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

20

THE OSIREION.

the head, leg, ribs, heart, and even the whole carcase,
are represented.

The king holds a hawk-headed incense-burner;
the small pottery saucer, which held the burning
incense, is clearly shown. These saucers were used
in order to save the bronze burner from contact
with the fire, by which it would soon have been
destroyed. Saucers of this kind, blackened inside,
with charcoal and incense, were found by Prof. Petrie
at Tel el Amarna. The bracelets on the king's arms
are merely painted, not sculptured; an omission
which would not have been noticed when the whole
figure was coloured. The necklace is of a somewhat
unusual form.

Above the head of the king is a hawk with out-
stretched drooping wings, on one side of it is the
name, " Behdeti, lord of heaven ; " on the other side,
" He gives all life like Ra." Over the king are his
name and titles, "The good god, son of Osiris, Lord
of the Two Lands, Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, lord of
crowns, Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah, giving life like
Ra."

In front of Merenptah is an inscription, " Offering
incense to all the fathers, the gods." Behind the
king is, " Protection, life, stability, length of days, all
health, all gladness of heart behind him, like Ra for
ever."

17. Pl. XI. The North Wall.—These inscrip-
tions are portions of chapter cxlvi of the "Book of
the Dead," the Chapter of the Hidden Pylons.

Right: " [Call aloud] O Osiris King Ba-en-Ra mer-
Neteru, true of voice, on arriving at the first pylon,
the Lord of Tremblings, [Lofty] of Walls, Lady of
Overthrowings, arranging Words, repulsing storms,
preventing injuries [to him who] goes along the road.
Its doorkeeper, Nery is bis name. Says the Osiris
the King Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, true of voice :
[Behold] me, I come. Says this guardian of the
gate, saying: What says the Osiris the King ....

......Verily, he being pure I am pure. How ?

[By] these waters in which Ra purified himself
when he was clothed [on] the east of heaven. Thou
art anointed. How ? [With] merhet, hati and ash
ointments, and the clothing which is upon thee

.........and the staff which is in thy hand

is.........Pass thou on."

Below is a shrine in which is the vulture-headed
deity Nery, wearing two feathers on the head, and
holding the ankli. On the top of the shrine is a
decoration of alternate feathers and snakes.

Left: " Call aloud, O Osiris King Ba-en-Ra mer-
Neteru, true of voice, at the second pylon, the Lady
of Heaven, Mistress of the Two Lands, Neby,
Mistress of the Sacred Land. The name of its
guardian is Mes-ptah-peh. He says, I made a road.
Behold me, I come, saying: What says the
Osiris, the King Ba-en-Ra mer-Neteru, lord of
crowns, Hotep her-Maat Merenptah, true of voice ?
Verily, thou being purified I am purified. How ?
[By] these waters in which Osiris purified himself
when he was placed in the Sektet boat and the Atet
boat. He went forth at Ta-ur, he descended upon
him who is in Ta-ur. Thou art anointed. How ?
[With] ointment and with perfumes of the festivals,
and the clothing which is upon thee, and may there
be bandages to thee. The staff in thy hand is thy
benbeu staff. It is proclaimed for thee because thou
knowest it, viz. the name of Osiris the King Ba-en-
Ra mer-Neteru, son of the Sun, of his body, his
beloved, lord of crowns, Hotep-her-Maat Merenptah,
true of voice before the Lords of Eternity."

Below the inscription is a representation of a
shrine containing a crocodile-headed figure wearing
two feathers on the head and holding the sign of
life. The name is Neb}-, determined with the sign
of fire. Along the top of the shrine is a looped
snake.

CHAPTER III.
The Passages.

18. Pl. XII. The sloping passage leading from
the hall towards the Temple of Sety was inscribed
on the South side with the xviith chapter, on the
North side with the xcixth chapter, of the Book
of the Dead. Above the inscription on each side
was a frieze of figures of which it was possible to copy
only one, from the north side. The rapid silting up
of the passage by heavy falls of sand and stones made
it impossible to copy more than a few lines of the
inscriptions, which are only enough to show the
chapters from which they are taken.

The xcixth chapter is the Chapter of bringing the
Makhent boat; the xviith is one of the most ancient
chapters, of which the meaning was so obscure,
even in the earliest times of which we have any
knowledge of it, that it is accompanied by a running
commentary by ancient theologians. By degrees, the
commentary became confounded with the text, which

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