Why are ancient sacred texts like the Egyptian Book of the Dead useful for Gnostic students?

Answer from the V.M. Samael Aun Weor.

Death is the crown of the Path of Life; this path is formed of the hoofprints of the Horse of Death.

The Egyptian “Book of the Dead” is for they who live and are dead one must know how to understand this; it concerns the deceased Initiates who, even though they are already dead, live. They have already entered the Region of the Dead and appear in the light of day to give their teachings.

The first thing one must do in order to die is to dissolve the “I”, that which is a mass of demons, and which the Egyptians call the Red Demons of Set. This must be done in order to awaken consciousness and to receive direct knowledge. The Red Demons of Set are all the demons which we have; they are Satan. These must die. Horns must defeat those demons.

Set has two aspects: the negative form being Satan, and the positive cor responding to the spinal column. This tenebrous Satanic Set must be dead. That lunar ego, which is made up of millions of demons which Horus must defeat with the assistance of the Divine Mother Isis, must die.

Samael Aun Weor. Book: Tarot and Kabbalah.

Answer from the Magazine "The Wisdom of the Being".

If we really want to know the path that can lead us to the truth, fortunately we have texts such as the Negative Confession described in the Nebseni papyrus, within Egyptian culture, where an initiate appears in the Hall of Truth and Justice to declare what a master who has achieved certain internal degrees would never do. These texts, duly studied and put into practice, guide us in these terrifying darkness in which we live, these same writings describe what must be eliminated from our interior.

Violence always breeds more violence and hatred results in more hatred, progress can never be achieved in the spiritual field as long as we carry ego-defects of anger, violence, hatred, resentments, etc., such as those described at the beginning of this confession when it says: "I have not committed perverse actions", "I have not acted with violence", "My heart detests brutality" and others along the negative confession such as: "I have never been a complainant" , "I have not been aggressive", "I have never frightened people", "I have never given in to anger", "I have never defrauded or acted wickedly" and "I have never filed lawsuits". Obviously, all of these are against the most divine and powerful law: love.

The Wisdom of Being Magazine 92, Chapter: "The Negative Confession."