Chapter IV: Section I (1)

1 Thou art what he is, Rā, thou givest birth to the royal Osiris,
thou makest him exist like thyself, god of the two horizons; the
birth of Osiris is the birth of Rā in the Ament, and reciprocally;
the birth of Osiris in the heavens is the birth of the soul of Rā
in the heavens, and reciprocally; the life of Osiris is the life
of Rā, and reciprocally; the development of his body is the
development of Rā’s body. Rā conceived, Tum gave birth to Osiris;
it is the young Chepra; Nut brings Osiris into the world, she
nourishes Osiris, like Rā’s soul which issued from her.

2 O, Rā who art in the Ament ...(636) who art in the empyrean,
deliver Osiris from thy conductors who separate souls from their
bodies, the agile beings who move quickly in thy places of
torment. May they never seize Osiris, may they never take him, may
they never quicken their steps toward him, may they never put him
in their places of torture, may they never cast their toils round
him, may they never place him upon their altars, may he never
tremble in the land of the condemned, may he never be lost in the
Ament. He walks as the god of the horizon walks, he takes Rā’s
steps, he worships the god who is on the earth, he honors the
mysterious bodies ...(637) they say to Osiris: Hu and Sa; they
call him this, because he is like the spirit of Hu and Sa(638) in
his creations; he makes the sacred tree grow he is not ignorant of
it. There are cries of joy in the mysterious region, for Rā sets
under the form of Osiris, and reciprocally. Rejoice, you the dead,
render praises to Rā, and Rā renders praises to you. Rā comes
forth from the cow Mehur,(639) he sets in Netur;(640) Osiris comes
forth from Nehur like the sun, he sets in Netur like Temt. The
name of the King is the name of Rā, Ammehur,(641) the setting of
Osiris, it is his setting, Amnetur.(642)

3 The gods of the empyrean bless him, the hidden gods rejoice over
him; they say to him: thy person is the god of the country of the
dead, thy form is Teb Temt. The hidden gods speak to the royal
Osiris, they rejoice on seeing him; (they say to him:) Hail,
blessed and perfect one, who comest forth from Tonen, the god who
destroys the forms; it is great, thy essence, spirit, shadow that
no one destroys, that lives where you live. He knows the essences
of the primitive beings, he knows the mysterious flames of the
empyrean, for he attains to holy and mysterious things.

4 The two gods speak to the royal Osiris, they rejoice on seeing
him, this blessed, perfect spirit; (they say to him:) This is one
of us. The gods speak to the royal Osiris, they rejoice when they
see him, him, the splendor of Rā, the splendor of the two
goddesses that appears in Heset,(643) the supplicant Heset
addresses the guardians who watch over the doors, who devour souls
and who swallow the shades of the dead; when they approach them,
they are led by them to the place of destruction: O guardians who
watch over your doors, who swallow souls and devour the shades of
the dead; when they approach you, you lead them to the place of
destruction; Oh! allow this blessed this most holy spirit, to be
in the dwelling of the Akher;(644) it is a spirit like Rā glorious
like Osiris. This is what Heset the supplicant says before the
royal Osiris.

5 O Heset, make him come, O Heset, guide the royal Osiris, O Heset
open to him the empyrean, give him the lot of the god of the
empyrean; he puts the veil _nems_(645) upon his head at the bottom
of the dwelling of the Ament. Hail to thee, he has reached thee;
Heset, guide him on the good way, he speaks to thee, he glorifies
thee by his invocations, and thou rejoicest on seeing his spirit;
Heset, the supplicant, open the doors which are in the empyrean,
open his spheres to him, for the club is in the hand of Osiris,
and he grasps his lance; his club strikes the enemies, and his
lance destroys the rebels; his dwelling is that of the god of the
two horizons; his throne is Rā’s throne; for he is the Horus of
the two horizons.(646) He is beautiful, this spirit, he is
perfect, he is powerful in both his hands.

6 The two great gods speak to the royal Osiris; they rejoice on
his account; they celebrate his victorious strength, they give him
their protection, they send him their spirit of life; (they say to
him:) He is brilliant like the spirit of the horizon that is the
dwelling of Rā in the heavens;(647) they communicate their words
to him, they give him the power by their authority. He opens the
door of heaven and earth like his father Rā; a spirit shining in
the place where they burn the offerings, in the arms of Osiris.
The royal Osiris rests in the mysterious dwelling, he shines like
the god of the luminary, the dwelling of Rā of the horizon.(648)
The royal Osiris is Rā; and reciprocally, he is the spirit of
Osiris, he rests (in him).

7 He reaches the gods of the pyramid; these latter praise him on
seeing the happy arrival of Osiris; they address him as Rā of the
horizon; praise be to Rā! cheers for the spirit of the horizon,
praises to the spirit of Rā! Praise his spirit that inhabits the
empyrean, invoke him who is in his disk, bear him to him who
created you, carry him unto the pyramid, since you are the gods
who accompany Rā Osiris. Here is Osiris, carry him into the hidden
sanctuary of Osiris, the lord of years(649) who is under the care
of the two Rehti. Carry him into the hidden dwelling where Osiris
resides, carry him into the funeral monument which is in the
Ament, the mysterious sanctuary of the god who is at rest; bear
him, open your arms to him, stretch out your hands to him, take
off your veils before him, for he is the great essence whom the
dead spirits do not know; it is Rā, the god of the two horizons,
and Osiris, the King of the Ament, who send him.

