The Book of the Dead of Gatseshen

This volume is devoted to the analysis of the magical contents of a funerary papyrus belonging to the so-called "Book of the Dead" genre. The papyrus of Gatseshen, daughter of the High Priest of Amon Menkheperra (middle XXIst Dynasty), consists of almost 18 meters of beautifully written hieratic text and colourful vignettes. The author has attempted to reconstruct the history of composition and arrangement of this document, by investigating in detail the thematic connections between the different spells and vignettes. By comparing the layout of this papyrus with those produced in the same area and period, a new view of the funerary religion at Thebes during the XXIst Dynasty is outlined. The overall picture which can be gained by this comparative study is that of an innovative and lively tradition of funerary scrolls, which were used not only to protect the deceased during his journey in the netherworld, but also in order to express the religious ideas of its owners. A cd-rom containing colour photos of the papyrus is supplied with the volume.