Chapters CXLI to CXLIII.

The book([1]) said by a man or his father or his son in the festival of the Amenta, and wherewith he acquires might([2]) with Rā, and with the gods when he is with them. Said on the day of the new moon, when offerings are made of bread, beer, oxen, geese, and burnt incense to

Notes.

The old texts which we follow here, join in one chapter, 141, what in the Turin Todtenbuch is divided into two, 141, 142; 143 being merely the vignettes which accompany them. This chapter is the first of a series in which the deceased has to show his knowledge. His being well-informed as to the names of the gods and of their sanctuaries, and also of the doors through which he passes, the halls which he enters, confers upon him certain privileges. Here the deceased has to recite the names of the gods while offerings are made to them; the second part of the chapter refers only to Osiris in all his forms, and in his numerous sanctuaries, which have not all been identified. The old versions differ only slightly in length, from one or two of the gods being omitted. The translation follows mainly the Cairo papyrus, Cc, with a few variants taken from other papyri, one of the best of which is the papyrus[papyrus] Nu of the British Museum (ed. Budge).

[1.] The title of the later texts is much longer: the book wherewith the Chuu acquire might, knowing the names of the gods of the Southern sky, and of the Northern sky, of the gods of the Bounds, of the gods who are the guides in the Tuat. If it is said by a man, to his father or to his mother, in the festival of the Amenta, he acquires might with Rā, and with the gods when he is with them. Spoken on the day of the new moon by Osiris N when offerings are made to him of ... etc., and offerings are made to Osiris under all his names by Osiris N.

[2.] See [note 1] to ch. 133. I cannot quite agree with Renouf as to the meaning of the word

. It seems to me that its sense is not so much that of “making someone mighty,” as of “distinguishing him, making him eminent” in the opinion of his god or his master, so that he may become his lord’s favourite. I consider the meaning of

as similar to that of

.

[3.] The following names are those of the seven celestial cows which are represented with the bull in chapter 148, together with the rudders of the four cardinal points.

[4.] See ch. 130, [note 5].

[5.]

pertiu, adjective form of the noun

, “a house,” the gods of the houses, contrasted with those of the fields. This word shows that in the complete spelling of the word

the

has not fallen off, as it probably was the case in the pronunciation, and in composite names such as:

, פִּתֹם;

, פִּי־בֶּסֶת.

[6.] I read here according to Ld.

. Instead of

Lc. writes

, and Nu

, which does not give any sense.

might here be translated companions.

[7.] In the Turin Todtenbuch, ch. 142 begins here with this title: Chapter whereby the deceased acquireth might, whereby is given him to go and to widen his steps, coming forth by day in all the forms he likes, knowing the names of Osiris in all the places he likes to be.