Book of the Dead of Hunefer
- Audio guide stop: 365
- Gallery: Room 62
- Culture: 19th Dynasty
- Object type: papyrus
- Materials: papyrus
- Museum number: EA9901,3
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you lies a remarkable piece from ancient Egypt: the "Book of the Dead of Hunefer," a richly painted papyrus from the 19th Dynasty. Vibrant colors and intricate hieroglyphs fill the frame, illustrating key moments from Hunefer’s journey through the afterlife.
The papyrus shows Hunefer in a scene of divine judgment. At the top, he kneels before a group of deities including Ra and Osiris. Below, Anubis, the jackal-headed god, is adjusting a balance where Hunefer’s heart is weighed against the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth.
At the base of the scale crouches Ammit, the “Devourer of the Damned,” depicted with parts of a crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus. To the right, the scribe-god Thoth holds a pen, ready to record the outcome. Horus then leads Hunefer to a shrine where Osiris sits, flanked by Isis and Nephthys.
This beautifully illustrated papyrus was painted on papyrus with cursive hieroglyphs and measures nearly 40 centimeters in height. It is one of the finest surviving examples from this era.
See it in person
Book of the Dead of Hunefer is on display in Room 62 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 365, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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