qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwerty uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasd fghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxWhy are we here Grandfather? An analyses of the connection(s) between the cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqSons of Horus and the symbols and gods represented in the shrine detail of chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui Iris Dansen opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer tyuiopasdfg hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg Why are we here Grandfather? An analyses of the connection between the Sons of Horus and the symbols and gods represented in the shrine detail of chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead “Death, is only the beginning” Imhotep, The Mummy Iris Dansen BA 0923613 Prof. Dr. O.E. Kaper MA Classic and Ancient Civilizations: Egyptology Leiden University Wednesday 29th of June 2016 2 Contents List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1: The Book of the Dead ....................................................................................................... 6 Death through the eyes of the beholder ........................................................................................ 6 The „coming into being‟ and evolution of the book of the Dead ............................................... 7 Chapter 2: Chapter 125, The Judgment scene ................................................................................. 12 Evolution of the Judgment scene ................................................................................................. 13 Type A, 18th – 21st dynasty......................................................................................................... 14 Type B, Ramesside period ......................................................................................................... 17 Type C, 21st dynasty ................................................................................................................... 18 Type E, 22nd /25th dynasty until Roman period ..................................................................... 20 Chapter 3: The Shrine of Osiris in the vignette to chapter 125 ..................................................... 23 Osiris ................................................................................................................................................ 24 Sons of Horus .................................................................................................................................. 28 The „primordial‟ water below Osiris‟ feet and/or throne ........................................................ 36 Lotus flower .................................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 4: Connecting the shrine „dots‟ .......................................................................................... 43 Sons of Horus & Lotus ................................................................................................................... 43 Sons of Horus & Osiris .................................................................................................................. 44 Sons of Horus & „primordial‟ water below throne .................................................................... 45 Osiris & Lotus ................................................................................................................................. 46 Osiris & „primordial‟ water below throne................................................................................... 47 Lotus & „primordial‟ water below throne ................................................................................... 50 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 51 Plates .................................................................................................................................................... 55 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 60 3 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ADAIK Abhandlungen Deutschen Ägyptologischen Intitue Kairo BAR British Archeological Reports Coll. Collumn in Helck & Otto Lexicon CT Faulkner Coffin Texts, see bibliography HÄB Hildesheimer Ägyptologischer Beiträge JEA Journal of Egyptian Archeology MÄS Müncher Ägyptologische Studien PT Faulkner Pyramid Texts, see Bibliography WB Erman & Grapow Wörterbuch Egyptischen Sprache, see bibliography ZÄS Zeitschrift Für Ägyptischen Sprache 4 INTRODUCTION A foray into the world of the Book of the Dead in general is a study of multiple years at least. However happy I would be to plunge into that adventure, I started out „small‟ trying to understand, part of, one of the most vital chapters in the Book of the Dead: Chapter 125, The Judgment scene. Narrowing it down to just the shrine of Osiris and its meaning seemed like a researchable topic for a Master thesis. Not thinking about the heaps of literature and symbolism I had to plough through I enthusiastically started my research. I soon discovered I had a tough hill to climb but reached the top and am proud of the work that now lies before you. Starting with a general history and development of the Book of the Dead and explaining how chapter 125 became such a vital part and what the chapter entails. I will then take you deeper into the material until the research question is, hopefully, answered: Why are the Sons of Horus represented alongside Osiris in this unique combination in the shrine of the accompanying vignette of chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead, for this combination is not known from anywhere else in script, decoration, representation or statues dating to the Ancient Egyptian time? This will be done by focusing on the shrine details and explaining the different aspects/objects/subjects in it. So that finally in chapter 4 the connections between the most important subjects/objects in the shrine will be made to try and figure out why this unique representation is shown in the important Judgment scene. 5 CHAPTER 1: THE BOOK OF THE DEAD Living forever, in whatever form that may be, is a pretty good way to live. This was probably the thought that went through the minds of the Egyptians when they started to write spells and texts that would ascertain their living on after death. The Egyptians (from an early period on) had a very complex system of religious beliefs and their interpretation of the universe was based on the environment and its cyclical order (reoccurrences of the sun, moon, stars and seasons). This made them think that, like their environment, people too would exist eternally. This first chapter will explain how people saw death and what followed after the burial, how these ideas influenced the Ancient Egyptians to start writing the Book of the Dead and how it evolved through the 3000 years we call Ancient Egypt. DEATH THROUGH THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER This voyage starts with the individual; body, mind and soul. In our own „modern‟ perception the brain is the most important part of the body. It allows us to understand, speak, witness, think, feel and it makes sure that all the organs keep functioning which keeps us alive. The heart only has a functional role; it makes sure that the brain gets the right amounts of blood, nutrients and oxygen to regulate (for lack of a better word) the body to function properly. The soul is a part of human beings which people believe can be tainted by wrongdoing or can thrive by doing good in their lives. It is viewed as something people must protect from evil and cherish for themselves in the hopes that it will stay whole and good. Egyptians didn‟t have this insight and knowledge of how the body exactly worked but they did see the body as something more complex. The Ancient Egyptians saw multiple different aspects of the individual called xprw (kheperu) or modes of existence1. The most important of these were the physical body and its most important organ: The heart. The heart was thought to be the functional part of the body which also housed the mind and intelligence. The name of a person was also considered important. These aspects of the human (body) embodied the individual essence of a person. If the names of people got lost or removed they could no longer be found and brought into existence2. People would no longer exist; because how can something that is not known exist? 1 Taylor, Journey through the afterlife, Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, p. 17. 2 Taylor, Journey, p 31. 6 The spirit aspect of the individual was also very important and split into two different aspects itself: The Ka and the Ba. The Ka was the life force; it stayed in the tomb to be nourished by the all important food offerings3. The Ba was an equivalent to the modern day aspect best described as the soul and personality of an individual. This aspect stayed with the person in life but after dead it became valuable and of importance to the deceased. The Ba had the ability to move freely from the body