. Cf. E. HORNUNG, Ein aenigmatisches Unterweltsbuch, JSSEA XIII–1, 1983, pp. 29–34; A. PIANKOFF, Une représen- tation rare sur l’une des chapelles de Toutânkhamon, JEA 35, 1949, pp. 113–116; É. DRIOTON, La cryptographie de la chapelle de Toutânkhamon, JEA 35, 1949, pp. 117–122. 15 I can only refer those interested in this question to my unpublished study on the early versions of the Book of the Dead, where this idea has been discussed in more detail. 16 Cf. G. LAPP, The Papyrus of Nu (BM EA 10477), Catalogue of Books of the Dead in the British Muse- um, London 1997 [= Nu], p. 40; I. MUNRO, Untersuchungen zu den Totenbuch-Papyri der 18. Dynastie, London – New York 1987 [= Untersuchungen], pp. 142 f. 17 Cf. LAPP, Papyrus of Nu, loc. cit.; MUNRO, Untersuchungen, pp. 142 f., 282 (No. 31), 284 (Nos. 37, 38), 291 (No. 67), 296 (No. 88), 299 (No. 18), 301 (No. 24). 18 A. PIANKOFF, Les Peintures dans la Tombe du roi Aï, MDAIK 16, 1958, pp. 249 f., Pl. XXIII, 1–2. 19 Cf. BEINLICH, SALEH, Corpus, pp. 106–116; Treasures of Tutankhamun, New York 1976, Pl. 26 (cat. No. 45). 30 MIROS£AW BARWIK second shrine, next to chapters 134 and 133, may be tied just as much with solar hereafter as with, more interestingly, the mortuary cult of the dead ruler, a fact evidenced by its appearance also in chapels devoted to the mortuary cult of Hatshepsut, as well as that of her father, Tuthmosis I (and also in one of the auxiliary rooms or niches of the royal com- plex) in the Hatshepsut temple at Deir el-Bahari.20 Further demonstrating the importance of this chapter for the beliefs concerning the afterlife existence of the ruler is its presence in the tombs of Queen Nefertari (QV 66) and Ramesses III (KV 11), as well as in the Osireion and the temple of Seti I in Abydos.21 At the temple of Ramesses III in Medinet Habu this chapter is represented in the so-called Osiris complex (in room No.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Iconography of the Princess in the Old Kingdom 119 Vivienne G
    THE OLD KINGDOM ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE HELD IN PRAGUE, MAY 31 – JUNE 4, 2004 Miroslav Bárta editor Czech Institute of Egyptology Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague Academia Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague 2006 OOKAApodruhéKAApodruhé sstrtr ii–xii.indd–xii.indd 3 99.3.2007.3.2007 117:18:217:18:21 Contributors Nicole Alexanian, James P. Allen, Susan Allen, Hartwig Altenmüller, Tarek El Awady, Miroslav Bárta, Edith Bernhauer, Edward Brovarski, Vivienne G. Callender, Vassil Dobrev, Laurel Flentye, Rita Freed, Julia Harvey, Salima Ikram, Peter Jánosi, Nozomu Kawai, Jaromír Krejčí, Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz, Renata Landgráfová, Serena Love, Dušan Magdolen, Peter Der Manuelian, Ian Mathieson, Karol Myśliwiec, Stephen R. Phillips, Gabriele Pieke, Ann Macy Roth, Joanne M. Rowland, Regine Schulz, Yayoi Shirai, Nigel Strudwick, Miroslav Verner, Hana Vymazalová, Sakuji Yoshimura, Christiane Ziegler © Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, 2006 ISBN 80-200-1465-9 OOKAApodruhéKAApodruhé sstrtr ii–xii.indd–xii.indd 4 99.3.2007.3.2007 117:18:217:18:21 Contents Foreword ix Bibliography xi Tomb and social status. The textual evidence 1 Nicole Alexanian Some aspects of the non-royal afterlife in the Old Kingdom 9 James P. Allen Miniature and model vessels in Ancient Egypt 19 Susan Allen Presenting the nDt-Hr-offerings to the tomb owner 25 Hartwig Altenmüller King Sahura with the precious trees from Punt in a unique scene! 37 Tarek El Awady The Sixth Dynasty tombs in Abusir. Tomb complex of the vizier Qar and his family 45 Miroslav Bárta Die Statuen mit Papyrusrolle im Alten Reich 63 Edith Bernhauer False doors & history: the Sixth Dynasty 71 Edward Brovarski The iconography of the princess in the Old Kingdom 119 Vivienne G.
