Ammit
Ammit in the Papyrus of Ani: the devourer at the judgment of the dead, following E. A. Wallis Budge’s 1895 edition.
Quick answer
Ammit is the female devourer present at Ani’s judgment after death. In this account, Ani passes the judgment and the gods deny her power over him. Budge, Plate III, pp. 257–259.
- record type
- creature
- tradition
- Ancient Egyptian funerary religion
- source scope
- Book of the Dead, Papyrus of Ani, Plate III: judgment vignette, Chapter XXXB (30B), and accompanying declarations; E. A. Wallis Budge’s 1895 edition, pp. 255–259. Comparative material in the editor’s footnotes is identified separately.
- aliases
- ["Am-mit", "Amemet", "Amam"]
Source status
The primary witness is the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead manuscript prepared for Ani. This profile uses E. A. Wallis Budge’s The Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani in the British Museum, published in London by order of the Trustees in 1895, specifically Plate III. The English text is a historical translation; its accompanying vignette description and comparative footnotes are Budge’s editorial apparatus. Edition title page.
This record follows one judgment scene. It does not treat the editor’s references to other manuscripts as additional events in Ani’s account.
What happens in Ani’s judgment
Ani addresses his heart, asking it not to oppose him at judgment. Thoth reports a favourable result; the gods confirm Ani’s innocence and protection from the devourer. This scene therefore presents deliverance from Ammit, rather than an episode in which she consumes someone. Plate III, translated text, pp. 258–259.
Names and physical description
Budge uses Amam and Am-mit in his description, and Amemet in the translated verdict. These are retained as edition-specific name forms.
His anatomical footnote describes crocodile, lion and hippopotamus components, but explicitly attributes that wording to British Museum papyrus No. 9901. It should not be quoted as Ani’s own description. Plate III, p. 257, note 4, and p. 259.
Source realm
The setting is the afterlife judgment hall, which Budge calls the Hall of Double Law or Truth. Plate III, vignette description.
Within this archive, Mythic cosmos is the appropriate browsing category for that religious setting. The cultural grouping is Egyptian Tradition in the Traditions index. The classification is an editorial aid, not an ancient taxonomy.
Books and references
- Ancient Egyptian funerary text, translated and annotated by E. A. Wallis Budge. The Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani in the British Museum. London: printed by order of the Trustees, 1895. Plate III, pp. 255–259: vignette description, Chapter XXXB (30B), and accompanying judgment declarations. Internet Sacred Text Archive transcription. The anatomical comparison in p. 257, note 4 concerns a separate papyrus.
- Budge, E. A. Wallis. The Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani in the British Museum. Title page identifying the work, editor and translator, and 1895 edition; Internet Sacred Text Archive transcription.