8 The royal Osiris is one of you, for his diadem is a vulture; his
face is a sparrow-hawk, his head is Rā; his eyes are the Rehti,
the two sisters; his nose is Horus of the empyrean; his mouth is
the King of the Ament; his lungs are Nun; his two hands are the
god Secheni;(650) his fingers are the gods who seize him; his body
is Chepra; his heart is Horus, the creator; his chest is the
goddess of life; his spleen is the god Fenti;(651) his lungs are
the goddess Heti; his stomach is Apu; his intestines, the god with
the mysterious names;(652) his back is the corpse-god; his elbows
are Makati; the nape of his neck, Horus Thoth; his lips Mehur; his
phallus is Tonen;(653) ...(654) the goddess of Cher; ...(655) the
two hidden gods; his sitting posture the two goddesses; his legs,
he who traverses the hidden places; his shin-bones are _uræus_.
His members are gods, he is throughout a god, no one of his
members is without a god, the gods are of his substance. The royal
Osiris is an intelligent essence, his members guide him, his flesh
opens the way to him, those who are born of him create him, they
rest when they have given birth to him. The royal Osiris is he who
gives them birth, it is he who begets them, it is he who makes
them exist; his birth is that of Rā in the Ament, Rā gives birth
to the royal Osiris, he causes his own birth.

_Section II_

1 O Rā, open to his spirit, for the royal Osiris knows what there
is in the empyrean, he is the great mummy, Osiris, the King of the
Ament; he is Osiris, he is perfect like Osiris, he is blessed like
Osiris, his club is that of Osiris, his sword is that of
Chentament, his sceptre is that of Sahou, he is the great one, the
King of the blessed, for he is the original one, he who knows the
mysteries, the greatest of the holy ones in the empyrean. He is
happy, the spirit Keschi who makes his own law in the Ament, he
speaks to what is born of him,(656) Osiris Chentament.

2 Hail to thee, inhabitant of the empyrean, praised be what is in
thee; hail to thee, inhabitant of the empyrean, the weeping gods
cut their hair in honor of thee, they clap their hands, they
revere thee, they weep before thee, thy spirit rejoices in their
fear, thy body is blessed.

3 Hail to thee, inhabitant of the empyrean, god seated upon his
throne, who boldest the sceptre _hik_,(657) King of the empyrean,
Prince of the Aker, great Prince crowned with the _urer_,(658)
great god who hides his dwelling, Lord of wisdom, Chief of the
powers.

4 Hail to the inhabitant of the empyrean, thy son Horus rests in
thee, thou communicatest thy orders to him, thou permittest him to
shine like An of the empyrean, the great star who creates his
names,(659) who knows the empyrean and who traverses the interior
of it, he, the son of Rā, proceeding from Tum. The royal Osiris is
thy son, thou communicatest thy orders to him, thou permittest him
to shine like An of the heavens, the great star who creates his
names,(660) who knows the empyrean and who traverses the interior
of it, he the son of Rā, proceeding from Tum. He rests in the
empyrean, he rejoices in the dusk, he enters in there and comes
forth, the arms of Tonen receive him, the blessed lift him, they
stretch out their hands toward him, the ...(661) guide him. Praise
him ye blessed, exalt the royal Osiris, ye blessed! Rejoice over
him, as over Rā, extol him like Osiris, he has placed your
offerings before you, he accords you the favor of receiving your
portion as his father Rā commanded. He is his darling, he is his
descendant upon the earth, and the blessed show him the way. Let
him arrive in the empyrean, and let him penetrate into the good
Ament. The royal Osiris fixes the crown upon the head of Osiris,
he offers his casket to Seb, he presents Sah with the sceptre, he
gives the royal diadem to him whose name is Ammon.

5 Look at him, ye blessed, let him receive a perfect intelligence,
let him shine like the god of mysteries, deliver him from the gods
of the pillory who fasten to their posts. May they never bind
Osiris to their posts, may they never put him in the place of
destruction, for he is the descendant of Osiris who permits him to
receive the diadem in the empyrean.

6 He is sublime, the spirit of Rā in the Ament, his body is
blessed there, the spirits rejoice when they develop their forms
in the zones of the empyrean, before the soul of Rā, the
inhabitant of the empyrean, and Teb Temt who rests in his
covering. Hail, yes, hail! Hail spirit of Rā, hail, spirit of the
royal Osiris like Temt! Hail, royal Osiris who art Rā, and
reciprocally! O Temt who art Rā, and reciprocally, hail!

7 The royal Osiris is one of you. He gives birth to you, he gives
you your names, he makes you perfect; ha! he sends his body into
you; ha! he is your creator. Look at him, he shines like him who
proceeds from you; he honors his father, perfect, blessed,
blessing his mother; look at him, make his essence sublime and
make him like him who destroys his forms;(662) show the way to his
spirit, set him upon your pedestals, make him rest in his members,
show him his dwelling in the midst of the earth, open your doors
to him, unfasten the bolt.

8 O Rā, O Teb-Temt, guide the royal Osiris following the direction
of the spirits, following the course of the gods. The royal Osiris
is in his gateway (in presence of the) navigating gods; the royal
Osiris is the only one, the guardian of his doors, he who puts the
gods in their places. He is upon his pedestal in the empyrean, he
is the possessor in the midst of the possessors, he is at the
extremities of the empyrean, he is blessed in the infernal
regions. He rests in the Ament among the spirits who are in the
members of the Ament. The royal Osiris is Rā’s darling, he is the
mysterious phœnix, he enters in peace into the empyrean, he leaves
Nut in peace; the royal Osiris has his throne in heaven, he
traverses the horizons in Rā’s train, he is at peace in the
heavens, in Rā’s fields, his share is upon the horizon in the
fields of Aalu; he traverses the earth like Rā, he is wise like
Thoth, he walks at will, he hastens in his course, like Sahu with
the mysterious names, who becomes two divinities. The royal Osiris
becomes two divinities. What Rā produces, the royal Osiris
produces; he gives a spiritual existence to what he loves; he does
not give it to what he hates. The royal Osiris is the Chief of the
gods who make offerings to the spirits, he is powerful in his
course, he is the courageous being who strikes his enemies.

9 O ye gods, O ye blessed who precede Rā and who escort his
spirit, do to the royal Osiris as to Rā, tow him with you in the
same way that you conduct Rā and the two navigating gods in the
heavens; the royal Osiris is Rā himself, and reciprocally; he is
the Chief of his worshippers who gives life to the forms.

