▁the ▁work ▁of ▁scri bes , ▁various ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁gods ▁and ▁their ▁sacred ▁animals , ▁and ▁the ▁Du at , ▁the ▁real m ▁of ▁the ▁dead . ▁ ▁F ict ional ▁book ▁The ▁fict ional ▁Book ▁of ▁Th oth ▁appears ▁in ▁an ▁ancient ▁Egypt ian ▁short ▁story ▁from ▁the ▁P to le ma ic ▁period , ▁known ▁as ▁" Set ne ▁K ham was ▁and ▁N ane fer ka pt ah " ▁or ▁" Set ne ▁I ". ▁The ▁book , ▁written ▁by ▁Th oth , ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁contain ▁two ▁sp ells , ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁allows ▁the ▁reader ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁speech ▁of ▁animals , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁allows ▁the ▁reader ▁to ▁perce ive ▁the ▁gods ▁themselves . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁story , ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁originally ▁hidden ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁N ile ▁near ▁Co pt os , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁locked ▁inside ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁boxes ▁guard ed ▁by ▁ser p ents . ▁The ▁Egypt ian ▁prince ▁Ne fer ka pt ah ▁fought ▁the ▁ser p ents ▁and ▁retrieved ▁the ▁book , ▁but ▁in ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁his ▁the ft ▁from ▁Th oth , ▁the ▁gods ▁killed ▁his ▁wife ▁Ah w ere ▁and ▁son ▁Mer ib . ▁Ne fer ka pt ah ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁and ▁was ▁ent om bed ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁book . ▁Gener ations ▁later , ▁the ▁story ' s ▁protagon ist , ▁Set ne ▁K ham was ▁( a ▁character ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁historical ▁prince ▁K ha em was et ),