The Abridged Book of the Dead Scroll of Pa-sheri-Khonsu

In the late 25th Dynasty ancient Egyptian theologians began systematic research and investigation and profoundly revised the contents of the Book of the Dead, now known by Egyptologists as the 'Saite recension'. The priests established an obligatory canonized consecutive sequence of 165 spells, which were methodically selected for their substantial coherence. Besides ideally conceived complete Book of the Dead manuscripts, however, there is also a group of manuscripts preserved which reflect the key topics of a Book of the Dead in abridged form, only consisting of a reduced number of apparently intentionally selected spells. pPa-sheri-Khonsu is one example of this group. The research will show which topics in the Book of the Dead were considered indispensable for ensuring a safe passageway into the netherworld. Furthermore, the papyrus has a Demotic colophon specifying genealogical and occupational information about the papyrus owner. A thorough study links the papyrus to a well-dated document and supports its dating, which was provided by stylistic and technical analyses.