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body, and figures of Mestha, Ḥāpi, Tuamāutef and Qebḥsennuf made of wax, sheet silver, gold or porcelain, were laid upon the parts which these gods were supposed to protect. On the alabaster and stone jars the inscriptions were incised, and on wood and faïence they were painted or traced in outline in ink. In papyri of the XVIIIth and XIXth dynasties, the vignettes of the 17th chapter of the Book of the Dead show that Canopic jars were placed in a sepulchral chest, upon the sides of which were painted figures of the four gods, in the form of men, but each having its characteristic

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head.

Out of the cover there rises the sun with the head and

arms of a man, and in each hand he holds fanch, "life.” (Papyrus of Ani, pl. 8.) On papyri and coffins of a later period the jars are shown arranged in a row under the bier. In the 151st chapter of the Book of the Dead the four gods are shown standing in the mummy chamber, one at each corner; the inscriptions which refer to them read:-

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Come have I that may be I in protection thy. Make to flourish I

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house thy, firm, firm, hath commanded Ptaḥ, as

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commanded

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Come have I that may be I in protection thy. Tie up [1] for thee

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The inscriptions on the outsides of the jars, which are sometimes accompanied by inscribed figures of the four gods, vary considerably; some consist of a few words only, but others occupy several lines. These inscriptions show that each of the four gods was under the protection of a goddess ; thus Isis guarded Mestha, Nephthys guarded Ḥapi, Neith guarded Ţuamāutef, and Selket or Serqet guarded Qebḥsennuf. The following are examples of the formulæ inscribed on these jars :-1

I. AMSET. -√1-2~3

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LLIAA

met' an Auset

Says

sam

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Isis,

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The protection of

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Osiris [is] the protection of Amseth, [for] Osiris [is] Åmseth.”

1 These inscriptions are taken from the set of Canopic jars exhibited in the

'British Museum, Nos. 886 to 889; they were made for the commander of soldiers

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Nefer-ab-Ra-em-xut, Psammetichus, son of Neith, son of Ta-ṭā

nub-ḥetep. See Sharpe, Egyptian Inscriptions, Ist Series, pl. 114.

2 Here follow the name and titles of the deceased.

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Speech of
Serqet.

make pass the night I of day every in making the protection of

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