DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30604#0450
286
TIIE BOOK OF TFIE DEAD,
TPlates VII.-X.
L
(82) What then is this ? \i.e., who are these gods ?] Mestha, Hapi,
Tuamautef, and Qebhsennuf.
(83) “ Homage to you, O ye lords of right and truth, and ye holy ones
“ who [stand] behind Osiris, who utterly do away with (84) sins and crime, and [ye]
“ who are in the following of the goddess Hetep-se(85)-khus, grant that I
“ may come unto you. Destroy ye all the faults which (86) are within me,
“ even as ye did for the seven Shining Ones (87) who are among the followers
“ of their lord Sepa.1 (88) Anubis appointed their place on the clay [when was
“ said], ‘ Come therefore thither.’ ”
What then (89) is this ? These lords of right and truth are Thoth and
(90) Astes, lorcl of Amenta. The holy ones who stancl behind Osiris, even
Mestha, (91) Hapi, Tuamautef, and Oebhsennuf, are they who are (92) behind
theThigh3 in the northern sky. They who do away with (93) sins and crime and
who are in the following of the goddess Hetep-se-khus (94) are the god Sebek
in the waters. The goddess Hetep-se-khus is the eye of (95) Ra, or (as others
say), It is the flame which followeth after Osiris to burn up (96) the souls
of his foes. As concerning all the faults which are (97) in Osiris, the scribe
of the holy offerings of all the gods, Ani, triumphant, [they are all that he
hath done against the lords of eternity]3 since he came forth (98) from his
mother’s womb. As concerning (99) the seven Shining Ones, even Mestha, Hapi,
Tuamautef, Oebhsennuf, (100) Maa-atef-f, Kheri-beq-f, and Horus-Khenti-maa,
Anubis appointed (101) them protectors of the body of Osiris, or (as others say),
(102) [set them] behind the place of purification of Osiris ; or (as others say),
Those seven glorious ones are (103) Netcheh-netcheh, Aqet-qet, An-erta-
nef-bes-f-khenti-heh-f,4 (104) Aq-her-unnut-f,6 Tesher-maa-ammi (105) -het-Anes,G
1 Entish Museum papyrus No. 10,477 reads,
/WWNA
which agrees with
rnany of the variants given in Naville, Todtenbnch, Bd. II., Pl. liii. The papyrus of Nebseni agrees
with that of Ani ; No. 19,471 has the curious reading, (j jl
III
3 The Egyptian name for the constellation of the Great Eear. See Brugsch, Astronomische itnd
Astrologische Inschriften, p. 123.
3 Some such words as ^ KiA ^ j | 0 ^ have been omitted. See Naviiie,
Todtenbuch, Bd. II., Pl. lv.
4 I.e., “ He doth not give liis flame, he dwelleth in the fire.”
5 I.e., “ He goeth in at his hour.”
6 I.e., “ He that hath two red eyes, the dvveller in Het-Anes.” According to Brugsch (Dict. Geog.,
p. 64), Het-Anes, i.e., the “ house of cloth,” was a district belonging to the temple of Suten-henen or
Heracleopolis in Upper Egypt.
TIIE BOOK OF TFIE DEAD,
TPlates VII.-X.
L
(82) What then is this ? \i.e., who are these gods ?] Mestha, Hapi,
Tuamautef, and Qebhsennuf.
(83) “ Homage to you, O ye lords of right and truth, and ye holy ones
“ who [stand] behind Osiris, who utterly do away with (84) sins and crime, and [ye]
“ who are in the following of the goddess Hetep-se(85)-khus, grant that I
“ may come unto you. Destroy ye all the faults which (86) are within me,
“ even as ye did for the seven Shining Ones (87) who are among the followers
“ of their lord Sepa.1 (88) Anubis appointed their place on the clay [when was
“ said], ‘ Come therefore thither.’ ”
What then (89) is this ? These lords of right and truth are Thoth and
(90) Astes, lorcl of Amenta. The holy ones who stancl behind Osiris, even
Mestha, (91) Hapi, Tuamautef, and Oebhsennuf, are they who are (92) behind
theThigh3 in the northern sky. They who do away with (93) sins and crime and
who are in the following of the goddess Hetep-se-khus (94) are the god Sebek
in the waters. The goddess Hetep-se-khus is the eye of (95) Ra, or (as others
say), It is the flame which followeth after Osiris to burn up (96) the souls
of his foes. As concerning all the faults which are (97) in Osiris, the scribe
of the holy offerings of all the gods, Ani, triumphant, [they are all that he
hath done against the lords of eternity]3 since he came forth (98) from his
mother’s womb. As concerning (99) the seven Shining Ones, even Mestha, Hapi,
Tuamautef, Oebhsennuf, (100) Maa-atef-f, Kheri-beq-f, and Horus-Khenti-maa,
Anubis appointed (101) them protectors of the body of Osiris, or (as others say),
(102) [set them] behind the place of purification of Osiris ; or (as others say),
Those seven glorious ones are (103) Netcheh-netcheh, Aqet-qet, An-erta-
nef-bes-f-khenti-heh-f,4 (104) Aq-her-unnut-f,6 Tesher-maa-ammi (105) -het-Anes,G
1 Entish Museum papyrus No. 10,477 reads,
/WWNA
which agrees with
rnany of the variants given in Naville, Todtenbnch, Bd. II., Pl. liii. The papyrus of Nebseni agrees
with that of Ani ; No. 19,471 has the curious reading, (j jl
III
3 The Egyptian name for the constellation of the Great Eear. See Brugsch, Astronomische itnd
Astrologische Inschriften, p. 123.
3 Some such words as ^ KiA ^ j | 0 ^ have been omitted. See Naviiie,
Todtenbuch, Bd. II., Pl. lv.
4 I.e., “ He doth not give liis flame, he dwelleth in the fire.”
5 I.e., “ He goeth in at his hour.”
6 I.e., “ He that hath two red eyes, the dvveller in Het-Anes.” According to Brugsch (Dict. Geog.,
p. 64), Het-Anes, i.e., the “ house of cloth,” was a district belonging to the temple of Suten-henen or
Heracleopolis in Upper Egypt.