The Book of the DeadBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Religion
The Book of the Dead
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Book of the dead; Death; Egypt -- Religion; Future life
According to the Book of Gates and the other "Guides" to the Egyptian
Under World, the Kingdom of Osiris formed the Sixth Division of the
Tuat; in very early times it was situated in the Western Delta,
but after the XIIth dynasty theologians placed it near Abydos in
Upper Egypt, and before the close of the Dynastic Period the Tuat of
Osiris had absorbed the Under World of every nome of Egypt. When the
soul in its beautified or spirit body arrived there, the ministers
of Osiris took it to the homestead or place of abode which had been
allotted to it by the command of Osiris, and there it began its new
existence. The large vignette to the CXth Chapter shows us exactly
what manner of place the abode of the blessed was. The country was
flat and the fields were intersected by canals of running water in
which there were "no fish and no worms" (i.e., water snakes). In one
part of it were several small islands, and on one of them Osiris was
supposed to dwell with his saints. It was called the "Island of Truth,"
and the ferry-man of Osiris would not convey to it any soul that
had not been declared "true of word" by Thoth, Osiris and the Great
Gods at the "Great Reckoning." The portion of the Kingdom of Osiris
depicted in the large Books of the Dead represents in many respects a
typical Egyptian farm, and we see the deceased engaged in ploughing
and reaping and driving the oxen that are treading out the corn. He
was introduced into the Sekhet Heteput (a section of the Sekhet Aaru,
i.e., "Field of Reeds," or the "Elysian Fields") by Thoth, and there
he found the souls of his ancestors, who were joined to the Company
of the Gods. One corner of this region was specially set apart for the
dwelling place of the aakhu, i.e., beautified souls, or spirit-souls,
who were said to be seven cubits in height, and to reap wheat or
barley which grew to a height of three cubits. Near this spot were
moored two boats that were always ready for the use of the denizens
of that region; they appear to have been "spirit boats," i.e., boats
which moved of themselves and carried the beautified wheresoever they
wanted to go without any trouble or fatigue on their part.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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