.jpg)
BOOK OF THE DEAD
BOOK OF THE DEAD. The name given to a type of papyrus often
buried with the dead from the New Kingdom onward. The papyrus
contained a number of magical spells that would enable the deceased
to successfully reach the next world. The most important spell concerned
the ritual of the weighing of the heart against the feather of
maat to determine the deceased’s worthiness to enter the afterlife,
and the spell was supposed to fix the balance in the deceased’s favor.
Some books of the dead were decorated with elaborate vignettes and
scenes depicting funerals and rituals. Some were obviously produced
as special commissions, but there were stock examples available for
purchase in which the name of the deceased could be filled in blank
spaces or in some cases not filled in at all. See also RELIGION
0 Response to "BOOK OF THE DEAD"
Post a Comment