After the Old Kingdom, the hope of the The Pyramid Texts spread beyond the king. In the First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom, officials and their families had afterlife spells painted inside their wooden coffins. Scholars call these the Coffin Texts.
Key idea
In the Middle Kingdom, spells were painted inside the coffins of officials, so people who were not royal could use them too.
What they are
- The spells were written in ink in columns, around the inside of the coffin, close to the body.
- Many adapt Pyramid Texts spells for a non-royal owner; many are new.
- Adriaan de Buck’s edition (1935–1961) numbers 1,185 spells.
- Some coffins from Deir el-Bersha have the Book of Two Ways painted on the floor: a map of two routes through the afterlife.
- The best-known coffins come from the cemeteries of provincial governors, at places like Deir el-Bersha, Beni Hasan and Asyut.
Why it works
Why did the spells spread? After the Old Kingdom, power and wealth spread to the provinces, and local governors and officials built rich tombs of their own. They wanted the same protection the king had. A coffin was a good place for it: it was always close to the body, and painting was quicker and cheaper than carving a pyramid.
Older books call this change "the democratization of the afterlife". The phrase is now debated. The coffins belonged to the elite, not to everyone, and some scholars argue that well-off people already hoped for such an afterlife before the spells were written down for them.
Worked example: Royal or not?
A painted wooden coffin of a Middle Kingdom official is covered inside with spells. What are they?
- Wooden coffin, painted inside, Middle Kingdom, non-royal owner.
- That fits the Coffin Texts.
Answer: Coffin Texts.
Worked example: Weighing a phrase
A textbook says the Coffin Texts "gave everyone the afterlife". How would you improve the sentence?
- The coffins belonged to officials and their families.
- Ordinary farmers did not have them.
- The term "democratization" is debated.
Answer: Say the spells reached the elite beyond the king.
Common mistake
Thinking only kings had afterlife texts in all periods. By the Middle Kingdom, officials did too. Quick check: look at the owner’s title on the coffin.