Negative Confessions Part of the mortuary rituals of
ancient Egypt now called the “Declarations of Innocence,”
this text was developed by the various priests of
the temples to aid the deceased when in the presence of
the FORTY-TWO JUDGES in the JUDGMENT HALLS OF OSIRIS.
The confessions were to be recited to establish the moral
virtue of the deceased and his or her right to eternal bliss.
The Negative Confessions detail some of the ethical and
moral concerns of the various eras of Egypt, expressing
the aspirations and the acknowledgment of personal
responsibility for actions. The confessions included
I have not stolen.
I have not plundered.
I have not slain people.
I have not committed a crime.
I have not stolen the property of a god.
I have not said lies.
I have not cursed.
I have not copulated with another man.
I have not copulated with another man’s wife.
I have not caused anyone to weep.
I have not eaten my heart (indulged in despair).
I have not led anyone astray.
I have not gossiped.
I have not slandered.
I have not been contentious in affairs.
I have not caused terror.
I have not become heatedly angry.
I have not eavesdropped.
I have not made anyone angry.
I have not made anyone hungry.
Such confessions covered the scope of the average
person’s life in Egypt in all eras. The regulation of personal
conduct was a constant theme in didactic LITERATURE
on the Nile, including admonitions against petty
acts and minor bad habits, which were consistently considered
important to the social and spiritual well-being of
the nation. The spirit of cooperation and quietude are
also evident in the confessions. The length of the Negative
Confessions varied, and in some periods each one of
the affirmations was accompanied by an address to a particular
judge.
(Image) Book of the Dead – Papyrus of Ani – 42 Negative Confessions:
Egyptians often compiled an individualized book for each person at their death, called the “Book of Going Forth by Day”. This book is more commonly known as the Book of the Dead. It usually contained declarations and spells to help the deceased in their afterlife. The “Book of the Dead” for scribe Ani from Thebes is the manuscript called the Papyrus of Ani.
This aspect of ancient Egyptian funerary literature which is often mistaken for a codified ethic of Maat, is Spell (Chapter) 125 of the Book of the Dead or Papyrus of Ani. The lines of this spell are often collectively called the “Forty-Two Declarations of Purity” or the 42 Negative Confessions.
These declarations varied somewhat from tomb to tomb and so cannot be considered a canonical definition of Maat. Rather, they appear to express each tomb owner’s individual conception of Maat, as well as working as a magical absolution—misdeeds or mistakes made by the tomb owner in life could be declared as not having been done, and through the power of the written word, wipe that particular misdeed from the afterlife record of the deceased.
Many of the lines are similar, however, and they can help to give the student a “flavor” for the sorts of things which Maat governed — essentially everything, from the most formal to the most mundane aspects of life.
The doctrine of Maat is represented in the declarations to Rekhti-merti-f-ent-Maat and the 42 Negative Confessions listed in the Papyrus of Ani.
1. I have not committed sin.
2. I have not committed robbery with violence.
3. I have not stolen.
4. I have not slain men and women.
5. I have not stolen grain.
6. I have not purloined offerings.
7. I have not stolen the property of the god.
8. I have not uttered lies.
9. I have not carried away food.
10. I have not uttered curses.
11. I have not committed adultery, I have not lain with men.
12. I have made none to weep.
13. I have not eaten the heart [i.e. I have not grieved uselessly, or felt remorse].
14. I have not attacked any man.
15. I am not a man of deceit.
16. I have not stolen cultivated land.
17. I have not been an eavesdropper.
18. I have slandered [no man].
19. I have not been angry without just cause.
20. I have not debauched the wife of any man.
21. I have not debauched the wife of [any] man. [Repeat, but addressed to a different god.]
22. I have not polluted myself.
23. I have terrorised none.
24. I have not transgressed [the Law].
25. I have not been wroth.
26. I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.
27. I have not blasphemed.
28. I am not a man of violence.
29. I am not a stirrer up of strife (or a disturber of the peace).
30. I have not acted (or judged) with undue haste.
31. I have not pried into matters.
32. I have not multiplied my words in speaking.
33. I have wronged none, I have done no evil.
34. I have not worked witchcraft against the King (or blasphemed against the King).
35. I have never stopped [the flow of] water.
36. I have never raised my voice (spoken arrogantly, or in anger).
37. I have not cursed (or blasphemed) god.
38. I have not acted with evil rage.
39. I have not stolen the bread of the gods.
40. I have not carried away the khenfu cakes from the Spirits of the dead.
41. I have not snatched away the bread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god of my city.
42. I have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.
ancient Egypt now called the “Declarations of Innocence,”
this text was developed by the various priests of
the temples to aid the deceased when in the presence of
the FORTY-TWO JUDGES in the JUDGMENT HALLS OF OSIRIS.