    [Show full text]
  • THE DESTINY of the WORLD : a STUDY on the END of the UNIVERSE in the Llght of ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TEXTS
    THE DESTINY OF THE WORLD : A STUDY ON THE END OF THE UNIVERSE IN THE LlGHT OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TEXTS Sherine M. ElSebaie A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto O Copyright by Sherine M. ElSebaie (2000) National Library Bibliothèque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KfA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seil reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. The Destiny of The World: A Study on the End of The Universe in The Light of Ancient Egyptian Texts Sherine M. ElSebaie Master of Arts, 2000 Dept. of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto ABSTRACT The subject of this thesis is a theme that has not been fully çtudied until today and that has long been thought to be overlooked by the ancient Egyptians in a negative way.
    [Show full text]
  • Book of the Dead: Becoming God in Ancient Egypt — Which Will Open in Our Special Exhibits Gallery This Fall
    News & Notes MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE ISSUE 235 | AUTUMN 2017 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S STUDY defining characteristic of the Oriental Institute has always been the equal em- phasis on archaeological and textual approaches to the study of the ancient A THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE Near East. This dual focus is aptly exemplified by the two featured articles in this 1155 East 58th Street issue, which, while considering ancient Egypt from different perspectives, demon- Chicago, Illinois, 60637 strate that novel approaches can shed new light on long-considered problems. In the lead article, Foy Scalf introduces us to the exhibition he is curating WEBSITE oi.uchicago.edu — Book of the Dead: Becoming God in Ancient Egypt — which will open in our special exhibits gallery this fall. The Book of the Dead, a seminal text of the ancient FACSIMILE world, has been the source of a vast scholarship since the middle of the nineteenth 773.702.9853 century, yet it remains poorly understood beyond Egyptological circles, and the MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION source of many popular misconceptions about ancient Egyptian culture and reli- 773.702.9513 gion. As Foy explains, our special exhibit seeks to remedy this by bringing the lat- [email protected] est research to bear on questions of the purpose, origins, history, and theological MUSEUM INFORMATION context of the Book of the Dead. Contrary to its name, which is a modern coinage, 773.702.9520 the Book of the Dead is about life — the eternal life of the soul after death. Far SUQ GIFT AND BOOK SHOP from being a book in the traditional sense or a single canonical text for that mat- 773.702.9510 ter, the Book of the Dead is a compendium of spells, of diverse origins and uses, which collectively provide the deceased with a handbook for the Netherworld, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 773.702.9514 assuring rejuvenation and, moreover, identifying the human realm with the divine.