_Section III_

1 O Ament, O Ament, O good, O good, O strong, O strong, O
powerful, O powerful, O protecting, O protecting, O mysterious, O
mysterious (Ament), the royal Osiris knows thee, he knows thy
form, he knows the name of thy companions. Ament, hide my corpse,
good Ament, hide my body. O resting-place, let me rest in thee; O
strong one, may the royal Osiris be strong with thy strength; O
powerful one, may he be powerful with thy power! O Ament, open thy
arms to him; O protectress, cover his body; O mysterious being,
stretch out thy hand to him. Hail, holy Ament of Osiris with the
mysterious names, the most holy of the gods, thou who art the most
hidden of all mysteries. Hail! the royal Osiris worships thee; he
addresses the great god who is within thee. Hail! he worships
thee; open thy mysterious doors to him. Hail! he worships thee;
(open to him) thy hidden spheres, for he has his dwelling in the
heavens like Rā, and his throne is upon the earth like Seb; he is
seated upon the throne of Seb, upon the seats of Horchuti; his
spirit soars into the heavens, it rests there; his body descends
to the earth in the midst of the gods. He walks with Rā, he
follows Tum, he is like Chepra, he lives as thou livest in truth.

2 When this book is read he who reads it purifies himself at the
hour when Rā sets, who rests in the Ament of the Ament, when Rā is
in the midst of hidden things, completely.

The Book Of Respirations

Translated by P. J. De Horrack

The manuscript a translation of which here follows belongs to the Museum of the Louvre, in Paris, where it is registered under the No. 3284 (_Devéria, Catalogue des MS. égypt._, p. 132). It probably dates from the epoch of the Ptolemies. It is in hieratic writing and generally known by the name of “Book of Respirations” or “Book of the Breaths of Life,” according to Mr. Le Page Renouf’s ingenious interpretation. This book seems to have been deposited exclusively with the mummies of the priests and priestesses of the god Ammon-Rā, if we may judge from the titles inserted into the manuscripts.

Dr. Brugsch, in 1851, first directed the attention of Egyptologists to this curious work, by publishing a transcription in hieroglyphics of a hieratic text in the Berlin Museum, with a Latin translation, under the title of “_Shaï an Sinsin, sive liber Metempsychosis_,” etc. He added to this a copy of a hieratic text of the same book found in Denon (“_Voyage en Egypte_,” pl. 136).

A full analysis of this literary composition has also been given by Dr. Samuel Birch, in his Introduction to the “_Rhind Papyri_,” London, 1863.

The Paris manuscript is as yet unpublished, but a copy of it will be produced ere long by the present translator. A few passages corrupted by the ancient scribe have been restored from copies of the same text, which are in the Egyptian Museum of the Louvre.

The “Book of Respirations” has a great analogy with that of the “Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys.” It not only makes allusion to the _formulæ_ and acts by means of which the resurrection is effected, but also treats of the life after death, thus greatly increasing our knowledge of the religious system of the ancient Egyptians.

THE BOOK OF RESPIRATIONS

1 Commencement of the Book of Respirations
made by Isis for her brother Osiris,
to give life to his soul,
to give life to his body,
to rejuvenate all his members anew;
that he may reach the horizon with his father, the Sun;
that his soul may rise to Heaven in the disk of the Moon;
that his body may shine in the stars of Orion on the bosom of
Nu-t;(663)
in order that this may also happen
to the Osiris, divine Father, Prophet of Ammon-Ra, King of the
gods,
Prophet of Khem, of Ammon-Ra, bull of his mother,
in his great abode,
Asar-aau, justified,
Son of the Prophet of the same order, Nes-paut-ta-ti, justified,
Conceal (it), conceal (it)!
Let it not be read by anyone.
It is profitable to the person who is in the divine Nether-World.
He liveth in reality millions of times anew.

2 Words spoken:
Hail to the Osiris N!(664) thou art pure;
thy heart is pure,
thy fore-part is purified,
thy hind-part is cleansed,
thy middle is in _Bat_(665) and natron.
No member in thee is faulty.
The Osiris N is (made) pure by the lotions
from the Fields of Peace, at the North of the Fields of
Sanehem-u.(666)
The goddesses Uati (and) Suben have purified thee
at the eighth hour of the night
and at the eighth hour of the day.
Come Osiris N!
Thou dost enter the Hall of the Two Goddesses of Truth.
Thou art purified of all sin, of all crime.
Stone of Truth is thy name.

3 Hail to the Osiris N!
Thou, being very pure, dost enter the Lower Heaven.
The Two goddesses of Justice have purified thee in the Great Hall.
A purification hath been made to thee in the Hall of Seb.
Thy members have been purified in the Hall of Shu.(667)
Thou seest Rā in his setting,
(as) Atum(668) in the evening.
Ammon is near to thee, to give thee breath,
Ptah, to form thy members.
Thou dost enter the horizon with the Sun.
Thy soul is received in the bark Neshem(669) with Osiris.
Thy soul is divinized in the Hall of Seb.
Thou art justified forever and ever.

4 Hail to the Osiris N!
Thine individuality is permanent.
Thy body is durable.
Thy mummy doth germinate.
Thou art not repulsed from heaven, (neither from) earth.
Thy face is illuminated near the Sun.
Thy soul liveth near to Ammon.
Thy body is rejuvenated near to Osiris.
Thou dost breathe forever and ever.

5 Thy soul maketh thee offerings, each day,
of bread, of drinks, of oxen, of geese, of fresh water, of
condiments.
Thou comest to justify it.
Thy flesh is on thy bones,
like unto thy form on earth.
Thou dost imbibe into thy body.
Thou eatest with thy mouth.
Thou receivest bread, with the souls of the gods.
Anubis doth guard thee.
He is thy protection.
Thou art not repulsed from the gates of the Lower Heaven.
Thoth, the doubly great, the Lord of Sesennu, cometh to thee.
He writeth for thee the Book of Respirations, with his own
fingers.
Thy soul doth breathe forever and ever.
Thou dost renew thy form on earth, among the living.
Thou art divinized with the souls of the gods.
Thy heart is the heart of Rā
Thy members are the members of the great god.(670)
Thou livest forever and ever.

