Ancient manuscript pieced together after Cairo Museum find

The 2.5 metre, 4,000-year-old artefact, containing spells and depictions of gods, is both the longest and oldest leather manuscript from ancient Egypt

A leather manuscript more than 4,000 years old has been painstakingly reconstructed by a scholar after it was rediscovered in the Egyptian museum in Cairo.

Containing religious spells as well as colourful depictions of divine and supernatural beings, predating those found in the Book of the Dead manuscripts, the leather roll is around 2.5 metres long, with text and drawings on both sides. It is both the longest surviving leather ancient Egyptian manuscript and the oldest, according to Egyptologist Dr Wael Sherbiny, who found the roll in a mix of small and large fragments on the Cairo Museum’s shelves and announced his discovery at the International Congress of Egyptologists in Florence in August.

“The document was completely forgotten, probably because those who had direct contact with it died during or right after the second world war. Since then, it was stored among hundreds of other manuscripts and ancient papyri in the Cairo Museum,” Sherbiny said. “The moment I laid my eyes on the manuscript, I was thrilled.”

Amazing , It will be interesting to read the interpretation of this book . The following gives us an idea of what it contains .

He dates the roll to between 2,300 BC and 2,000 BC, from the late Old Kingdom up to the early Middle Kingdom, and says it contains many new religious texts, including a large pictorial-textual segment from the so-called Book of Two Ways, known from the floorboard decorations of Middle Kingdom coffins, as well as religious spells formulated in the first-person singular, probably intended for recitation by a priest.

“In the segment that was used in the so-called Book of Two Ways, the speaker is approaching an elaborate architectonic structure with a highly restricted access,” said Sherbiny. “A certain holy place that is protected by multiple gates and their powerful guardians. These latter are characterised as supernatural beings with immense magical powers. The texts in the scroll contain this specific and magical knowledge that is required to pass safely by these dangerous beings and get access to the divine restricted area behind the gates.

I don't know much about Egyptology , But I am really interested in these spells . I have tired looking online for more information about this book , Can't seem to find anything , maybe one of you members can dig up something. Looking forward to your thoughts on this , you can read more HERE



Kap

The book of Two Ways? Could be interesting.

a reply to: Kapusta

A wee bit more about it on this site, but pretty similar to the Guardian article.

This bit is intriguing, as I don't know much about Egyptology either:

In the segment that was used in the so-called Book of Two Ways, the speaker is approaching an elaborate architectonic structure with a highly restricted access,” said Sherbiny. “A certain holy place that is protected by multiple gates and their powerful guardians. These latter are characterised as supernatural beings with immense magical powers.

Pyramids?

a reply to: Kapusta

Again, I am intrigued with the depiction of hybrid species in ancient Egyptian documents - like the pet alligator/hyena/wombat looking at the birdman shown in your OP.

That's a lot of effort that has gone into portraying something, that according to the history books is:

1. Nonexistent
2. Symbolic
3. Misinterpreted.

Personally, I think they were into genetic manipulation among other feats and were clearly an advanced race. Lots of evidence that from their culture we have todays trinity of Semitic religions.

Cheers K - good stuff.

a reply to: beansidhe

Ty for providing that link .

pyramids never crossed my mind , Good thinking ! It makes perfect sens to me .

*Member Applaud"

As the article mentioned it's known from being illustrated inside Middle Kingdom coffins;





It's the sort of thing that even when translated nobody will understand, probably relating to Afterlife journeys along both the ecliptic plane and the Milky Way.

he coffin of Djehuty-nakht (coffin code B2Bo) is dated to approximately 2010–1961 B.C. (during the Middle Kingdom). It was excavated from Tomb 10A in Deir el-Bersha, Middle Egypt (the fifteenth Ancient Egyptian nome). Coffins from this region and time period are most famous for their depictions of a map of the paths of the afterlife, but whereas other coffins have this map drawn on the bottom, the map is placed on the interior back section of this coffin. This coffin contains 123 references to demons, one of the highest number of demon references in Middle Kingdom coffins!

Book of Two ways...Demon things

a reply to: Kapusta

Quite a few of the 'spells' have survived and been translated into English. You can read them at this link (pdf).

They suggest some kind of meditative process. Some of the spells are for becoming hawks of gold, eagles and other animals and we know that couldn't happen in a material sense. Instead, perhaps they represented chants to help the priest classes focus on their prayers and become like spirit animals?

a reply to: Kantzveldt

Ty for these Pictures . Interesting to note is that allot of these demons are in the forms of animals. Ancient knowledge is indeed fascinating.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: Kapusta

Quite a few of the 'spells' have survived and been translated into English. You can read them at this link (pdf).

They suggest some kind of meditative process. Some of the spells are for becoming hawks of gold, eagles and other animals and we know that couldn't happen in a material sense. Instead, perhaps they represented chants to help the priest classes focus on their prayers and become like spirit animals?

