DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18905#0051
THE PAPYRUS OF KERASHER
(OR KELASHER).
The papyrus of Kerasher, was founcl
at Thebes, and was purchased by the Trustees
of the Bntish Museum from the representatives
of the late Clot Bey in 1852. It measures
6 ft. ioj in. by g'- in., and belongs to the late
Ptolemaic or Roman period. It is inscribed, in
hieratic, with a copy of the work entitled “ The
Book of Breathings ”
Shdit cn sensen, and with a number of pictorial
scenes copied frorn ancient MSS. of the Book of
the Dead. The papyrus is of considerable interest,
for, apart from its value palaeographically, it gives a
good text of a religious work which was much used
for funeral purposes in the Ptolemaic and Roman
periods, and was supposed to contain all the texts
essential for the salvation of the soul.
The “ Book of Breathings ” is one of a
number of short funeral works, like the “ Lamen-
tations of Isis and Nephthys” and “ The F'estival
Songs of Isis and Nephthys.” Unlike the
Chapters of the Book of the Dead, it was
addressed to the deceased by the chief priest
conducting the funeral service. The ideas and
beliefs expressed in it are not new ; indeed, every
one of them may be found repeated in several
places in the religious works of the ancient
Egyptians. It secms as if the old Book of the
Dead, with its lcngthy Chapters and conflicting
statements, had in the latest times become
unacceptable to the Egyptians who livccl under
the rule of the Greeks and Romans; and, besides,
it is tolerably certain that few people understood
it. The “ Book of Breathings ” represents the
1 The name is usually written ® 1=3X13 Kcrsher.
attempt to include all essential elements of belief
in a future hfe in a work shorter ancl more simple
than the Book of the Dead. All the gods men-
tioned, with the exception of one, Amen, are found
in the oldest texts, ancl even the Field of the
Grasshoppers,1 which lay to the north of the
Elysian Fields (Sekhet-hetep), is known from the
texts of the Midclle Empire. The Neshem boat,
ancl the Hennu boat, and the boat of Seker are
mentioned ; the gods have all the attributes which
they had m the old texts ; the belief in the
judgment after death is accepted ; and even a
short extract containing seven addresses to gods
from the “ Negative Confession ” is included in
thc new work. The idea of material happiness
is, however, more fully developed, and some
passages suggest the existence of a belief in the
resurrection of the corruptible body, and of a hope
for a life in the world beyond the grave not unlike
that which was passecl upon earth. The beautiful
hymns and prayers found in the old texts are
wantino- in the “ Book of Breathino-s,” and no
O O 7
reference whatever is made to the spiritual lifc of
the beatified as described in the Pyramid Texts ;
in short, no passage which does not immediately
conduce to the well-being of the natural body
and soul, ancl assure the growth of the spiritual
body from them, has any place in it. To give the
work an enhanced value it was declarecl to be the
production of Thoth, thc scribe of the gods.
The attention of scholars was first directed to
thc “ Book of Breathings” by the late Dr. H.
1 Compare the Papyrus of Nu (No. 10,477), sheet 24.
(OR KELASHER).
The papyrus of Kerasher, was founcl
at Thebes, and was purchased by the Trustees
of the Bntish Museum from the representatives
of the late Clot Bey in 1852. It measures
6 ft. ioj in. by g'- in., and belongs to the late
Ptolemaic or Roman period. It is inscribed, in
hieratic, with a copy of the work entitled “ The
Book of Breathings ”
Shdit cn sensen, and with a number of pictorial
scenes copied frorn ancient MSS. of the Book of
the Dead. The papyrus is of considerable interest,
for, apart from its value palaeographically, it gives a
good text of a religious work which was much used
for funeral purposes in the Ptolemaic and Roman
periods, and was supposed to contain all the texts
essential for the salvation of the soul.
The “ Book of Breathings ” is one of a
number of short funeral works, like the “ Lamen-
tations of Isis and Nephthys” and “ The F'estival
Songs of Isis and Nephthys.” Unlike the
Chapters of the Book of the Dead, it was
addressed to the deceased by the chief priest
conducting the funeral service. The ideas and
beliefs expressed in it are not new ; indeed, every
one of them may be found repeated in several
places in the religious works of the ancient
Egyptians. It secms as if the old Book of the
Dead, with its lcngthy Chapters and conflicting
statements, had in the latest times become
unacceptable to the Egyptians who livccl under
the rule of the Greeks and Romans; and, besides,
it is tolerably certain that few people understood
it. The “ Book of Breathings ” represents the
1 The name is usually written ® 1=3X13 Kcrsher.
attempt to include all essential elements of belief
in a future hfe in a work shorter ancl more simple
than the Book of the Dead. All the gods men-
tioned, with the exception of one, Amen, are found
in the oldest texts, ancl even the Field of the
Grasshoppers,1 which lay to the north of the
Elysian Fields (Sekhet-hetep), is known from the
texts of the Midclle Empire. The Neshem boat,
ancl the Hennu boat, and the boat of Seker are
mentioned ; the gods have all the attributes which
they had m the old texts ; the belief in the
judgment after death is accepted ; and even a
short extract containing seven addresses to gods
from the “ Negative Confession ” is included in
thc new work. The idea of material happiness
is, however, more fully developed, and some
passages suggest the existence of a belief in the
resurrection of the corruptible body, and of a hope
for a life in the world beyond the grave not unlike
that which was passecl upon earth. The beautiful
hymns and prayers found in the old texts are
wantino- in the “ Book of Breathino-s,” and no
O O 7
reference whatever is made to the spiritual lifc of
the beatified as described in the Pyramid Texts ;
in short, no passage which does not immediately
conduce to the well-being of the natural body
and soul, ancl assure the growth of the spiritual
body from them, has any place in it. To give the
work an enhanced value it was declarecl to be the
production of Thoth, thc scribe of the gods.
The attention of scholars was first directed to
thc “ Book of Breathings” by the late Dr. H.
1 Compare the Papyrus of Nu (No. 10,477), sheet 24.