Serpent Power

Serpent Power

Kemetic Name for Chakras     Words of Power      Location                     Element         

1. sefket                                Lam                  base of spine                 Earth               
2. tekh                                  Vam                  reproductive organs      Water              
3. ab                                     Ram                  solar plexus                   Fire                         
4. kheper                              Yam                  heart/glandular body      Air               
5. sekhem                             Ham                  throat                            Ether                
6. mer                                   Om                   pineal gland                 Cosmic Mind
7. ikh                                                           crown of head

 Animal

1. elephant
2. crocodile
3. ram
4. antelope
5. celestrial elephant
6. 
   
7. 
   
 

 

Neferkaptah and the Book of Thoth

Ahura was the wife of Nefer-ka-ptah, and their child was Merab; this was the name by which he
was registered by the scribes in the House of Life. And Nefer-ka-ptah, though he was the son of
the King, cared for naught on earth but to read the ancient records, written on papyrus in the
House of Life or engraved on stone in the temples; all day and every day he studied the writings
of the ancestors.
One day he went into the temple to pray to the gods, but when he saw the inscriptions on the
walls he began to read them; and he forgot to pray, he forgot the gods, he forgot the priests, he
forgot all that was around him until he heard laughter behind him. He looked round and a priest
stood there, and from him came the laughter.
"Why laughest thou at me?" said Nefer-ka-ptah.
"Because thou readest these worthless writings," answered the priest. "If thou would readest
writings that are worth the reading I can tell thee where the Book of Thoth lies hidden."
Then Nefer-ka-ptah was eager in his questions, and the priest replied, "Thoth wrote the Book
with his own hand, and in it is all the magic in the world. If thou readest the first page, thou wilt
enchant the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains, and the sea; thou wilt understand the
language of the birds of the air, and thou wilt know what the creeping things of earth are saying,
and thou wilt see the fishes from the darkest depths of the sea. And if thou read the other page,
even though thou wert dead and in the world of ghosts, thou could come back to earth in the
form thou once had. And besides this, thou wilt see the sun shining in the sky with the full moon
and the stars, and thou wilt behold the great shapes of the gods."
Then said Nefer-ka-ptah, "By the life of Pharaoh, that Book shall be mine. Tell me whatsoever it
is that thou desires, and I will do it for thee."
"Provide for my funeral," said the priest. "See that I am buried as a rich man, with priests and
mourning women, offerings, libations, and incense. Then shall my soul rest in peace in the fields
of Aalu. One hundred pieces of silver must be spent upon my burying."
Then Nefer-ka-ptah sent a fleet messenger to fetch the money, and he paid one hundred pieces of
silver into the priest's hands. When the priest had taken the silver, he said to Nefer-ka-ptah:
"The Book is at Koptos in the middle of the river.
In the middle of the river is an iron box,
In the iron box is a bronze box,
In the bronze box is a keté-wood box,
In the keté-wood box is an ivory-and-ebony box,
In the ivory-and-ebony box is a silver box,
In the silver box is a gold box,
And in the gold box is the Book of Thoth,
Round about the great iron box are snakes and scorpions and all manner of crawling things, and
above all there is a snake which no man can kill. These are set to guard the Book of Thoth."
When the priest had finished speaking, Nefer-ka-ptah ran out of the temple, for his joy was so
great that he knew not where he was. He ran quickly to Ahura to tell her about the Book and that
he would go to Koptos and find it.
But Ahura was very sorrowful, and said, "Go not on this journey, for trouble and grief await thee
in the southern land."
She laid her hand upon Nefer-ka-ptah as though she would hold him back from the sorrow that
awaited him. But he would not be restrained, and broke away from her and went to the king his
father.
He told the King all that he had learned, and said, "Give me the royal barge, O my father, that I
may go to the southern land with my wife Ahura and my son Merab. For the Book of Thoth I
must and will have."
So the King gave orders and the royal barge was prepared, and in it Nefer-ka-ptah, Ahura, and
Merab sailed up the river to the southern land as far as Koptos. When they arrived at Koptos, the
high priest and all the priests of Isis of Koptos came down to the river to welcome Nefer-ka-ptah,
sacrificed an ox and a goose, and poured a libation of wine to Isis of Koptos and her son
Harpocrates. After this, the priests of Isis and their wives made a great feast for four days in
honor of Nefer-ka-ptah and Ahura.
On the morning of the fifth day, Nefer-ka-ptah called to him a priest of Isis, a great magician
