Page:Books on Egypt and Chaldaea, Vol. 25--Liturgy of Funeral Offerings.pdf/41

 before them and awaited them in that which was to come.

In the Second Division of the Other World (i.e., the Ṭuat) we find a class of beings called "Ḥeteptiu-ṭuau-Rā," and the accompanying description says:

“These are they who praised Rā whilst they were upon earth. They cast spells (or, used words of power) on [the fiend] Āpep. They presented their offerings, [and] they made offerings of incense to their gods after their offerings.” The text continues: “They have gained possession of their libations, they receive their meat offerings, and they eat their offerings in the Gate of him whose name is hidden.” And each night when Rā passed through that Division of the Other World he said to them, “Your offerings shall be yours, ye shall have possession of your libations, your souls shall never be hacked in pieces, and your food shall never fail, O ye who have praised [me] and vanquished Āpep for me.”

Now, in addition to helping the souls of the dead to reach their appointed place, offerings were made at the tombs at regular intervals with the express object of bringing the souls of the dead back to this earth to eat the offerings there with the living. The sweet smell of the incense burnt was thought to be grateful alike to the gods and to the souls who were with them, and freshly killed meat, newly baked cakes, fresh fruit, flowers and vegetables, and wine and beer were held to be irresistible attractions to the souls of the departed as they travelled