The mystery of the Great pyramid : traditions concerning it and its connection with the Egyptian Book of the dead : with numerous illustrations

MYSTERY OF THE GREAT PYRAMID

Second, and Third) were constructed by Hermes (the Greek name for Thoth), the same person as Enoch ”refer Enoch tradition already quoted—“ to preserve the arts and sciences and other intelligence during the Flood.” “From first to last, throughout the Book of the Dead, with the exceptions of King Semti and Menkaura, and Heru-tat-ef, son of Khufu, the name of no man is mentioned as the author or reviser of any part of it. Certain chapters may show the influence of the cult of a certain city or cities, but the Book of the Dead cannot be regarded as the work of any one man or body of men, and it does not represent the religious views and beliefs of any one part only of Egypt; on the contrary, the beliefs of many peoples and periods are gathered together in it. As a whole, the Book was regarded as the work of the god Thoth, the scribe of the gods, and was thus believed to be of divine origin ; it was Thoth who spoke the words at the Creation . and as advocate and helper of the god Osiris, and therefore of every believer in Osiris, the ascription of the authorship to him is most fitting.” (Budge.)

The division of the Book into chapters was made by the scribes of the XIIth and later Dynasties, these chapters consisting of originally independent compositions to which titles were added, though in many instances they do not appear to have very much connection with the contents, probably because the scribes were ignorant of their exact purpose. They were all intended, however, to benefit the soul of the departed, to give him the power to attain to everlasting life, to gain victory over his foes, to be able to ingratiate himself with the gods of the other world who guarded its gates and upon whom he depended for his safe passage through the Tuat (Hades or Underworld), and finally to reach his goal in the kingdom of Osiris.

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