Book of the Dead: How to survive the ancient Egyptian afterlife

The Book of the Dead contains over 200 spells that were meant to help the deceased navigate the underworld.

These incantations were believed to protect the soul from demons, snakes and other harmful creatures.

Some of the most important spells ensured that the soul would pass Osiris’s judgment during the all-important Weighing of the Heart ceremony.

If the heart did not balance against a magical feather, the demon Ammit would eat and destroy it.

However, a special recitation from the Book of the Dead could be used to instruct the heart not to fail the test.

If the spell was spoken correctly, it would magically balance the scales and could help the soul gain entry into their version of Heaven.

Therefore, knowing the right spell and when to say it was vital.

In ancient Egyptian belief, the heart represented the centre of the soul. After death, it would be weighed against a feather as we mentioned above, in order to determine the soul’s worthiness.

However, to ensure a favourable judgment, a person had to live a virtuous life. This meant that they had to be kind, charitable and fair.

The Book of the Dead encourages its readers to demonstrate these qualities. By having a good heart, the soul stood a better chance of entering the afterlife.

The ancient Egyptians used numerous symbols throughout the Book of the Dead that magically linked to life after death.

Each had a very a specific meaning. For example, the scarab beetle symbolized rebirth and often appeared in tombs, while the ankh, which was a cross with a loop, represented eternal life.

The Book of the Dead contains many such symbols that the deceased needed to recognize in order to read and use the spells.

The Egyptians believed that preserving the body was essential for the soul’s journey.

For this, they employed mummification to keep the body intact. The Book of the Dead provides instructions on preserving the heart in order to keep it with the body in the afterlife.

During the wrapping process of the body, protective amulets and charms could be placed with the deceased to help safeguard the preserved body from harm.

If it could be successfully protected in this way, the person's soul could use it as a vessel to journey to the underworld.

The journey through the underworld was dangerous, so one had to follow the correct route.

Thankfully, the Book of the Dead offered symbolic maps and directions to help navigating to and through this realm.

As a result, it was absolutely essential for the deceased to follow these instructions closely and to avoid straying.

In particular, the guide explained how to address certain gods and goddesses they encountered along the way so as to recruit them as helpers during the journey.

Much of what we know about the afterlife and the spells in the Book of the Dead comes from one particular ancient tomb: that of Pharaoh Seti I.

Seti I reigned from 1290 to 1279 BCE. His tomb in the Valley of the Kings preserves detailed decorations and inscriptions that illustrate scenes from the Book of the Dead, including Spell 125 of the Weighing of the Heart ceremony.

In particulr, this spell contains the Negative Confessions, in which the deceased declares innocence of various moral wrongs. 

These illustrations offer a rare glimpse into the beliefs and rituals surrounding death in ancient Egypt, and reveal the specific incantations used to guide the soul through the underworld.

The tomb also contained funerary furniture, clothing and food offerings meant to assist Seti I in the afterlife.

The excellent preservation of Seti I’s tomb has allowed researchers and archaeologists to study its contents in detail, which has deepened our understanding of the religious and cultural practices of his reign.