6 Hail to the Osiris N!
Ammon is with thee each day
to render thee life.
Apheru openeth to thee the right way.
Thou seest with thine eyes;
thou hearest with thine ears;
thou speakest with thy mouth;
thou walkest with thy legs.
Thy soul is divinized in Heaven,
to make all the transformations it desireth.
Thou makest the joy of the sacred _Persea_ in An.
Thou awakenest each day.
Thou seest the rays of Rā.
Ammon cometh to thee with the breath of life.
He granteth to thee to breathe in thy coffin.
Thou comest on earth each day,
the Book of Respirations of Thoth being thy protection.
Thou breathest by it each day.
Thine eyes behold the rays of the disk.
Truth is spoken to thee before Osiris.
The _formulæ_ of justification are on thy body.
Horus, the defender of his father, protecteth thy body.
He divinizeth thy soul as well as (those) of all the gods.
The soul of Rā giveth life to thy soul.
The soul of Shu filleth thy respiratory organs with soft
breath.(671)

7 Hail to the Osiris N!
Thy soul doth breathe in the place thou lovest.
Thou art in the dwelling of Osiris, who resideth in the West.
Thy person is most pure.
Thou dost arrive in Abydos.
He (Osiris) filleth thy dwelling Hotep with provisions.

8 Hail to the Osiris N!
The gods of all Egypt come to thee.
Thou art guided toward the end of centuries.
Thy soul liveth.
Thou dost follow Osiris.
Thou breathest in Rusta.
Secret care is taken of thee by the Lord of Sati(672)
and by the great god.(673)
Thy body liveth in Tattu (and in) Nifur.
Thy soul liveth in Heaven forever.

9 Hail to the Osiris N!
Sechet prevaileth against what is injurious to thee.
Har-aa-hetu taketh care of thee.
Har-shet doth form thy heart.
Har-maa doth guard thy body.
Thou continuest in life, health (and) strength.
Thou art established upon thy throne in Ta-ser.
Come, Osiris N!
Thou appearest in thy form.
Strengthened by thine ornaments(674)
thou art prepared for life.
Thou remainest in a healthful state;
thou walkest, thou breathest everywhere.(675)
The Sun doth rise upon thine abode.
Like unto Osiris, thou breathest, thou livest by his rays.
Ammon-Ra giveth life to thee.
He doth enlighten thee by the Book of Respirations.
Thou dost follow Osiris and Horus, Lord of the sacred bark.
Thou art as the greatest of the gods among the gods.
Thy beautiful face liveth (in) thy children.
Thy name doth always prosper.
Come to the great temple in Tattu.
Thou wilt see him who resideth in the West,
in the Ka-festival.
Delicious is thy perfume as that of the blessed;
great thy name among the elect.

10 Hail to the Osiris N!
Thy soul liveth by the Book of Respirations.
Thou unitest thyself to the Book of Respirations.
Thou dost enter the Lower Heaven;
thine enemies are not (there).
Thou art a divine soul in Tattu.(676)
Thy heart is thine;
it is (no longer) separated from thee.
Thine eyes are thine;
they open each day.
11_a_ Words spoken by the gods who accompany Osiris, to the Osiris
N:
Thou dost follow Ra.
Thou dost follow Osiris.
Thy soul livest forever and ever.

11_b_ Words spoken by the gods who dwell in the Lower Heaven
(like) Osiris of the West, to the Osiris N:
Let them open to him at the gates of the Lower Heaven.
_He is received_(677) in the divine Nether-World,
that his soul may live forever.
He buildeth a dwelling in the divine Nether-World.
He is rewarded.(678)
He hath received the Book of Respirations,
that he may breathe.

12 Royal offering to Osiris who resideth in the West,
great god, Lord of Abydos,
that he may give offerings
of bread, of _hak_, of oxen, of geese, of wine, of the liquor
_aket_, of bread _Hotep_,
of good provisions of all kinds,
to the Osiris N.
Thy soul liveth.
Thy body doth germinate,
by order of Rā himself,
without pain, without injury,
like unto Ra forever and ever.

13 O Strider, coming out of An,(679)
the Osiris N hath not committed any sin.
O Mighty of the Moment, coming out of Kerau,
the Osiris N hath not done any evil.
O Nostril, coming out of Sesennu,(680)
the Osiris N hath not been exacting.
O Devourer of the Eye, coming out of Kerti,
the Osiris N hath not obtained anything by theft.
O Impure of visage, coming out of Rusta,
the Osiris N hath not been angry.
O Lion-gods, coming forth from heaven,
the Osiris N hath not committed any sin by reason of hardness of
heart(?)
O Fiery-Eyed, coming out of Sechem,
the Osiris N hath not been weak.

14 O ye gods who dwell in the Lower Heaven,
hearken unto the voice of Osiris N.
He is near unto you.
There is no fault in him.
No informer riseth up against him.
He liveth in the truth.
He doth nourish himself with truth.
The gods are satisfied with all that he hath done.
He hath given food to the hungry,
drink to the thirsty,
clothes to the naked.
He hath given the sacred food to the gods,
The funeral repasts to the pure Spirits.
No complaint hath been made against him before any of the gods.
Let him enter (then) into the Lower Heaven
without being repulsed.
Let him follow Osiris, with the gods of Kerti.
He is favored among the faithful,(681)
(and) divinized among the perfected.
Let him live!
Let his soul live!
His soul is received wherever it willeth.
(He) hath received the Book of Respirations,
that he may breathe with his soul,
(with) that of the Lower Heaven,
and that he may make any transformation at his will,
like (the inhabitants) of the West;(682)
that his soul may go wherever it desireth,
living on the earth forever and ever.

