# Egyptian Literature/The Book of the Dead/Of Entering the Presence

Layout 2
OF ENTERING THE PRESENCE
[From the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10,477, sheet 10).]
The Chapter of going into the presence of the divine sovereign Princes of Osiris. The overseer of the palace, the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant, saith:
“My soul hath built for me a habitation in the city of Tattu; I sow seed in the city of Pe, and I plough my field with my laborers(?), and for this reason my palm tree is like Amsu. That which is an abomination unto me, that which is an abomination unto me I shall not eat. That which is an abomination unto me, that which is an abomination unto me is filth. I shall not eat thereof; by sepulchral meals and food I shall not be destroyed. [The abominable thing] I shall not take into my hands, I shall not walk upon it in my sandals, because my cakes are [made] of white grain, and my ale is [made] of red grain, and behold, the Sektet boat and the Mātet boat bring them to me, and I eat [thereof] under the branches of [the trees], the beautiful arms [of which] I know. Oh, let splendor be prepared for me with the white crown which is lifted up upon me by the uræi-goddesses. Hail, thou guardian of the divine doors of the god Sehetep-taui (i.e., ‘he who maketh the world to be at peace’), bring [thou] to me that of which they make sepulchral meals; grant thou that I may lift up the branches(?). May the god of light open to me his arms, and may the company of the gods keep silence while the denizens of heaven talk with the chancellor-in-chief, Nu, triumphant. I am the leader of the hearts of the gods which strengthen me, and I am a mighty one among the divine beings. If any god or any goddess shall come forth against me he shall ​be judged by the ancestors of the year who live upon hearts and who make(?) cakes(?) for me, and Osiris shall devour him at [his] coming forth from Abtu (Abydos). He shall be judged by the ancestors of Rā, and he shall be judged by the God of Light who clotheth heaven among the divine princes. I shall have bread in my mouth at stated seasons, and I shall enter in before the gods Ahiu. He shall speak with me, and I shall speak with the followers of the gods. I shall speak with the Disk and I shall speak with the denizens of heaven. I shall put the terror of myself into the blackness of night which is in the goddess Meh-urt, [who is near] him that dwelleth in might. And behold, I shall be there with Osiris. My condition of completeness shall be his condition of completeness among the divine princes. I shall speak unto him [with] the words of men, and he shall repeat unto me the words of the gods. A khu who is equipped [with power] shall come. I am a khu who is equipped [with power]; I am equipped [with the power] of all the khus, [being the form of the Sāhu (i.e., spiritual bodies) of Annu, Tattu, Suten-henen, Abtu, Apu, and Sennu. The Osiris Auf-ānkh is victorious over every god and every goddess who are hidden in Neterkhertet]."
* ↑ The Papyrus of Mes-em-neter adds, “bringing right unto thee the divine being who loveth her.”
* ↑ I.e., Heliopolis, Mendes or Busiris, Heracleopolis, Abydos, Panopolis, and Sennu (a city near Panopolis).
* ↑ The words in brackets are from the Saite Recension (see Lepsius, op. cit., BI. 46).