The Book of the Dead | Ancient Egyptian Funerary Text

• 16 / 5 / 2023

Inside were funerary texts of various kinds, both magico-religious formulas and stories, with the help of which the deceased could overcome the countless trials that he would face on the long and winding path that led him to the presence of Osiris. The texts, therefore, would have helped him both to reach the god of death without any special problems, and to prepare the so-called testimony of his earthly life, the trial of which belonged to Osiris.

The Book of the Dead has taken various forms over time. Initially, indeed, formulas and stories were engraved on the walls of the tomb, only to be engraved directly on the sarcophagus. Over time and until the eighteenth dynasty (1543-1292 BC), the book of the dead changed its form again: the funeral texts were transferred to papyrus, then closed in a sarcophagus along with the deceased and all those objects that could be useful in his last journey.

These magical formulas placed in tombs, according to beliefs, protected and helped the deceased in the underworld, and they include hymns to the god Amun Re, the god of the sun. We can see descriptions of spells on the passages and walls of tombs, on the wrappers of mummies and even inside the golden mask of King Tutankhamun.

The Book of the Dead first appeared in the New Kingdom, but its text evolved from a long history of magical funeral writing. The most ancient of them, the Pyramid Texts, were accessible only to the Egyptians. Then they evolved to Coffin Texts - a modified version of the Pyramid Texts - which were written on coffins and included in the tombs of non-royal persons, such as rich Egyptians and representatives of the elite.

Osiris was the god of resurrection, and Re was the sun god, a star in the Book of the Dead. Then 42 additional gods turn to the judge. Although the text itself varies in content and order, the story is usually divided into four main sections: the deceased enters the underworld and regains the physical powers of the living, the deceased resurrects and joins Re to rise like the sun every day, he travels through the sky before the judgment in the underworld of the gods and, finally, finding a soul.

Travel to Egypt to visit Egyptian temples and pyramids and learn more about the mythology and hundreds of gods worshipped by the Pharaohs, who were very similar to humans, they loved and hated, felt jealousy, fought and died during an amazing myth full of joyful, active and dramatic events that inspired modern filmmakers and producers to create world-famous films about the greatness of the pharaohs and the gods they worshipped. Set aside a few days to visit Abydos, Giza, Luxor, Aswan to see the tombs of the pharaohs decorated with very clear, detailed and beautifully painted scenes of various deities of Ancient Egypt, as well as many other places, cities, adventures and activities in Cairo, You can try and book one of our tours to Egypt and Egypt tourist packages many private groups with a guide Cairo day tours from the airport and Egypt day tours to explore the capital of Egypt, Cairo You can check out many Egypt itineraries or go on one of our full Cairo day tours like:

- Tour routes in Egypt | Routes in Egypt.

- Tours to Aswan | Excursions to Aswan | Day tours to Aswan | Sightseeing tours to Aswan.