He is towed (like) Osiris into the Great Pool of Khons.
When he has retaken possession of his heart(683)
the Book of Respirations is concealed in (the coffin).
It is (covered) with writing upon Suten,
both inside and outside (and)
placed underneath his left arm,
evenly with his heart;...
When the Book has been made for him
then he breathes with the souls of the gods forever and ever.(684)

It is finished.

THE EPIC OF PENTA-OUR

Translated by C. W. Goodwin, M.A.

The commencement of the epic of Penta-our is wanting in the papyrus, and the end is also defective, but the date of the composition and the name of the writer have fortunately escaped. It appears to have been written in the ninth year of the King whose valor it celebrates. Champollion saw this papyrus, and had formed some notion of the nature of its contents, but to M. de Rougé belongs the honor of having first given a complete translation of it. This was published in the “_Revue Contemporaine_,” 1856, p. 389. The scene of the exploit lies in the neighborhood of the city of Katesh,(685) the capital of the Hittites, which stood on the banks of a river named Anrata (or Aranta, as it is sometimes written), perhaps the Syrian Orontes. It appears, from the sculptures and inscriptions of Ibsamboul and the Theban Ramesseum, that Rameses II, in the fifth year of his reign, made an expedition into Asia to suppress a revolt of the Asiatic tribes headed by the Prince of Heth. Arrived near Katesh, upon the south side of the city, certain wandering Arabs came to inform him that the forces of the Hittites had retired toward the south, to the land of the Khirbou. These Arabs were, however, in the service of the enemy, and were sent with the intention of entrapping the Egyptians, the fact being that the Hittites and their allies were assembled in force to the north of the town. Rameses fell into the trap, and advanced to the northwest of Katesh while the body of his army proceeded to the south. Shortly after two Hittite spies were caught and brought to the King, and under the pressure of the bastonnade, confessed the true state of the affair. The prince of the Hittites had in the meantime executed a movement to the south of the city, and thus the King was cut off from the body of his troops, and only escaped destruction by the dashing exploit which his admiring subjects seem to have been never weary of commemorating, and which furnished Penta-our, the court poet, with a brilliant theme. A few extracts from the recital shall be given, based upon M. de Rougé’s version, from which I venture in a few respects to deviate. The papyrus begins in the middle of a sentence, at the moment when the King had discovered his mistake.

“[The Prince of] Heth advanced with men and horses well armed [or
full of provender?]: there were three men to each chariot.(686)
There were gathered together all the swiftest men of the land of
the vile Hittites, all furnished with arms ... and waited
stealthily to the northwest of the fortress of Katesh. Then they
fell upon the bowmen of Pharaoh, into the middle of them, as they
marched along and did not expect a battle. The bowmen and the
horsemen of his Majesty gave way before them. Behold they were
near to Katesh, on the west bank of the river Anrata. Then was
[fulfilled?] the saying of his Majesty. Then his Majesty, rising
up like the god Mentou [Mars], undertook to lead on the attack. He
seized his arms—he was like Bar [Baal] in his hour. The great
horse which drew his Majesty his name was Nekhtou-em-Djom, of the
stud of Rameses-Meiamen ... His Majesty halted when he came up to
the enemy, the vile Hittites. He was alone by himself—there was no
other with him in this sortie. His Majesty looked behind him and
saw that he was intercepted by 2,500 horsemen in the way he had to
go, by all the fleetest men of the prince of the base Hittites,
and of many lands which were with him—of Artou [Aradus], of
Maausou, of Patasa, of Kashkash, of Aroun, of Kadjawatana, of
Khirbou, of Aktra, Katesh, and Raka. There were three men to each
chariot, they were ... but there were neither captains, nor
squires, nor leaders of bowmen, nor skirmishers [with the King],
‘My archers and my horsemen forsook me, not one of them remained
to fight with me.’ Then said his Majesty, ‘Where art thou now, my
father Amen? Behold, does a father forget his son? But do I
confide in my own strength? Walking or standing, is not my face
toward thee? Do I not inquire the counsels of thy mouth? Do I not
seek for thy mighty counsels, O thou great lord of Egypt, at whose
approach the oppressors of the land are scattered? What now is the
hope of these Aamou? Amen shall abase those who know not god. Have
I not made for thee many and great buildings of stone? have I not
filled thy temple with my spoils, building for thee a temple to
last myriads of years? ... The whole earth unites to bring thee
offerings ... [to enrich] thy domain. I have sacrificed to thee
30,000 oxen, with all kinds of sweet-scented herbs. Have I not put
behind me those who do not thy will? ... I have built thee a house
of great stones, erecting for thee eternal groves; I have brought
for thee obelisks from Abou [Elephantine]; I have caused the
everlasting stones to be fetched, launching for thee boats upon
the sea, importing for thee the manufactures of the lands. When
was it ever before said that such a thing was done? Confounded is
every one who resists thy designs; blessed is every one who obeys
thee, O Amen. That which thou doest is dear to my heart[?] I cry
to thee, my father, Amen. I am in the midst of many unknown people
gathered together from all lands. But I am alone by myself; there
is none other with me. My bowmen and my horsemen have forsaken me;
they were afraid; not one of them listened when I cried to them.
Amen is more helpful to me than myriads of bowmen, than millions
of horsemen, than tens of thousands of chosen youths, though they
be all gathered together in one place. The arts of men prevail
not, Amen is more powerful than they; they follow not the commands
of thy mouth, O sun! Have I not sought out thy commands? have I
not invoked thee from the ends of the earth?’ ”

This invocation is heard, and the King proceeds to make a vigorous charge against the enemy, who are scattered in all directions. The prince of the Hittites rallies, and succeeds in bringing them again to the combat, but they are repulsed by the King. It will be observed that sometimes the writer himself speaks, but generally the narrative is put into the mouth of the King—a poetical artifice which gives a certain liveliness to the composition—

“ ‘I ran toward them, like the god Mentou, I fleshed my hand upon
them in the space of a moment[?]. I smote them, I slew them, so
that one of them cried to another, saying, “It is no man”
[superhuman]. Mighty was he who was among them, Soutech, the most
glorious. Baal was in my limbs; why was every enemy weak? his hand
was in all my limbs. They knew not how to hold the bow and the
spear. As soon as they saw him, they fled far away with speed, but
his Majesty was upon them like a greyhound. He slew them, so that
they escaped not.’ ”

