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EGYPTIAN DEATH AND IMORTALITY

Egyptian Immortality. Much of what we know about ancient Egyptian culture comes from archaeological evidence uncovered in tombs. Preoccupation with death was a desire to get and perpetuate in the afterlife the "good life" enjoyed on earth.
Over 3,000 years of ancient Egypt's history, traditional beliefs about the transition to eternal life persisted, with new ideas being incorporated from time to time. Most important for full participation in the afterlife was the need for an individual's identity to be preserved. Consequently, the body had to remain intact and receive regular offerings of food and drink. The afterlife was assured by

(1) preserving the body through mummification;
(2) protecting the body in a tomb in which the name of the deceased was inscribed; and
(3) providing the deceased with food and drink or illustrations of it in case no one was available to make the offerings.

To protect the spirit of the deceased, scenes and inscriptions were written on coffins and the walls of tombs, and included the myth about the death of Osiris and spells to protect the deceased on their dangerous journey to the underworld.
Figures called shabtis acted as servants for the deceased.
The last step to the afterlife was the judgment by Osiris (god of the underworld) would do a ritual known as the "Weighing of the Heart".
If a person had led a good life would be judged worthy of eternal life. Many spells and rituals used to influence Osiris's favorable judgment and were written in the papyrus or linen "Book of the Dead."
All ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife and spent their lives preparing for it. Pharaohs built the finest tombs, collected the most elaborate funerary equipment, and were mummified in the most expensive way. Others were able to provide for their afterlives according to their earthly means. Regardless of their wealth, however, they all expected the afterlife to be an idealized version of their earthly existence.

Life After Death

Why Mummification?

The Ancient Egyptians believed that life after death was very similar to life on earth. Thier dead, therefore, had to be protected and preserved for the next life.

Pyramids

Tombs were made of brick or wood. The mummies would be kept in coffins made of reed. Building the pyramids and performing mummification were thier ways of making the afterlife possible.

Embalming and body preperation

Embalming usually took seventy days. By the 4th Dynasty they discovered natron (sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and bit of salt) First step Wash it with water and natron. All body hair was removed. Guts and braim were removed Then the Since the Egyptians thought the heart was the center of intelligence and feelings they left it in the body and just threw the brains away. It was dried out, wrapped in linen bandages soaked in resin (Jewels were placed between the linen bandages to help ward off evil spirits.) . The final touches: The skin was rubbed the skin oils, perfumed, head stuffed with sawdust. The nails were attached thread, artificial eyes inserted.

The canopic jars

The canopic jars held the important organs of the body. From the 18th dynasty the canopic jars were shaped with the heads of the four sons of Horus. They were: the falcon Kebehsenuef (intestines), the baboon Hapi (lungs), the human Imsety (liver), and finally the jackal Duamutef (stomach). Later on in Egyptian history the organs were stored in linen packages which were then put between the legs of the mummy. There were pictures of the four sons of Horus painted on the packages. Later they used fake canopic jars because it had become a part of the Egyptian funerary customs.

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