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Chelsea Verry Mrs

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Chelsea Verry Mrs.

Reilly English 3 21 April 2018 The Beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians There has always been curiosity about the Ancient Egyptians. This curiosity mainly surrounds the beliefs. From what the preparations of death were to the understanding of what would happen after. The Ancient Egyptian spent a large amount of time preparing for life after death. The life of the Egyptians was centered around religion and what would face them in the afterlife.

To sum up the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians, it consisted of the belief that they would freely be able to walk the same earth and that the use of rituals from the book of the dead would help to do so. The Egyptians once believed in an afterlife of luxury, similar to their life alive, but that in death, it would be more ideal. (Kamrin 10) A large part of the religion focused on preparing for the afterlife. (Carnegie 37-67) The Egyptian leaders at the time were highly praised and considered as godly beings, serving as the earthly version of Horus, an Egyptian god; pictured as reigning over the land. Many Ancient Egyptians carry the belief that their life before death is the first step of death. They spend much of their life preparing for death.

It is said that he eventually passed his legacy upon one of the Egyptians and over time, it has passed from person to person, the right to rule over the Egyptian people. (Kamrin 10) The gods were believed to be more centered around protecting humanity and had produced Egypt as a safe haven for the humans. ( they did in life before death. (Robinson 632) The beliefs consisted of three different types of souls. These three were the “ba”, “akh”, and “ka”. The ba was the soul that was said to exit the to travel in the day and go back to rest at night.

The belief is that the soul leaves at night, from the tomb and “lives” beside the Nile in those hours of freedom. By this, I mean that the soul continues to enjoy whatever satisfactions were gained from the living world, things that they did in their previous life. (Robinson 632) Once the soul had reached the afterlife, it would reached its final phase, the ability to live the luxurious afterlife desired during the life was Many Egyptians feared the trials waiting for them in the afterlife. Books were written, instructing them on how to pass these trials. ( on a scale against the feather of truth, a symbol of the goddess Maat.” If the heart passes the test, moving up on the scale, remaining lighter, rather than down, the soul the knowledge of what they would face when they reach the other side. The afterlife was wissioned as a forever as it journeyed on into the final stage of the afterlife, with danger at every turn.

(Gardiner 56) The trip to the afterlife was dangerous, so the book, at least in the minds of the Ancient Egyptians, was seen as The daunting process of mummification consisted of many specific practices in order to prepare the soul for its next life. This process “started around 2,500 BC”, taking place for a long period of time. The process was made with the belief that the soul must be protected, or it does not have the ability to move on. The soul must reside in the original form or a form similar or it will perish. (Dumatt 7) “Mummy’s the word: “Mummy” comes from mumiya, a Persian word meaning “pitch,” a thick, black substance.” The material used in the process eventually turns to a dark color, giving the “Mummy” its name. (Dumatt 7) The process of mummification was a long-practiced process, perfected more and more over mummification, there soul would The body would be conserved by the process of mummification, protecting the ka during the time of the three souls leaving the body.

Mummification, for a duration of time, was meant specifically for those of royal families, but eventually, it was opened to people who had the money to afford it. Mummification was quite a long process, lasting approximately two months. (Carnagie 37-67) Specific practices were taken while preserving the body, believing that they would help the body. These practices were important to the higher classes would be the best preserved as well. (Dumatt 7) The mummification process takes an extreme length of time.

Removing moisture was the first step, including the removal of the organs, taking approximately over a month. Then it would be dried with a large sum of salt and finally it would be wrapped in cloth. (Dumatt 7) Mummification consisted of removing moisture from the body, in some cases, even organs may have been separated, and covering the body in cloth. In total, this took up to approximately two months. It was believed that while this process was taking place, process would remove a “dead person’s lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines. They left the heart in place and threw away the brains.” (Dumatt 7) Mummified bodies, if the process had been done correctly, were to be preserved for a long time.

Along with humans, the Ancient Egyptians preserved the bodies of animals as well. (Walters 8) Animals would undergo the process of mummification as both pets and food for the soul of the human in the afterlife. It was also believed that the a part of the souls of certain gods were also a part of the animals, having them appear as holy beings. (Walters 8) Tombs were the resting place of the Ancient Egyptians; a place where the souls had the ability to once again walk the same earth.

Pyramids, the resting place of specific individuals, contain a large amount of knowledge regarding the Egyptian beliefs of the afterlife. Egyptians, typically the higher class of people, worked a large amount of their life working to get ready for the afterlife. (Glynn 749) The process of creating the pyramid and choosing its features, from the tiniest to the biggest, starts immediately after the Egyptian had taken on their new spot as ruler. (Kamrin 10) The Egyptians spent much of their life preparing for death, including collecting objects that they believed would be available to the for use in the afterlife.

These items ranger anywhere from food to personal valuables. Since the tomb was acting as their everlasting home, their coffin was built, replicating a bed. For the objects, people of higher classes would order craftsman to create the objects and store them in their shops. (Shaw 62) The tombs consisted of several rooms, where valuables would be placed. These rooms were placed above the room holding the body.

The first room, a “chapel”, decorated with hieroglyphs and is a spot where a fraction of the valuables would be placed. (Taylor R7) The tomb then leads to an area consisting of three spaces. In here, objects reflecting the existence of the Ancient Egyptians and how they acted would be placed. These objects would be available to the use of the soul once they had passed over.

(Taylor R7) The tomb would then lead to the final destination, the resting place of the body. The parts of the body that had been extracted while preserving it would also be preserved and placed in the room separate from the body. (Taylor R7) After being mummified, the body would be placed into its final resting place, the “tomb”. These “tombs” could be found “underground” or “inside pyramids”. (Dumatt 7) Within the pyramid “quantities of food, drink, furniture, clothes, and jewelry” are placed, waiting for the soul great leader to visit once they have reached the other side.

The tomb is sealed shut in the hopes that nobody will again enter. There were game boards, papyrus scrolls, weapons, hunting gear, medicine, and food such as roast duck, leg of lamb, bread, cake, fruit, and wine.” (Dumatt 7) Animals, most likely pets, were mummified and of a god’s spirit would Death played a huge part in Ancient ´Egypt´s economy.¨ Businesses focused on producing any type of product. meant for the afterlife, most likely prospered. This was especially significant for the coffin industry.

These ´beds´ ranged in many styles, attracting people from both the higher and lower classes. (Shaw 62) The coffin serves the purpose of a bed in the afterlife, but mainly as a place for the body to lay for eternity. The decorations added to a coffin continued to expand in variations, one being , ´spells, known as Coffin Texts¨ which, ´were painted inside and believed to help the deceased during his or her journey through the afterlife.´ Later on in time, the coffin was developed to fit the form of the body. This was related to the Egyptian god known as Osiris.” The developments of the coffins, over time, reflected on religion. (Shaw 62) To conclude, while the civilization of the Ancient Egyptians is quite amazing, it is their beliefs that truly spark an interest.

While the beliefs can easily be broken down, it is the journey of the soul that was the main worry. Due to this, that is why the Book of the Dead was used. The process of mummification was also a main factor in making this journey successful and preparing a place for the soul to return to. The soul would finally return, having access to the tomb and a life of luxury.

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