learned in all the mysteries of the gods. And together they made a little magic box, like the cabin
of a boat, and they made men and a great store of tackle, and put the men and the tackle in the
magic cabin. Then they uttered a spell over the cabin, and the men breathed and were alive, and
began to use the tackle. And Nefer-ka-ptah sank the magic cabin in the river, saying "Workmen,
workmen! Work for me!" And he filled the royal barge with sand and sailed away alone, while
Ahura sat on the bank of the river at Koptos, and watched and waited, for she knew that sorrow
must come of this journey to the southern land.
The magic men in the magic cabin toiled all night and all day for three nights and three days
along the bottom of the river; and when they stopped the royal barge stopped also, and Nefer-kaptah
knew that he had arrived where the Book lay hidden.
He took the sand out of the royal barge and threw it into the water, and it made a gap in the river,
a gap of a schoenus long and a schoenus wide; in the middle of the gap lay the iron box, and
beside the box was coiled the great snake that no man can kill, and all around the box on every
side to the edge of the walls of water were snakes and scorpions and all manner of crawling
things.
Then Nefer-ka-ptah stood up in the royal barge, and across the water he cried to the snakes and
scorpions and crawling things; a loud and terrible cry, and the words were words of magic. As
soon as his voice was still, the snakes and scorpions and crawling things were still also, for they
were enchanted by means of the magical words of Nefer-ka-ptah, and they could not move.
Nefer-ka-ptah brought the royal barge to the edge of the gap, and he walked through the snakes
and scorpions and crawling things, and they looked at him, but could not move because of the
spell that was on them.
And now Nefer-ka-ptah was face to face with the snake that no man could kill, and it reared
itself up ready for battle. Nefer-ka-ptah rushed upon it and cut off its head, and at once the head
and body came together, each to each, and the snake that no man could kill was alive again, and
ready for the fray. Again Nefer-ka-ptah rushed upon it, and so hard did he strike that the head
was flung far from the body, but at once the head and body came together again, each to each,
and again the snake that no man could kill was alive and ready to fight. Then Nefer-ka-ptah saw
that the snake was immortal and could not be slain but must be overcome by subtle means. Again
he rushed upon it and cut it in two, and very quickly he put sand on each part, so that when the
head and body came together there was sand between them and they could not join, and the
snake that no man could kill lay helpless before him.
Then Nefer-ka-ptah went to the great box where it stood in the gap in the middle of the river, and
the snakes and scorpions and crawling things watched, but they could not stop him.
He opened the iron box and found a bronze box,
He opened the bronze box and found a keté-wood box,
He opened the keté-wood box and found an ivory-and-ebony box,
He opened the ivory-and-ebony box and found a silver box,
He opened the silver box and found a gold box,
He opened the gold box and found the Book of Thoth.
He opened the Book and read a page, and at once he had enchanted the sky, the earth, the abyss,
the mountains, and the sea, and he understood the language of birds, fish, and beasts. He read the
second page and he saw the sun shining in the sky, with the full moon and the stars, and he saw
the great shapes of the gods themselves; and so strong was the magic that the fishes came up
from the darkest depths of the sea. So he knew that what the priest had told him was true.
Then he thought of Ahura waiting for him at Koptos, and he cast a magic spell upon the men that
he had made, saying, "Workmen, workmen! Work for me and take me back to the place from
which I came!" They toiled day and night till they came to Koptos, and there was Ahura sitting
by the river, having eaten nothing and drunk nothing since Nefer-ka-ptah went away. For she sat
waiting and watching for the sorrow that was to come upon them.
But when she saw Nefer-ka-ptah returning in the royal-barge, her heart was glad and she rejoiced
exceedingly. Nefer-ka-ptah came to her and put the Book of Thoth into her hands and bade her
read it. When she read the first page, she enchanted the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains,
and the sea, and she understood the language of birds, fish, and beasts; and when she read the
second page, she saw the sun shining in the sky, with the full moon and the stars, and she saw the
great shapes of the gods themselves; and so strong was the magic that the fishes came up from
the darkest depths of the sea.
Nefer-ka-ptah now called for a piece of new papyrus and for a cup of beer; and on the papyrus he
wrote all the spells that were in the Book of Thoth. Then he took the cup of beer and washed the
papyrus in the beer, so that all the ink was washed off and the papyrus became as though it had
never been written on. And Nefer-ka-ptah drank the beer, and at once he knew all the spells that
had been written on the papyrus, for this is the method of the great magicians.
