Caption:
Papyrus inscribed for a priest of the god Horus named Imhotep. His coffin was found in 1913 at the cemetery of Meir, and this papyrus most likely comes from his burial. Imhotep's Book of Coming forth by Day, commonly known as a Book of the Dead, was designed to help Imhotep make a successful transition from death to eternal life, and to ensure his safety and well-being in the realm of the dead. Written in a cursive script known as hieratic and read from right to left, it is divided into 182 columns, each containing one or more spells, incantations, or prayers. A continuous frieze of vignettes along the top, as well as larger drawings filling the height of the papyrus, illustrate or substitute for individual spells. Early Ptolemaic Period, ca. 332–200 B.C.