Egypt
Heka, the Book of the Dead, amulets, lector priests and the magic of Egyptian papyri.
The Amduat: the twelve hours of the sun's night journey
The Amduat, book of what is in the underworld: the solar barque, the twelve hours of night, Apophis, Osiris and the version in the tomb of Thutmose III.
Amulets in the mummy wrappings: an outfit of protection
Amulets in Egyptian mummy wrappings: the wadj column, headrest, two-finger amulet, collars, materials, colours and the related Book of the Dead spells.
Overthrowing Apophis: the rite against the serpent of chaos
Apophis, serpent enemy of the sun, and the Book of Overthrowing Apophis in the Bremner-Rhind papyrus: wax figures, the enemy's names and cosmic order.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: spells for coming forth by day
History of the Book of the Dead: its true Egyptian title, New Kingdom origins, Lepsius's numbering, the papyrus of Ani and how a funerary roll was made.
The cippi of Horus: the child god on the crocodiles
Stelae of Horus on the crocodiles: iconography, spells against snakes and scorpions, the Metternich Stela and the rite of water poured over the stone.
The Coffin Texts and the Book of Two Ways: maps of the afterlife
The Middle Kingdom Coffin Texts: de Buck's edition, the spread of spells beyond the king, and the Book of Two Ways painted on coffins from Deir el-Bersha.
The Demotic Magical Papyrus of London and Leiden: late divination
The Demotic Magical Papyrus of London and Leiden: lamp and bowl divination, the boy medium, Anubis, Old Coptic glosses and links to the Greek papyri.
The djed pillar and the tyet knot: two amulets of Osiris and Isis
Djed and tyet in ancient Egypt: origin of the signs, raising the djed at Memphis and Book of the Dead chapters 155 and 156 with gold and red jasper.
The calendar of lucky and unlucky days in ancient Egypt
Egyptian calendars of lucky and unlucky days: the Cairo papyrus and Sallier IV, the division of each day into three parts and the myths behind each date.
Egyptian ivory magic wands: protecting mothers and newborns
Middle Kingdom apotropaic wands of hippopotamus ivory: incised figures, Taweret and Bes, inscriptions for mothers and children and their ritual use.
Execration texts: breaking the names of enemies in Egypt
Red pots and prisoner figurines bearing enemy names: how Egyptian execration texts worked, from the deposits of Giza and Saqqara to Mirgissa.
The heart scarab and chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead
The Egyptian heart scarab: its shape, green stones, place on the mummy's chest and the chapter 30B spell asking the heart not to testify against.
Heka: the magical force at the origin of the world in Egypt
What heka meant to the Egyptians: the creative force embodied in a god, its bond with Hu and Sia, the effective spoken word and the role of the priests.
The House of Life: the sacred scriptorium of Egyptian temples
What the Egyptian per-ankh was: the temple school and library, the Amarna bricks, Papyrus Salt 825 and Udjahorresnet, who restored it at Sais under Darius I.
The hypocephalus: the disc of light under the head of the dead
The Late Period hypocephalus: chapter 162 of the Book of the Dead, the cow Ihet, the four-ram-headed god and the disc as a solar eye beneath the head.
Isis and the secret name of Ra: the myth of the power of names
The myth of Isis creating a snake to force Ra to reveal his secret name: the Ramesside source, the structure of the spell and the meaning of the story.
The Egyptian lector priest: who the kheri-heb was and what he did
The kheri-heb, lector priest of ancient Egypt: the ritual roll, the sash across the chest, funerary rites, the Ramesseum box and the echo in the Bible's magicians.
Letters to the dead: writing to the departed in ancient Egypt
Egyptian letters to the dead: inscribed offering bowls, the Cairo linen letter, the Leiden papyrus to Ankhiry and the dead as effective akh spirits.
The Opening of the Mouth ritual: restoring life to mummies and statues
The Opening of the Mouth in ancient Egypt: the tools, the sem priest, the scene in Tutankhamun's tomb, the sequence of the rite and its use on statues.
Oracular amuletic decrees: divine promises worn around the neck
Oracular amuletic decrees of the Third Intermediate Period: papyrus strips rolled into cases, gods speaking in the first person to protect children.
The Pyramid Texts: the oldest spells, from Unas onwards
The Pyramid Texts of Saqqara: the pyramid of Unas, the 1880s discovery, the king's stellar and solar destiny and the many spells against snakes.
Sekhmet and the Book of the Heavenly Cow: fury appeased
The destruction of mankind in the Book of the Heavenly Cow: the Eye of Ra, Sekhmet the powerful, red-dyed beer and the statues of Amenhotep III.
Setna Khaemwaset and the Book of Thoth: Demotic tales of magicians
The Demotic tales of Setna: Prince Khaemwaset, the Book of Thoth in Naneferkaptah's tomb, the Tabubu episode and Si-Osire against Nubian magicians.
Ushabti: the answering figures of the Egyptian afterlife
Egyptian ushabti: chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead, labour in the fields of the afterlife, the names shabti and shawabti, materials and overseers.
The Westcar Papyrus: tales of magicians at the court of Khufu
The Westcar Papyrus: Webaoner's wax crocodile, Djadjaemankh's folded waters, the magician Djedi and the prophecy of the birth of the Fifth Dynasty kings.