The King’s squire or armor-bearer is seized with terror, and conjures his master to fly. The King comforts him; and after charging the enemy six times, returns victorious from the field. Rameses, on rejoining his troops, addresses a long tirade to his captains upon their cowardice, and enlarges upon his own valor without any modest scruples. In the evening the rest of the troops came dropping in, and were surprised to find the whole country strewed with the bodies of the dead. The whole army joins in singing the praises of the courageous leader—

“ ‘Hail to the sword, thanks to the bold warrior, strengthener of
hearts, who deliverest thy bowmen and thy horsemen, son of Toum,
subduing the land of the Hittites with thy victorious sword. Thou
art King of victories; there is none like thee, a King fighting
for his soldiers in the day of battle. Thou art magnanimous, the
first in battle. The whole world joined together cannot resist
thee. Thou art the mighty conqueror, in the face of thy army. The
whole earth falls down before thee saying homage. Thou rulest
Egypt, thou chastisest the foreigners, thou crushest, thou bowest
the back of these Hittites forever.’ Then said his Majesty to his
bowmen and his horsemen, likewise his captains, ‘Ye who did not
fight, behold none of you have done well, in that ye left me alone
among the enemy. The captains of the vanguard, the sergeants of
the infantry, came not to help me. I fought against the myriads of
the land alone. I had the horses Nechtou-em-Djom and
Becht-herouta; they were obedient to the guidance of my hand, when
I was alone by myself in the midst of the enemy. Therefore I grant
to them to eat their corn in the presence of Ra continually, when
I am in the gate of the palace, on account of their having been
found in the midst of the enemy: and as for the armor-bearer who
remained with me, I bestow upon him my arms, together with the
things which were upon me, the habiliments of war.’ Behold his
Majesty wore them in his great victory, overthrowing myriads
assembled together with his conquering sword.”

The battle is renewed the next day, and the Hittites are thoroughly routed. An envoy from the chief is now announced, suing for mercy. Rameses acts the part of a magnanimous conqueror, and grants pardon to the repentant rebels. He then returns peaceably to Egypt, leaving the terror of his arms in all the countries of the East.

At the end of the last page of the manuscript are the date and dedication, unfortunately somewhat mutilated. The writer Penta-our dedicates it, not to the King, but to a chief librarian, probably Amen-em-an, with whom he carried on a correspondence. This poem was so highly appreciated by the King that he caused it to be engraved in hieroglyphics upon the walls of one of his palaces, where some remains of it may be still seen. If the date be correctly read, it would appear to have been written four years after the event it celebrates, and, notwithstanding the exaggerated style of adulation which pervades it, there can be little doubt that some such occurrence as that which it represents really took place.

FOOTNOTES

_ 1 I.e._, the mountain of sunset.

_ 2 I.e._, Maāt.

3 The following petition, “Oh, grant thou unto me a path,” etc., is
written once only, and at the end of the Litany, but I think it is
clear that it was intended to be repeated after each of the nine
addresses. This is proved by the Saīte Recension (see Lepsius, op.
cit, Bl. 5) where the words, “Grant thou the sweet breath of the
north wind to the Osiris Auf-ānkh,” are written in two places and
are intended to be said after each of the ten addresses above them.

_ 4 I.e._, “the place where nothing groweth,” the name of a district in
the underworld.

5 The name of the sanctuary of the goddess Nekhebet in Upper Egypt,
the Eileithyiapolis of the Greeks.

_ 6 I.e._, the two lands Atebui, which were situated one on each side
of the celestial Nile.

_ 7 I.e._, the land on each side of the Red Sea and on the coast of
Africa.

_ 8 I.e._, “Lady of life,” a name of Isis.

_ 9 I.e._, the mountain of the sunset.

_ 10 I.e._, the mountain of the sunset.

_ 11 I.e._, An-rut-f, the place where nothing groweth.

_ 12 I.e._, the mountain of sunrise, but the scribe appears to have
written “Baakha” instead of “Manu.”

_ 13 I.e._, the Sun and the Moon.

_ 14 I.e._, the Sun and Moon.

_ 15 I.e._, the dead.

16 The name of the deceased is wanting.

_ 17 I.e._, “Osiris, Governor of Amentet.”

18 Pe and Tepu were two famous sanctuaries of northern Egypt.

_ 19 I.e._, An-rut-f.

20 “Ab” is undoubtedly the “heart,” and “hat” is the region wherein is
the heart; the word may be fairly well rendered by “breast,” though
the pericardium is probably intended.

21 “Erpat,” _i.e._, “tribal chief.”

22 The Papyrus of Mes-em-neter (Naville, “Todtenbuch,” Bd. II. p. 92)
adds: “His heart goeth forth to take up its abode in his body, his
heart is renewed before the gods, and he hath gained the mastery
over it.”

23 The words within brackets are from the Papyrus of Mes-em-neter.

_ 24 I.e._, the god of the “Large Face.”

_ 25 I.e._, the deceased.

26 The words within brackets are translated from the Papyrus of Nebseni
(sheet 4).

_ 27 I.e._, Mycerinus, a king of the fourth dynasty.

_ 28 I.e._, “He of two teeth” (or two horns); the Saīte Recension
(Lepsius, op. cit., Bl. 16) reads “Bent,” _i.e._, “ape.”

_ 29 I.e._, “Thy face is of right and truth.”

30 We should probably add the word “tep” and read “Tep tu-f,” “He that
is upon his hill,” _i.e._, Anubis.

31 The Theban texts mention four crocodiles only.

32 So far back as 1867 the late Dr. Birch identified the animal
“maftet” with the lynx.

33 Read, “the lord of the city of Shennu” _i.e._, of Kom Ombos.

34 Or, “I report [my] message to Nebes” (or Nebses).

35 The two opponent goddesses, or Isis and Nephthys(?).

36 These words are from the Papyrus of Ra.

37 The words within brackets are supplied from the Papyrus of
Mes-em-neter.

_ 38 I.e._, The “land of cold and refreshing water.”

39 Literally, “eat.”

40 A king of the first dynasty. See also the rubric to the longer
version of the 64th from the Papyrus of Nu, infra, p. 47.

41 These words are added from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

42 From the Papyrus of Nu, sheet 13.

43 From Papyrus of Nu, sheet 21.

44 He was the son of Cheops, the builder of the Great Pyramid at Gîzeh.

45 Here follows the text of Chapter of “Preserving the Heart,” page 25.

_ 46 I.e._, the souls of Horus and Rā.

47 This Rubric is taken from the Papyrus of Thenna (see Naville, op.
cit., Bd. II. p. 153).

48 From the Papyrus of Ani (Brit. Mus. No. 10,470, sheet 6).

49 The words in brackets are supplied from Naville, op. cit., Bd. II.
p. 158.

50 Literally, “Thou hast given unto me.”

51 The variants are Aahet At, Aahet Ateh, and one papyrus gives the
words, “I am the great god”; see Naville, op. cit., Bd. II. p. 167.

52 Literally, “I flew.”

53 I believe that “Turtle” is the correct translation.

54 Literally, “dilated with years.”

55 Added from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

56 Added from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

57 The Papyrus of Nebseni has, “make thou me to see my soul and my
shade.”

58 This rubric is taken from the Papyrus of Ani, sheet 17.

59 The Papyrus of Ani contains what are, apparently, two versions of
this chapter.

_ 60 I.e._, the “Governor of Amenti,” or Osiris.

61 This title is taken from the Saïte Recension.

_ 62 I.e._, the four pillars at the south, north, west, and east of
heaven upon which the heavens were believed to rest.

63 In the Saïte Recension this chapter is about twice as long as it is
in the Theban Recension.

64 The words in brackets are from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

65 Or, “I am at peace with the god of the city.”

_ 66 I.e._, “Existence in Peace,” the name of the first large section of
the Elysian Fields.

67 The name of a pool in the second section of the Elysian Fields.

68 The name of a pool in the first section of the Elysian Fields.

69 The name of a pool in the second section of the Elysian Fields.

70 The name of a district in the third section of the Elysian Fields.

71 The name of a pool in the first section of the Elysian Fields.

72 The name of a pool in the third section of the Elysian Fields.

73 The name of a pool in the third section of the Elysian Fields.

74 A name of the city of Mendes, the metropolis of the sixteenth nome
of Lower Egypt.

_ 75 I.e._, he lost his temper and raged.

_ 76 I.e._, Cusæ, the metropolis of the fourteenth nome of Upper Egypt.

77 The words in brackets are from the Papyrus of Neb-qet (sheet 3).

78 A fuller title of this chapter is, “The Chapter of knowing the name
of Osiris, and of going into and of coming forth from Re-stau.”

79 For the text see Naville, op. cit., Bd. I. Bl. 130.

80 The words in brackets are from the Papyrus of Amen-em-heb. See
Naville, op. cit., Bd. II. p. 267.

81 The Papyrus of Mes-em-neter adds, “bringing right unto thee the
divine being who loveth her.”

_ 82 I.e._, Heliopolis, Mendes or Busiris, Heracleopolis, Abydos,
Panopolis, and Sennu (a city near Panopolis).

83 The words in brackets are from the Saïte Recension (see Lepsius, op.
cit., Bl. 46).

_ 84 I.e._, the “Land of the inundation,” a name of Egypt.

85 In other papyri this chapter is called: (1) “The Chapter of going
into the Hall of double Maāti;” (2) “The Chapter of [the Hall of]
double Maāti and of knowing what is therein;” and (3) “The Book of
entering into the Hall of double Maāti.” See Naville, op. cit., Bd.
II. p. 275.

86 Variant, “I have not caused misery, I have not caused affliction.”

87 The words in brackets are added from the Papyrus of Amen-neb (Brit.
Mus. No. 9,964). See Naville, op. cit., Bd. II. p. 282.

88 Variant, “I have not defrauded the gods of their chosen meat
offerings.”

_ 89 I.e._, the month called by the Copts Mekhir, the sixth month of the
Egyptian year.

90 These words are added from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

91 These words are added from the Papyrus of Ani.

92 A city near Memphis.

93 The “Qerti,” or caverns out of which flowed the Nile, were thought
to be situated between Aswān and Philæ.

94 Variant, Neha-hra.

95 Variant, “like fire.”

_ 96 I.e._, the ninth nome of Lower Egypt, the capital of which was
Per-Ausar or Busiris.

97 The “City of the Sycamore,” a name of a city of Upper Egypt.

98 The thirteenth nome of Lower Egypt.

99 The metropolis of the nineteenth nome of Upper Egypt.

_ 100 I.e._, “lost my temper and become angry.”

101 These words are added from Brit. Mus. No. 9,905. Other papyri
introduce the address with the words: (1) “To be said when [the
deceased] cometh forth victorious from the Hall of double Maāti;”
(2) “To be said when he cometh forth to the gods of the underworld;”
(3) “The words which [are to be said] after the Hall of double
Maāati.”

102 The ordinary reading is, “For I have heard the word which was spoken
by the Ass with the Cat.”

103 A people who dwelt, probably, on the northeast frontier of Egypt,
and who have been by some identified with the Phœnicians.

104 These words are added from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

105 The Papyrus of Nu continues: “ ‘I will not open unto thee and I will
not let thee pass by me,’ saith the Guardian of this door, ‘unless
thou tellest [me] my name’; ‘Ox of Seb’ is thy name.” See above, l.
30.

106 Here the Papyrus repeats a passage given above.

107 The words “sema-kua” are superfluous.

108 After “Osiris” a Paris papyrus adds, “He shall come forth in
whatsoever form he is pleased to appear as a living soul forever and
ever.”