    [Show full text]
  • The Horizon of Eternity: Living and Dying in Ancient Egypt Talk by Dr
    The Horizon of Eternity: Living and Dying in Ancient Egypt Talk by Dr. John Taylor, Assistant Keeper Ancient Egypt; Funerary Archaeology Department: Ancient Egypt and Sudan. British Museum Please note: Due to copyright, not all images shown during Dr Taylor’s presentation were able to be recorded for the web. Transcript: Their culture survived for well over three thousand years and one of the reasons it was able to develop peacefully for so long was that Egypt is naturally protected by these features I have just been pointing out to you; the deserts, and the sea at the top [Image of a map of the river Nile]. Even in Nubia there is a very arid, a very rocky landscape, quite difficult to maintain settlement in. So for the first couple of thousand years the Egyptians were pretty much undisturbed by invasion or major population change. This was one of the factors which allowed their culture to become so strong and so self contained. And of course the river Nile itself is the lifeblood of Egypt. Not only does it provide the main means of communication and source of water, but it is also the basis for agriculture. The Egyptian economy was founded on agriculture. Typical scene there at the bottom from a tomb of about 1250 BC, showing agricultural activities [Image of tomb illustration]. And of course the key to this was the fact that every year the flooding of the Nile brought fertile silt into Egypt and this spread over the fields on either side of the river providing natural fertilization, renewal of the fertilization of the soil.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pleiades: the Celestial Herd of Ancient Timekeepers
    The Pleiades: the celestial herd of ancient timekeepers. Amelia Sparavigna Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino, Italy Abstract In the ancient Egypt seven goddesses, represented by seven cows, composed the celestial herd that provides the nourishment to her worshippers. This herd is observed in the sky as a group of stars, the Pleiades, close to Aldebaran, the main star in the Taurus constellation. For many ancient populations, Pleiades were relevant stars and their rising was marked as a special time of the year. In this paper, we will discuss the presence of these stars in ancient cultures. Moreover, we will report some results of archeoastronomy on the role for timekeeping of these stars, results which show that for hunter-gatherers at Palaeolithic times, they were linked to the seasonal cycles of aurochs. 1. Introduction Archeoastronomy studies astronomical practices and related mythologies of the ancient cultures, to understand how past peoples observed and used the celestial phenomena and what was the role played by the sky in their cultures. This discipline is then a branch of the cultural astronomy, an interdisciplinary field that relates astronomical phenomena to current and ancient cultures. It must then be distinguished from the history of astronomy, because astronomy is a culturally specific concept and ancient peoples may have been related to the sky in different way [1,2]. Archeoastronomy is considered as a quite new interdisciplinary science, rooted in the Stonehenge studies of 1960s by the astronomer Gerald Hawkins, who tested Stonehenge alignments by computer, and concluded that these stones marked key dates in the megalithic calendar [3].
    [Show full text]
  • Book of the Dead the Book of the Dead Was a Funerary Text Designed
    Book of the Dead The Book of the Dead was a funerary text designed to assist a deceased person's journey through the underworld and into the afterlife. Figure 1: The Weighing of the Heart Tutankhamun’s burial chamber contained beautiful works of art, text and hieroglyphics. The Book of the Dead was part of a tradition of funerary texts which includes the earlier Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom and Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom. Unlike previous texts which were written on walls or objects in the funerary chamber, the Book of the Dead was written on expensive papyrus. There was no single Book of the Dead, and works tended to vary widely, perhaps based on the preferences of the people commissioning them. The text of a Book of the Dead in the New Kingdom was typically written in cursive hieroglyphs, with lavish illustrations between the text. Note: Hieratic is a writing system used in pharaonic Egypt that was developed alongside the hieroglyphic system, primarily written in ink with a reed brush on papyrus, allowing scribes to write quickly without resorting to the time consuming hieroglyphs. Source URL: https://www.boundless.com/art-history/ancient-egyptian-art/new-kingdom/tutankhamun-and-ramses-ii/ Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/courses/ARTH110#3.4 Attributed to: Boundless www.saylor.org Page 1 of 4 Figure 2: Cursive Hieroglyphs from the Papyrus of Ani During the New Kingdom, the Book of the Dead was typically written in cursive hieroglyphs. Source URL: https://www.boundless.com/art-history/ancient-egyptian-art/new-kingdom/tutankhamun-and-ramses-ii/ Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/courses/ARTH110#3.4 Attributed to: Boundless www.saylor.org Page 2 of 4 The Book of the Dead is the modern name of an ancient Egyptian funerary text, used from the beginning of the New Kingdom (around 1550 BC) to around 50 BC.
