of Osiris! Behold Unas, the
firstborn son of Hathor! Behold the seed of Keb! Osiris hath commanded
that Unas shall rise as a second Horus, and these Four Spirit-souls in
Anu have written an edict to the two great gods in the Sky. Ra set up
the Ladder[1] in front of Osiris, Horus set up the Ladder in front of
his father Osiris when he went to his spirit, one on this side [and] one
on the other side; Unas is between them. Behold, he is the god of the
pure seats coming forth from the bath (?). Unas standeth up, lo Horus;
Unas sitteth down, lo Set. Ra graspeth his hand, spirit to heaven, body
to earth."

[Footnote 1: The Ladder by which souls ascended to heaven. A picture of
the Ladder is given in the Papyrus of Ani, Plate XXII.]

The power of the king in heaven was almost as absolute as it was upon
earth, and in a very remarkable passage in the text of Unas, which is
repeated in the text of Teta, we have a graphic description of the king
as a mighty hunter, who chases the gods and lassoes them, and then kills
and eats them in order that he may absorb their strength and wisdom, and
all their divine attributes, and their power of living eternally. The
passage reads:

"The skies lower, the Star-gods tremble, the Archers[1] quake, the bones
of the Akeru[1] gods tremble, and those who are with them are struck
dumb when they see Unas rising up as a soul, in the form of the god who
liveth upon his fathers, and who turneth his mothers into his food. Unas
is the lord of wisdom, and his mother knoweth not his name. The
adoration of Unas is in heaven, he hath become mighty in the horizon
like Temu, the father that gave him birth, and after Temu had given him
birth Unas became stronger than his father. The Doubles (_i.e._ vital
strength) of Unas are behind him, the soles of his feet are beneath his
feet, his gods are over him, his serpents are [seated] upon his brow,
the serpent-guides of Unas are in front of him, and the spirit of the
flame looketh upon [his] soul. The powers of Unas protect him. Unas is a
bull in heaven. He directeth his steps where he willeth. He liveth upon
the form which each god taketh upon himself, and he eateth the flesh of
those who come to fill their bellies with the magical charms in the Lake
of Fire. Unas is equipped with power against the spirit-souls thereof,
and he riseth in the form of the mighty one, the lord of those who dwell
in power (?). Unas hath taken his seat with his back turned towards Keb