Barbra wrote on Tue, 21 Jul 1998:

This text is taken from the original Negative Confession in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. I've also provided a simplified version for those who'd like to code of conduct, but find the names of the confessors to be tedious.

• Hail, Usekh-nemmt, who comest forth from Anu, I have not committed sin.
• Hail, Hept-khet, who comest forth from Kher-aha, I have not committed robbery with violence.
• Hail, Fenti, who comest forth from Khemenu, I have not stolen.
• Hail, Am-khaibit, who comest forth from Qernet, I have not slain men and women.
• Hail, Neha-her, who comest forth from Rasta, I have not stolen grain.
• Hail, Ruruti, who comest forth from heaven, I have not purloined offerings.
• Hail, Arfi-em-khet, who comest forth from Suat, I have not stolen the property of God.
• Hail, Neba, who comest and goest, I have not uttered lies.
• Hail, Set-qesu, who comest forth from Hensu, I have not carried away food.
• Hail, Utu-nesert, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not uttered curses.
• Hail, Qerrti, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed adultery, I have not lain with men.
• Hail, Her-f-ha-f, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have made none to weep.
• Hail, Basti, who comest forth from Bast, I have not eaten the heart.
• Hail, Ta-retiu, who comest forth from the night, I have not attacked any man.
• Hail, Unem-snef, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I am not a man of deceit.
• Hail, Unem-besek, who comest forth from Mabit, I have not stolen cultivated land.
• Hail, Neb-Maat, who comest forth from Maati, I have not been an eavesdropper.
• Hail, Tenemiu, who comest forth from Bast, I have not slandered [no man].
• Hail, Sertiu, who comest forth from Anu, I have not been angry without just cause.
• Hail, Tutu, who comest forth from Ati (the Busirite Nome), I have not debauched the wife of any man.
• Hail, Uamenti, who comest forth from the Khebt chamber, I have not debauched the wife of [any] man.
• Hail, Maa-antuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I have not polluted myself.
• Hail, Her-uru, who comest forth from Nehatu, I have terrorized none.
• Hail, Khemiu, who comest forth from Kaui, I have not transgressed [the law].
• Hail, Shet-kheru, who comest forth from Urit, I have not been wroth.
• Hail, Nekhenu, who comest forth from Heqat, I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.
• Hail, Kenemti, who comest forth from Kenmet, I have not blasphemed.
• Hail, An-hetep-f, who comest forth from Sau, I am not a man of violence.
• Hail, Sera-kheru, who comest forth from Unaset, I have not been a stirrer up of strife.
• Hail, Neb-heru, who comest forth from Netchfet, I have not acted with undue haste.
• Hail, Sekhriu, who comest forth from Uten, I have not pried into matters.
• Hail, Neb-abui, who comest forth from Sauti, I have not multiplied my words in speaking.
• Hail, Nefer-Tem, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have wronged none, I have done no evil.
• Hail, Tem-Sepu, who comest forth from Tetu, I have not worked witchcraft against the king.
• Hail, Ari-em-ab-f, who comest forth from Tebu, I have never stopped [the flow of] water.
• Hail, Ahi, who comest forth from Nu, I have never raised my voice.
• Hail, Uatch-rekhit, who comest forth from Sau, I have not cursed God.
• Hail, Neheb-ka, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not acted with arrogance.
• Hail, Neheb-nefert, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not stolen the bread of the gods.
• Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from the shrine, I have not carried away the khenfu cakes from the Spirits of the dead.
• Hail, An-af, who comest forth from Maati, I have not snatched away thebread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god of my city.
• Hail, Hetch-abhu, who comest forth from Ta-she (the Fayyum), I have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.

THE ABRIDGED NEGATIVE CONFESSION

This text is taken from the original Negative Confession in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. It's been abridged for those who'd like the code of conduct, but find the names of the confessors to be tedious. I also deleted the commandment "I have not carried away the khenfu cakes from the Spirits of the dead" and removed a couple of redundancies. (Once you said, "I have not stolen," that should cover the specific items you swear not to have stolen in other verses.) While the simplified code is perhaps easier to read and more relevant to the modern, western world, I've also included the full text on my site as well for those who'd like to compare them.

Truthfully make the following confession before going to bed each night and you'll be a saint within the week.

• I have not committed sin.
• I have not committed robbery with violence.
• I have not stolen.
• I have not slain men and women.
• I have not purloined offerings.
• I have not uttered lies.
• I have not carried away food.
• I have not uttered curses.
• I have not committed adultery,
• I have not lain with men.
• I have made none to weep.
• I have not eaten the heart.
• I have not attacked any man.
• I am not a man of deceit.
• I have not stolen cultivated land.
• I have not been an eavesdropper.
• I have not slandered [no man].
• I have not been angry without just cause.
• I have not debauched the wife of any man. I have not polluted myself.
• I have terrorized none.
• I have not transgressed [the law].
• I have not been wroth.
• I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.
• I have not blasphemed.
• I am not a man of violence.
• I have not been a stirrer up of strife.
• I have not acted with undue haste.
• I have not pried into matters.
• I have not multiplied my words in speaking.
• I have wronged none, I have done no evil.
• I have not worked witchcraft against the king.
• I have never stopped [the flow of] water.
• I have never raised my voice.
• I have not cursed God.
• I have not acted with arrogance.
• I have not stolen the bread of the gods.
• I have not snatched away the bread of the child

Christina wrote on 21 Jul 1998:

I have not lain with men.

Was most probably a mistranslation on the part of Victorian purists. We could sit here and hash about the actual grammar etc and vapulate it to death, but the absolute bottom line is that there was no directive in Ancient Egypt that discouraged homosexuality or lesbianism. There are tombs of servants of the Pharaoh himself not only tolerating it but celebrating the union of two men living as partners.

This is just one of many of the examples of problematic inscriptions. I assume you took this from the Papyrus of Ani, Barbara? I have it translated as something along the lines of "I have not coupled with the woman-boy. This was discussed about two years ago on the ANE (Ancient Near East) list and the concensus was that it discouraged the use of children in sexual relationships, as it was fashionable to do so in some ancient cultures.

Barbra wrote on 21 Jul 1998: