Inscribed within pages from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptian scroll known as the Wazir Papyrus I is over 16 meters long. The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text that contains declarations and spells to help the deceased in their afterlife.
The ancient papyrus was found in the coffin of a person named Ahmose in the Saqqara necropolis and has never been shown to the public until now.
Credit: Supreme Council of Antiquities
This Monday, the Waziri Papyrus I was unveiled inside a new exhibit at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square by Mostafa Waziri, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, after whom the papyrus was named.
The ancient scroll is impressive, to say the least. Dr. Waziri explained that the Waziri Papyrus I was unearthed last year. Upon discovering the ancient scroll, scientists initially thought it measured only nine meters, but once it was restored and fully translated, it was obvious it measured 16 meters! The ancient scroll has been translated, and after several months-long restoration process, the Waziri Papyrus I can now be admired by the public.
The Egyptian papyrus dates back to 50 B.C. and is the second-longest ancient papyrus or long piece of ancient paper ever discovered in Egypt. According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the verses were inscribed on the papyrus as 150 columns of varying lengths and were accompanied by hieroglyphics and illustrations.
Ahmose’s name was found 260 times on the papyruses, indicating the team’s belief that it was his personal funerary document.
Ancient Egyptians did not consider death to be the end of existence. They believed in a life after death and before the next realm of existence, one had to be judged by God Osiris.
Many dancers could appear on the way to the afterlife, and the bodies of the dead were prepared according to social rituals. The Book of the Dead, a papyrus inscribed for a priest of the god Horus named Imhotep, contains many scrolls to help successfully transition from death to eternal life.
The precious ancient document covered with scrolls from the Book of the Dead may shed new light on ancient Egyptian beliefs about the transition to another realm.