For the Egyptian religious tradition, the journey of the deceased was of paramount importance. It was believed that the enchantments placed in the tombs ensured an easy passage to the afterlife. From the 5th dynasty to the Roman era, three phases of funerary literature development can be distinguished:
1. Pyramid Texts (Old Kingdom): Consisting of around 760 inscriptions found in the ancient royal tombs, starting from Unas, the last king of the 5th dynasty (24th century BC). These texts depict the burial rituals of the king and his ascent, culminating when the solar god receives the king for eternity, according to the theology of the temple of Re (or Ra) in Heliopolis.
2. Coffin Texts (Middle Kingdom): Originating from the 9th to 13th dynasties (12th to 17th century BC), these texts reinterpret the information from the ancient Pyramid Texts. They are written on the interior of wooden coffins. Osiris and the judgment of the dead hold a central place in these texts.
3. Book of the Dead and other Underworld Texts (New Kingdom and Late Period): Various ideas about the geography of the underworld existed, each of which was, however, very precise and documented in authentic maps with texts and images. These guides of the underworld aimed to assist the deceased on their journey through the underworld and protect them from all its dangers. They are known under names such as the Book of Two Ways, Book of Gates, Book of Caverns, Book of the Earth God, and others that have been preserved until today, especially on the walls of the tombs of the New Kingdom kings, but also in manuscript form on papyri or, in the case of the Book of Two Ways, on the undersides of coffins. The most widespread, apart from the Amduat, which is the Book of That Which is in the Underworld, is the Book of the Dead, preserved in countless copies. It dates from the 18th dynasty (16th century BC) to the Roman era. It was placed in the coffin to provide guidance for the deceased on their journey to the City of the Sun.
Source: Shiva Shambho
Pyramid texts documents
Books on Pyramid texts
External Links: Pyramid Texts / Coffin Texts / Book of the Dead