Egyptian Afterlife: Exploration Beyond Earthbound Bodies

Ancient Egyptians believed that life on Earth was only part of an eternal journey that ended not with death but everlasting happiness. Even when one’s physical body died, one’s soul continued onward to an afterlife where all lost riches could be recovered and enjoyed once more.

Egyptian God of the Afterlife

God Osiris was one of Egypt’s most revered deities and represented death, resurrection and the cycle of Nile floods that provided Egypt’s agricultural fertility. According to legend, Osiris was also once King of Egypt but he was murdered and dismembered by Seth.

Egyptian Afterlife Beliefs

Egyptian religious doctrines included three Egyptian afterlife concepts for deceased: belief in an underworld (known as Duat), eternal life, and soul rebirth. Each afterlife could only be entered through their deceased tomb’s entranceway – in other words only one way could you access Duat (formerly Duath).

 

Feather of Truth

The feather of the Truth was considered to be the symbol of truth and justice and used to ascertain whether deceased individuals had indeed lived lives worthy of immortality. If their heart proved heavier than expected, Ammut, known as ‘The Devourer”, devoured them before casting away their soul into darkness.

Egyptian God of judgment

Ma’at refers to the act of judgment after death – whether someone did what is moral and right in life.

Maat was worshipped as the deity of truth, justice, rectitude, and order within the cosmos and was often represented by an ostrich feather (her hieroglyphic symbolism).

Egyptian scale of judgment

Egyptian belief asserts that God Anubis measured and weighed the hearts of deceased on an analogue to “The Substitute’s” Scale of Justice to ascertain if those belonging to whom those hearts belong deserve entry into the realm of death. This process determines if one or another could enter the Egyptian afterlife realm or not.

Afterlife journey in Ancient Egypt

Life in the Field of Rushes was similar to life on Earth with blue skies, rivers, and boats for travel, gods, and goddesses to worship, crops to plough and harvest and fields that needed plowing and reaping.

Mummification and Egyptian Afterlife Beliefs

Mummification was an ancient Egyptian custom practiced to ensure their dead were resurrected into life after death. According to this belief, the mummification process served to preserve and sustain bodies in preparation for resurrection in the afterlife.

Egyptians believed that mummified bodies provided shelter for souls or spirits to live. If such bodies were destroyed, this spirit might also vanish into thin air; indeed the Egyptian concept of spirit involved three distinct individuals called Ka Ba Akh.

The Journey & Judgment in the Egyptian Afterlife

Ancient Egyptians believed that after death their spiritual body would exist in an afterlife that closely mirrored life on Earth; however, access was never guaranteed and individuals must first brave a treacherous underworld journey before facing final judgment and finally receiving access into this otherworld.

How Egyptians Honored Their Dead?

About 2600 BCE during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties, Egyptians began intentionally mummifying their dead intentionally. This practice continued and expanded throughout many dynasties into Roman Period (ca 30 BCE-CE 364) where its quality varied according to the cost paid for it.

Names and Characteristics of the Egyptian Soul

Egyptian religion recognizes three souls for each deceased individual – known collectively as an Akkh – the Ack, Ak, and Ba. Each Ack represents part of one person’s soul as its principal component.

Who weighs the heart in Egyptian afterlife?

Egyptian religion held that the heart was key to entering the afterlife. After death, its owner would live on in the Netherworld where it could testify either for or against their owner during Anubis and deities’ examination of it during ceremonies like Weighing of Heart Ceremonies.