THE SHRINES OF TUT-ANKH-AMON
Egyptian Religious Texts and Representations · Volume 2
Alexandre Piankoff · texts translated with introductions · edited by N. Rambova
Pantheon Books · New York · 1955 · First Edition
THE DIVINE COW
Source note: The complete text of The Divine Cow does not survive in any single known copy. Piankoff’s translation is mainly based on the version found in the tomb of Seti I with passages from other surviving versions where the Seti I text is damaged or incomplete. The text on Tutankhamun’s Shrine I acts as one witness to this broader textual tradition.
DIRECT TRANSLATION — Egyptian Hieroglyphic, Tutankhamun Shrine I
The Shrines of Tut-Ankh-Amon — Re's Then the Majesty of this god said to Thoth: "Summon, pray, to me the Majesty of Geb, saying: 'Come … at once!'" Then the Majesty of Geb came. Then the Majesty of this god said: "Take heed of your snakes that are in you. See, they feared me while I [was] there. Now you know their power. Now go to the place where my father Nun is, and say to him: 'Guard those in earth and water, the snakes.' And further, make writings [of yours?] for every mound of your snakes that are there, saying: '… you: beware of [meddling] with anything.' They should know that I am here … See, I … for them. Now as for their settlement(?), … which shall be in this land. Let watch be kept, moreover, against those magicians who know their spells. See, Heka (Magic) himself is there. See, as for …
RE'S WARNING TO GEB
The first shrine contains the Book of the Heavenly Cow, whose eleven columns open at its center. Re orders Thoth to summon Geb, earth god, and entrusts him with the snakes within him. While Re was present, they feared him. Now Geb must go to Nun, the primeval waters, guard the snakes of earth and water, and post a written warning at each mound. He must also watch for spell-knowing magicians, since Heka, magic itself, is there.
THE CELESTIAL REALM
The central scene depicts divine figures surrounded by hieroglyphic text. Solar imagery appears prominently positioned above the left figure. Both figures hold the ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, along with tall staffs of authority.
DIRECT TRANSLATION — Egyptian Hieroglyphic, Tutankhamun Shrine I — Part II
Words spoken by the Osiris, the King, Lord of the Two Lands, Nebkheperure: "I know the name of that god whose face is [that of Herishef](?). I am he for whom an amulet is [knotted] in the [evening](?). I am Re [amid](?) his Ennead, his court being of magic. I pass by, being sound. I belong to the [Flame](?), it is(?) the soul of fire. He has no [adversaries](?) among men, gods, spirits or [the dead], in anything in this entire land." Words spoken by the gods … alive(?): "Then let the gods be informed(?) whose two arms are at their faces, to let him pass on the road." So the [Flaming One](?) came into being … in the sky. As for any able scribe who knows the god's words and the [spells](?) that are upon his mouth, he goes forth and comes down within the sky. … of the West(?) cannot hold him back; the water of his mouth does not [grow hot](?); his head is not [taken](?) from him by …; he does not bend his two arms to the tribunal. He enters at the head(?) of the spirits, together with those who know their(?) … [spells](?) … No [wrong] that he has done on earth is [reckoned](?); he does not [lack](?) … … the [net] is not [made ready] against him. If … is given(?) to any official, to any noble spirit(?) … bread(?) … … no harm(?) … his …; his [headcloth] is not [stripped off] before the elders; they look on him as … [leaves](?) …
THE KING SPEAKS AS RE
The book closes with a spell in the mouth of the dead king, Osiris Nebkheperure, Tutankhamun's throne name. He claims knowledge of a god's name, declares himself Re with a court of magic, and passes on sound; the gods are told to let him travel. The benefit extends beyond the king: any able scribe who knows the god's words can ascend and descend within the sky, unimpeded, and join the spirits. While the previous page warns magicians who know spells, here knowledge of the god's words secures passage.
PIANKOFF’S TRANSLATION — Divine Cow, p. 27
“the majesty of Re, he who created himself…” “having been king of men as well as of the gods.” “Then men began to devise evil plans against him.”
HUMANITY TURNS AGAINST RE
Re is introduced as a being who created himself and rules over both gods and humanity. Humans develop a plan against him. Instead of destroying them immediately, Re secretly summons the gods and returns to the primordial Watery Abyss, which he claims is his origin. There he places humanity’s future before a divine council.
PIANKOFF’S TRANSLATION — Divine Cow, p. 28
“May thy Eye go out and catch (?) for thee those who conspire (against thee).” “Let it come down as Hathor!” “Then this goddess came back after having killed men in the desert land.” “As true as thou livest, I overpowered men, it was sweet for my heart.” “It is good indeed, I shall protect men from her!”
HATHOR DESCENDS TO DESTROY HUMANITY
The divine council authorizes an attack on those who conspired against Re. He sends his Eye into the world as Hathor. Humanity flees, but the killing continues into the desert.
The destruction does not reach its end. Re intervenes, using blood-colored beer to intoxicate Hathor and prevent her from recognizing her remaining victims. Humanity survives the divine judgment.
