The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Egypt has released photos of a newly discovered Book of the Dead from more than 2,000 years ago. The papyrus – a whopping 52 feet in length – was discovered in the city of Saqqara and the ten images released not only depict text but also ancient illustrations of gods and scenes from the afterlife.
The Book of the Dead papyrus was uncovered on January 14, 2023 from inside a coffin in the tomb of a man named Ahmose, near the Step Pyramid of Djoser (Djoser was a pharaoh from the third dynasty who ruled from about 2630 B.C. to 2611 B.C. ) and this is the first time the photos have been revealed. Such papyrii were often interred with the deceased but the name Book of the Dead was only given to them by the archaeologists who found them during digs.
Ahmose’s name is mentioned 260 times and according the archaeologists he lived around 300 B.C. during the time of the Ptolemic dynasty (those descended from Alexander the Great’s generals).
Below are some of the newly published photos, which the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities published on its Facebook page:
The 52 foot long scroll was carefully rolled up. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
(Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
A team of archaeologists worked extremely carefully to unroll the papyrus. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
The unrolled papyrus is seen here on a long table. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
It was written in black and red ink, and the quality of the writing indicates that it was written by a professional. It was written in black and red ink, and the quality of the writing indicates that it was written by a professional
Here a couple (perhaps Ahmose and his wife) can be seen worshipping Egyptian gods. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
This image appears to show Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
Here Osiris is shown sitting on a throne while wearing an “Atef” crown. There appear to be offerings before him. There also appears to be a creature who may be Ammit, a deity who consumed anyone who was not worthy of being ritually restored in the afterlife. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
The unrolled papyrus on display at The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. (Image credit: Courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.)
Saima Baig
I am a Chartered Environmentalist from the Royal Society for the Environment, UK and co-owner of DoLocal Digital Marketing Agency Ltd, with a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University, an MBA in Finance, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics. I am passionate about science, history and environment and love to create content on these topics.
