Murray, Margaret Alice: The Osireion at Abydos (London, 1904)

THE GREAT HALL.

stood open and roofless for man}' years, though it
was filled up again in Roman times. Sufficient
traces of colour remained on all the sculptures to
show that the background was white, the hieroglyphs
red and blue, and the figures of various colours.
Many of the details were added in the painting and
do not appear in the sculptures, as, for instance,
the bracelets on the arms of Merenptah and the
striped garments of the figures of gods in the lists
on the West Wall.

11. Pl. VII. At the south end of the hall the
walls on either side of the doorway are engraved with
chapters from the " Book of the Dead." The upper
part of the wall is so broken that the inscription is
too fragmentary to translate. One line only, on the
left is intact. " Speech of the King, Lord of the
Two Lands, Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, son of the Sun,
Lord of crowns, Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah, giving
life."

East side of the door: This inscription is part of
chapter xliii, the Chapter of the Identification of
Members. It is noticeable that the name of Sety I
occurs in the first part of the inscription.

" [Chapter] of driving away the slaughterings
which are made in Henenseten by the King Men-
Maat-Ra, true of voice, Strong One of the White
crown, Image of the gods. I am the Child, {four
times). O [Abu-ur, thou sayest this] day, 'The
Slaughter-block is prepared with what thou knowest,
coming unto decay (?). I am Ra, establishing praises;
I am the great god within the tamarisk-tree, the
twice beautiful One, more splendid than yesterday (?)
(four times). I am Ra, establishing praises. I am

........going forth [when] this Ra goes forth.

" The hair of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, [true] of

voice, is as Nu.
" The face of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

[true] of voice, is as Ra.
" The two eyes of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, [true]

of voice, are as Hathor.
" The two ears of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

[true] of voice, are as Upuaut.
" The nose of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, [true]

of voice, is as Kenti-khas.
" The two lips of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

[true] of voice, are as Anubis.
" The teeth of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, [true]

of voice, are as Serkt.
" The neck of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

[true] of voice, is as Isis.

" [The two hands] of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru,

[true] of voice, are as the Soul, the Lord of

Deddu.
" The elbow of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, true

[of voice, is as the Lady of Sais].
" The backbone of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

true [of voice, is as Set].
"The phallus of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, true

of voice, is as Osiris.
" The flesh of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

true of voice, is as the Lords of Kher-

aha.
" The trunk of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, [true of

voice], is as the Great One of Terror.
"The body and back of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat

Merenptah, true of voice, are as Sekhet.
" The hinder parts of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru,

true of voice, are as the Eye of Horus.
" The legs of Osiris Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,

true of voice, are as Nut.
" The feet of Osiris Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, true of

voice, are as Ptah."
West side of the door: This is chapter clxxx of
the " Book of the Dead," one of the many chapters
of Coming forth by Day.

" [The Chapter] of Coming forth by Day, of
praising Ra in the West of Heaven, of making
praises to those who are in the Duat, of opening a
road for the Soul which is in the Underworld, of
causing that it may walk with wide strides in the
Underworld, of making transformations as a living
soul by the king Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, son of the
Sun, Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah, true of voice.
Hail, Ra, setting as Osiris with all his diadems.
The glorious ones, the gods, the people of the West
[i.e. the Dead], they praise him, the Image not {sic)
unique of the secret places, the Holy Soul of Khenti-
Amentiu (?), Unnefer, he exists unto eternity and
everlasting. Beautiful is thy face in the Duat.
Thy son Horus is satisfied concerning thee. He
speaks [lit. commands] for thee the commanding
words. Thou grantest that he may appear as thy
pillar of the Duat. Those who are in the Duat and
of the steps of heaven are bidden before thee (?) p
am the guardian of the gate who walks behind Ra.
I have offered offerings in the Fields of Aaru, I have
made libations on earth and in the Fields of Aaru,
weighing words like Thoth. Hail, O gods, O
ancestors, O Ra, lead ye my soul as ye lead the
begetter of mankind with you at the side of the
soul of Khenti-Amentiu."

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