EGYPT
Section of the papyrus belonging to Nesmin, with the first hour of the Amduat
c.300-275 BCRCIN 1145266
This papyrus was discovered during a second excavation in the Thebes area attended by the Prince of Wales in 1862. The rolled papyrus was found attached to a mummy and later, after the Prince’s return to London, was divided into eight sections, each placed in a leather-covered mount. The papyrus contains part of the Amduat (literally, ‘that which is in the netherworld’), a funerary text describing the subterranean journey of the regeneration of Re, the Egyptian sun god. The Prince’s papyrus covers the first eight hours of the twelve-hour journey.
The first hour of the Amduat, divided into various registers, describes the beginning of Re’s journey. The god is shown in his ram-headed manifestation on board the solar barque, accompanied by various deities. The deceased, Nesmin, appears twice in the scene. He is shown kneeling in an adoring position both on the solar barque and in front of it.
Acquired by the Prince of Wales in Egypt, 1862