Inventory number

General description

Magical papyrus Thoth

Papyrus CGT 54068 is a fragmentary manuscript written in the hieratic script. The four columns on the recto contain various spells, all copied from the "Magical book of Thoth" (papyrus CGT 54050).

The first column is preserved on a small fragment, which contains part of the introduction of the book. The second column is divided on two fragments and contains a spell against snake bites. In the third column, preserved on four fragments, sections of a healing formula are written. The text of the fourth and last column, of which only three fragments remained, describes a common practice of ancient Egyptian magic: anatomical parts are under the protection of various deities, in order to purify the body of a patient.

On the verso of the manuscript a divinatory text is written, that is comparable to the text on the documents CGT 54065 verso, CGT 54067 and Chester Beatty V. The spells are followed by drawings of various gods: some of them can be identified thanks to their attributes, while others cannot be recognized with certainty. According to the text written on the largest fragment, the spells probably had to be recited on these images, drawn on a strip of cloth that was subsequently worn by the patient.