    [Show full text]
  • The Organization of the Pyramid Texts
    The Organization of the Pyramid Texts Harold M. Hays - 9789004227491 Downloaded from Brill.com09/26/2021 09:57:14AM via free access Probleme der Ägyptologie Herausgegeben von Wolfgang Schenkel Antonio Loprieno und Joachim Friedrich Quack 31. BAND The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/pae Harold M. Hays - 9789004227491 Downloaded from Brill.com09/26/2021 09:57:14AM via free access The Organization of the Pyramid Texts Typology and Disposition (Volume One) By Harold M. Hays Leiden • BostoN The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/pae 2012 Harold M. Hays - 9789004227491 Downloaded from Brill.com09/26/2021 09:57:14AM via free access The digital edition of this title is published in Open Access. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hays, Harold M. The organization of the pyramid texts : typology and disposition / by Harold M. Hays. v. cm. — (Probleme der Ägyptologie, ISSN 0169-9601 ; 31. Bd.) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-21865-9 (set : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-23001-9 (v. 1 : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-22749-1 (e-book) — ISBN 978-90-04-23002-6 (v. 2 : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-22749-1 (e-book) 1. Pyramid texts. 2. Egyptian literature—History and criticism. I. Title. II. Series: Probleme der Ägyptologie ; 31. Bd. PJ1553.H39 2012 299’.3182—dc23 2012006795 ISSN 0169-9601 ISBN 978 90 04 21865 9 (hardback, set) ISBN 978 90 04 23001 9 (hardback, volume 1) ISBN 978 90 04 23002 6 (hardback, volume 2) ISBN 978 90 04 22749 1 (e-book) Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead
    THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD E.A. Wallis Budge Edited by Epiphanius Wilson, A.M. 9781577151210_int 00i-047.indd 1 25/8/16 10:43 am 9781577151210_int 00i-047.indd 1 Job: 11641 Title:Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead 25/8/16 10:43 am ( TexT ) JZH Page: i © 2016 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. First published in the United States of America in 2016 by Wellfleet Press, a member of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. 142 West 36th Street, 4th Floor New York, New York 10018 www.quartoknows.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book. Text for this edition selected from The Book of the Dead and The Chapters of Coming Forth by Day by E. A. Wallis Budge and Egyptian Literature, Comprising Egyptian Tales, Hymns, Litanies, Invocations, The Book of the Dead, and Cuneiform Writings, edited and with a special introduction by Epiphanius Wilson, A.M. Project Manager: John Foster Acquisition: Michelle Faulkner Created by Warren Street Books Editorial Director: Carlo DeVito Designer: Michael Rivilis 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN: 978-1-57715-121-0 Digital edition: 978-0-76035-364-6 Hardcover edition: 978-1-57715-121-0 Printed in China TT 23 of1 1 ro P 9781577151210_int 00i-047.indd 2 25/8/16 10:43 am 9781577151210_int 00i-047 C3.indd 2 !Job:o" #$% 11641 % & ' % $$( Title:Ancient )* +) #% * , )) * * $-Egyptiang) .
    [Show full text]
  • Hathor in the Context of the Coffin Texts
    Studia Antiqua Volume 6 Number 1 Article 6 June 2008 Hathor in the Context of the Coffinexts T BG McGill Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua Part of the Classics Commons, and the History Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation McGill, BG. "Hathor in the Context of the Coffinexts. T " Studia Antiqua 6, no. 1 (2008). https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua/vol6/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Studia Antiqua by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Hathor in the ConteXT of the Coffin TEXts BG McGILL he modern understanding of Egyptian religion is heavily based on the Textensive funerary texts. The basic collection of Egyptian funerary literature includes the Pyramid Texts, dating from the Old Kingdom, the Coffin Texts, dat- ing from the Middle Kingdom, and the Book of the Dead, dating from the New Kingdom. Funerary texts are comprised of mortuary rituals and spells to attain eternal life. This paper focuses on the Middle Kingdom and the Coffin Texts. The Middle Kingdom consisted of a brief period of unification, a civil war instigated by the nomarchs or nobles, a reunification, and the eventual downfall to the Hyk- sos. This period is most specifically characterized by a diffusion of power from the pharaoh to the nomarchs.1 During this time, there were significant changes in the funerary texts. One change is the additional emphasis of the goddess Hathor in the Coffin Texts.
