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heaven. And even in pyramid times he conceived the idea of the existence of a God Who judged rightly, and Who set "right in the place of wrong." This fact accounts for the reverence in which he held the Precepts of Ptah-hetep, Kaqemna, Herutataf, Amenemhat I, Ani, Tuauf, Amen-hetep, and other sages. To him, as to all Africans, the Other World was a very real thoughts. The great antiquity of this characteristic of the Egyptian is proved by a passage in a Book of Precepts, which was written by a king of the ninth or tenth dynasty for his son, who reigned under the name of Merikara. The royal writer in it reminds his son that the Chiefs [of Osiris] who judge sinners perform their duty with merciless justice on the Day of Judgment. It is useless to assume that length of years will be accepted by them as a plea of justification. With them the lifetime of a man is only regarded as a moment. After death these Chiefs must be faced, and the only things that they will consider will be his works. Life in the Other World is for ever, and only the reckless fool forgets this fact. The man who has led a life free from lies and deceit shall live after death like a god. The reader who wishes to continue his studies of Egyptian Literature will find abundant material in the list of works given on pp. 256-8. E.A. WALLIS BUDGE. BRITISH MUSEUM, _April_ 17, 1914. CHAP. PAGE I. THOTH, THE AUTHOR OF EGYPTIAN LITERATURE. WRITING MATERIALS, PAPYRUS, INK AND INK-POT, PALETTE, &c. 1 II. THE PYRAMID TEXTS: 9 The Book of Opening the Mouth 13 The Liturgy of Funerary Offerings 16 Hymns to the Sky-goddess and Sun-god 18 The King in Heaven 20 The Hunting and Slaughter of the Gods by the King 21 III. STORIES OF MAGICIANS WHO LIVED UNDER THE ANCIENT EMPIRE: 25 Ubaaner and the Wax Crocodile 25 The Magician Tchatchamankh and the Gold Ornament 27 Teta, who restored Life to Dead Animals, &c. 29 Rut-tetet and the Three Sons of Ra 33 IV. THE BOOK OF THE DEAD: 37 | ||||
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