Inventory number

General description

Magical papyrus

Papyrus Turin CGT 54050, also known as Papyrus Turin Cat. 1995+1996, is a document of more than 2 m length with writing on both sides. The texts of the recto and verso are written by different scribes, but both sides cover the field of preventive magic and are thus related to each other in form and content: 

The recto contains one long text for ritual purification, probably for a person who is already dead (maybe due to snake bites, as a snake is mentioned). The text claims to have been invented by Thoth, the god whom the reciter identifies himself with several times in the text. As Thoth, the reciter acts as protector of the deceased and asks Osiris and several groups of divine entities for rescuing his protégé from bad conditions and demonic effects. In order to support the divine protection, the deceased is identified with Horus, his ba-soul with the ba-soul of Osiris, and his bodily parts with protective deities. With the final sentences, the text turns into a listing of all the divine deeds and attributes of the god Thoth, as can be confirmed by its parallel on Papyrus Turin CGT 54053, where this part is better preserved.

The verso contains, as far as preserved, five medico-magical recipes/spells. The first one seems to be a spell or recipe for an enema, but only the application of an ointment is still preserved. The second recipe describes the preparation of an ointment against effects caused by revenants (lit. “(un)dead persons”), and remarkably, water or fluid from the head of a deceased person should be used as an ingredient. The next and longest text of the verso is entitled as “royal decree” of Osiris, and its descriptive paragraphs make it clear that it is another spell to prevent someone from revenants. Over a space of 2,5 columns, their effects are specified in a detailed list of causes of death, among them death by afflicted bodily parts, different kinds of plants and animals, etc. This spell shall be recited during a fumigation. The next spell claims to be efficient with all kinds of effects caused by demons and revenants. Again it should be recited during fumigation, but it also contains a “pharmacological” section with exact quantities of drugs to be made into an ointment. Next comes another spell for fumigation in which several pathogenic bodily fluids are enlisted. The last column is severely destroyed, so it is unclear whether it belongs to the same spell or yet another one.