A scribe in Thebes around 1400 BCE unrolled a papyrus nearly sixty feet long. He had copied spells for the deceased, illustrated with vignettes of judgment and rebirth. Today, that same text sits in a museum, and we have dozens of English translations. The best one depends on what you need: historical context, philological accuracy, or readability. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is not a single book but a corpus of funerary spells, and the best translation balances fidelity to the hieroglyphs with clarity for the modern reader.
What the Book of the Dead Actually Is
The Egyptians called it rw nw prt m hrw — the “spells for going forth by day.” It was a collection of incantations, hymns, and instructions meant to guide the deceased through the underworld, past demons and guardians, to the Hall of Two Truths where the heart was weighed against Maat’s feather. No two papyri are identical. Each was custom-made for a specific person, with spells selected by the scribe or the family. The most famous example, the Papyrus of Ani (British Museum), contains 189 spells, but other copies have more or fewer.
The texts evolved from the Pyramid Texts (carved in the pyramids of Old Kingdom pharaohs) and the Coffin Texts (painted on Middle Kingdom coffins). By the New Kingdom (1550–1070 BCE), they were written on papyrus and placed in the tomb. The “book” as we know it today is a modern editorial construct.
The History of Translation: From Lepsius to the Present
The first systematic publication was by Karl Richard Lepsius in 1842, who copied the Turin Papyrus. But the translation that dominated the English-speaking world for a century was E. A. Wallis Budge’s The Book of the Dead (1895). Budge, Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, produced a complete edition with hieroglyphs, transliteration, and translation. His work is still widely available, often in cheap reprints.
Budge’s translation has serious flaws. He relied on outdated scholarship, misread many signs, and sometimes invented meanings. He also included spells from multiple papyri without clear attribution, creating a composite text that never existed in antiquity. Yet his edition remains influential because of its sheer scope and the haunting Victorian prose: “I am the god of the morning, I am the god of the evening.”
The next major step came in 1960 with Thomas George Allen’s The Book of the Dead: A Translation of the Theban Recension. Allen worked from the same papyri as Budge but applied more rigorous philology. His translation is more accurate but reads stiffly. It is now out of print but available in some libraries.
In 1972, Raymond O. Faulkner published The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, based on the Papyrus of Ani and several others. Faulkner was a leading Egyptologist, and his translation is the standard academic reference. It is clear, precise, and includes the hieroglyphic text. The downside: Faulkner’s English is literal, often awkward, and he omits many spells found in other papyri.
Since the 1990s, several new editions have appeared. John H. Taylor (2010) produced The Egyptian Book of the Dead: A Translation and Commentary for the British Museum. Taylor’s edition is beautifully illustrated, with commentary on each spell, and uses modern idiomatic English. Stephen Quirke (2013) published Going Out in Daylight: The Egyptian Book of the Dead, which focuses on the spells from the Papyrus of Nu and includes transliteration. James P. Allen (2014) released The Book of the Dead: A Guide to the Afterlife, a translation of the Papyrus of Ani with facing hieroglyphs and clear notes.
Symbolism and Meaning: What the Spells Actually Do
The spells are not random incantations. They are practical tools. Spell 1 prevents the head from being cut off. Spell 17 gives the deceased knowledge of the gods. Spell 30B is the heart scarab spell, which stops the heart from testifying against its owner at the judgment. Spell 125 contains the negative confession, where the deceased declares innocence of 42 sins.
Each spell has a title, often with instructions: “To be recited over a scarab of green stone, set in gold, and placed on the neck of the deceased.” The vignettes are not decoration. They are visual spells, showing the deceased passing through gates, meeting gods, and finally being reborn as a star or a lotus.
The central image is the weighing of the heart. The deceased stands before Osiris, while Anubis adjusts the scale and Thoth records the result. If the heart balances, the deceased becomes a maakheru — a “true of voice” — and enters the Field of Reeds. If it is heavy with sin, the Devourer (Ammit, part crocodile, part lion, part hippo) eats it.
