Funerary Papyrus of Tamesia
Date: Roman Period, about 100 CE
Dimensions:
H: 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm); W: 11 ft., 7 1/2 in. (3.54 m)
Medium: India ink (lampblack and gum arabic in water) on papyrus
Place of Origin: Egypt, from Luxor.
Classification: Manuscripts
Credit Line: Gift of Henry W. Wilhelm
Object number: 1927.71
Label Text:Made for the tomb, this scroll was to help the woman Tamesia achieve a blessed afterlife. It is a late work derived from a long tradition for Egyptian funerary texts. At first intended only for the pharaohs—the earliest known examples were carved in royal pyramids of the Old Kingdom (2650-2184 BCE)—the use of funerary texts gradually expanded to much broader audiences, as in the famous Book of the Dead. The essential contents were magic spells, sometimes accompanied by illustrations.
The most common form of book in ancient Egypt, scrolls are composed of sheets of papyrus, a plant that grew plentifully in the Nile valley. Craftsmen sliced papyrus stems into strips, then overlaid, pressed and dried them to form sheets of an excellent and durable writing material. Tamesia’s book consists of 25 sheets of papyrus pasted together, with cursive hieroglyphic texts and illustrations written in ink.
The Beginning
The sequence of images and texts takes Tamesia through a gate where she must speak a password. It then shows her mummification, reception of offerings, and entrance into the long Hall of Double Truth. There 42 gods who act as judges hear Tamesia’s “negative confession” (in which she denies a long list of various forms of wrongdoing).
61 words
The Weighing of Tamesia’s Heart and the Enthroned Osiris
In a final trial, Tamesia’s heart—in Egyptian belief the center of memory, emotion, thought, and will—is weighed against a tiny figure of Maat, goddess of truth. If they balance, she will pass. To the right stands the falcon-headed Imentet, who personifies the land of the dead, while on the scale’s balance beam sits the baboon-headed god Thoth, ready to record the verdict. Two gods stand just below: the jackal-headed Anubis, god of embalming, and the falcon-headed Horus. If all goes well, Horus will lead Tamesia into the presence of Osiris, enthroned in his shrine at far left. Represented as both mummy and king, Osiris will decide her fate. The Four Sons of Horus, protectors of the dead, stand on a lotus blossom in front of Osiris. Behind them crouches the frightening monster Ammit—part crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus—who is eager to eat the hearts of those Osiris finds unworthy.
The most common form of book in ancient Egypt, scrolls are composed of sheets of papyrus, a plant that grew plentifully in the Nile valley. Craftsmen sliced papyrus stems into strips, then overlaid, pressed and dried them to form sheets of an excellent and durable writing material. Tamesia’s book consists of 25 sheets of papyrus pasted together, with cursive hieroglyphic texts and illustrations written in ink.
The Beginning
The sequence of images and texts takes Tamesia through a gate where she must speak a password. It then shows her mummification, reception of offerings, and entrance into the long Hall of Double Truth. There 42 gods who act as judges hear Tamesia’s “negative confession” (in which she denies a long list of various forms of wrongdoing).
61 words
The Weighing of Tamesia’s Heart and the Enthroned Osiris
In a final trial, Tamesia’s heart—in Egyptian belief the center of memory, emotion, thought, and will—is weighed against a tiny figure of Maat, goddess of truth. If they balance, she will pass. To the right stands the falcon-headed Imentet, who personifies the land of the dead, while on the scale’s balance beam sits the baboon-headed god Thoth, ready to record the verdict. Two gods stand just below: the jackal-headed Anubis, god of embalming, and the falcon-headed Horus. If all goes well, Horus will lead Tamesia into the presence of Osiris, enthroned in his shrine at far left. Represented as both mummy and king, Osiris will decide her fate. The Four Sons of Horus, protectors of the dead, stand on a lotus blossom in front of Osiris. Behind them crouches the frightening monster Ammit—part crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus—who is eager to eat the hearts of those Osiris finds unworthy.
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