Book of the Dead of Khamhor

Owner, related objects and scribes of the papyrus (after Verhoeven 2017, 3–21):

This "Book of Going Forth by Day," (or "Book of the Dead" in its modern name) was inscribed for a man called Khamhor, whose name is to be translated as „The one who bows down to Horus." Son to Ramaakheru, a priest of Montu, lord of Thebes, in the temple of Amun in the city of the god, he similarly bore a number of priestly titles: priest of Montu, Lord of Thebes (Hm-nTr (n) MnTw-nb-W3s.t); priest, god’s father, stolist of Thebes (Hm-nTr jt-nTr smA-WAs.t); Hem-wen-priest (Hm-wn); and god’s father of Amun (jt-nTr Jmn [...]).

To this manuscript, join a few fragments in other collections. These are now in Florence (Museo Egizio 11912a–b), in Providence (John Hay Library A 18077; recent call no.: Ms. Egyptian Fragments Group 1, No. 7), and in Ann Arbor (Kelsey Museum of Archaeology 1981.04.0025P1; old no.: 81.4.25). To this papyrus belongs another fragment ("Papyrus Carter," a photo of which is kept at The Met). A few of this papyrus’ fragments at The Met (see 25.3.212e) could be joined virtually (cf. Verhoeven 2017, pl. 59).

The texts of this papyrus are written in Late Hieratic book writing, using black and red ink, carried out by four different scribes: scribe A was responsible for P. Florence, scribe B for the fragments of P. Toronto, this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+1–7 with the associated fragments P. Providence and P. Ann Arbor, scribe C for this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+8–13, scribe D for the fragment "P. Carter" as well as for this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+14–20. The scribes offer several personal characteristics in sign forms, ligatures and in ink-dipping practices.

A few other objects belong to Khamhor and his family, and these give his long genealogy and indicate that he can be identified as Khamhor C belonging to the family of Montuemhat, one of the most prominent figures of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. Khamhor’s statue (CG 42250) enumerates the members of his family for six generations, while the names of his grandfather and great-grandfather are inked on an inscribed linen (25.3.214). Khamhor also has a coffin lid in the Egyptian Museum Cairo (CG 41068), and two statues (CG 42249 and CG 48629/JE 38605) belong to his father. Since Montuemhat died in 648 BC, and Khamhor was a generation younger than him, Khamhor can be dated around 630 BC.

Preserved spells of "Book of the Dead" (BD) and Vignettes (V) in this papyrus and in its associated sources (after Verhoeven 2017, 4–13. 24–35 with complete hieroglyphic transliteration on pl. 1-58):

Papyrus Florence Museo Egizio 11912a–b: ///V17 above BD 18a–e – BD 18V ///

Papyrus Toronto Royal Ontario Museum 910.85.222 (b), fragments: /// VBD 18 /// BD 24 /// 25/// 27 /// 28 /// 30 ///.

Papyrus New York Metropolitan Museum of Art 25.3.212a–g:

col. x+1 to x+7 (former: col. 1–7): /// BD 57 – 58 /// 64V – V65 or 66 – 65 – 66 – 67 – 68V – 69 – 70 – 71 – 72 – 73 – 74 ///

col. x+8 to x+10 (former: col. 8–10): BD 94 – 95 – 96/97 – 98 – 99B – additional text ///

col. x+13 (former: col. 13): /// BD 115 – 116 – 117 – 118 – 119 – 122 – 123 ///

col. x+14 to x+19 (former: col. 11–17): – BD 144 – 145 ///

Papyrus Providence John Hay Library A 18077; recent call no.: Ms. Egyptian Fragments Group 1, No. 7: /// BD 72 ///

Papyrus Ann Arbor Kelsey Museum of Archaeology 1981.04.0025P1 (old no.: 81.4.25): /// BD 78 ///

"Papyrus Carter" (photo in The Met): /// BD 142 ///

Preserved Vignettes (after Verhoeven 2017: 37–43):

BD 17, 18 in P. Florence (in black ink)

BD 18 in P. Toronto (in black ink)

BD 64 in this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+2 (preliminary drawing in red ink)

BD 65 or BD 66 in this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+3 (preliminary drawing in red ink)

BD 68 in this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+3 (preliminary drawing in red ink)

Text in the empty space for the vignette of BD 142 („BD 143") in this papyrus (25.3.212), col. x+14a: jry mj sSm{.w} pn nty m sXA.w „Make (it) according to the image, which is given in writing!"

Bibliography:

Verhoeven 2017: Ursula Verhoeven, Das frühsaitische Totenbuch des Monthpriesters Chamhor C (unter Mitarbeit von Sandra Sandri), Beiträge zum Alten Ägypten 7, Orientverlag: Basel/CH.

Verhoeven 2001: Ursula Verhoeven, Untersuchungen zur späthieratischen Buchschrift, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 99, Peeters: Leuven 2001: complete paleography of 25.3.212 on p. 102–225 („Tb Chaemhor").

http://totenbuch.awk.nrw.de/objekt/tm57072

www.trismegistos.org/text/57072

Ursula Verhoeven-van Elsbergen, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz; 2018

Museum excavations 1923–24. Acquired by the Museum in the division of finds, 1925.

Wilfong, Terry G. 2012. "A Saite Book of the Dead fragment in Kelsey Museum of Archaeology." In Papyrological texts in honor of Roger S. Bagnall, edited by Rodney Ast, Hélène Cuvigny, Todd M. Hickey, and Julia Lougovaya. Durham, NC: The American Society of Papyrologists, 325–30.

Verhoeven, Ursula 2017. Das frühsaitische Totenbuch des Monthpriesters Chamhor C, Beiträge zum Alten Ägypten, 3. Basel: Orientverlag.

Ebeid, Mahmoud 2019. "The lost fragment of the Book of the Dead of the priest of Montu in Thebes Khamhor C: P. Cairo J.E. 95703 (S.R. IV 633)." In Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur, pp. 67–78.