Then Nefer-ka-ptah and Ahura went to the temple of Isis and gave offerings to Isis and
Harpocrates, and made a great feast, and the next day they went on board the royal barge and
sailed joyfully away down the river towards the northern land.
But behold, Thoth had discovered the loss of his Book, and Thoth raged like a panther of the
south, and he hastened before Ra and told him all, saving, "Nefer-ka-ptah has found my magic
box and opened it, and has stolen my Book, even the Book of Thoth; he slew the guards that
surrounded it, and the snake that no man can kill lay helpless before him. Avenge me, O Ra,
upon Nefer-ka-ptah, son of the King of Egypt."
The majesty of Ra answered and said, "Take him and his wife and his child, and do with them as
thou wilt." And now the sorrow for which Ahura watched and waited was about to come upon
them, for Thoth took with him a power from Ra to give him his desire upon the stealer of his
Book.
As the royal barge sailed smoothly down the river, the little boy Merab ran out from the shade of
the awning and leaned over the side watching the water. And the power of Ra drew him, so that
he fell into the river and was drowned. When he fell, all the sailors on the royal barge and all the
people walking on the river bank raised a great cry, but they could not save him. Nefer-ka-ptah
came out of the cabin and read a magical spell over the water, and the body of Merab came to the
surface and they brought it on board the royal barge. Then Nefer-ka-ptah read another spell, and
so great was its power that the dead child spoke and told Nefer-ka-ptah all that had happened
among the gods, that Thoth was seeking vengeance, and that Ra had granted him his desire upon
the stealer of his Book.
Nefer-ka-ptah gave command, and the royal barge returned to Koptos, that Merab might be
buried there with the honor due to the son of a prince. When the funeral ceremonies were over,
the royal barge sailed down the river toward the northern land. A joyful journey was it no longer,
for Merab was dead, and Ahura's heart was heavy on account of the sorrow that was still to
come, for the vengeance of Thoth was not yet fulfilled.
They reached the place where Merab had fallen into the water, and Ahura came out from under
the shade of the awning, and she leaned over the side of the barge, and the power of Ra drew her
so that she fell into the river and was drowned. When she fell, all the sailors in the royal barge
and all the people walking on the river-bank raised a great cry, but they could not save her.
Nefer-ka-ptah came out of the cabin and read a magical spell over the water, and the body of
Ahura came to the surface, and they brought it on board the royal barge. Then Nefer-ka-ptah read
another spell and so great was its power that the dead woman spoke and told Nefer-ka-ptah all
that had happened among the gods, that Thoth was still seeking vengeance, and that Ra had
granted him his desire upon the stealer of his Book.
Nefer-ka-ptah gave command and the royal barge returned to Koptos, that Ahura might be buried
there with the honor due to the daughter of a king. When the funeral ceremonies were over, the
royal barge sailed down the river towards the northern land. A sorrowful journey was it now, for
Ahura and Merab were dead, and the vengeance of Thoth was not yet fulfilled.
They reached the place where Ahura and Merab had fallen into the water, and Nefer-ka-ptah felt
the power of Ra drawing him. Though he struggled against it he knew that it would conquer him.
He took a piece of royal linen, fine and strong, and made it into a girdle, and with it he bound the
Book of Thoth firmly to his breast, for he was resolved that Thoth should never have his Book
again.
Then the power drew him yet more strongly, and he came from under the shade of the awning
and threw himself into the river and was drowned. When he fell, all the sailors of the royal barge
and all the people walking on the river-bank raised a great cry, but they could not save him. And
when they looked for his body they could not find it. So the royal barge sailed down the river till
they reached the northern land and came to Memphis, and the chiefs of the royal barge went to
the king and told him all that had happened.
The king put on mourning raiment; he and his courtiers, the high priest and all the priests of
Memphis, the king's army and the king's household, were clothed in mourning apparel, and they
walked in procession to the haven of Memphis to the royal barge. When they came to the haven,
they saw the body of Nefer-ka-ptah floating in the water beside the barge, close to the great
steering-oars. And this marvel came to pass because of the magical powers of Nefer-ka-ptah;
even in death he was a great magician by reason of the spells he had washed off the papyrus and
drunk in the beer.
Then they drew him out of the water, and they saw the Book of Thoth bound to his breast with
the girdle of royal linen. And the king gave command that they should bury Nefer-ka-ptah with
the honor due to the son of a king, and that the Book of Thoth should be buried with him.
Thus was the vengeance of Thoth fulfilled, but the Book remained with Nefer-ka-ptah.

