Ancient Egyptians believed that death was not the end but a passage to a new life. To get there, the dead had to travel through the dangerous underworld, the Duat, and pass a final judgment before Osiris. If they passed, they would live forever in a perfect version of Egypt.
The parts of a person
Egyptians thought a person had several parts. The body had to be preserved by mummification. The ka, the life force, needed food and drink, which is why families left offerings at tombs. The ba, often shown as a bird with a human head, could fly in and out of the tomb. After a successful judgment, the dead became an akh, a blessed spirit.
The weighing of the heart
In the Hall of the Two Truths, the dead person’s heart was weighed on scales against the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth and order. Anubis checked the scales and Thoth recorded the result. If the heart was heavy with wrongdoing, it was eaten by Ammit, a monster with the head of a crocodile, and the person ceased to exist. If it balanced, the dead were led to Osiris.
The Field of Reeds
The blessed lived in the Field of Reeds, where the crops grew tall and life went on as on earth, but without pain. Small figures called shabtis were placed in tombs to do farm work on behalf of the dead. You can see the judgment scene in many tombs in Luxor and in the Book of the Dead.
