greatly added to our knowledge by publishing two texts of the chapter copied from coffins of the ancient empire, with his learned annotations.[1] The whole of the chapter is important, but the most interesting portion is the beginning of it, which may be thus translated: "I am Tmu, who have made heaven, and have created all the things which are; and I exist alone, rising out of Nu. I am Rā with his diadem, when he began the kingdom which he made." The gloss asks, "What is this?" and the answer is, that "Rā began to exercise his sovereignty when as yet there was no firmament, and when he was on the height of Am-chemun, for then he established the children of inertness[2] upon the height of Am-chemun." The meaning of this is, that there was a time of chaos when no distinction as yet existed between earth and sky. But the kingdom of Rā was already established, and in his reign the firmament was raised, and certain personages, called the children of inertness, were established (as gods, according to one reading) on the height of Am-chemun, where Rā himself had resided before.
- ↑ "Aelteste Texte des Todtenbuchs," 1867.
- ↑ "Fils de la révolte," according to M. de Rougé. There are two words which are sometimes confounded, even in Egyptian texts, beshet and betesh. They may be etymologically connected by metathesis (the first is even sometimes written shebet), for both mean "stretch out;" the former, however, in active opposition, the second in helplessness. Betesh has some of the meanings of the Hebrew ֺשבח, cessavit, desiit; hence desidia, interpellatio operis.
