The most famous of all ancient Egyptian texts—with an introduction by one of the most celebrated Egyptologists of our time AMONG THE MOST WIDELY read and studied of all ancient writings, The Egyptian Book of the Deadconsists of funerary texts that ancient Egyptian scribes composed for the benefit of the dead. This astonishing array of spells, hymns and litanies, magical formulae and names, and words of power and prayers were all found cut or painted on walls of pyramids and tombs, and painted on coffins, sarcophagi, and rolls of papyri.