Chap. 1 contains the formulas that were recited on
the day of the funeral. Chap. 151 gives a picture
of the arrangement of the mummy chamber, and the texts
to be said in it. Chap. 137 describes certain
magical ceremonies that were performed in the mummy
chamber, and describes the objects of magical power
that were placed in niches in the four walls.
Chap. 125 gives a picture of the Judgment Hall of
Osiris, and supplies the declarations of innocence
that the deceased made before the Forty-two Judges.
Chaps. 144-147, 149, and 150 describe the Halls, Pylons,
and Divisions of the Kingdom of Osiris, and supply
the name of the gods who guard them, and the formulas
to be said by the deceased as he comes to each.
Chap. 110 gives a picture of the Elysian Fields and
a text describing all the towns and places in them.
Chap. 5 is a spell by the use of which the deceased
avoided doing work, and Chap. 6 is another, the recital
of which made a figure to work for him. Chap.
15 contains hymns to the rising and to the setting
sun, and a Litany of Osiris; and Chap. 183 is a hymn
to Osiris. Chaps. 2, 3, 12, 13, and others enabled
a man to move about freely in the Other World; Chap.
9 secured his free passage in and out of the tomb;
and Chap. 11 overthrew his enemies. Chap. 17
deals with important beliefs as to the origin of God
and the gods, and of the heavens and the earth, and
states the different opinions which Egyptian theologians
held about many divine and mythological beings.
The reason for including it in the Book of the Dead
is not quite clear, but that it was a most important
Chapter is beyond all doubt. Chaps. 21 and 22
restored his mouth to the deceased, and Chap. 23 enabled
him to open it. Chap. 24 supplied him with words
of power, and Chap. 25 restored to him his memory.
Chaps. 26-30B gave to the deceased his heart, and
supplied the spells that prevented the stealers of
hearts from carrying it off, or from injuring it in
any way. Two of these Chapters (29 and 30B) were
cut upon amulets made in the form of a human heart.
Chaps. 31 and 32 are spells for driving away crocodiles,
and Chaps. 33-38, and 40 are spells against snakes
and serpents. Chaps. 41 and 42 preserved a man
from slaughter in the Other World, Chap. 43 enabled
him to avoid decapitation, and Chap. 44 preserved
him from the second death. Chaps. 45, 46, and
154 protected the body from rot or decay and worms
in the tomb. Chap. 50 saved the deceased from
the headsman in the Tuat, and Chap. 51 enabled him
to avoid stumbling. Chaps. 38, 52-60, and 62
ensured for him a supply of air and water in the Tuat,
and Chap. 63 protected him from drinking boiling water
there. Chaps. 64-74 gave him the power to leave
the tomb, to overthrow enemies, and to “come
forth by day.” Chaps. 76-89 enabled a man
to transform himself into the Light-god, the primeval
soul of God, the gods Ptah and Osiris, a golden hawk,
a divine hawk, a lotus, a benu bird, a heron,
a swallow, a serpent, a crocodile, and into any being