THE END

Ascending , Descending

 

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Neferkaptah and the Thoth

Neferkaptah and the Book of Thoth

THE mighty King User.maat.ra (Ra-meses the
Great) had a son named Setna Kha.em.uast who was
a great scribe, and very learned in all the ancient
writings. And he heard that the magic book of Thoth,
by which a man may enchant heaven and earth, and
know the language of all birds and beasts, was
buried in the cemetery of Memphis. And he went to
search for it with his brother An.he.hor.eru; and
when they found the tomb of the king's son,
Na.nefer.ka.ptah, son of the king of Upper

THE mighty King User.maat.ra (Ra-meses the
Great) had a son named Setna Kha.em.uast who was
a great scribe, and very learned in all the ancient
writings. And he heard that the magic book of Thoth,
by which a man may enchant heaven and earth, and
know the language of all birds and beasts, was
buried in the cemetery of Memphis. And he went to
search for it with his brother An.he.hor.eru; and
when they found the tomb of the king's son,
Na.nefer.ka.ptah, son of the king of Upper
and Lower Egypt, Mer.neb.ptah, Setna opened it and
went in.
Now in the tomb was Na.nefer.ka.ptah, and with him was the ka of his wife Ahura;

                                                             AHURA'S APPEAL.

for though she was buried at Koptos, her ka dwelt at Memphis with her husband, whom she loved. And Setna saw
them seated before their offerings, and the book lay

between them. And Na.nefer.ka.ptah said to Setna, "Who are you that break into my tomb in this way?" He said, "I
am Setna, son of the great King User.maat.ra, living for ever, and I come for that book which I see between you."
And Na.nefer.ka.ptah said, "It cannot be given to you." Then said Setna, "But I will carry it away by force."
Then Ahura said to Setna, "Do not take this book; for it will bring trouble on you, as it has upon us. Listen to what
we have suffered for it."

"We were the two children of the King Mer.neb.ptah, and he loved us very much, for he had no others; and
Na.nefer.ka.ptah was in his palace as heir over all the land. And when we were grown, the king said to the queen, 'I
will marry Na.nefer.ka.ptah

to the daughter of a general, and Ahura to the son of another general.' And the queen said, 'No, he is the heir, let him
marry his sister, like the heir of a king, none other is fit for him.' And the king said, 'That is not fair; they had better
be married to the children of the general.'
"And the queen said, 'It is you who are not dealing rightly with me.' And the king answered, 'If I have no more than
these two children, is it right that they should marry one another? I will marry Na.nefer.ka.ptah to the daughter of an
officer, and Ahura to the son of another officer. It has often been done so in our family.'
"And at a time when there was a great feast before the king, they came to fetch me to the feast. And I was very
troubled, and did not behave as I used to do. And the king said to me, 'Ahura, have you sent some one to me about
this sorry matter, saying, "Let me be married to my elder brother"? 'I said to him, 'Well, let me marry the son
of an officer, and he marry the daughter of another officer, as it often happens so in our family.' I laughed, and the
king laughed. And the king told the steward of the palace, 'Let them take Ahura to the house of Na.nefer.ka.ptah tonight,
and all kinds of good things with her.' So they brought me as a wife to the house of Na.nefer.ka.ptah; and the
king ordered them to give me presents of silver and gold, and things from the palace.
"And Na.nefer.ka.ptah passed a happy time with me, and received all the presents from the palace; and we loved one
another. And when I expected a child, they told the king, and he was most heartily glad; and he sent me many
things, and a present of the best silver and gold and linen. And when the time came, I bore this little child that is
before you. And they gave him the name of Mer-ab, and registered him in the book of the 'House of life.'
"And when my brother Na.nefer.ka.ptah

went to the cemetery of Memphis, he did nothing on earth but read the writings that are in the catacombs of the
kings, and the tablets of the 'House of life,' and the

