Religion of Ancient Egypt
Early Mummies● Early Egyptians bodies were
buried in desert sand● Dry, hot sand preserved the
bodies○ sand absorbed the bodies
moisture so bacteria couldn’t decay the bodies
○ skin dried along with most organs
Early Mummies● Strongly believed in afterlife● Believed spirits of the dead
lived in the sand● Buried jars of food and water in
case the spirit was hungry or thirsty
Mummification● Egyptians began to improve
grave sites when they saw that the bodies were well preserved by sand
● Kings, queens, and nobles were prepared more carefully and wrapped in linen strips○ Linen was woven from flax
which grew along the Nile
Why do you think king, queens, and
nobles were prepared more carefully than
other Egyptians?
Mummification● Pouring warm resin over
bandages helped better preserve the bodies○ Resin is an oily substance
that came from plants● Resin would harden on the
body● Bodies began to decay from the
inside out
Why did Egyptians make mummies?● Egyptians had strong belief in
afterlife● Once the body died, the soul
lived on in the afterlife● If a person’s body was
destroyed in any way, the spirit might not be able to live on
Ka● A life force, like the soul of a
human, and it looked like its person
● If the body is not kept neatly, the ka wouldn’t live on.
● Went to Field of Reeds for eternity
Ba● is the personality of its person● Shown as a human head that
resembled the deceased person with a body of a bird
● Could leave the Field of Reeds● Needed a recognizable body to
return to at night
Other Parts of the Soul● Khat: physical body● Shuyet: the shadow self● Akh: the immortal, transformed
self after being judged by Osiris and highest form of the soul
● Ab: the heart
Northern Bald Ibis
Field of Reeds● A mirror image of one’s life on
Earth● Aim of the Egyptians was to
make life in the Field of Reeds as worth living as possible
● Also called A’aru by Ancient Egyptians
Embalming Improvements● Let the bodies dry out before
burials to ensure they would last
● Cut open the body and remove organs○ Organs mainly kept bodies
from drying out○ Placed organs in four jars
that resembled the four sons of Horus■ Keep watch on organs
Beginning of Pyramids● Mastabas
○ “House of Eternity”○ made of mud bricks and
had a flat roof with long sloping sides.
○ kings would be buried anywhere from 40-80 feet deep
Beginning of Pyramids● Mastabas were decided to be
unstable and not impressive for king’s burial
● Step Pyramids○ High as 200 feet○ Inside was nearly solid
stone○ King’s burial chamber laid
out 100 feet below tomb
Pyramids● Made of limestone bricks● Great Pyramid was built for
Khufu○ 480 feet tall
● Attracted tons of attention...especially by grave robbers
● Pharaohs were then buried in rock-cut tombs
Tomb Robbers● Any man caught robbing a
tomb was punished greatly○ Stake stabbed through the
heart○ Cut off hands, nose, or ears○ Being tied and left in the
desert
Ancient Egyptian Funerals● Family would mourn the
deceased for as long as the 70 day prep period
● Family and close friends would wail loudly to show sadness
● Offerings were placed in tombs to help the deceased in the afterlife
Shabti Dolls● Dolls that were inscribed with
a spell from the Coffin Texts to help the deceased in the afterlife if Osiris had a task
● Citizens obligated their time to labor for pharaoh’s work projects according to that person’s skill and a shabti would reflect that skill
Weighing of the Heart Ceremony
On one end of the scale is a feather on the other end is a heart, the heart of whomever had died.
If the person’s heart is so full of evil that it is heavier than the feather he will not be able to enter into the afterlife.