The confessions were to be recited to establish the moral
virtue of the deceased and his or her right to eternal bliss.
The Negative Confessions detail some of the ethical and
moral concerns of the various eras of Egypt, expressing
the aspirations and the acknowledgment of personal
responsibility for actions. The confessions included
I have not stolen.
I have not plundered.
I have not slain people.
I have not committed a crime.
I have not stolen the property of a god.
I have not said lies.
I have not cursed.
I have not copulated with another man.
I have not copulated with another man’s wife.
I have not caused anyone to weep.
I have not eaten my heart (indulged in despair).
I have not led anyone astray.
I have not gossiped.
I have not slandered.
I have not been contentious in affairs.
I have not caused terror.
I have not become heatedly angry.
I have not eavesdropped.
I have not made anyone angry.
I have not made anyone hungry.
Such confessions covered the scope of the average
person’s life in Egypt in all eras. The regulation of personal
conduct was a constant theme in didactic LITERATURE
on the Nile, including admonitions against petty
acts and minor bad habits, which were consistently considered
important to the social and spiritual well-being of
the nation. The spirit of cooperation and quietude are
also evident in the confessions. The length of the Negative
Confessions varied, and in some periods each one of
the affirmations was accompanied by an address to a particular
judge.
(Image) Book of the Dead – Papyrus of Ani – 42 Negative Confessions:
Egyptians often compiled an individualized book for each person at their death, called the “Book of Going Forth by Day”. This book is more commonly known as the Book of the Dead. It usually contained declarations and spells to help the deceased in their afterlife. The “Book of the Dead” for scribe Ani from Thebes is the manuscript called the Papyrus of Ani.
This aspect of ancient Egyptian funerary literature which is often mistaken for a codified ethic of Maat, is Spell (Chapter) 125 of the Book of the Dead or Papyrus of Ani. The lines of this spell are often collectively called the “Forty-Two Declarations of Purity” or the 42 Negative Confessions.
These declarations varied somewhat from tomb to tomb and so cannot be considered a canonical definition of Maat. Rather, they appear to express each tomb owner’s individual conception of Maat, as well as working as a magical absolution—misdeeds or mistakes made by the tomb owner in life could be declared as not having been done, and through the power of the written word, wipe that particular misdeed from the afterlife record of the deceased.
Many of the lines are similar, however, and they can help to give the student a “flavor” for the sorts of things which Maat governed — essentially everything, from the most formal to the most mundane aspects of life.
The doctrine of Maat is represented in the declarations to Rekhti-merti-f-ent-Maat and the 42 Negative Confessions listed in the Papyrus of Ani.
1. I have not committed sin.
2. I have not committed robbery with violence.
3. I have not stolen.
4. I have not slain men and women.
5. I have not stolen grain.
6. I have not purloined offerings.
7. I have not stolen the property of the god.
8. I have not uttered lies.
9. I have not carried away food.
10. I have not uttered curses.
11. I have not committed adultery, I have not lain with men.
12. I have made none to weep.
13. I have not eaten the heart [i.e. I have not grieved uselessly, or felt remorse].
14. I have not attacked any man.
15. I am not a man of deceit.
16. I have not stolen cultivated land.
17. I have not been an eavesdropper.
18. I have slandered [no man].
19. I have not been angry without just cause.
20. I have not debauched the wife of any man.
21. I have not debauched the wife of [any] man. [Repeat, but addressed to a different god.]
22. I have not polluted myself.
23. I have terrorised none.
24. I have not transgressed [the Law].
25. I have not been wroth.
26. I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.
27. I have not blasphemed.
28. I am not a man of violence.
29. I am not a stirrer up of strife (or a disturber of the peace).
30. I have not acted (or judged) with undue haste.
31. I have not pried into matters.
32. I have not multiplied my words in speaking.
33. I have wronged none, I have done no evil.
34. I have not worked witchcraft against the King (or blasphemed against the King).
35. I have never stopped [the flow of] water.
36. I have never raised my voice (spoken arrogantly, or in anger).
37. I have not cursed (or blasphemed) god.
38. I have not acted with evil rage.
39. I have not stolen the bread of the gods.
40. I have not carried away the khenfu cakes from the Spirits of the dead.
41. I have not snatched away the bread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god of my city.
42. I have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.
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