The =Theban Recension= was generally written upon papyri in hieroglyphics, and was divided into sections, or chapters, each of which had its distinct title, but no definite place in the series. It was much used during the XVIIIth, XIXth, and XXth dynasties. In the first half of the XVIIIth dynasty the custom grew up of adding vignettes to certain chapters of this Recension, and before another century had passed so many coloured illustrations were added to the papyri that frequently chapters had to be abbreviated, and the scribes were obliged to omit some of them altogether. This Recension contained about 180 chapters, but no extant papyrus contains them all. The chapters represent the theological opinions of the colleges of On (Memphis), Herakleopolis, Abydos, and Thebes, and are of the first importance for the study of the Egyptian Religion. In the Rubric to the LXIVth Chapter are mentioned two traditions which are very valuable for the history of the Recension. In the one it is stated that the chapter was “found” in the reign of Semti, a king of the Ist dynasty, and in the other that it was “found” in the reign of Menkaurā (Mycerinus), a king of the IVth dynasty, by Ḥeru-ṭāṭā-f, a prince, the son of King Khufu, or Cheops. Thus it is certain that in the XVIIIth dynasty it was believed that the chapter was in existence in the earliest dynasties. Now we find from the Papyrus of Nu that there were two forms of this chapter extant, and that one of these was twice as long as the other. The longer one is entitled “Chapter of Coming Forth by Day,” and the shorter, “Chapter of Knowing the ‘Chapters of Coming Forth by Day’ in a Single Chapter.” The rubric to the latter attributes the chapter to the Ist dynasty, and thus it seems that even at this remote period the “Chapters of Coming Forth by Day” were widely known, and that the priests found it necessary to produce for general use a chapter which contained the essence of them all. The British Museum possesses the finest collection in the world of papyri containing the Theban Recension, and of these may be specially mentioned: The =Papyrus of Nebseni=,[12] with vignettes in black outline (No. 9900); the =Papyrus of Ani=, a magnificently coloured papyrus containing texts and vignettes not found elsewhere[13] (No. 10,470); the =Papyrus of Nu=, with coloured vignettes, rubrics, etc., containing a good text throughout, and a large number of chapters not found elsewhere[14] (No. 10,477); the =Papyrus of Hu-nefer=, a scribe who flourished in the reign of Seti I, with a fine series of brilliantly painted vignettes[14] (No. 9901); and the =Papyrus of Mut-ḥetep=, most valuable because it contains correct copies of early texts (No. 10,010). [Illustration: Vignette and text of the Theban Book of the Dead from the Papyrus of Ani. XVIIIth dynasty. [Brit. Mus., No. 10,470.]] [Illustration: Vignette and text of the Theban Book of the Dead from the Papyrus of Nu. XVIIIth dynasty. [Brit. Mus., No. 10,477.]]