Medjed and Deities in the Book of the Dead

This papyrus fragment from the Book of the Dead shows a horizontal procession. On the far left, Medjed appears as a rounded, white, ghost-like figure with two eyes and thin legs. To the right, five seated deities with animal heads (including a falcon, a ibis, and a bull) wear white robes with red cross-hatched patterns, each holding a green blade upright. At the far right, a human-headed deity, likely representing Osiris, stands before an altar overflowing with blue and green lotus flowers. The entire scene is framed by registers of black hieroglyphic text on the light brown papyrus surface.

This image is a rare illustration from the Book of the Dead (Spell 17), representing a group of 'executioner' deities who possess hidden powers in the afterlife. The figure of Medjed, described as 'the smiter' who remains unseen, has become a significant subject of study in Egyptian funerary theology.