An ancient spellbook found amongst a museum collection, translated by scientists who discover it is full of funerary rites and exorcism spells – is this the beginning of a horror movie? No, it’s what happened a few years ago in Australia as researchers at Macquarie University discovered a papyrus codex in the university’s Museum of Ancient Culture and set about translating it.
The book comes from ancient Khmunu, a city in Egypt, also known as Hermopolis Magna. The papyrus was found during a German expedition to Hermopolis in 1929 that explored the ruins of the temple of Thoth. The codex is about 1300 years old and contains twenty-seven different spells and rituals.
Dr. Malcolm Choat and Dr. Iain Gardner were the men behind the translation. They plan to eventually publish the translation.
Sources:
Huffington Post: Mysterious ‘Spellbook’ From Ancient Egypt Decoded
Smithsonian.com: An Ancient Egyptian Spellbook has been Translated
The Mask of Reason 
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