                                                        READING THE INSCRIPTION.inscriptions that are seen on the monuments, and he worked hard on the writings. And there was a priest there
called Nesi-ptah; and as Na.nefer.ka.ptah went into a
AHURA'S TALE 93
temple to pray, it happened that he went behind this priest, and was reading the inscriptions that were on the
chapels of the gods. And the priest mocked him and laughed. So Na.nefer.ka.ptah said to him, 'Why are you laughing
at me?' And he replied, 'I was not laughing at you, or if I happened to do so, it was at your reading writings that are
worthless. If you wish so much to read writings, come to me, and I will bring you to the place where the book is
which Thoth himself wrote with his own hand, and which will bring you to the gods. When you read but two pages in
this you will enchant the heaven, the earth, the abyss, the mountains, and the sea; you shall know what the birds of
the sky and the crawling things are saying; you shall see the fishes of the deep, for a divine power is there to bring

them up out of the depth. And when you read the second page, if you are in the world of ghosts, you will become
again in the shape you were in on earth. You will

see the sun shining in the sky, with all the gods, and the full moon.'
"And Na.nefer.ka.ptah said, 'By the life of the king! Tell me of anything you want

                                                         SENDING THE SILVER.
done and I'll do it for you, if you will only send me where this book is.' And the priest answered Na.nefer.ka.ptah, 'If
you want to go to the place where the book is, you must

give me a hundred pieces of silver for my funeral, and provide that they shall bury me as a rich priest.' So
Na.nefer.ka.ptah called his lad and told him to give the priest a hundred pieces of silver; and he made them do as he
wished, even everything that he asked for. Then the priest said to Na.nefer.ka.ptah, 'This book is in the middle of the
river at Koptos, in an iron box; in the iron box is a bronze box; in the bronze box is a sycamore box; in the sycamore
box is an ivory and ebony box; in the ivory and ebony box is a silver box; in the silver box is a golden box, and in that
is the book. It is twisted all round with snakes and scorpions and all the other crawling things around the box in
which the book is; and there is a deathless snake by the box.' And when the priest told Na.nefer.ka.ptah, he did not
know where on earth he was, he was so much delighted.
"And when he came from the temple he told me all that had happened to him. And

he said, 'I shall go to Koptos, for I must fetch this book; I will not stay any longer in the north.' And I said, 'Let me
dissuade you, for you prepare sorrow and you will bring me into trouble in the Thebaid.' And I laid my hand on
Na.nefer.ka.ptah, to keep him from going to Koptos, but he would not listen to me; and he went to the king, and told
the king all that the priest had said. The king asked him, 'What is it that you want?' and he replied, 'Let them give

me the royal boat with its belongings, for I will go to the south with Ahura and her little boy Mer-ab, and fetch this
book without delay.' So they gave him the royal boat with its belongings, and we went with him to the haven, and
sailed from there up to Koptos.
"Then the priests of Isis of Koptos, and the high priest of Isis, came down to us without waiting, to meet
Na.nefer.ka.ptah, and their wives also came to me. We went into the temple of Isis and Harpokrates; and

Na.nefer.ka.ptah brought an ox, a goose, and some wine, and made a burnt-offering and a drink-offering before Isis
of Koptos and Harpokrates. They brought us to a very

                                                              THE PRIESTS' WIVES.
fine house, with all good things; and Na.nefer.ka.ptah spent four days there and feasted with the priests of Isis of
Koptos, and the wives of the priests of Isis also made holiday with me.
8

"And the morning of the fifth day came; and Na.nefer.ka.ptah called a priest to him, and made a magic cabin that
was full of men and tackle. He put the spell upon it, and put life in it, and gave them breath, and sank it in the water.
He filled the royal boat with sand, and took leave of me, and sailed from the haven: and I sat by the river at Koptos
that I might see what would become of him. And he said, 'Workmen, work for me, even at the place where the book
is.' And they toiled by night and by day; and when they had reached it in three days, he threw the sand out, and
made a shoal in the river. And then he found on it entwined serpents and scorpions and all kinds of crawling things
around the box in which the book was; and by it he found a deathless snake around the box. And he laid the spell
upon the entwined serpents and scorpions and all kinds of crawling things which were around the box, that they
should not come out. And he went to the deathless snake, and fought with

him, and killed him; but he came to life again, and took a new form. He then fought again with him a second time;
but he came to life again, and took a third form. He then cut him in two parts, and put sand

