the Book of the Dead ( PDF )

The Egyptians' Ideas Of God.
4 Plate vii., l. 5.
5. Plate vii., l. 11.
6. Plate xi., l. 1.]
{p. lxxxvi}
Views held in the first six dynasties.
7. If, having been of no account, thou hast become great, and if, having been poor, thou hast become rich,
when thou art governor of the city be not hard-hearted on account of thy advancement, because
xeper-nek mer septu neter
thou hast become the guardian of the provisions of God.[1]
8. mertu neter pu setem an setem en mesetu neter
What is loved of God is obedience; disobedience hateth God.[2]
9. mak sa nefer en tata neter
Verily a good son is of the gifts of God.[3]
Passing from the Prisse papyrus, our next source of information is the famous papyrus[4] containing the
"Maxims of Ani," which are well known through the labours of de Rougé,[5] Maspero,[6] Chabas[7] and
Amélineau.[8] We should speak of them, however, more correctly as the Maxims of Khonsu-hetep.[9]
The papyrus
[1. Plate xiii., l. 8.
2. Plate xvi., l. 7.
3. Plate xix., l. 6.
4. It was found in a box laid upon the floor of the tomb of a Christian monk at Dêr el-Medinet, The text was given by
Mariette in Papyrus Égyptiens du Musée de Boulaq, publiés en fac-simile sous les auspices de S.A. Ismaïl-Pacha, Khédive
d'Égypte.
5. In the Moniteur, 15 Août, 1861; and in Comptes Rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres,
Paris, 1871, pp. 340-50.
6. In the Journal de Paris, 15 Mars, 1871; and in the Academy, Aug. 1, No. 29, p. 386, 1871.
7. L'Égyptologie, Série I., tt. i., ii., Chalons-sur-Saône and Paris, 40., 1876-78. This work contains the hieratic text divided
into sections for analysis, and accompanied by a hieroglyphic transcript, commentary, etc.
8. La Morale Égyptienne quinze siècles avant notre ère--Étude sur le Papyrus de Boulaq, No. 4, Paris, 1892. This work
contains a more accurate hieroglyphic transcript of the hieratic text, full translation, etc.
9. Maspero, Lectures Historiques, p. 16; Amélineau, op. cit., p. ix.]
{p. lxxxvii}
Views held in the XVIIIth dynasty.
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