What was the book of the dead?

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The Book of the Dead was a written work that ancient Egyptians buried with the deceased. These manuscripts were filled with pictures and other information that the ancient Egyptians believed would assist the deceased.

Purpose

Ancient Egyptians believed the Book of the Dead would keep the deceased safe and lead them through the afterlife. The Book of the Dead often contained spells that were intended to protect the dead.

Illustrations

The Book of the Dead's illustrations portrayed tests which the deceased would allegedly have to go through in the afterlife. One prominent illustration featured the deceased person's heart being weighed against other objects to see if it was weighted down too heavily by sin.

Name

The Book of the Dead is a term that was originally coined by German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius for a collection of funerary works he published in 1842.

Deities

There were around 2,000 total deities mentioned in various incarnations of the Book of the Dead, and some animals such as the cat, bull, and crocodile were thought to be holy.

Method

The Book of the Dead was first etched into the deceased's sarcophagus, but as time passed the Egyptian people began writing such texts on papyrus scrolls.

Source:

Egyptology Online: The Book of the Dead

The Nazarene Way: The Egyptian Book of the Dead

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What was the book of the dead?

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