Budge, Ernest A. Wallis [Oth.]: The book of the dead: the Papyrus Ani in the British Museum ; the Egyptian text with interlinear transliteration and translation, a running translation, introd. etc. ([Text]) (London, 1895)

PREFAC E.

The Papyrus of Ani, which was acquired by the Trustees of the British
Museum in the year 1888, is the largest, the most perfect, the best preserved, and
the best illuminated of all the papyri which date from the second half of the
XVIIIth dynasty (about b.c. 1500 to 1400). Its rare vignettes, and hynms,
and chapters, and its descriptive and introductory rubrics render it of unique
importance for the study of the Book of the Dead, and it takes a high place
amonsf the authoritative texts of the Theban version of that remarkable work.
Although it contains less than one-half of the chapters which are commonly
assigned to that version, we may conclude that Ani’s exalted official position as
Chancellor of the ecclesiastical revenues and endowments of Abydos and Thebes
would have ensured a selection of such chapters as would suffice for his spiritual
welfare in the future life. We may therefore regard the Papyrus of Ani as typical
of the funeral book in vogue among the Theban nobles of his time.

The first edition of the Facsimile of the Papyrus was issued in 1890, and was
accompanied by a valuable Introduction by Mr. Le Page Renouf, then Keeper of
the Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities. But, in order to satisfy a
widely expressed demand for a translation of the text, the present volume has
been prepared to be issued with the second edition of the Facsimile. It contains
the hieroglyphic text of the Papyrus with interlinear transliteration and word for
word translation, a full description of the vignettes, and a running translation ;
and in the Introduction an attempt has been made to illustrate from native