    [Show full text]
  • Astronomy, Topography and Dynastic History in the Age of the Pyramids
    Astronomy, topography and dynastic history in the Age of the Pyramids. Giulio Magli Faculty of Civil Architecture - Politecnico di Milano Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy It is known since the 19 century that in the layout of the pyramid field of the pharaohs of the 4 th Egyptian dynasty at Giza, a “main axis” exists. Indeed, the south-east corners of these monuments align towards the site of the temple of Heliopolis, which was plainly visible in ancient times. It was later discovered that a similar situation occurs in the main pyramid field of the subsequent dynasty at Abu Sir. Here, the north-west corners of three chronologically successive pyramids again voluntarily align towards Heliopolis. However, the temple was in this case not visible, due to the rock outcrop- today occupied by the Cairo citadel - which blocks the view. In the present paper, a multi-disciplinary approach based on historical, topographical and archaeoastronomical analysis is developed in an attempt at understanding this peculiar feature, which governed from the very beginning the planning of such wonderful monuments. A general pattern actually arises, which appears to have inspired the choice of the sites and the disposition on the ground of almost all the funerary complexes of the kings during the Old Kingdom. 1. Introduction An interesting feature exists in the layouts of the pyramids of Giza and Abu Sir: the presence of a “main axis” directed to the area where the ancient temple of the sun of Heliopolis once stood, on the opposite bank of the Nile. These axes are connected with a process of “solarisation” of the pharaoh which probably started with Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid.
    [Show full text]
  • Geometry and Perspective in the Landscape of the Saqqara Pyramids
    GEOMETRY AND PERSPECTIVE IN THE LANDSCAPE OF THE SAQQARA PYRAMIDS MAGLI Giulio, (I) Abstract. A series of peculiar, visual alignments between the pyramids of the pharaohs of the 4th , the 5th and the 6th Egyptian dynasties exists. These alignments governed from the very beginning the planning of the funerary monuments of successive kings and, in some cases, led to establish building sites in quite inconvenient locations from the technical viewpoint. Explaining the topography of these monuments means therefore also investigating on their symbolic motivations: religion, power, dynastic lineage and social context, as well as getting insights on the skills of the ancient architects in astronomy and geometry. In the present paper we focus on the relationships between the Old Kingdom pyramids at Saqqara. Key words. Ancient astronomy. Ancient and sacred geometry. Egyptian pyramids. Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 01A16, 51-03. 1 Introduction th It is known since the 19 century that an interesting feature exists in the layouts of the pyramids of th the 4 dynasty at Giza: the presence of a “main axis” connecting the south-east corners of the three main monuments and directed to the area where the ancient temple of the sun of Heliopolis once stood, on the opposite bank of the Nile [1,2,3]. This line is connected with a process of “solarisation” of the pharaohs which started with Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid, and th lasted up Menkaure, the builder of the third Giza pyramid [4,5]. The kings of the 5 dynasty moved - in spite of the presence of several favorable places to the immediate south of Giza - some 7 Kms apart on the plateau of Abusir.
    [Show full text]
  • The Egyptian Book of the Dead
    Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Brigham Young University http://www.archive.org/details/egyptianbookofdeOOreno THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD. TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY, BY THE LATE Sir p. LE PAGE RENOUF, Knt. CONTINUED AND COMPLETED BY Prof. E. NAVILLE, D.C.L., cfc, &c., Professor of Egyptology at the University of Geneva. WITH VIGNETTES AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS. PRIVATELY PRIMTED EOR THE SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY, 37, CiREAT Russell Street, Bloomsburv, LONDON, 1904. LONDON : HARRISON AND SONS, PRINTERS IN ORI>INARY TO HIb MAJESTY, '5>\DH'^ TflE LIBRAKY TO LADY RENOUF THIS WORK IS DEDICATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EXPRESSED WISH OF HER LATE HUSBAND SIR PETER LE PAGE RENOUF. • INDEX TO THR C I £ A P T E R S AND REFERENCES TO THE VIGNETTES. CHAPTERS. VIGNETTES. I. The Beginning of the Chapters of Coming forth by pages I, 2 Plates I, II. Day, of the Words which britig about Resurrection afiit Glory, and of Coming out of and ottering into Amenta. Said upon the Day of Burial of N. the Victorious, who entereth after coniiftg forth. Here is N tJie victorious. He saith — II. Chapter Coming forth by day and Living IT, for after n 12 "I death. III. Afzother Chapter like it. I 2 IV. Another Chapter, for travelling on the road which 13 is above the earth. V. Chapter 7vhereby work may nut be imposed \tipoti 13 a person] in the JVetherworld. VI. Chapter whereby the funereal Statuettes 7nay be „ 15,16 Vignettes. made to do tvork for a person /« the Netherworld.
    [Show full text]