Kandinsky , Ty also for this link , I am going to have a look at this now .

a reply to: Kandinsky

I'm going to read them too, because at some point this weekend, I would like to be 'a hawk of gold.'

a reply to: beansidhe

I read that one carefully! It's one of the most straightforward ones and poetic enough to maybe put on a pot or something.

Nice to see you too : )

If you are a dude with a bird head, putting your ass in the face of a crocodile-leapord-hippopotamus may not be a good idea. What are you thinking Thoth?

a reply to: Kapusta

I just heard about this, was wondering when someone would post it, or if I missed it.

It will be very interesting to see what comes of this.

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: Kapusta

Quite a few of the 'spells' have survived and been translated into English. You can read them at this link (pdf).

They suggest some kind of meditative process. Some of the spells are for becoming hawks of gold, eagles and other animals and we know that couldn't happen in a material sense. Instead, perhaps they represented chants to help the priest classes focus on their prayers and become like spirit animals?

Hypnotherapists sometimes use metaphors to address long-standing issues with patients. To the conscious mind, they can sound like nonsense, or like a story that has nothing to do with the problem the patient is having, but on a subconscious level, they are understood. Which is the whole purpose of using the metaphor to start with. Bypassing the critical mind.

This is likely something very similar, but only those who lived at that time, and in that culture, would likely understand the metaphor consciously and/or subconsciously, and benefit from the imagery. Though many archetypes seem to transcend time and culture, certainly.

I think I'll wait for the jury to come out this time, though I'm not even sure why I should be suspicious.

a reply to: Klassified

Good comparison

Some of the spells I read certainly relate to more transcendental concepts like where they were going after death. Others refer to the gods of the afterlife and how to make the right choices as they passed through the worlds.

Others still seem more in line with what you suggest and appear more focused on the material lives of those reading/chanting the spells and verses.

a reply to: Kandinsky

It's all about where they are going after death, but this work is interesting in that in also being known as The Hidden paths of Rostau it presents a route map through the afterlife which probably also had a correspondence in terrestrial terms, thus the possibility that there was a symbolic route through the underworld at Rostau, the Giza Necropolis.

The Hidden paths of Rostau and The Seven Gates

The Book of Two Ways contains a number of references as to its purpose. Thus:

“This is the path to the abodes of those who live on sweet things” (CT1053)

“The paths by water and by land which belong to Rostau” (CT1074)

“I know him and am not ignorant of him, I am one who is equipped, skilled in opening portals

Clearly the importance of the Book of Two Ways as a geographical way-book was envisaged by its authors from the start. The layout of the Book of the Two Ways can best be described as an image with two main bands . The shorter, C version, opens with Lesko’s Section II, an image of aground plan of a palace and shrine with high walls of darkness or flame.

As for them who know them, they shall find their paths.

We can therefore use the texts of the Book of Two Ways to begin to understand the environment ofthe Afterlife as seen by the Egyptian of the Middle Kingdom. This landscape can be envisaged both asa Sky-borne world of celestial pathways and as a dark and foreboding Underworld traversed by pathsand canals. There are buildings and structures, and unnumbered towns.

Of course there is the underground tomb of Osiris at Giza/Rostau, but there are other references relating to the 7th division of the Tuat in which there is a construction that has the same base proportions as the Great Pyramid, 440 x 440 cubits, it seems likely there was a symbolic association.

The region of the Tuat where the serpent APEP or NEHA-HRA lives is called TCHAU, and it is 440 cubits long, and 440 cubits wide; his head and his tail are caught in fetters by SERQET and HER-TESU-F respectively, and these gods have transfixed him to the ground with six huge knives . When the body of the serpent has been removed, AFU-RA advances, and, passing four goddesses each armed with a knife, arrives at four rectangular buildings. Inside each building is a mound of sand, and at each end of each building is the head of a man. These buildings are the tombs wherein the four chief forms of the Sun-god have been buried

Seventh Division of the Tuat

◄ Revelation 13:2 ►
Parallel Verses
New International Version
The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.


I find the pic very interesting. Considering this discription in revelation.

These latter are characterised as supernatural beings with immense magical powers. The texts in the scroll contain this specific and magical knowledge that is required to pass safely by these dangerous beings and get access to the divine restricted area behind the gates.

A translation of the egyptian book of two ways can be found here. The spells to enter the heavenly kingdom are not much different to Christian texts in Gospel of Thomas. Both tell to enter the heavenly kingdom, we need tell the angels at the gate, that we are siblings of the divine father.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

What you describe as a 'pet alligator/hyena/wombat' is a pretty standard depiction of the goddess Ammut, which was believed to be tasked with eating the souls of sinners, determined by Anubis weighing it against a feather. Having your soul eaten by Ammut meant no afterlife.

The human imagination is boundless. Why the need for arcane, impossible ancient technology when the depictions can be easily explained by the ancient imagination?