The funerary text known to the Egyptians as the ‘Spell for coming forth by day.’ It was introduced at the end of the Second Intermediate Period and consisted of 174 spells or chapters, as listed by Allen, over half of which were derived directly from the earlier Pyramid Texts or Coffin Texts. The quality and length of the copy varied in relation to the owners’ status and size of the burial.

Such texts as the Book of the Dead were usually inscribed on papyri, although several small extracts were inscribed on amulets. One, Chapter 30A, for example, was inscribed on Heart scarabs, and called the ‘spell for not letting the deceased’s heart create opposition against him in the realm of the dead.’ A version of Chapter 6 was inscribed on shabti figures so they might perform work on behalf of the deceased.

Chapter 125 was most commonly illustrated, and shows the last judgment, or weighing of the heart, of the deceased before Wesir (Osiris) and the 42 judges representing aspects of divine order, or Ma’at. Each judge was called by name, while giving the relevant negative confession, such as ‘O Far Strider who came forth from Heliopolis, I have done no falsehood; O Nosey who came forth from Hermopolis, I have not been rapacious.’ The deceased was then declared true of voice and introduced into the realm of the deceased. If the deceased happened to fail the test, the demon Ammut, the devourer, was standing by.

The Book of the Dead was often simply placed in the coffin, but it could also be rolled up and inserted into a statuette of Sokar-Osiris, or even incorporated into the mummy bandaging. The finest copies existing today from the tombs of private persons are those of Ani and Hunefer, dated from the 19th Dynasty, and the best royal examples are those of Queen Nodjmet and princess Nesitanebashru from the 21st Dynasty.