The scroll was discovered in Luxor in 1888 by Egyptians trading in illegal antiquities. It was acquired by E. A. Wallis Budge, as described in his autobiography By Nile and Tigris. Shortly after Budge first saw the papyrus, Egyptian police arrested several antiquities dealers and sealed up their houses, one of which contained the objects Budge had purchased from the dealers. Budge distracted the guards by offering them a meal while locals tunnelled under the house's walls to retrieve the objects, including the Papyrus of Ani. Stored in several custom tin boxes, the papyrus and other objects Budge had acquired were then smuggled to the principal librarian at the British Museum.[1]
Budge was afterward paid a 150GBP "gratuity" from the British Treasury on behalf of the British Museum for acquiring the papyrus.[2]
^By Nile and Tigris : a narrative of Journeys in Egypt and Mesopotamia on behalf of the British Museum between the years 1886 and 1913 by Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir, 1857-1934, pp. 136–137, 143–149
^By Nile and Tigris : a narrative of Journeys in Egypt and Mesopotamia on behalf of the British Museum between the years 1886 and 1913 by Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir, 1857-1934, p.335
Further reading
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day, The First Authentic Presentation of the Complete "Papyrus of Ani", Introduction and commentary by Dr. Ogden Goelet, Translation by Dr. Raymond O. Faulkner, Preface by Carol Andrews, Featuring Integrated Text and Full Color Images, (Chronicle Books, San Francisco) c1994, Rev. ed. c1998. Contains: Map Key to the Papyrus, Commentary by Dr. Ogden Goelet, Selected Bibliography, and "Glossary of Terms and Concepts"
Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum, Edna Russmann
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: (The Papyrus of Ani), (Dover Ed., New York), c1895, Dover ed., 1967. Egyptian Text Transliteration and Translation, Introduction, etc. by Sir E.A.Wallis Budge
Facsimile: Papyrus Ani: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA), Graz 1978. Complete colour facsimile edition of the 37 segments of the papyrus in original size (approx. 24 x 0,38 m); average size of the segments 380 x 700 mm. Scholarly commentary (in German): E. Dondelinger, Koblenz. This facsimile edition is available either in a portfolio (= standard edition) or in a book case that can be used as a desk (= special edition) - CODICES SELECTI, Vol. LXII
External links
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