The beginning of the story is lost, but is implied that an unnamed man had to spend the night next to a tomb in the
Theban Necropolis, only to be awakened by a ghost residing in it. Thus, the man went to the
High Priest of Amun, Khonsuemheb, and told him about his adventure. The text begins with Khonsuemheb calling the gods from his rooftop, in order to summon the ghost. When the ghost comes, Khonsuemheb asks his name, and the ghost claims to be Nebusemekh, son of Ankhmen and of the lady Tamshas. Khonsuemheb offers to rebuild a new tomb and provide a gilded
Ziziphus–wood coffin for the ghost in order to make him peaceful, but the ghost is unpersuaded of the high priest's intentions. Khonsuemheb, sitting next to the ghost, cries and wishes to share his unfortunate fate by depriving himself of food, water, air and daylight. Then Nebusemekh tells of his past life, when he was an
overseer of the treasuries and military official under
pharaoh Rahotep. When he died in the summer of
regnal year 14 of pharaoh Mentuhotep, this ruler provided him with a
canopic set, an
alabaster sarcophagus and a ten-
cubits
shaft tomb. However, over the centuries the tomb partially collapsed, thus allowing the wind to reach the burial chamber. He also revealed that before Khonsuemheb, others offered to rebuild his grave without actually honoring their promise. Khonsuemheb says to the ghost that he will comply with any of his requests and offers to send ten of his servants to make daily offerings at his grave, but the ghost laments that the latter idea is of no use. At this point the text breaks and the next fragment reports the efforts of three men sent by Khonsuemheb in search of a suitable place to build a new tomb for the ghost. They eventually find the ideal place at
Deir el-Bahari, near to the causeway of the mortuary temple of pharaoh
Mentuhotep II. The men return to
Karnak, where Khonsuemheb is officiating, and report to him about the place they found. Then, the joyful Khonsuemheb informs the deputy of the estate of
Amun, Menkau, about his plan. The text suddenly ends here, but it is likely that Khonsuemheb succeeded in his plan of pacifying the ghost. == Fragments ==