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.