                                                            SLAYING THE SNAKE.
between the parts, that he should not appear again.
"Na.nefer.ka.ptah then went to the place where he found the box. He uncovered a box of iron, and opened it; he
found then a box of bronze, and opened that; then he found

a box of sycamore wood, and opened that; again, he found a box of ivory and ebony, and opened that; yet, he found
a box of silver, and opened that; and then he found a box of gold; he opened that, and found the book in it. He took
the book from the golden box, and read a page of spells from it. He enchanted the heaven and the earth, the abyss,
the mountains, and the sea; he knew what the birds of the sky, the fish of the deep, and the beasts of the hills all
said. He read another page of the spells, and saw the sun shining in the sky, with all the gods, the full moon, and the
stars in their shapes; he saw the fishes of the deep, for a divine power was present that brought them up from the
water. He then read the spell upon the workmen that he had made, and taken from the haven, and said to them,
'Work for me, back to the place from which I came.' And they toiled night and day, and so he came back to the place
where I sat by the river of Koptos; I had not drunk nor

eaten anything, and had done nothing on earth, but sat like one who is gone to the grave.
"I then told Na.nefer.ka.ptah that I wished to see this book, for which we had taken so much trouble. He gave the
book into my hands; and when I read a page of the spells in it I also enchanted heaven and earth, the abyss, the
mountains, and the sea; I also knew what the birds of the sky, the fishes of the deep, and the beasts of the hills all
said. I read another page of the spells, and I saw the sun shining in the sky with all the gods, the full moon, and the
stars in their shapes; I saw the fishes of the deep, for a divine power was present that brought them up from the
water. As I could not write, I asked Na.nefer.ka.ptah, who was a good writer, and a very learned one; he called for a
new piece of papyrus, and wrote on it all that was in the book before him. He dipped it in beer, and washed it off in
the liquid; for he knew that if it were washed off, and he

drank it, he would know all that there was in the writing.
"We returned back to Koptos the same day, and made a feast before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. We then went
to the haven and sailed, and went northward of Koptos. And as we went on Thoth discovered all that
Na.nefer.ka.ptah had done with the book; and Thoth hastened to tell Ra, and said, 'Now know that my book and my
revelation are with Na.nefer.ka.ptah, son of the King Mer.neb.ptah. He has forced himself into my place, and robbed
it, and seized my box with the writings, and killed my guards who protected it.' And Ra replied to him, 'He is before
you, take him and all his kin.'He sent a power from heaven with the command, 'Do not let Na.nefer.ka.ptah return
safe to Memphis with all his kin.' And after this hour, the little boy Mer-ab, going out from the awning of the royal
boat, fell into the river: he called on Ra, and everybody who was on the bank raised a cry. Na.nefer.ka.

ptah went out of the cabin, and read the spell over him; he brought his body up because a divine power brought him
to the surface. He read another spell over him, and made him tell of all what happened to him, and of what Thoth
had said before Ra.
"We turned back with him to Koptos. We brought him to the Good House, we fetched the people to him, and made
one embalm him; and we buried him in his coffin in the cemetery of Koptos like a great and noble person.
"And Na.nefer.ka.ptah, my brother, said, 'Let us go down, let us not delay, for the king has not yet heard of what has
happened to him, and his heart will be sad about it.' So we went to the haven, we sailed, and did not stay to the
north of Koptos. When we were come to the place where the little boy Mer-ab had fallen in the water, I went out
from the awning of the royal boat, and I fell into the river. They called Na.nefer.ka.ptah, and he came out from the
cabin of the royal

boat; he read a spell over me, and brought my body up, because a divine power brought me to the surface. He drew
me out, and read the spell over me, and made me tell him

                                                              READING THE SPELL.
of all that had happened to me, and of what Thoth had said before Ra. Then he turned back with me to Koptos, he
brought me to the Good House, he fetched the people to me, and made one embalm me, as great and noble people
are buried, and laid me in the tomb where Mer-ab my young child was.

