In the ancient Egyptian necropolis in Saqqara (25 km from Cairo), last year they found the full text of the Book of the Dead. The 15.8 m long papyrus scroll was the first such find in the last 100 years. The artifact lay in a tomb where a man named Ahmose, who died around 300 BC, was buried. e.
The find was first reported by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities about a month ago, but since the document had to be preserved from destruction first, detailed photographs of it have only recently surfaced. After the scroll was moistened, they managed to unfold it and photographed the text part. The image is perfectly preserved, in the near future the Book of the Dead is planned to be fully digitized in high resolution. In the meantime, the scroll is on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a collection of religious texts that guided the deceased person on their way to the afterlife. It contains spells, songs, prayers, as well as information about what awaits a person after his death. In the scroll found in Saqqara, the first 38 cm is empty space. The book begins with a large illustration depicting Ahmose worshiping Osiris. In general, the text is written very neatly, divided into columns, which indicates the professionalism of the copyist.
