Book of the Dead

  • In the Ancient Egyptian Religion of Isis, the Book of the Dead was a funerary text in use from c.1,550 until 30 BCE, when Octavian conquered Egypt.
  • The Book prepared the Deceased for the Day of Judgement and guided him into the Afterlife. A copy, written on papyrus, was usually placed with the Deceased.

Papyrus of Ani

  • A well preserved example, called the Papyrus of Ani, was discovered in Luxor and is now held in the British Museum in London.

The Four Sections of the Book of the Dead

During the Saite Dynasty, the Book of the Dead was formally organised into four sections, which included 192 spells:

  • Section 1. Chapters 1-16:
    • The Deceased enters into the Tomb, where he descends into the Tuat or Underworld, in order for the Body to regain its ability to speak and move.
  • Section 2. Chapters 17-63:
    • There follows an explanation of the Ancient Egyptian Gods and their dwelling Places. The Deceased is brought back to life, in order to experience rebirth along with the rising Sun.
  • Section 3. Chapters 64-129:
    • During the day, the Deceased travels through the sky in the Sun Ark as one of the Blessed Dead. In the evening, the Deceased travels to the Tuat or Underworld, to receive the Judgement of Osiris.
  • Section 4. Chapters 130-189:
    • Once it has been accepted that he led a pure existence during his lifetime, Judgement is passed, and he then joins the other Gods in the Afterlife, to lead a Divine existence. The Afterlife is located in the ‘Field of Reeds’, a Paradise which resembled Egypt.

The Day of Judgement

  • There was a collection of Ancient Egyptian Spells to be read out by the Soul as he went before the Great Company of the Gods on the Day of Judgement or ‘Great Reckoning’.
  • The Soul had to prove his purity and innocence by a cross-examination of 42 Gods. His heart was then weighed in the Great Scales, before finally having Osiris pass Judgement on him.
  • If he was accepted, the Soul passed into the Afterlife and entered the ‘Tuat’ or Underworld.

The Forty Two Gods

  • The Soul had to walk past 42 Gods to reach Osiris, God of the Tuat or Underworld and Lord of the Winds.
  • The nine great judges were: Ra, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Isis, Nepthys, Horus, Hathor.
  • The Soul had to answer all the Gods’ questions correctly and address each of the 42 Gods (each God represented one of the 42 Nomes of Egypt) and pronounce himself innocent of misbehaviour:
    1. Usekh-nemmit
    2. Hept-Khept
    3. Fenti
    4. Am-khaibit
    5. Neha-her
    6. Ruruti
    7. Arfi-em-khet
    8. Neba
    9. Set-qesu
    10. Utu-nesert
    11. Qerrti
    12. Hraf-haf
    13. Basti
    14. Ta-retiu
    15. Unem-snef
    16. Unem-besek
    17. Neb-Maat
    18. Tenemiu
    19. Sertiu
    20. Tutu
    21. Uamenti
    22. Maa-antuf
    23. Her-uru
    24. Khemiu
    25. Shet-kheru
    26. Nekhenu
    27. Kenemti
    28. An-hetep-f
    29. Sera-kheru
    30. Neb-heru
    31. Sekhriu
    32. Neb-abui
    33. Nefer-tem
    34. Tem-Sepu
    35. Ari-em-ab-f
    36. Ahi
    37. Uatch-rekhit
    38. Neheb-ka
    39. Neheb-nefert
    40. Tcheser-tep
    41. An-af
    42. Hetch-abhu

The Door to the Hall of Maati

  • Before he could meet Osiris in the Hall of Maati, he had to open its Door by repeating the magical names of all of its parts: the frame, the door bolts, the floor, which was then opened by a Porter who took the Soul in to meet Thoth, the Judge of Truth.
  • Immortality was granted if Thoth’s verdict was that he had not committed evil.

Thoth

  • Thoth:
    • “Why have you come here?”
  • The Soul:
    • “To be judged”
  • Thoth:
    • “What is your State?”
  • The Soul:
    • “I am purified from evil”
  • Thoth:
    • “Tell me,
    • Who is He whose Roof is of Fire?
    • Whose Walls are living Serpents?
    • Whose Floor is a running Stream? Who is He?”
  • The Soul:
    • “Osiris”

The Great Balance

  • The Soul’s heart was then placed in one pan of the Great Balance and weighed against a feather in the other pan (symbol of Truth and Righteousness). If the beam of the Great Balance remained horizontal, then the Soul was proved to be innocent and was acquitted.
  • The God Anpu was in charge of the Pointer. Behind him stood Thoth, the Judge of Truth and Scribe of the Gods. Beside Thoth stood Ammit, the Devourer. He eat the hearts of those found guilty of evil. He had the head of a crocodile, the shoulders and paws of a lion and the rear legs of a hippopotamus.

Osiris

  • The Soul was then taken to the end of the Hall of Maati where Osiris is sitting. Behind Osiris stands his Wife Isis, and Nephthys, sister of Isis and wife of Set.
  • Horus, Son of Osiris, then takes the Soul by the hand and introduces him to his Father. The Soul then kneels in front of Osiris.
  • If he had committed no sins he would be accepted. If not, his heart would be devoured by Ammit the Devourer, ending all hope of entering the Afterlife.

The Tuat or Afterlife

  • Once pronounced innocent, the Soul then became a Spirit Body and passed into the Kingdom of Osiris. This was the Tuat or Underworld.

 

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