The Egyptian Book of the dead by P. Le Page Renouf and Edouard Naville

enormous quantities are found; sometimes by hundreds in the neighbourhood of a single mummy. Much information on the subject, both archæological and philological, will be found in Mariette’s _Catalogue Général des Monuments d’Abydos_, p. 25 and following, and in M. Loret’s articles “Les Statuettes funéraires du Musée de Boulaq,” published in the _Recueil de Travaux_, tomes IV and V. In the earlier texts ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂, ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂; in the later ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂. The latter word being read _ušebti_, has very naturally been considered as derived from ⁂⁂⁂⁂, in Coptic ⲟⲩⲱϣⲃ, ‘to answer.’ For the statuette is addressed at the beginning of the chapter, and it replies at the end. But there is no reason for supposing that the earlier form had the same meaning. ------------------------------------