Wider Ancient Witness Archive · 4.1 Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Background Archive
Layer 4 — Wider Archive
The Dialogue of a Man with His Soul
This text is included as a comparative, historical, philosophical, ritual, textual, or fragmentary witness. It is not presented as part of the Restored Bible.
The Dialogue of a Man with His Soul
[An Egyptian dispute between a weary man and his ba, his soul, concerning death and life; preserved with damage at the opening.]
[Text missing] I opened my mouth to my soul, that I might answer what it had said: This is too much for me today; my soul does not agree with me. It is beyond all exaggeration; it is like leaving me to myself. Let my soul not depart; let it stand by me.
The man said: To whom can I speak today? Brothers are evil; the friends of today do not love. To whom can I speak today? Hearts are greedy; every man seizes his neighbor’s goods. Gentleness has perished; the violent man has come down upon everyone. To whom can I speak today? There are no righteous; the land is left to the workers of wrong. I am laden with misery for lack of a friend.
Death is before me today
like the recovery of a sick man,
like going out into the open after confinement.
Death is before me today
like the fragrance of myrrh,
like sitting under a sail on a breezy day.
Death is before me today
like the scent of lotus flowers,
like the longing of a man to see home again
after many years of captivity.
Then his soul answered him: Lay aside complaint, my comrade and brother. Make offering upon the brazier; cling to life as you have said. Love me here, and put the West behind you; but still desire to reach the West when your body goes to the earth. Then I will alight after you are weary; and so together we will make our dwelling.
[Fragment breaks here]