The Book of the Dead - The Papyrus of Ani - 1895 E. A. Wallis Budge Translation

Sep 22, 2026

E. A. Wallis Budge’s 1895 work presents the Egyptian Book of the Dead with a focus on “The Papyrus of Ani” in the British Museum. The preface describes the papyrus’s significance for studying the Theban funerary tradition, noting its preservation, illumination, hymns, and chapters, and its role as a typical funeral book for Theban nobles. The introduction framing explains how different internet versions relate to later edited editions and why a revised e-text is provided for readability and study.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages243

Reading Time10 h 12 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Versions Of The Book Of The Dead

The Legend Of Osiris

The Doctrine Of Eternal Life

The Egyptians' Ideas Of God

The Legend Of Ra And Isis

The Abode Of The Blessed

The Gods Of The Book Of The Dead

The Principal Geographical And Mythological Places In The Book Of The Dead

Funeral Ceremonies

The Papyrus Of Ani

Translation

Plates

The Prose Edda Index Sacred Texts Egypt THE BOOK OF THE DEAD The Papyrus of Ani by E. A. WALLIS BUDGE [1895] Introduction Translation Because of the substantial amount of hieroglypics interspersed in the original text, I have omitted the \#\#\#'glyph' placeholder where context permits, for readability. Only actual illustations have been inserted into the file. Due to space considerations the interlinear translation, which is primarily of interest to students of Ancient Egyptian, will not be posted. This should not be a hardship, since the Dover reprint edition is still in print and widely available. The file above, which appears at on the Internet at Sacred-Texts for the first time is a faithful e-text of the 1895 edition of the E.A. Wallace Budge translation of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. In November of 2000 I inventoried my library and found that I was missing Budge's Book of the Dead. So when a copy of the Dover reprint came up at the local used bookstore, I purchased it. To my dismay, the version of the text widely posted on the Internet did not seem to match the Dover reprint of the 1895 version. According to John Mark Ockerbloom, the proprietor of the excellent Online Books Page, the version circulating on the Internet is a highly edited version of Budge from a much later date (1913) . He writes: "I did a little legwork, and it appears that the "mystery text" is in fact from the Medici Society edition of 1913. According to a 1960 reprint by University Books, for this edition "The translation was rewritten...[and the] greater part of the Introduction was also rewritten by Sir Wallis, who concluded a preface to it with the pleased words, 'and the entire work thus becomes truly a "New Edition"'". It's unclear whether Budge himself did the rewrite of the translation, but it's clear that he at least claims responsibility for it,. and it does appear to draw fairly heavily on his earlier translation." Thanks to Mr. Ockerbloom for clearing up this mystery. In any case, the version now at sacred-texts is a completely new e-text, which I believe to be a much better version of this text. Title Page Preface [http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm](http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm) (1 of 3) [8/10/2001 11:21:28 AM] The Prose Edda Index Contents Introduction The Versions Of The Book Of The Dead. The Legend Of Osiris. The Doctrine Of Eternal Life. The Egyptians' Ideas Of God. The Legend Of Ra And Isis. The Abode Of The Blessed. The Gods Of The Book Of The Dead. The Principal Geographical And Mythological Places In The Book Of The Dead. Funeral Ceremonies. The Papyrus Of Ani. Translation Plate I. Plate II. Plate III. Plate IV. Plates V. and VI. Plates VII.-X. Plates XI. and XII. Plate XIII. Plate XIV. Plate XV. Plate XVI. Plate XVII. Plate XVIII. Plate XIX. Plate XX. Plate XXI. Plate XXII. Plate XXIII. and Plate XXIV. Plate XXV. Plate XXVI. Plate XXVII. Plate XXVIII. Plates XXIX. and XXX. Plates XXXI. and XXXII. [http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm](http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm) (2 of 3) [8/10/2001 11:21:28 AM] The Prose Edda Index Plate XXXII. Plate XXXIII. Plates XXXIII and XXXIV. Plates XXXV. and XXXVI. Plate XXXVII. [http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm](http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/index.htm) (3 of 3) [8/10/2001 11:21:28 AM] THE BOOK OF THE DEAD The Papyrus of Ani IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. THE EGYPTIAN TEXT WITH INTERLINEAR TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION, A RUNNING TRANSLATION, INTRODUCTION, ETC. by E. A. WALLIS BUDGE Late keeper of Assyrian and Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum [1895] [scanned at www.sacred-texts.com](scanned at www.sacred-texts.com), Oct-Dec 2000. Next: Preface [http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/ebod00.htm](http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/ebod00.htm) [8/10/2001 11:22:23 AM] PREFACE. Th

FAQs

What makes the Papyrus of Ani important in this work?

The preface states it is the largest, most perfect, best preserved, and best illuminated of its kind, with rare vignettes, hymns, and chapters that make it uniquely important for studying the Book of the Dead.

How does the text describe differences between internet versions of Budge’s Book of the Dead?

It explains that the version circulating online is a heavily edited form from a later 1913 Medici Society edition, with parts of the introduction and translation rewritten, rather than matching the 1895 Dover reprint.

What materials does the volume include according to the preface?

It includes the hieroglyphic text of the papyrus, interlinear transliteration, word-for-word translation, a description of the vignettes, and a running translation, along with an introduction drawing on Egyptian sources.

Sep 22, 2026

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