Egyptian Book of the Dead

Chapter CVIII

Ancient Egyptian trans. P. Le Page Renouf & E. Naville • c. c. 1550 BCE

In respect of the Hill of Bachau upon which heaven resteth, it presenteth itself three hundred cubits in length and two hundred cubits in breadth

Sebak, the Lord of Bachau, is at the east of the Hill, and his temple is upon it

There is a serpent on the brow of that hill, five hundred cubits in length, three cubits of his forepart are pierced with swords

I know the name of this serpent on his hill: “He who dwelleth in his own flame” is his name

Now, at the close of day he turneth down his eyes to Rā; for there cometh a standing still in the Bark and a deep slumber within the ship. And now he swalloweth three cubits of the Great Water

Then Sutu is made to flee with a chain upon him of steel and he is forced to vomit all that he hath swallowed. Then Sutu is put into his prison

Away with thee! Steel, which art made fast upon my hand. I remain in thy prison, the Bark sails on and thou seest the path; but thine eyes close, [thine eye is delivered to me], thy head is veiled, and I go on and stay thy steps

I am the Manful one, who veileth thy head and who cooleth the hollow of thy hand: thy strength is my strength

I am the Master of the Words of Power

10.

Who is this who hath been delivered to me?

11.

This Bright One, who cometh on his belly, on his hind parts and on the joints of his back

12.

Lo! then, I come, and thy might is in my hand. It is I who carry away thy might, that I may come and seize upon the Tunnels of Rā who is united to me at sunset as he goeth round heaven

13.

But thou art pierced with hooks, as was decreed against thee of old

14.

I know the powers of the West, they are Tmu, Sebak the Lord of Bachau, and Hathor, Mistress of Sunset

15.

The chapters 108, 109, 112, 113, and 114 being so analogous to each other, in form, matter, style, and composition, and each being concerned with the divine Powers of some locality, it is interesting to know that one at least of these chapters is found on a monument of the Middle Empire. The others are probably not less ancient, and the text published by Dr. Golenischef ( Zeitschr. f. Aegypt. Spr. , 1874, p. 84) from the Sarcophagus at St. Petersburg already bears manifest signs of antiquity

16.

Another sign of antiquity as regards the present chapter may be seen in the numerous forms in which it has come down to us. These are so different, and sometimes so irreconcileable, that it seems evident that tradition has handed down very corrupt texts, and that the original meaning of this chapter had been entirely lost at a very early date and cannot be discovered now. The oldest text is the shortest of all, but it is both imperfect and incorrect. The earliest papyri differ greatly from the later ones. But both the earlier and the later papyri have the 149th chapter which contains another recension of the 108th, and chapter 111 in the Turin and later papyri is another form of it