The Egyptian Book of the Dead

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Anubis- Anubis is the Greek name for a

jackal-headed god associated with
mummification and the afterlife in
Egyptian mythology.

Egyptian priests wear the mask of Anubis

during the time when someone gets
mummified for example, when a pharaoh gets
mummified a priest would have the mask of
Anubis and say prayers for the dead body.

a priest would have the mask of Anubis and

say prayers for the dead body.

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Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god.

He is a major deity in
ancient Egyptian religion by the fifth dynasty.

He commanded sky, earth, underworld. He

was associated with the falcon.

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Thoth (his Greek name derived from the

Egyptian *ihaut, written by Egyptians as
wty) was considered one of the most
important deities of the Egyptian pantheon,
often depicted with the head of an Ibis.

His chief shrine was at Khemennu, where he

led the local pantheon, later renamed
Hermopolis by the Greeks (in reference to him
through the Greeks' interpretation that he was
the same as Hermes) and Eshmnn in
Coptic.

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Horus refers primarily to two separate deities

of the Ancient Egyptian Religion: Horus the
Elder (Heru-ur) and Horus the Younger (Herupa-khart), but also to a number of minor
deities.

The Horuses appear in their earliest forms in

late Predynastic Egypt.

his name is believed to mean "the high.

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Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian

mythology and is celebrated as the ideal
mother and wife, patron of nature and magic;
friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the
downtrodden , as well as listening to the
prayers of the wealthy, the maiden, the
aristocrat and emperor.

the goddess of the Overarching Sky, and was

born on the fourth intercalary day.

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Osiris (Greek language, also Usiris; the

Egyptian language name is variously
transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir,
Wesir, or Ausare) is the Egyptian god of life,
death, and fertility.

Osiris is one of the oldest gods for whom

records have been found and first appears in
the Pyramid Texts around 2400 BC, when his
cult is already well established.

The Funeral Procession

of the

Royal Scribe Ani.

From the Papyrus of Ani. (c. 1400 B.C.)

The Egyptians believed that the human soul used the first night after death to travel
into the afterlife. However, the body, which the Egyptians believed was an essential
element to the afterlife had to be mummified to preserve it for eternity. The
mummification process took 72 days to perform properly. This was the time to put
finishing touches on the tomb and to pack all the deceased's worldly possessions,
which surely would be needed in the afterlife.

The Funeral procession of the Royal Scribe Ani.

In this picture we see servants or hired hands carrying Ani's home furnishings, Servants are
dragging a chest on which Anubis is sitting, inside the chest is more of Ani's worldly
possessions or perhaps his canopic jars. All of these objects will be placed in the tomb for his
use in the afterlife. In front of them are eight male mourners dressed in white. Ani's mummy
rides on a funerary boat which is being drawn by oxen. Very hard to see in this picture are the
goddesses Isis and Nephthys who are usually shown in this scene protecting the dead. Ani's
wife mourns at his side. The man wearing a leopard skin and turned back towards Ani's
mummy is a priest, he is burning incense.

.....

There are men carrying more of Ani's belongings. The group of women in clothed in
blue are a party of paid, professional mourners who wail and pat dirt on their heads.
This was an Egyptian show of mourning. The cow and calf are food offerings that
will be used for the funeral feast.

Ani's mummy stands before the entrance of his tomb, in the protective embrace of
Anubis. His wife mourns at his feet. Behind her are offerings and three priests. One
reads from a papyrus, while the other two are about to perform an important
ceremony called the "opening of the mouth and eyes." This ceremony was thought
to restore the mummy's ability to see, breathe, eat and drink.

Entering the Afterlife.

from The Papyrus of Hunefer
(c.1370 B.C.)

Hunefer's mummy stands before the entrance of his tomb, in the protective
embrace of Anubis. The two women are probably family members, they are patting
dirt on their heads, this was a sign of mourning. Behind them are three priests. The
priest wearing the leopard skin (a sign of priesthood) burns incense and presents
offerings of food and drink, while the other two are about to perform the important
ceremony of "opening of the mouth". This ceremony was thought to restore the
mummy's ability to see, breathe, eat and drink.

