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)

IDEAS OF GOD.

Ixxxix

The passages from the pyramid of Pepi show at once the difference between God and the gods.
neter as God, and the “ gods ” neteru; the other passages, which might be
multiplied almost indefinitely, prove that the Being spoken of is God. The neteru
or “ godswhom Unas hunted, and snared, and killed, and roasted, and ate,
are beings who could die; to them were attributed bodies, souls, kds, spiritual
bodies, etc. In a remarkable passage from the CLIVth Chapter of the Book
of the Dead (Naville, Todtenfaich, Bd. I., Bl. 179, I. 3) the deceased king
Thothmes III. prays :—

s/set - kua emyet - k Tem huau md ennu dri - k

Preserve me behind thee, O Tmu, from decay such as that which thou workest

er neter neb netert nebt er aut neb er t' etfet neb

for god every, and goddess every, for animals all, for reptiles all;

sebuit - f per ba - f emyet mit - f ha - f The gods mortal.

for each passeth away when hath gone forth his soul after his death, he perisheth

emyet sebi - f

after he hath passed away.

Of these mortal gods some curious legends have come down to us ; from
which the following may be selected as illustrating their inferior position.

TPIE LEGEND OF RA AND ISIS.

Now Isis was a woman who possessed words of power; her heart was wearied with the
millions of men, and she chose the millions of the gods, but she esteemed more highly the
millions of the kku’s. And she meditated in her heart, saying, “ Cannot I by means of the
“ sacred name of God make myself mistress of the earth and become a goddess like unto

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