"He turned to the haven, and sailed down, and delayed not in the north of Koptos. When he was come to the place
where we fell

                                                                   REMORSE.
into the river, he said to his heart, 'Shall I not better turn back again to Koptos, that I may lie by them? For, if not,
when I go down to Memphis, and the king asks after

his children, what shall I say to him? Can I tell him, "I have taken your children to the Thebaid, and killed them,
while I remained alive, and I have come to Memphis still alive"?' Then he made them bring him a linen cloth of
striped byssus; he made a band, and bound the book firmly, and tied it upon him. Na.nefer.ka.ptah then went out of
the awning of the royal boat and fell into the river. He cried on Ra; and all those who were on the bank made an
outcry, saying, 'Great woe! Sad woe! Is he lost, that good scribe and able man that has no equal?'
"The royal boat went on, without any one on earth knowing where Na.nefer.ka.ptah was. It went on to Memphis, and
they told all this to the king. Then the king went down to the royal boat in mourning, and all the soldiers and high
priests and priests of Ptah were in mourning, and all the officials and courtiers. And when he saw Na.nefer.ka.ptah,
who was in the inner cabin of the

royal boat--from his rank of high scribe--he lifted him up. And they saw the book by him; and the king said, 'Let one

hide this book that is with him.' And the officers of the king, the priests of Ptah, and the high priest of Ptah, said to
the king, 'Our Lord, may the king live as long as the sun! Na.nefer.ka.ptah was a good scribe, and a very skilful man.'
And the king had him laid in his Good House to the sixteenth day, and then had him wrapped to the thirty-fifth day,
and laid him out to the seventieth day, and then had him put in his grave in his resting-place.
"I have now told you the sorrow which has come upon us because of this book for which you ask, saying, 'Let it be
given to me.' You have no claim to it; and, indeed, for the sake of it, we have given up our life on earth."
And Setna said to Ahura, "Give me the

book which I see between you and Na.nefer.ka.ptah; for if you do not I will take it by force." Then Na.nefer.ka.ptah
rose from his seat and said, "Are you Setna, to whom

                                                     SETNA DEMANDING THE ROLL.
my wife has told of all these blows of fate, which you have not suffered? Can you take this book by your skill as a
good scribe? If, indeed, you can play games with

me, let us play a game, then, of 52 points." And Setna said, "I am ready," and the board and its pieces were put
before him. And Na.nefer.ka.ptah won a game from Setna; and he put the spell upon him, and

                                                            SETNA VANQUISHED.
defended himself with the game board that was before him, and sunk him into the ground above his feet. He did the
same at the second game, and won it from Setna, and sunk him into the ground to his waist.

He did the same at the third game, and made him sink into the ground up to his ears. Then Setna struck
Na.nefer.ka.ptah a great blow with his hand. And Setna called his brother An.he.hor.eru and said to him,

                                                      APPLYING THE TALISMAN.
"Make haste and go up upon earth, and tell the king all that has happened to me, and bring me the talisman of my
father Ptah, and my magic books."
And he hurried up upon earth, and told

the king all that had happened to Setna. The king said, "Bring him the talisman of his father Ptah, and his magic
books." And An.he.hor.eru hurried down into the tomb;

                                                                SETNA VICTORIOUS.
he laid the talisman on Setna, and he sprang up again immediately. And then Setna reached out his hand for the
book, and took it. Then--as Setna went out from the

tomb--there went a Light before him, and Darkness behind him. And Ahura wept at him, and she said, "Glory to the
King of Darkness! Hail to the King of Light! all power is gone from the tomb." But Na.nefer.ka.ptah said to Ahura,
"Do not let your heart be sad; I will make him bring back this book, with a forked stick in his hand, and a fire-pan
on his head." And Setna went out from the tomb, and it closed behind him as it was before.
Then Setna went to the king, and told him everything that had happened to him with the book. And the king said to
Setna, "Take back the book to the grave of Na.nefer.ka.ptah, like a prudent man, or else he will make you bring it
with a forked stick in your hand, and a fire-pan on your head." But Setna would not listen to him; and when Setna
had unrolled the book he did nothing on earth but read it to everybody.
[Here follows a story of how Setna, walking in the court of the temple of Ptah, met

Tabubua, a fascinating girl, daughter of a priest of Bast, of Ankhtaui; how she repelled his advances, until she had beguiled him into giving up all his possessions, and

