Egyptian Mythology Afterlife and Judgment Story The ancient Egyptians believed in the continuity of life and consequences. One of the ancient Egyptian’s main ideologies was the afterlife as they believed that the soul is immortal, and the earth was only part of a larger plan and journey. They believed that the soul consists of nine-part that was part of one earthly existence and at death, the Akh “(Transformed-self), As recorded in the book of the dead” would be met by the god of death Anubis who guides the deceased to their final resting place the underworld than to the hall of truth and wait their turn for judgment by the hand of the ruler of the underworld Osiris. And when the right time comes, Anubis would lead the souls to stand before the scribe of Thoth and Osiris in front of the golden scales where the Goddess of Harmony and balance Ma’at would be present, surrounded by the forty-two judges who would consult with the gods to determine every soul’s fate. The process of Judgment was the reason behind mummification as the Egyptians chose to preserve their body using the mummification process if the soul chooses to return to the body and head to the afterlife. The process of judgment begins with the heart of the deceased who contains the soul, then it is handed to Osiris who places it on a great golden scale balanced against the white feather of Ma’at “the feather of truth”.
If the soul was found to be lighter than the feather then the soul was justified and when the gods & the forty-two judges agreed, the soul would be allowed to move on to heavens called the Field of Reeds (The place of purification and eternal bliss) by boarding the ship of Ra through the dark underworld but If the heart was heavier than the feather then it would be thrown on the deepest place in existence, where It will be eaten by the monster god Ammut who has the face of crocodile and the back of a rhinoceros Known as “the Gobbler” who devour the person’s soul which then ceases to exist. Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs were centered around a variety of complex rituals that were influenced by many aspects of Egyptian culture. Religion was a major contributor, since it was an important social practice that bound all Egyptians together. For instance, many of the Egyptian gods played roles in guiding the souls of the dead through the afterlife. With the evolution of writing, religious ideals were recorded and quickly spread throughout the Egyptian community. The solidification and commencement of these doctrines were formed in the creation of afterlife texts which illustrated and explained what the dead would need to know in order to complete the journey safely. Egyptian religious doctrines included three afterlife ideologies: belief in an underworld, eternal life, and rebirth of the soul. The underworld, also known as the Duat, had only one entrance that could be reached by traveling through the tomb of the deceased. The initial image a soul would be presented with upon entering this realm was a corridor lined with an array of fascinating statues, including a variation of the hawk-headed god, Horus. The path taken to the underworld may have varied between kings and common people. After entry, spirits were presented to another prominent god, Osiris. Osiris would determine the virtue of the deceased’s soul and grant those deemed deserving a peaceful afterlife. The Egyptian concept of ‘eternal life’ was often seen as being reborn indefinitely. Therefore, the souls who had lived their life elegantly were guided to Osiris to be born again.
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