Finnja Buttermann, M.A.

The Book of the Dead tradition based on the Paennestitauy papyrus (P. London BM EA 10064) and the Gatseshen papyrus (P. Cairo JE 95838) represents one of the most extensive traditions of the Ancient Egyptian Third Intermediate Period. One of the sequences of spells for which these two papyri served as models is found on a total of six papyri dating from the second half of the 21st Dynasty and the early 22nd Dynasty. This is the sequence: 65 – 92 – 68 – 69 – 70 – 101. The Nes-Mut papyrus (P. Hamm 2236) is a notable exception within this group. Unlike the other five papyri, it is what is known as a ‘miniature Book of the Dead’, as it is only 103 cm long in total and consists exclusively of the sequence discussed here. Furthermore, the Nes-Mut papyrus exhibits striking deviations from its parallels, such as the absence of Spell 69 and noticeable abridgements of the remaining spells. My doctoral thesis project examines the question of how the Nes-Mut papyrus fits into the tradition of P. Gatseshen/P. Paennestitauy, given that whilst it clearly appears to be part of it, it simultaneously exhibits significant deviations. Could the Papyrus Nes-Mut possibly be an attempt to condense a sequence of sayings—which was evidently popular at the time and therefore widely attested—into a miniature Book of the Dead? What ideas and concepts seem to have been of particular relevance in the abridgement of the sayings? To answer this question, a comprehensive study of Papyrus Hamm 2236 is required in the context of its parallels and source texts. The examination of the Nes-Mut papyrus as a miniature version of a popular sequence of spells contributes not only to a better understanding of the development of this specific sequence, but also to our understanding of some of the religious beliefs of the early Third Intermediate Period.