3)+The+Afterlife

__ **The Journey Through the Underworld** __

Ancient Egyptians believed in a place after death; this place was called the Field of Reeds (or the Field of Rushes). It resembled the world they had just departed, the difference being that the field was inhabited by gods and goddess readily available for worship. Any bad fortune that may have happened in one’s life didn’t exist here. Every person admitted into the Field of Reeds was given a plot of land to tend. This land was always fertile and provided the Ancient Egyptians with sustenance during the afterlife.

Before Egyptians were permitted into the Field of Reeds they had to make their journey through the underworld. During this journey the dead would encounter gods, creatures, and gatekeepers in order to reach Osiris in the Hall of Final Judgment. This journey was perilous, with many traps and opportunities to fail. However, Egyptians were confidant in their ability to pass this stage.

__** Judgment in Front of the Judges **__ Once the dead had reached the Hall of Final Judgment the process occurred in two parts: judgment in front of the judges and judgment by weighing of the heart. While in front of the forty two judges of the underworld, the dead pleaded their innocence and repented or created justification for any crimes of wrongdoing they had committed. This part of judgment was more of a ritual rather than genuine judgment for their crimes.

**__Weighing of the Heart__** The second judgment is known as the Weighing of the Heart. The heart was considered the center of a person, where the conscience was contained, and was believed to contain all of the deceased’s actions in life, the bad and unjust actions making the heart heavier. The heart was weighed against the feather of the goddess Ma’at which symbolized truth and justice. If the heart was lighter than the feather or the two balanced it meant that the deceased’s good actions outweighed their bad and was welcomed by Osiris into the afterlife. If the heart was found to be heavier than the feather, it was fed to Ammut “The Devourer” and the soul was cast into the darkness. This was feared by all Egyptian for if this was to happen there would be no rebirth, the total end of life.

__** Preparation for the Afterlife **__

The Ancient Egyptians were aware of their own mortality. This can be seen by the texts found related to death and the afterlife. These texts affirmed that death was not the final end in an attempt to ease the natural fear of human mortality (Tobin 1988, vol. 25:178). The Egyptians relied so heavily on the existence of an afterlife because of their fear that death was the end. Throughout their life Egyptians made preparations for their journey to the afterlife. It was well known that foreigners did not know or understand the importance of the afterlife and burial and so Egyptians insisted on being buried in Egypt surrounded by others that held the same belief (Hagen and Hagen, 2002:158). This reinforced the Egyptian identification. Throughout life Egyptians relied on Egypt and the Nile for their livelihood and in death they believed that only Egypt and it’s people would help them in death.

The Book of the Dead is a collection of spells, advice, and illustrations used to help Egyptians at every stage to reach the afterlife. Although Egyptologists have classified the spells as a book, in actuality, the funerary writings consisted of scrolls of papyrus, coffin text, and pyramid texts. If the writings were not carved into the coffin or burial walls then it was written on a scroll of papyrus. This scroll was either placed in the coffin along with the deceased, or was placed amongst the sheets used to wrap the deceased. The spells were used by the soul after burial to ensure safe passage through the underworld and entrance to the Field of Reeds. The Book of the Dead is not a standard copy of all the spells any Egyptian would need, but a compilation of the requested spells the deceased believed would help their journey. In total there were two hundred spells that Ancient Egyptians could used, however the number of spells they requested depended on the amount of money they were able to spend (Barnett, 1996:70).

The journey through the underworld was not a concern for the Egyptians as the spells in the Book of the Dead would allow them to pass through this stage safely. Because each ‘book’ was individual and made for the person who had died, the deceased incorporated spells that believed would be most beneficial to them. The Book of Dead told the deceased what words and phrases to use in front of the judges to insure they would pass onto the next stage, regardless of their innocence. Even the part of judgment Egyptians feared the most, weighing of the heart, was secured for those who had the means to pay for the right spell.

The funerary texts are thought to be one of the oldest known theological texts (Hagen and Hagen, 2002:166). This is an example of the importance of religion and life after death within Ancient Egypt. Although there were civilizations with writing systems in existence before and during this time, Egyptians took the time and resources to produce theological writings. Every society has ideas of what the afterlife entails but as populations grows so does the assortment of ideas towards the afterlife. The majority of Ancient Egyptians held the same beliefs towards the afterlife. Although there were slight differences in ideology between people from the different periods and locations, the principle remains the same: provide from Egypt as she will provide for you.



**1) Introduction: Gods and Deities** **2) Creation**  **3) The Afterlife**  **4) Citations**