Egyptian-Hebrew stream·Egyptian Book of the Dead·Plate XIV.
Plate XIV — Spells against the dangers of the underworld
Chapters of protection against the snakes, the crocodiles, the demons, the beheading-knives of the underworld. The journey through the Duat is hazardous; each peril has its own counter-spell.
Source context
- Theme
- post-mortem judgment before the tribunal of Osiris and the weighing of the heart in the Hall of Double Justice
- Soul-faculty
- Sentient Soul
Steiner
- GA 8, chapter 6Steiner references Book of the Dead chapter 125 (the negative confession before the divine tribunal) as evidence of Egyptian mystery wisdom concerning the soul's accountability after death.
- GA 104a, 1909-05-13Steiner states that the 'judges of the dead' in the Book of the Dead must be understood in terms of the soul's need to unite with the Osiris-light, framing the judgment scene as an initiation-threshold rather than a purely moral tribunal.
- GA 87, 1902-02-22Steiner draws on the Book of the Dead to illuminate Egyptian priestly conceptions of the transition from bodily existence to the post-mortem realm, treating the judgment sequence as the experiential core of Egyptian mystery knowledge.
- GA 106, 1908-09-14Steiner notes that in the Book of the Dead the Osiris-being is placed before the Egyptian soul only after physical death, connecting the judgment imagery to the broader Osiris-mystery of the dying and reconstituted spiritual self.
Cross-tradition
- Tibetan Buddhist tradition — Bardo ThodolCross-tradition congruence exists between the Osirian judgment hall and the Bardo Thodol's tribunal of Yama, where the mirror of karma reflects deeds and the soul confronts karmic weight before rebirth or liberation.
- Kabbalistic tradition — Din and the Heavenly CourtCross-tradition congruence appears between the weighing before Maat and the Kabbalistic principle of Din (strict judgment), in which the soul's deeds are measured against divine law before ascent through the Sephiroth.
- Platonic tradition — Myth of ErCross-tradition congruence is present in Plato's Myth of Er (Republic X), where souls pass before judges who assign post-mortem fates based on the moral record of earthly life, structurally paralleling the Osirian weighing.
Plate XIV.
F. Vignette: The gods Osiris, Isis, and Ap-uat, and the TET.
**
Text** [CHAPTER XVIII.]: (1) The great godlike rulers who are in Abtu are Osiris, Isis, and Ap-uat.
"Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious (2) over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani, the scribe and teller of the sacred offerings of all the gods, to be victorious (3) over his enemies in the presence of the godlike rulers who judge the dead, on the night of (4) the condemnation of those who are to be blotted out."
G. Vignette: The gods Thoth, Osiris, Anubis, and Astennu.[2]
**
Text:** (1) The great godlike rulers in the judgment of the dead are Thoth, Osiris, Anubis, and Astennu. Now (2) the "condemnation of those who are to be blotted out" is the withholding of that which is so needful to the souls of the children of impotent revolt.
"(3) Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris, the scribe Ani (triumphant!), to be victorious over his enemies in the
[1. Omitted on Plate XXIV.
2###, the capital of the eighth nome of Upper Egypt, situated near Abydos, and probably represented by the modem village of Kûm es-Sultân. It is the ### of the Coptic writers. See Brugsch, *Dict. Géog.*, p. 951; and Amélineau, *La Géographie de l'Égypte*, p. 500.]
presence of the great godlike rulers, (4) on the festival of the breaking and turning up of the earth in Tattu, on the night of the breaking and turning up of the earth in their blood and of making Osiris to be victorious over his enemies." H. **Vignette:** The three gods of the festival of breaking up the earth in Tattu. ** Text:** (1) When the fiends of Set come and change themselves into beasts, the great godlike rulers, on the festival of the breaking and turning up of the earth in Tattu, (2) slay them in the presence of the gods therein, and their blood floweth among them as they are smitten down. (3) These things are allowed to be done by them by the judgment of those who are in Tattu. "Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani to be victorious over his enemies in the presence of the godlike rulers (4) who are in Naarutef, on the night of him who concealeth himself in divers forms, even Osiris."[1]
1**Vignette:** The gods Ra, Osiris, Shu, and Bebi,[2] dog-headed.
** Text:** (1) The great godlike rulers who are in Naarutef are Ra, Osiris, Shu, and Bebi.[3] Now the night of him who concealeth himself in divers forms, even Osiris," is when the thigh [and the head], and the heel, and the leg, are brought nigh unto the coffin of Osiris Un-nefer. "Hail, Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious (3) over his enemies, make thou the Osiris Ani (triumphant before Osiris) victorious over his enemies in the presence of the great godlike rulers who are in (4) Re-stau, on the night when Anubis lay with his arms and his hands over the things behind Osiris, and it when Horus was made to triumph over his enemies." J. **Vignette:** The gods Horus, Osiris, Isis, and . . . . (?) [1. Var. *en seseta aa aru*, "of making to be hidden the one mighty of forms" (*i.e.*, Osiris). See Naville, *Todtenbuch*, Bd. II., Bl. 81.
2Also written ###; see Brugsch, *Wörterbuch*, p. 387; Lanzone, *Dizionario*, p. 197.
3Var. ### Ababi.]
{p. 305} Text: (1) The great godlike rulers in Re-stau are Horus, Osiris, and Isis. The heart of Osiris rejoiceth, and the heart of Horus (2) is glad; and therefore are the east and the west at peace. "Hail Thoth, who madest Osiris victorious over his enemies, (3) make thou the Osiris Ani, the scribe and teller of the divine offerings of all the gods, to triumph over his enemies in the presence of the ten (4) companies of great godlike rulers who are with Ra and with Osiris and with every god and goddess in the presence of Neb-er-tcher. He hath destroyed his (5) enemies, and he hath destroyed every evil thing belonging unto him." * Rubric:* This chapter being recited, the deceased shall come forth by day, purified after death, and [he shall make all] the forms[1] (or transformations) which his heart shall dictate. Now if this chapter be recited over him, he shall come forth[2] upon earth, he shall escape from every fire; and none of the foul things which appertain unto him shall encompass him for everlasting[3] and for ever and for ever.