The Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Weighing of the Heart

Ancient Egyptians prepared for death with great care. One of their most famous tools was a set of magic spells, written on papyrus and placed with the dead, meant to help them through the dangers of the afterlife. We call it the Book of the Dead. This article explains what it was and what happened in its best-known scene.

What was the Book of the Dead?

A collection of spells. The Egyptians called it the Book of Coming Forth by Day, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Manchester Metropolitan University information pack explains that it was written on a papyrus roll, not a book in the modern sense, and that no two copies are the same. In all, almost 200 spells are known. The Collector reports that the modern name was given in 1842 by the German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, and that the texts came into use from around 1550 BCE.

What was it for?

To help the dead through the final judgment. The Met says the texts on one papyrus were meant to help its owner through the final judgment that every Egyptian had to face after death. World Archaeology describes the Book as a supernatural survival guide for those who could afford it. Some spells would transform the spirit into creatures such as hawks, crocodiles, or snakes, and some were meant to keep the heart from speaking against its owner.

What is the weighing of the heart?

The best-known scene, from Spell 125, also called the Judgment of Osiris. The Met describes the dead person in the Hall of Judgment, with the heart weighed against Maat, the embodiment of cosmic order and ethical behavior, who is shown as a feather. The jackal-headed god Anubis, the god of mummification, reads the scales. A baboon on the balance, representing Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing, records the result. Osiris, god of the underworld and rebirth, presides. A university museum notes that the heart was thought of as the seat of consciousness.

What happened if the heart was heavy?

The monster Ammit would eat it. World Archaeology explains that in the Papyrus of Ani, if the heart was true, the person would proceed and be introduced to Osiris. If not, the spirit would be consumed by Ammit. This creature has the parts of a crocodile, a lion, and a hippopotamus, and its name means “she who swallows the dead.” In the scene the Met describes, Anubis tells Osiris the woman’s heart is an accurate witness. Osiris replies that she should be given back her eyes and her mouth.

What is the Papyrus of Ani?

The finest surviving copy. World Archaeology says it was made for Ani, a scribe from Thebes, around 1275 BCE, and was acquired by the British Museum in 1888. It was not made to order: the book was drawn up in advance, leaving spaces where the buyer’s name could be written in later. The Collector calls it the best-known and finest example, with well-preserved images.

How were the papyri placed with the dead?

Often inside a statue. The Met says that during the Third Intermediate Period it was customary to include a hollow wooden figure of Osiris in the burial equipment, with the papyrus scroll inside. For the preparation of the body itself, see Mummification, and for beliefs across religions, What Religions Believe Happens After Death.