"Sekhet-Hetepet"
The Fields of Peace.
From the Papyrus of Ani.
(c. 1400 B.C.)

Ani pays his respects to the gods who dwell in Sekhet-Hetepet (Fields of Peace)
and asks the gods to help him to enter into Sekhet-Hetepet so that he may "become
a khu, drink, plow, reap, fight, make love, never be in a state of servitude and
always be in a position of authority therein".

The Hall of Maat

from The Papyrus of Hunefer
(c.1370 B.C.)

The Hall of Maat is where the judgement of the dead was performed. This was done by
weighing one's heart(conscience) against the feather of Maat (truth and justice). Here we
see Anubis leading Hunefer to the scales of Maat. Anubis weights Hunefer's heart against
the feather to see if he is worthy of joining the gods in the Fields of Peace.Ammut is also
present, as a demon waiting to devour Hunefer's heart should he prove unworthy. Thoth
stands to the right of the scales recording the results. Having passed this test Hunefer is
now lead by Horus to meet the King of the dead, Osiris. The throne of Osiris rests on a pool
of water from which a lotus flower is growing, upon the lotus stand the four sons of Horus.
Behind the throne of Osiris stands Isis and her sister Nephthys.

The Hall of Maat is where the judgment of the dead was performed. This was done by
weighing one's heart(conscience) against the feather of Maat (truth and justice). The

heart must not be heavier then the feather of Maat. This was not a physical weighing of
the organ by living Egyptians, it was a ceremony that took place in the afterlife and was
performed by the gods. Here we see Anubis leading Hunefer to the scales of Maat.
Anubis weights Hunefer's heart against the feather to see if he is worthy of joining the
gods in the Fields of Peace. Ammut is also present, as a demon waiting to devour
Hunefer's heart should he prove unworthy. Thoth stands to the right of the scales
recording the results.
. . . . .These "book of the dead" papyrus were commissioned by the deceased before
their death. The more money spent, the finer the papyrus. Therefore, it should be no
surprise that a papyrus has never been found containing a loser in this judgment.

.....

Summary
The Book of the Dead is the common name for the ancient Egyptian funerary texts known as
The Book of Coming [or Going] Forth By Day. The name "Book of the Dead" was the invention
of the German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, who published a selection of some texts in
1842.
Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or
the worship of many deities. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses each
representing characteristics of a specific earthly force, combined with a heavenly power. Often
gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal.
They considered animals such as the bull, the cat, and the crocodile to be holy. Their two chief
gods were Amon-Ra and Osiris. Amon-Ra was believed to be the sun god and the lord of the
universe. Osiris was the god of the underworld and was the god that made a peaceful afterlife
possible. The Egyptian "Book of the Dead" contains the major ideas and beliefs in the ancient
Egyptian religion. Because their religion stressed an afterlife, Egyptians devoted much time
and energy into preparing for their journey to the "next world."
The text was initially carved on the exterior of the deceased person's sarcophagus, but was
later written on papyrus now known as scrolls and buried inside the sarcophagus with the
deceased, presumably so that it would be both portable and close at hand. Other texts often
accompanied the primary texts including the hypocephalus (meaning 'under the head') which
was a primer version of the full text.

Summary
Books of the Dead constituted as a collection of spells, charms, passwords, numbers
and magical formulas for the use of the deceased in the afterlife. This described many
of the basic tenets of Egyptian mythology. They were intended to guide the dead
through the various trials that they would encounter before reaching the underworld.
Knowledge of the appropriate spells was considered essential to achieving happiness
after death. Spells or enchantments vary in distinctive ways between the texts of
differing "mummies" or sarcophagi, depending on the prominence and other class
factors of the deceased.
Books of the Dead were usually illustrated with pictures showing the tests to which the
deceased would be subjected. The most important was the weighing of the heart of the
dead person against Ma'at, or Truth (carried out by Anubis). The heart of the dead was
weighed against a feather, and if the heart was not weighed down with sin (if it was
lighter than the feather) he was allowed to go on. The god Thoth would record the
results and the monster Ammit would wait nearby to eat the heart should it prove
unworthy.