“First Book of Breathings”

The Lafayette College Papyrus has been identified as an example of the “First Book of Breathings,” a funerary ritual dating from the Graeco-Roman period in Egypt. The Book of Breathings was used in burials and served to identify the deceased in the afterlife, while also ensuring the deceased’s continued life after death. Placed in the hands of the deceased before burial, the text described the significance of breath and helped plead the case that the deceased has led a good life, thus assisting him with journey into the next world.