The Oxford Handbook of the Egyptian Book of the Dead (OXFORD HANDBOOKS SERIES)

## Abstract Among the broad spectrum of ancient Egyptian religious literature, the Book of the Dead is the most representative of the mortuary religion and of the magical and ritual practices belonging to it. Moreover, its rich corpus of texts and images provides unique information on the scribal practices, mortuary traditions, myths, and priestly rituals in ancient Egypt from the second millennium BCE to the Roman Period. “Book of the Dead” is the conventional name given by Egyptologists to a collection of magical compositions called in ancient Egyptian “Book for Coming Forth By Day.” This title refers to the main wish of the deceased, who wished to be able to leave his tomb and move freely between this world and the next. Each Book of the Dead manuscript is unique, although we know of the existence of workshops where the papyri were bought; therefore, a few common stylistic features can be recognized according to different regional traditions of writing and manufacture. The spells also present many and various parallels with other magical and ritual texts attested in temples and on magical objects and amulets, showing that the mortuary literature had in fact a strong link with the daily religious life and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. This handbook is the first guide to all the aspects and topics of research in relation both to the Book of the Dead itself and to broader research on ancient Egyptian religion and magic. Cover The Oxford Handbook of the Egyptian Book of the Dead Copyright Contents Acknowledgments List of Contributors Introduction Part I The Textual History of the Book of the Dead 1 The Transition from the Coffin Texts to the Book of the Dead 2 The Book of the Dead in the Eighteenth Dynasty 3 The Ramesside Book of the Dead and the Deir el-​Medina Tradition 4 The Book of the Dead in the Third Intermediate Period 5 The Book of the Dead Papyri in the Twenty-​Sixth Dynasty 6 The Last Books of the Dead Part II Types of Sources: The Material Aspect of the Book of the Dead 7 Writing Book of the Dead Manuscripts: Tasks and Traditions 8 Production and Layout of New Kingdom Book of the Dead Papyri 9 Female Owners of Book of the Dead Papyri 10 Book of the Dead on Tissues: Shrouds and Mummy Bandages 11 The Book of the Dead in Tombs 12 The Book of the Dead in Temples Part III The Book of the Dead’s Position in Ancient Egyptian Religion 13 The Book of the Dead as a Source for the Study of Ancient Egyptian Religion: Methodology, Problems, Prospects 14 The Funerary Literature Related to the Book of the Dead 15 The Book of the Dead in the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods and the Contemporary Funerary Texts 16 The Book of the Ba Part IV Particular Aspects of the Book of the Dead’s Contents 17 Thematic Groups and Sequences of Spells 18 Spell 1 of the Book of the Dead and Its Vignette 19 The Field of Offerings or Field of Reeds 20 The Judgment 21 Gods and Demons in the Book of the Dead 22 The So-​Called Chapitres supplémentaires 23 Illustrations in Saite through Ptolemaic Books of the Dead Part V The Book of the Dead in Modern Times 24 The Time of the Pioneers (Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries) 25 Just a Catchy Title? On the History of Reception of the Egyptian Book of the Dead 26 Translating the Book of the Dead 27 The Conservation of Book of the Dead Papyri 28 The Art of Forgery in the Manuscript Culture in Antiquity Index Among the broad spectrum of ancient Egyptian religious literature, the Book of the Dead is the most representative of the mortuary religion and of the magical and ritual practices belonging to it. Moreover, its rich corpus of texts and images provides unique information on the scribal practices, mortuary traditions, myths, and priestly rituals in ancient Egypt from the 2nd Millennium BCE to the Roman Period. The Oxford Handbook of the Egyptian Book of the Dead is the first major guide to collect and synthesize the wide-ranging body of scholarship on the Book of the Dead as well as the broader literature on Ancient Egyptian religion and magic. Useful for both curious undergraduates and advanced scholars preparing a broad survey of the field, this collection of contributions from specialists in the field will become a go-to resource for years to come on everything from the textual history of the Book of the Dead to its material origins and historical reception. Editors Rita Lucarelli and Martin Andreas Stadler have curated a singular handbook that is both representative and complete with insight. Among the broad spectrum of ancient Egyptian religious literature, the Book of the Dead is the most representative of ancient Egyptian mortuary religion and of the magical and ritual practices belonging to it. Moreover, its rich corpus of texts and images provides unique information on the scribal practices, mortuary traditions, myths, and priestly rituals in ancient Egypt from the 2nd Millennium BCE to the Roman Period. The Oxford Handbook of the Egyptian Book of the Dead is the first major guide to collect and synthesize the wide-ranging body of scholarship on the Book of the Dead as well as the broader literature on ancient Egyptian religion and magic. Useful for both curious undergraduates and advanced scholars, this collection of contributions from specialists in the field will become a go-to resource for years to come on everything from the textual history of the Book of the Dead to its material origins and historical reception. Editors Rita Lucarelli and Martin Andreas Stadler have curated a singular volume that is both state of the art and comprehensive.