No wonder that the Egyptians evolved a collection of about 160 incantations meant to help the dead make it to paradise. Known today as the Book of the Dead – a coinage of the 19th-century German professor named Dr Karl Richard Lepsius, which admittedly is catchier than the literal translation of the Egyptian, “the Book of Going Forth by Day” – a 2,000-year-old copy of the text is now on display at the Brooklyn Museum in a remarkable full, gilded version.The exhibition website: Unrolling Eternity: The Brooklyn Books of the Dead.“This particular book of the dead is gilded and complete, both of those are incredibly rare,” said Egyptologist Yekaterina Barbash, who, before working on this exhibition, had never seen a gilded papyrus in all her decades of researching ancient Egypt. One of only about 10 Egyptian gilded papyri known to exist, this one is particularly special, as the blank sheets bookending the start and finish of the scroll indicate that it’s a complete book.
I have not previously encountered this Egyptian Book of the Dead belonging to Ankhmerwer son of Taneferher, but it looks impressive. If you are in the vicinity, don't miss this exhibit.
The Brooklyn Museum also has at least one other manuscript of the Book of the Dead, The Papyrus of Sobekmose the Goldworker. Ironically, given its owner's profession, it is not gilded. Looks as though it is also on display. There is an excellent illustrated translation of it by Paul F. O'Rourke, which I have mentioned here. That post also has some introductory matter on the Book of the Dead.
Quite a few new manuscripts of the Book of the Dead have been discovered in recent years, in Egypt and elsewhere. Start here (cf. here) and follow the links for details. And an edition and translation of a British Museum manuscript was published in 2023.
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