Grace Fried Core 6 and 7th March 1, 2013 Egypt Report Egyptian Afterlife Egypt was a great civilization.

There are so many wonderful and interesting things to learn about an ancient civilization that lasted for 3,000 years. Out of all the things we learned, I was fascinated with the Egyptians idea of the afterlife. I know that the Egyptians spent years planning what they would have in their tombs to help them in the next life. I also know that they used the Book of the Dead to cast protective spells, and that they would have to have their heart weighed against a feather before they passed into the afterlife. I wonder what they thought it would look like. Would their life be better? Would they have more money or be moved up in social class? They might have thought certain people and gods would be there. Why were they buried with certain things and what were they used for in the afterlife? Did it take a journey to get there? There are still so many questions that I have about the Egyptians belief in the afterlife. A very common question about the afterlife is, What did it look like? All of my research sources agree that to the Egyptians, the afterlife was a great place. It was a land of peace, delight, and bliss. The afterlife was a perfect and balanced version of Egypt. It even had a Nile River of its own. This heavenly Egypt had many names. It was called Aaru, Land of Two Fields, Field of Reeds, Happy Fields, and the Field of Rushes. A lot of gods are associated with the afterlife. The dead had to be face to face with 42 gods, most of them minor. The gods watched as the heart of the dead was put on the scales of justice. Anubis weighed the heart against a feather, the feather representing the goddess of truth and balance, Maat. If the scale balanced, then the deceased would pass into the afterlife. If the heart was heavier than the feather, then Ammut, the devourer, would eat the heart and soul. Set, the god of chaos would eat the rest of the deads body.

Egyptians spent years of their life planning for when they died. That included what they would have in their tomb. If they were poor they would have very common items. For the average tomb, it was common to have furniture such as beds, tables, and chairs. There would be food in the tomb, like wine and beer. There would also be jewelry, clothes, and makeup, to make them look good in the afterlife. In Tutankhamens tomb, there was a camping bed that folds up, so he could use it when he went to the desert. Could the dead have more money or move up in social classes once they entered the afterlife? The answer depends on whether the individual started out royal or more common. If the individual was royal he would have all of the greatest things in Egypt, and none of the pain, suffering, hunger or heartbreak that he might have experienced in the previous life. If the individual was poor, then in the afterlife he could come back much wealthier. If one was a pharaoh, he could eat the best food, enjoy the best drink and watch the best entertainment. The pharaohs accompanied Re (Ra) in his journey across the sky, fighting alongside him, against evil and darkness. They helped make the world safe for Egyptians, and made sure that Egypt continued on forever. The Egyptians believed that they had to take a great journey to get to the afterlife. It started out as a boat ride, across the Nile. Having a light heart was necessary to get a spot on Ras boat. Sadly, this journey was more that just a boat ride. The underworld was an obstacle course, filled with strange and scary things. A person must pass through to be welcomed to the afterlife. In the underworld, the soul had to pass through twelve gates, all guarded by demons. The dead had to say each of the demons names correctly so that they could pass through, on to the next demon-guarded gate. If the dead passed through all the gates, they went into the Hall of Judgment for the final test. Getting to the afterlife already sounded difficult, but there were also other things that could stop the dead from getting there. There were two requirements that the dead had to meet. If they did not have a preserved body and their name written down then their Ba and Ka (soul and spark) would get lost and the soul of the dead would disappear, so that they could not get to the afterlife. Grave robbing

was the worst crime in Egypt. The robbers stole someones wealth, but they also stole someones chance to get to the afterlife. I had a great time doing this report. It was a fairly easy topic to gather information for, and I found a lot of great, trustworthy websites. I learned a lot more about the afterlife, and I successfully answered all my questions. I was a little confused on the idea of grave robbing as to why it was the worst crime in Egypt. If the grave robbers only went after the jewels and gold, this wouldnt affect the preserved body or the written name. It seems to me that the robbery couldnt have stolen the chance to get to the afterlife because it didnt involve or affect those two requirements.

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