109 This chapter has no title either in the Theban or in the Saïte
Recension.

110 The words in brackets are added from Brit. Mus. No. 9,913.

_ 111 I.e._, districts or divisions of the underworld.

112 A name of the city of Abydos.

113 “The Book of making the soul to live forever. [To be recited] on the
day of embarking in the boat of Rā to pass over to the chiefs of
flame.” See Naville, op. cit., Bd. II. p. 338.

114 Read “Shu” instead of “maat.”

115 Or, “images.”

116 Or, “The chapter of making the way into heaven nigh unto Rā.”

117 In the Saïte Recension (see Lepsius, op. cit., Bl. 54) the house is
said to be “in the underworld.”

118 Another papyrus adds the words, “I have advanced, and behold, I have
not been found light, and the Balance is empty of my affair.”

119 The Papyrus of Nebseni has, “The Osiris Nebseni is the lord of
transformations in the presence of the hawk of gold.”

120 The Papyrus of Ani has “seven cubits.”

121 The words “or thy father” are from the Papyrus of Ani.

122 These words are from the Brocklehurst Papyrus (see Naville, op.
cit., Bd. II. p. 334). There are three copies of this rubric extant,
and no one of them is complete!

123 In the Papyrus of Nebseni the title of this chapter reads: “The
Chapter of embarking in the boat of Rā and of being with those who
are in his following.”

124 Read “god Osiris”?

125 Added from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

126 In the Papyrus of Nebseni the deceased is here addressed.

127 This name, frequently found in the letters, is the Egyptian
“Neb-mat-ra,” or Amenophis III.

128 As the Amorite “z” or “s” seems sometimes to represent the Hebrew
“sh,” this name might be compared with the Philistine “Achish.”

129 “Katna” is the present Katanah, on the south of Hermon, west of
Damascus.

130 Others read “Nuhasse.” It was a Hittite country, and appears to be
that of Mer’ash, under the Taurus, where a number of important
Hittite remains are found (see especially B. 31, 32).

131 Throughout the letters the enemy is always called a “slave,” a
“slave dog,” or “son of a dog,” as also in Egyptian texts.

132 Where breaks occur they are due to fractures of the tablet.

133 This appears, as throughout the letters, to apply to the King of
Egypt. All the Egyptian kings were regarded as descendants of gods,
and are so addressed in Egyptian records.

134 “Aidugama” does not appear to be a Semitic name, but, as we should
expect in Hittite, it is Mongol, and compares with “Akkadian,” as
meaning “the victorious lord.” He is called “Edagama” by the King of
Tyre (B. M. 30), who mentions his fighting with Neboyapiza, and
Aziru’s also.

135 Probably “Lapana” is Lybo, now Lebweh, north of Baalbek.

136 Probably R’aith (or R’ais), on the east side of the Buka’ah plain,
east of Zahleh, on the way from the Hittite country.

137 Perhaps should read “Zinaar” for “Senaar,” the Shinar of the Bible.
Merash and Ni have been noted above.

138 This word “bitati” always applies (and it is used very often) to
Egyptian soldiers. It seems to be an Egyptian word. Compare “pet”
(“foot”) and “petet” (“to invade or march”) in Egyptian.

139 Huba is identified by Dr. Bezold with the land of Hobah (Gen. xiv.
15), which was at the “entering in” north of Damascus. The “entering
in” here and at Hamath means a pass between hills leading to the
city. It has been objected that Hobah would be “Ubatu” in Assyrian;
but this fails in view of the detailed topography, which shows that
Dr. Bezold was right. The Hebrew heh is often replaced by Aleph or
vau in Aramaic.

140 The land Am or Amma, several times mentioned, appears to be the Old
Testament land of Ham, in northern Bashan, near Damascus (Gen. xiv.
5). The Hebrew is spelled with the soft aspirate, not the hard
guttural. It may perhaps be connected with the name of the “Amu” of
Egyptian records.

141 Damascus according to Dr. Bezold.

142 This name can be read “Namyapiza” or “Zimyapiza,” but probably means
“Nebo is holy,” Nebo being a well-known deity.

143 Gidisi or Cidisi is apparently Kadesh of the Hittites—now Kades on
the Orontes—north of the city of Neboyapiza. It is called “Cidsi” by
the King of Tyre (B. M. 30), and “Ciidsa” in the proclamation (92
B.).

144 “Paka” is one of the words used to designate Egyptian residents or
generals. It seems to be Egyptian, and simply means “Pa-ka” (“chief
man”).

145 Ammusi might be the ancient name of Emesa, now Homs, immediately
north of Kadesh.

146 “Elohim” is in the plural, as several scholars have remarked. It
often applies to the King of Egypt.

147 “Khazi” is evidently Ghazzeh, near the south end of the Baalbek
plain, south of the Damascus road.

148 This is doubtful, as the text is broken, and only gives “Belgi ...”
Baal Gad was, as I have attempted recently to show, probably near
’Ain Ju-deideh, on the north of Hermon, and close to the great pass.

149 “Maguzi,” or Mukhzi, is probably Mekseh, on the Damascus road, west
of Stora.

150 May be read “Yanuamma.” It seems to be M’araba, north of Damascus,
which agrees with the context. The great pass mentioned here in
connection with Damascus was apparently that by which the main road
from the west came down the Barada at Abila. This is the “entering
in” to Damascus, which (Gen. xiv. 15) was in the land of Hobah. This
agrees with the position of Neboyapiza’s town Kamid, west of Baal
Gad, and to the west of the pass. The scribe here wrote “east of
me,” and corrected to “behind me.”

151 Probably not Ashtoreth Carnaim, which is mentioned in another
letter, but rather Stora, in the Baalbek plain, northwest of Baal
Gad. Arzaya’s town seems to have been Mekseh, west of Stora (125 B.
M.).

152 “Buzruna” is probably Batruna, on the mountain west of the west end
of the pass, and immediately east of Baal Gad (perhaps mentioned
again in the fragment 205 B.).