How the Book Was Used in Practice
The papyrus was placed in the tomb, often inside the coffin or wrapped with the mummy. It was not read by the living. It was a guide for the dead. The spells were written in hieroglyphic or hieratic script, sometimes with red ink for titles and black for the body. The vignettes were painted in bright colors: blue for water, green for vegetation, red for blood and fire.
The owner’s name was inserted into the spells. For example, “The Osiris Ani, justified, says…” This personalized the text. The spells were meant to be spoken by the deceased in the afterlife. The living did not recite them, except perhaps during the funeral ritual.
Comparing the Major English Editions
We have used all of the following in our library. Here is how they differ.
Budge (1895) – The most accessible and cheapest. Good for historical interest and Victorian flavor. Poor for accuracy. The spells are often misordered. The translation is flowery but unreliable. If you want to see what a 19th-century occultist read, this is it.
Faulkner (1972) – The academic gold standard. Every spell is translated with footnotes. The hieroglyphs are included. The English is dry but trustworthy. Best for serious study of the original text. The downside: it covers only the Papyrus of Ani and a few others, not the full corpus.
Taylor (2010) – The best modern edition for the general reader. Taylor’s commentary explains each spell’s context, symbolism, and history. The photographs are superb. The translation is fluid and accurate. This is the edition we recommend for most people.
Quirke (2013) – Focuses on the Papyrus of Nu. Includes transliteration, which is useful if you want to sound out the Egyptian. The commentary is scholarly but dense. Good for linguists.
Allen (2014) – A compact edition of the Papyrus of Ani. The facing hieroglyphs allow direct comparison. Allen’s notes are concise. This is the best choice for someone who wants to work with the original script without the bulk of Faulkner.
Other editions – There are also translations by R. O. Faulkner (revised by Carol Andrews, 1985), by Ogden Goelet (1994, with commentary by James P. Allen), and by Paul C. R. (2018, a new translation of the Papyrus of Neferrenpet). Each has merits, but none surpass Taylor for readability or Faulkner for rigor.
Common Misconceptions
It is not a single book. There is no canonical version. Each papyrus is unique. Modern editions are composites.
It is not a “Bible” of the Egyptians. The Book of the Dead was one of many funerary texts. The Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts are older. The Book of Gates, Book of Caverns, and other underworld books appear later.
It is not a guide for the living. The spells were for the dead. They were not used in daily rituals. The idea that Egyptians read the Book of the Dead like a prayer book is modern fantasy.
Budge’s translation is not authoritative. It is historically important but philologically flawed. Many occult authors (Aleister Crowley, for example) used Budge, which gave his version an undeserved mystique.
FAQ
Which translation is most accurate? Faulkner (1972) is the most accurate for the Papyrus of Ani. For a broader selection, Taylor (2010) combines accuracy with readability.
Which edition has the best illustrations? Taylor (2010) has full-color photographs of the Papyrus of Ani. Budge’s original edition also has black-and-white plates, but they are less clear.
Which is best for a beginner? Taylor (2010) is the best entry point. The commentary explains everything, and the translation is smooth. Avoid Budge until you understand its limitations.
Which is most affordable? Budge’s translation is in the public domain and available free online. Dover Publications sells a cheap paperback. But you get what you pay for.
Closing
The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a window into a world where death was a journey, not an end. Choosing the right translation means deciding whether you want to read the spells as a scholar, a historian, or a seeker. For most of us, Taylor’s edition strikes the best balance. For deeper study, Faulkner’s remains indispensable. Explore our guide to sacred texts for more on ancient funerary literature, or visit the glossary of Egyptian deities to understand the gods who populate these spells. If you want to see how the Book of the Dead fits into the larger tradition, our guide to Egyptian funerary practices traces the evolution from pyramids to papyrus.