Ancient Egyptian Concepts of Bodily Decay in the Old Kingdom Part 1, PT 684
Summary
Old Kingdom descriptions of bodily decay are surrounded by assertions of revivification and the maintenance of a proper offering ritual. Thus, the contexts of lines describing bodily decay are first examined, focusing on Pyramid Text (PT) Utterance 684. The problems of preventing the decay of the corpse, and curing conditions of the living body associated with decay were interrelated in ancient Egyptian thought. Already in the Old Kingdom, terminology surrounding wet, drippy decay (rḏw, fdt, ḥwꜢ and ḥwꜢꜢ.t) was clear and well developed; sometimes incorporated into the offering ritual through association with libations; and paralleled in medical literature. In contrast, terminology which appears to refer to dry decay (jmk, rpw) is rare, and does not have more general uses outside of mortuary literature.
© 2018 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Das frühste Amduat-Exemplar im Tal der Könige
- Products of the Same Master Copy
- Ancient Egyptian Concepts of Bodily Decay in the Old Kingdom Part 1, PT 684
- Formulating Relations
- An Ancient Egyptian Senet Board in the Arizona State Museum
- Les liens-fnḫ.wy: enquête sur un hapax des Textes des Sarcophages
- The Misnomer of Nomarchs
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Das frühste Amduat-Exemplar im Tal der Könige
- Products of the Same Master Copy
- Ancient Egyptian Concepts of Bodily Decay in the Old Kingdom Part 1, PT 684
- Formulating Relations
- An Ancient Egyptian Senet Board in the Arizona State Museum
- Les liens-fnḫ.wy: enquête sur un hapax des Textes des Sarcophages
- The Misnomer of Nomarchs
