The Book of the Dead
by Unice Yoo
The Book of the Dead was a series of texts including spells and magic. It was buried with the deceased because it was believed to protect the dead in the afterlife. It illustrates what the Egyptians believed would happen to spirits in the afterlife. In addition to explaining the afterlife, this text described how someone should be buried and entombed. The day of the funeral was the day the person would enter the afterlife. The body had to be preserved so that a person's spirit could reunite with its body and live in the afterlife. A mummy had to be sealed in a chamber protected by spells, magical objects, and pictures of the gods. Coffins were painted with pictures of gods of protection. The book itself was placed in a hollow statue or wrapped in the mummy bindings.
The Book of the Dead contained information and spells to help a person survive the netherworld. The netherworld was a network of paths, boundaries, and doors one had to cross. Once in the netherworld, a person's spirit had to travel through paths, mountains, rivers, lakes, caves, and fields, as well as cross through numerous doors and gates guarded by the gods. People could travel on foot, boat, or through the air in various forms provided by spells in the book. Some spells were protection spells that allowed a spirit to protect his/her body. Other spells that were provided helped one defeat malevolent forces. Information spells were also necessary, as that information would be needed at a later time.
During the final leg of the journey, a person was judged by the gods to decide where that person could enter the afterlife. In order to be admitted, a person was judged by the gods. A scale was used to determine the goodness or evil in one's heart. The heart was weighed against the Feather of Truth. If this ritual showed that the heart contained evil, the person was eaten by the "Devourer" and would not proceed to the afterlife (thus being extinguished forever). If the heart was good, a person was declared "true of voice" and proceeded to the afterlife. In the afterlife, a person could join the gods or live out the rest of eternity in the Field of Reeds. The Field of Reeds was a utopia of Egypt with waterways to sail on and an everlasting supply of food.
Sources
"Book of the Dead." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://archive.school.eb.com/eb/article-9080656>.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/3665_botd_schools_teachers.pdf
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=ps343850.jpg&retpage=15522
http://factsanddetails.com/media/2/20120215-Bookofthedeadspell17.jpg
Book of the Dead. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://archive.school.eb.com/eb/art-155569>.
http://www.egyptartsite.com/bod/recline.JPG
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://archive.school.eb.com/eb/article-9080656>.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/3665_botd_schools_teachers.pdf
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=ps343850.jpg&retpage=15522
http://factsanddetails.com/media/2/20120215-Bookofthedeadspell17.jpg
Book of the Dead. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://archive.school.eb.com/eb/art-155569>.
http://www.egyptartsite.com/bod/recline.JPG