There once was a young prince called Setna who was a great scholar and magician. While the other princes reveled in hunting and doing battle, Setna loved nothing more than perusing great dusty books and learning about ancient hieroglyphics. While studying one day, he came across the story of another prince – Nefrekeptah – who like him, had been a wise man and magician. He had been even greater than Setna as he had read from the book of Thoth, the god of wisdom. This book had been buried with Nefrekeptah at his royal tomb in Memphis. The more Setna read about Nefrekeptah, the more discontented he became. Finally, he resolved nothing would do but for him to travel to this tomb and recover the book so that he may learn all wisdom.

He sought out his brother Anherru to aid him on his quest. Anherru could see the desperation for the book written all over Setna’s face and he found he had no choice but to go along with his brother. On reaching Memphis, they found the tomb of Nefrekeptah without any difficulty as his father had been a great Pharaoh. Inside the tomb, the found Nefrekeptah lying in silent death, and next to him were two Kas – or spirits. One was of a woman and the second was of a young boy. Setna bowed respectfully to the Kas and said ‘I greet you, dead son of a dead Pharaoh. I am Setna, the priest of Ptah, son of Rameses and I come for the Book of Thoth. Let me take it in peace – else I will take it by force.’ The Ka of the woman responded by saying ‘Do not take the book priest of Ptah for it will bring you sorrow like it did my husband. Take heed of my tale.’

The Ka of the woman then began to tell the tale of the disaster that befell her husband. He had been studying one day when an old priest mocked him saying ‘all you read is worthless for only the book of Thoth holds true wisdom. The god wrote it in his own hand. Once you have read its pages you will have the ability to enchant all that is on the land, the sea and the air. You will know the speech of all beasts and the secrets of the gods. You will be able to read the future hidden in the stars.’ Upon hearing this Nefrekeptah was consumed by the need to find this book – just as Setna had been. The priest then gave him directions to where the book lay and instructions on how to retrieve it. In return, the priest received gold, silver, and gems.

Nefrekeptah took his wife and child with him to the place the priest had directed him. He had said the book was to be found in the middle of the Nile at Koptos. Once he had settled his wife and child, Nefrekeptah sailed his boat into the middle of the Nile. The priest had said the book was to be found inside an iron box, surrounded by a serpent who could not die. To retrieve the book, Nefrekeptah created a magical boat and filled it with phantom men. He tasked these apparitions with finding the book for him at the bottom of the river, then sank the boat. He then returned to the shore to wait.

For three days and nights the men worked until finally, the magic boat arose out of the water and drifted silently to the shore. The men had found the book! As soon as the boat touched the sand, the men disappeared into thin air. Nefrekeptah walked calmly towards the boat, and as he approached the iron box, he saw the serpent that could not be slain rear its head threateningly. He conjured a sword out the air and fast as lightening cut off the serpent’s head. The head flew into the air, but within moments the two pieces of the serpent were joined together again. After a couple more attempts, he had to agree with the words of the old priest – the serpent could not be slain. Nefrekeptah had no intention of giving up however. He cut off the serpent’s head again, but this time as it flew off he caught it and rubbed it on the sand at his feet. The sand prevented the serpent’s head from re-joining its body and so it was defeated. Nefrekeptah then opened the iron box. Within it, he found an ivory box. He opened the ivory box and found a gold box nestled inside it. Inside the gold box, he finally found the book of Thoth. Eagerly, he lifted up the book and began to read.  It was as the old priest had said! He had the ability to enchant all that was on the land, the sea, and the air. He knew the speech of all beasts and the secrets of the gods. He could read the future hidden in the stars.

He then decided it was time to return home and went to fetch his wife and child. As they set sail upon the Nile an invisible power suddenly seized their son and he leapt off the boat and disappeared beneath the waters of the river. Nefrekeptah was shocked and his wife wailed in terror. Quickly he opened the book of Thoth and read the spell which would bring his son back. At once, their son’s body floated up to the surface and they lifted it into the boat. He was dead, however, and no spells could bring him back. Nefrekeptah was able to enchant his Ka into speaking, and then questioned it on what had happened. The Ka told them that once Thoth had found out that his book had been taken he appeared before Amun Ra, the father of all gods and demanded justice. Amun Ra told him to deal with Nefrekeptah as he saw fit, and gave him the power to dispense sorrow and punishment. This power had drowned their son.

Nefrekeptah and his wife were heartbroken at the death of their son. After burying him, they continued with the journey as Nefrekeptah had resolved that his father would be very happy to have the book of Thoth in his possession. One day during their journey Nefrekeptah’s wife was seized by the same power which had taken her son and she jumped overboard the boat and drowned. Once again Nefrekeptah had to bury a loved one and his grief was terrible. When he finally reached his home, the Pharaoh came aboard to greet his son. What he found was Nefrekeptah lying dead on the boat with the book of Thoth resting on his chest. After all the torment the book had caused his son, Pharaoh determined it was best that the book be buried with Nefrekeptah.

On completing her tale, the Ka of the woman, then said, ‘now you know the truth of this book. It is not yours to take and you have no claim upon it.’ Setna thought on all the Ka had said, and he was a little frightened, but his desire for the book was strong and he believed he would be able to defeat the power that had overcome Nefrekeptah. ‘I will take it by force then,’ he said. The two Kas drew away from Setna in fear upon hearing this. Anherru was stunned by his brother’s response and unsettled by the woman’s story. Before Anherru could plead with Setna to take heed of the Ka’s tale,  the Ka of Nefrekeptah arose from out of his body and said, ‘if after hearing the tale my wife has told you, you are still determined to have the book, then it must be yours.  But first, you must win it from me, if your skill is great enough, by playing the game of senet. If you lose, you will die. Dare you do this?’

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