PIANKOFF’S TRANSLATION — Divine Cow, p. 29
“my heart is weary to remain with them.” “I keep on killing them to the last one—the small remainder is not my gift!” “My limbs are feeble as in primeval times—I will not return until another (cycle?) overtakes me.” “Nut became (a cow), and the majesty of Re was on her back.”
RE WITHDRAWS FROM HUMANITY
The remaining population no longer reconnects with Re. He has grown tired of humans and chooses to leave. The gods arrange his departure through Nut — who takes the form of a celestial cow and carries Re on her back.
Humanity and the divine are now separated. Instead of further destruction, the crisis leads to a transformation of the world.
PIANKOFF’S TRANSLATION — Divine Cow, p. 30
“I placed myself on thy back to be elevated, what then?” “So said he, and Nut became the sky.” “Be far from them and elevate me, that I may see (them).” “And (stars) . . . came into being.” “And the Field of Peace came into being.” “And these Yaru fields came into being.” “And these Ihi stars (came into being).”
THE WORLD ABOVE TAKES FORM
Re’s withdrawal transforms the cosmos. Nut becomes the sky and carries him above the human world, creating distance without severing his ability to observe what remains below.
This more detailed account also clarifies the earlier hieroglyphic text preserved on Tutankhamun’s Shrine I, where Re’s ascent appears alongside references to the sky and celestial fields.
PIANKOFF’S TRANSLATION — Divine Cow, p. 31
“Take heed of the serpents, which are in thee!” “they fear me in my form, but thou knowest their use.” “keep guard over the serpents in the earth and in the water.”
THE SERPENTS OF EARTH AND WATER
After ascending to the sky, Re assigns Geb responsibility for serpents that live in both the earth and the water. Their exact nature is not explained here. They nevertheless remain part of the newly ordered world, under continuing divine supervision.
DIRECT TRANSLATION — Egyptian Hieroglyphic, Shrine III, Exterior Right Panel (A)
“…this Great God rests in the deep water…” “…he travels through this region, equipped in his barque…” “…he gives water to them from their inundation/flood as he passes through the Duat…”
THE GREAT GOD IN THE DEEP WATER
The solar god enters a watery part of the Duat and travels through it in his barque. As he passes, water from the region’s inundation is given to its inhabitants. This scene belongs to the Sixth Division, deep in the nocturnal journey.
Here, the Netherworld appears as a structured realm crossed by water. The broader Amduat depicts the solar barque traveling along a river through the center of the underworld, with its inhabitants occupying the surrounding regions.
DIRECT TRANSLATION — Egyptian Hieroglyphic, Shrine III, Exterior Right Panel (C)
“…he who swallows the forms…” “…the forms which are within his coils…” “…they live / breathe at the voice of the Great God…” “…every day…”
THE SERPENT AND THE FORMS WITHIN
The lower register presents a serpent whose body contains four human forms. Their existence is bound to the Great God, whose voice causes them to live and breathe.
What makes the scene unusual is the relationship depicted between them. The human forms are incorporated into its body as distinct beings within a larger entity.
DIRECT TRANSLATION — EGYPTIAN, SHRINE II, EXTERIOR RIGHT PANEL (A), PLATE 51
“Re, the great god…” “…in the Duat…” “…the gods…” “…the souls/spirits…” “…those who are in the Duat…” “…they live…” “…the great god…” “…his forms…” “…eternity…”
Several of the smaller divine names and captions cannot be securely resolved from the surviving photograph.
THE SERPENT BEINGS OF THE DUAT
The divine landscape grows more surreal. Serpentine and cobra-shaped beings appear among groups of supernatural figures. Solar disks recur throughout the scene. These are not isolated snakes. They belong to the divine realm through which the sun makes its cosmic journey.
Maya and Aboriginal Australian traditions also incorporate powerful serpent beings into their cosmologies. Across these widely separated traditions, the serpent repeatedly appears within the supernatural world.
THE ERASURE OF MEMORY
Piankoff describes a remarkable aspect of Akhenaten’s religious revolution. When the worship of Aten replaced the traditional cult of Amon, the change was enforced and altered the past itself.
“the name of Amon was erased wherever found, even in the names of former kings.”
Ancient Egyptian monuments were not untouched historical records. Names and divine references carved by earlier generations could be intentionally erased if they conflicted with the religious agenda of a later ruler.
The process could also happen in reverse. After Akhenaten's death, his monuments were dismantled, and blocks from his buildings were reused in later construction. Modern archaeology has actually recovered parts of the lost Amarna record from these reused stones.
AMON AND THE RUACH ELOHIM
In the footnote discussing the nature of Amon, Piankoff references Egyptologist Kurt Sethe and makes an unexpected comparison with Genesis. Amon — “the invisible one” — is described in relation to the spirit or breath of life, which Piankoff compares with the Hebrew.
“the ruach elohim of Genesis.”
Genesis: The phrase rûaḥ ʾĕlōhîm appears at the beginning, usually translated as the “Spirit of God,” with rûaḥ capable of meaning spirit, wind, or breath.