                                                       SETNA READING THE ROLL.
slaying his children. At the last she gives a fearful cry and vanishes, leaving Setna bereft of even his clothes. This
would seem to be merely a dream, by the disappearance of Tabubua, and by Setna finding 9

his children alive after it all; but on the other hand he comes to his senses in an unknown place, and is so terrified as
to be quite ready to make restitution to Na.nefer.ka.ptah. The episode, which is not creditable to Egyptian society,
seems to be intended for one of the vivid dreams which the credulous readily accept as half realities.]
So Setna went to Memphis, and embraced his children for that they were alive. And the king said to him, "Were you
not drunk to do so?" Then Setna told all things that had happened with Tabubua and Na.nefer. ka.ptah. And the king
said, "Setna, I have already lifted up my hand against you before, and said, 'He will kill you if you do not take back
the book to the place you took it from.' But you have never listened to me till this hour. Now, then, take the book to
Na.nefer.ka.ptah, with a forked stick in your hand, and a fire-pan on your head."
So Setna went out from before the king, with a forked stick in his hand, and a fire-

pan on his head. He went down to the tomb in which was Na.nefer.ka.ptah. And Ahura said to him, "It is Ptah, the
great god, that has brought you back safe." Na.nefer.ka.ptah laughed, and he said, "This is the business that I told
you before." And when Setna had praised Na.nefer.ka.ptah, he found it as the proverb says, "The sun was in the
whole tomb." And Ahura and Na.nefer.ka.ptah besought Setna greatly. And Setna said, "Na.nefer.ka.ptah, is it aught
disgraceful (that you lay on me to do)?" And Na.nefer.ka.ptah said, "Setna, you know this, that Ahura and Mer-ab,
her child, behold! they are in Koptos; bring them here into this tomb, by the skill of a good scribe. Let it be
impressed upon you to take pains, and to go to Koptos to bring them here." Setna then went out from the tomb to
the king, and told the king all that Na.nefer.ka.ptah had told him.
The king said, "Setna, go to Koptos and bring back Ahura and Mer-ab." He

answered the king, "Let one give me the royal boat and its belongings." And they gave him the royal boat and its
belongings, and he left the haven, and sailed without stopping till he came to Koptos.
And they made this known to the priests of Isis at Koptos and to the high priest of Isis; and behold they came down
to him, and gave him their hand to the shore. He went up with them and entered into the temple of Isis of Koptos
and of Harpo-krates. He ordered one to offer for him an ox, a goose, and some wine, and he made a burnt-offering
and a drink-offering before Isis of Koptos and Harpokrates. He went to the cemetery of Koptos with the priests of
Isis and the high priest of Isis. They dug about for three days and three nights, for they searched even in all the
catacombs which were in the cemetery of Koptos; they turned over the steles of the scribes of the "double house of
life," and read the inscriptions that they found on them. But

they could not find the resting-place of Ahura and Mer-ab.
Now Na.nefer.ka.ptah perceived that they could not find the resting-place of Ahura and her child Mer-ab. So he
raised himself up as a venerable, very old, ancient, and came before Setna. And Setna saw him, and Setna said to the
ancient, "You look like a very old man, do you know where is the resting-place of Ahura and her child Mer-ab?" The
ancient said to Setna, "It was told by the father of the father of my father to the father of my father, and the father of
my father has told it to my father; the resting-place of Ahura and of her child Mer-ab is in a mound south of the
town of Pehemato (?)" And Setna said to the ancient, "Perhaps we may do damage to Pehemato, and you are ready
to lead one to the town for the sake of that." The ancient replied to Setna, "If one listens to me, shall he therefore
destroy the town of Pehemato! If they do not find Ahura and her child

Mer-ab under the south corner of their town may I be disgraced." They attended to the ancient, and found the
resting-place of Ahura and her child Mer-ab under the south corner of the town of Pehemato. Setna laid them in the
royal boat to bring them as honoured persons, and restored the town of Pehemato as it originally was. And
Na.nefer.ka.ptah made Setna to know that it was he who had come to Koptos, to enable them to find out where the
resting-place was of Ahura and her child Mer-ab.
So Setna left the haven in the royal boat, and sailed without stopping, and reached Memphis with all the soldiers
who were with him. And when they told the king he came down to the royal boat. He took them as honoured persons
escorted to the catacombs, in which Na.nefer.ka.ptah was, and smoothed down the ground over them.
This is the completed writing of the tale of Setna Kha.em.uast, and Na.nefer.ka.-ptah, and

his wife Ahura, and their Mid Mer-ab. It was written in the 35th year, the month Tybi.

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