Texts for the Divinisation of the Body Parts. A Comparison of the PT Spells with a Newly Discovered Late Period Text from Abusir
Abstract
Spells for the divinization of the body parts occur in funerary compositions since the Pyramid Texts (e.g. PT 215, PT 539) and this motive still represents one of the main topics in later compositions (e.g.
CT, BD). New evidence from the Saite-Persian period tombs located in Abusir (6th cent.
BC) shows a unique combination of the old spells with new elements, creating a completely new composition. In the tombs of Iufaa and Menekhibnekau, the traditional texts dealing with the divinization of the body can be found with the new composition.
Both variants are located on the lid of the sarcophagi. The spatial setting of this spell, written on the surface of the inner sarcophagi and therefore very close to the body of the deceased, marks the text as pivotal in the divinization of the tomb owner's body.
It is the aim of the paper to present a comparison between the PT spells and the new composition, indicating different concepts in the perception of deceased in the Late Period.