Foy Scalf. “Assemblage Theory and Remix Culture in the Book of the Dead: A Case Study of Repeated Spells.” Birmingham Egyptology Journal 10 (2023): 1–21.
Abstract: Several Book of the Dead spells are repeated or duplicated in toto in many manuscripts. This phenomenon has long been identified, although rarely studied in detail. However, the broader intertextuality present in the form of shared passages across many spells has received relatively little attention. This article reanalyzes a collection of such intertextual features through a case study of two Ptolemaic Period manuscripts: the papyrus of Pasherashakhet and Iuefankh. One feature is the relationship between spells 51 and 52 as attested in the complete reduplication of spell 51 at the beginning of spell 52. The second feature is the insertion in the papyrus of Pasherashakhet of a passage—otherwise known from spell 42—at the end of spell 51. After assessing previous interpretations of these features, the author suggests that the frameworks of Assemblage Theory and remix culture can lead to a better understanding of the textual relationships and the processes of scribal transmission. These conclusions are then put into dialogue with recent developments in the study of ancient Egyptian literature to further clarify the benefits of approaching textual transmission as a functional, contextual, problem-solving, and creative craft.
Read the entire article here:
https://more.bham.ac.uk/birminghamegyptology/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/01/Scalf-Assemblage-Theory-updated.pdf
FOY SCALF 