2017. From Crypt to Cult: Pyramid Texts on Middle Kingdom Mortuary Stelae

In the late Middle Kingdom a number of cult stelae dedicated to ancestors (in tombs and Abydos shrines) are inscribed with ritual spells first known from the tomb chambers of royal pyramids in the 5th and 6th Dynasties over half a millennium earlier. This paper begins by tracing this phenomenon in terms of the contents and cultural context of the spells in question, and discusses the significance of the occurrence of the ‘same’ text in rather different surroundings: First, in the sealed burial chamber of the royal family, and later as displayed on the focal point of the ancestor cult performed for private individuals. While some of the texts are clearly offering spells and thus fit quite seamlessly into the context of the mortuary cult, others look like texts usually read as dealing with the deceased’s manifestation in the next world, which raises important questions concerning the understanding (by the ancient Egyptians as well as Egyptologists) of the subject matter of the spells. In turn, such considerations can provide input to ongoing discussions about the relationship between myth and ritual in ancient Egypt.