A Study of the Ba Concept in Ancient Egyptian Texts

Abstract

A Study of the Ba Concept in Ancient Egyptian Texts the main characteristic of the Ba in this concept is its freedom of movement through which the deceased continues his physical life. 4 two articles, published in 1941 and 1942, Eberhard Otto studied some newly published Coffin Texts as well as other texts pertaining to the problem of the Ba.5 In Otto's opinion, the Ba has basically the same meaning in relation to the gods, to the king, and to ordinary men, that is, it is the embodiment of their powers.In relation to the gods, it indicates an embodiment of divine powers, in relation to the king, an embodiment of kingly powers, and in relation to ordinary men, the embodiment of the vital forces which an individual possessed during his lifetime.Otto thinks that the word b used in relation to the gods and the king can appropriately be translated by a word of abstract meaning, that is, by the word "power," while in relation to man it comes closer to the meaning of "soul."The Ba of the ordinary person is an immanent part of him which at death frees itself from the body to avoid decay and the vicissitudes of a lifeless corpse.The Ba, however, cannot subsist as a "divine" or "demonic" power independent of the body but must maintain direct contact with it; the Ba visits the body in the tomb and re-animates it.Because the functions which the Ba performs are predominantly of an earthly nature, Otto considers the Ba an "earthly" rather than an "other-worldly" concept. Most of these opinions about the Ba have been summarized by JacquesVandier in his study of ancient Egyptian religion. 6couraged by the work of these scholars and stimulated by the disagreement among them concerning the meaning of the Ba, we thought it useful to submit the subject to a new examination which would utilize texts not often referred to in this connection.Our own agreement or disagreement with the opinions of our predecessors will be noted in discussions of specific aspects of the problem, and our general conclusion will be found 4 Hermann Kees, Totenglauben und Jenseitsvorstellungen der alten Agypter (Leipzig, 1926) pp.58-66.In the second edition of this book (Berlin, 1956) Kees, following Otto's studies (see references in n. 5), rewrote the first part of his description of the Ba.In it he speaks of the Ba of a man as a "Teilbegriff," although in

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