For the first time in over 100 years, a complete ancient Egyptian papyrus has been discovered. The text of the 52-foot-long scroll is a version of the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. It has been discovered in the Saqqara Necropolis site outside of Cairo. The document is believed to be more almost 3,000 years old and was discovered long enough ago that its announcement comes after conservation efforts were completed and it has moved into the phase of being translated into Arabic.
The Book of the Dead is the modern name for a collection of texts that would be buried or emblazoned on the tombs of important Egyptians in ancient times. The collections that have been discovered over the centuries show a variety of hymns, spells, incantations, magic words, and prayers, which were put in the tombs as a guide for the deceased individual/s through the underworld. The mummified occupant was supposed to be able to use these texts as they passed through and towards Osiris.
Papyrus discoveries are frequently fragmented; finding a complete scroll is as rare as it gets. Last year a 13-foot-long, very fragmented papyrus was discovered at Saqqara.
The Saqqara site where the papyrus was found is an active excavation site and attraction. It is an ancient burial area that has monuments spanning 3,000 years, including the “proto-pyramid” burial forms most of us know from the most famous later versions in Giza. The necropolis served the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis.
According to LiveScience, the burial site that housed this version of the Book of the Dead came from the Late Perior (circa 712 B.C. to 332 B.C.E.).
A version of the Book of the Dead that resides in the British Museum.
The secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities made the announcement on the discovery of the scroll Jan. 14. He said they hope to display the enormous new document as a part of the opening of a new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in the near future.
