SOMEthing to THINK ABOUT

on Irony

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Edgar Wallace Budge, later Sir, was one of the many “Indiana Joneses” of the 19^th century. He worked in Egypt on behalf of the British Museum. His goal was to collect as many Egyptian artifacts as possible. He did not do any digging of fieldwork, but visited the antiques markets and came in contact with families of grave-robbers. Because he payed good money, merchants offered him special finds. In one year he smuggled 1400 priceless objects out of Egypt, destination London.

Because he made a name and a fortune as a antiques collector, he stood under special surveillance of the police and the authorities. He was interrogated, arrested several times and threatened with torture, if he bought antiques on the black market.

Exactly in this period grave-diggers from Luxor approached him with an unique find. It was a complete copy of the the Egyptian “Book of the Dead”. An enormous papyrus manuscript, full of spells and beautiful drawings; specially made for Ani, scibe to the pharao and it was over 3000 years old.

 

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This was the chance of a lifetime and a crown on his career. Budge could not resist the temptation and he travelled to Luxor. He was willing to pay any price asked for this sacred book and so he did.

But when the manuscript was handed to him, he was arrested by the local police and the Book of Ani, was confiscated. The following morning it would be transported to Cairo. Wallace Budge was desperate.

Was there any possibility to lay his hands on the scroll.

The hotel our adventurer stayed in was situated next to the police-station, where the “Book of the Dead” was kept.

Risking a long prison-sentence Budge broke into the police-station, stole the papyrus-document and huried to Cairo. He had left the country, before the Egyptian authorities could react. That is why the book, specially made for the scribe Ani, to help him on his path in the afterlife, is property of the British Museum. Sir Edgar Wallace Budge never returned to Egypt and spend the rest of his active career in studying “The Book of the Dead” and writing about 170 books about Egyptian history; some of them still in print.

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Budge, and many others with him, always legitimized his robbery, with the argument, that the locals did not take good care of their cultural heritage. That is why, the British Museum took over that heritage to preserve it for the future.

Wallace Budge also used this argument for kidnapping this unique artifact. Strangely enough, when back at the British Museum, he cut the 3000-year old manuscript into pieces and glued them on tablets of wood. In this way, the papyrus was easier to study and to translate.

One of the few copies of the Egyptian “Book of the Dead” and an beautiful example of Egyptian spirituality, was destroyed for good.