The Egyptian Book of the Dead
With the Introduction of Mummification a Complex Funerary Rite Arose
Texts dealing with the welfare of the dead and their life in the world beyond the grave are known to have been in use among the Egyptians as early as 4,000 BCE. Earliest known versions date from the sixteenth century BCE during the eighteenth Dynasty. They partly encorporated two previous collections of Egyptian religious literature known as the Coffin Texts, (2000 BCE) and the Pyramid Texts (2600-2300 BCE). Both of these were superceded by the Book of the Dead.
MummificationWith the invention of mummification a more complete funerary ritual arose, based on the hope that such ceremonies would ensure the corpse against corruption, preserve it for ever and introduce it to a beatified existence among the gods.
Prior to the dynastic era, a great body of literature was dedicated to the cult of Osiris. He had now become the god of the dead and his dogma taught that from the preserved corpse would spring a beautified astral body. It therefore became necessary to adopt measures for the preservation of human remains.
Anubis
The texts are usually illustrated with pictures showing the tests to which the deceased would be subjected to. The most important test, was the weighing of the heart of the dead person against Ma'at or Truth, this would be carried out by Anubis. Anubis, or An-pu was the guide of the dead in the under-world on their way to the abode of Osiris. He had the head of a jackal and the body of a man and was symbolic of the animal who prowled about the tombs of the dead. It was his duty to see that the beam of great balance where the heart is weighed, is in its proper position.
The heart was weighed against a feather, if the heart was not weighed down by sin, ie light as a feather, then they were allowed to go on. The god Thoth would record the results and the monster Ammit would wait nearby to eat the heart should it prove unworthy.
The text was individualised for the deceased person- no two copies contained the same text. However, book versions generally are categorized into four main divisions:
- Heliopolitan- edited by the priests of the college of Annu. Used from the 5th-11th dynasty and on the walls of the tombs.
- Theban- contained hieroglyphics only. From 20th-28th dynasty.
- Unnamed-a hieroglyphic and hieractic character version, closely related to the Theban version which had no fixed order of chapters. Used from 20th dynasty.
- Saite- had no strict order. Used after 26th dynasty.
Once the test had been passed, the deceased was able to carry on with their journey through the under-world.
The Book of the Dead was a comprehensive guide for the deceased, to enable to travel through the under-world with the help of the gods, Anubis and Thoth. The funerary rites and mummification procedure were of great importance to the Egyptians and the Book of the Dead is a huge body of literature dedicated to ensuring the deceased made a safe journey to their final resting place with the gods.
Sources:
Spence, Lewis, Myths and Legends of Egypt, Tiger Books, Middlesex,1998
Anubis Head
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