Ani funerary papyrusThe Ani funerary papyrus probably dates from around 1306 BC and is the most richly illustrated copy of all known copies of the Book of the Dead. It is of great length and measures no less than 76 feet. The Feather of Maat. The Ani funerary papyrus was purchased for the British Museum in 1888 by Dr. E. Wallis Budge and is said to have been found in Thebes, 450 miles above Cairo. This collection of funerary chapters began to appear in Egyptian tombs. It can be considered the deceased's guide to a happy afterlife. The text was to be read by the deceased during their journey to the Underworld. Egyptian funeral rites included the recitation of a series of incantations intended to assist the dead in their life beyond the grave, to preserve them from the attacks of demons, and to ensure their full enjoyment of the good things upon which the gods lived. These and other spells were eventually written on the tomb, with the idea that the dead man himself would then be able to recite the necessary formula. It allowed the deceased to overcome obstacles and not lose his way. He did this by teaching passwords, providing clues, and revealing paths that would allow the deceased to answer questions and bypass dangers. It would ensure the help and protection of the gods by proclaiming the deceased's identity with the gods. The Ani Papyrus is one of the finest and most complete surviving examples of this type of Egyptian funerary text. The Book of the Dead is not to be confused with the funeral rite, but in it, as in the whole funeral ceremony, the deceased is called "The Osiris", and is generally associated with the analogy of Osiris and, incorporating himself with him, the dead they should have achieved greatness. The funeral rite was intended as a re-enactment, for the benefit of the deceased, of what had been done to reconstitute and reanimate the body of the god-king Osiris, after he had suffered death and dismemberment at the hands of his evil brother. According to Osirian legend, Isis, wife and sister of Osiris, searched for and found the missing remains of her husband and brought his body back to unity and life by means of her powerful magic with the help of her sister Nephthys, her son Horus, and other deities, including Anubis, the god of embalming.