What does the Waziri papyrus found in Egypt in May 2022 contain?

In May 2022, Egypt’s longest papyrus was uncovered by a team of archaeologists led by Dr. Mostafa Waziri in the Saqqara Necropolis, a vast site of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis. It has been named the Waziri Papyrus in his honour.

At first, scientists believed the ancient scroll to be only 9 meters long (29.5 ft), but after a thorough restoration and translation process in the restoration laboratory of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, it was revealed to measure an astounding 16 meters (52.5 ft).

Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, explains that it was found wrapped in linen in the coffin of Ahmose. The papyrus dates back to the Ptolemaic period which took place from 305 to 30 BC.

It is written in the Hieratic style, a cursive writing system used for Ancient Egyptian. It also contains 113 chapters from the Book of the Dead distributed over 150 columns written in black and red ink.

The Pharaonic Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text which was written on papyrus scrolls and buried with the deceased in their tomb. The texts contain declarations, hymns, and spells that were intended to help the deceased navigate the treacherous journey to the afterlife. It also includes illustrations and vignettes that depict the journey of the soul through the underworld and the different gods and goddesses the deceased would encounter along the way.