'Book of the Dead' guides ancient Egyptians to the afterlife

The "Book of the Dead" became popular during the New Kingdom, but it is derived from the "Coffin Text" and the "Pyramid Text" carved on the walls of the pyramids. Coffin Texts were popular during the Middle Kingdom period (circa 2030 BC to 1640 BC), while Pyramid Texts first appeared in the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (c. 2465 BC to 2323 BC).

A papyrus manuscript with cursive hieroglyphs and color illustrations. Here we see Ani, the Recorder of the Holy Receipts of all the gods of Thebes, and steward of the Barn of the Lords of Abydos, and his wife Tutu in front of an offering table of meat, cake, fruit, flower, etc.

Spells that assist the dead in the afterlife

The "Book of the Dead" consists of individual chapters, or spells. The ancient Egyptians used the word 'incantation' written in hieroglyphs of the human mouth because the term was related to speech.

There is not a single standard book found in every grave. Instead, each copy contains different spells. There is no single book that contains all known spells, but only a reasonable sample and no two books are alike.

The ancient Egyptians referred to these texts as "The Book That Will Come Day by Day" reflecting the Egyptian belief that spells were provided to aid the dead in entering the afterlife as a spirit that was possessed by the dead. honor.

Barry Kemp, professor emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge, UK, and author of "How to Read Egyptian Books of the Dead," writes: "Some spells appear more frequently in the books of the dead. copies of the "Book of the Dead" than others, and some are considered almost essential. One of these important spells is now known as Magic 17, which discusses the importance of the sun god Re (also known as Ra), one of the most important Egyptian gods'.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the body of the deceased could be altered in the afterlife so that a person could travel to a place with "gods, demons, mysterious places, and potential obstacles." hidden". The chapters of the "Book of the Dead" described some of the things one might encounter - such as the solemn heart ceremony, in which one's actions are balanced with the feathers of the goddess Maat, a god associated with justice.

The mantras are often illustrated. Geraldine Pinch, an Egyptologist, wrote in her book Egyptian Myths: 'A very brief introduction to the paintings of great importance in the honorary text collection of the New Kingdom, today preserved called the Book of the Dead. "(Oxford University Press, 2004)".

"Many 'Book of the Dead' owners cannot read the hieroglyphic texts, but they can understand the intricate vignettes that summarize the contents of the incantations."

Can be used by even the living

Part of "The Book of the Dead". Here we see the judgment of the dead, with the brainstorming ceremony

The "Book of the Dead" is most famous for it instructing the deceased, but it can also serve other purposes. Perhaps the most important function of the book, which can only be inferred from circumstantial evidence, is that it helped allay people's fears about the unknowns of death." The rich ancient Egyptians There were also arrangements to embalm and decorate their coffins with religious texts in an attempt to control what happened to them after they died.

In addition, spells in the "Book of the Dead" can be cast while a person is still alive. Most of the spells in the book are not designed to 'navigate' the underworld. Most spells are about transformation and transcendental experiences. In mortal life, a ritualist may use rituals and incantations to transcend everyday experience [using spells during a ceremony to have a religious experience]. Many spells include instructions on how to use them on Earth, which suggests that they can also be used by the living.

The ancient Egyptians believed that many of these spells could then also be used in the afterlife. A person can use these same spells to help transform their existence, but in many ways it is a similarly transcendent experience. These spells are mainly about elevating the existence of the gods; only then can the person travel the underworld with the gods themselves.

Many copies of the 'Book of the Dead' were discovered during excavations in the tombs and were barely read.And many of the 'Book of the Dead' manuscripts that have survived to this day are probably unread. long before they were buried with the deceased.

In addition, the incantations in the "Book of the Dead" were not always written down on the manuscripts. For example, spells are sometimes written on a person's mummy bandages. They are also carved on the walls of the tombs and even on Tutankhamun's golden death mask.

The last known copies of the "Book of the Dead" were made in the first or second century AD. A series of other texts known as the "Book of the Breath" became popular, partly derived from the "Book of the Dead".