Egyptian Afterlife

mask king tut


Egyptian Afterlife

  • Definition of the Egyptian Afterlife
  • Provisions for the Egyptian Afterlife
  • Egyptian Religious beliefs led to the Egyptian Afterlife
  • How the Soul entered the Egyptian Afterlife
  • Description of the Egyptian Afterlife
Egyptian Mummies

Egyptian Afterlife

Definition of the Egyptian Afterlife
What was the Egyptian afterlife and how was it described?. Definition of the Egyptian Afterlife: The Egyptian Afterlife was seen as a perfect existence in an ideal version of Egypt. The Afterlife was a place of complete bliss, delight and peace.  The Afterlife was referred to as the Field of Rushes or Field of Offerings. Ancient Egyptians provided for their afterlives according to their earthly means. The Ancient Egyptians were preoccupied by death and believed that after death they would go to the dark and terrifying place called the Underworld. The Underworld was a land of great dangers and various tests through which every Egyptian would need to pass before passing into the Afterlife.

Underworld

Egyptian Religious beliefs led to the Egyptian Afterlife
To understand the Egyptian Afterlife it
helps to be aware of the major elements of their beliefs and religion. The religion of the Ancient Egyptians was extremely important to them and their belief in various gods and goddesses were fundamental to their religion. Some of the gods looked after matters of daily importance and others governed the realms of the dead. The Egyptian priests created legends and myths about the Egyptian Afterlife and every Egyptian aspired to this perfect existence.

How the Soul entered the Egyptian Afterlife
The Egyptians believed that the soul were perishable and therefore at great risk. The tomb, the process of mummification, rituals and magic spells promoted the well-being, and ensured the preservation, of the dead and the elements of the soul called the Ka, Ba and Ahk. After undertaking the perilous journey through the underworld the deceased would face his day of judgement at the Hall of the Two Truths. The god of the dead, Anubis, would lead the dead to the Hall of Two Truths, where the deceased would stand in front of forty two judges and gods. The  deceased was led to a set of scales where his or her heart, containing the deeds of their lifetime, was weighed against the feather of truth, which symbolised Maat the goddess of justice. The fate of the deceased would then be decided - either entrance into the perfect afterlife or to be sent to the Devourer of the Dead - the Great Swallower. If the deceased passed the test the judges in the Hall of the Two Truths pronounced the following divine order:

"He is justified. The Swallowing Monster shall have no power over him."

Description of the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife
Following the ordeal in the Hall of Truths the deceased was welcomed by Osiris into the Egyptian Afterlife. The Pharaoh would join the realms of the gods and all others would enter Everlasting Paradise. In this beautiful world the life of the deceased was mirrored but there were no problems there was only happiness. The afterlife was seen as a perfect existence in an ideal version of Egypt. There were fields, crops and the celestial Nile. In this ideal land the deceased met his ancestors and the loved ones who had gone before him. He continued working in the role he had undertaken before death. But there was no hardship only joy and happiness. There were no disasters and the crops grew bigger and higher than those found on the mortal plane. His leisure activities were replicated as were all the pursuits of his mortal existence.

Provisions for the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife
Ancient Egyptians provided for their afterlives according to their earthly means. When they died, the Egyptians put all the things in their tombs that they would need in the afterlife to reflect their lifestyle in the mortal existence including jewelry, furniture, clothes, knives, spoons, plates, cosmetics, ornaments, statues and tools. They made drawings of any items which were too big to fit in the tombs which they considered would be just as good as the actual items. These large drawings were often carved on to the walls of the tomb.

Ancient Egyptian Afterlife
Each section of this Egyptian website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of Egypt. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of Egypt, the Egyptians and of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, King Tut.
 

Egyptian Afterlife

  • Definition of the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife
  • Provisions for the world of the Afterlife
  • Egyptian Religious beliefs led to the Egyptian After life
  • How the Soul entered the Egyptian After life
  • Description of the Egyptian After life

 

Egyptian Afterlife

Egyptian Afterlife - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Civilization - Facts - History - Info - Information - Life - Famous - Egyptians - Egyptions - Eygypt - Eygpt - Egyptian Afterlife - Egypt - History - Ancient - Age - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Egyptians - Egyptions - Eygypt - Eygpt - Facts - History - Info - Information - Life - Civilization - Famous - Egypt - History - Ancient - Age - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Egyptian Afterlife - Egyptians - Egyptions - Eygypt - Eygpt - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Facts - History - Info - Information - Life - Famous - Egyptian Afterlife - Egypt - History - Ancient - Age - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Egyptians - Egyptions - Eygypt - Eygpt - Facts - History - Info - Information - Life - Famous - Egypt - History - Ancient - Age - Daily Life of Ancient Egyptians - Civilization - Egyptian Afterlife - Written By Linda Alchin