He Book of the Dead It’s one of the funerary texts most famous of ancient Egypt. It is a series of parchments or papyri that they contained a series of instructions, spells and prayers intended to guide the deceased in its journey to the beyond and Ensure your eternal survival in the realm of the dead. These texts were not really a book in the modern sense of the word, but rather a collection of writings that were placed next to the deceased in his tomb.
He aim major of the Book of the Dead was to provide the deceased with the tools necessary to overcome the dangers and obstacles that he would encounter on his way to life after death. The spells and prayers included in the text covered a wide range of range of topicsfrom protection against the demons of the underworld to guaranteeing a judgment right in the court of Osiristhe god of dead.
He recent finding of a copy of Book of the Dead in the cemetery of Tuna el-Gebel, in the central egypthas provided the archaeologists a key piece to understand these practices and their important ancient text that they captured on the tombs of their deceased. More than 3,500 years oldthis copy of Book of the Dead It is an exceptionally well preserved testimony, the excavations in the Tuna el-Gebel cemetery have also shown other archaeological treasuresincluding mummies, sarcophagi, amulets and statuettes. However, the most significant discovery has been, without a doubt, this faithful copy from the Book of the Deadwhich has allowed experts to study in detail the way in which these texts were illustrated and used by the ancient egyptians.
Experts have observed that spells and prayers were accompanied by detailed illustrations depicting scenes of life after deathas well as protective symbols and amulets.
This new copy of Book of the Dead has also allowed archaeologists to identify variations and differences in the texts. For example, scrolls could be personalized to suit the individual needs and beliefs of the deceased and this, unfortunately, was only a privilege of the wealthiest.. The ancient Egyptians apparently had a fairly sophisticated understanding of the practices funeral homes that were capable of capturing in a dynamic text and adaptable that was adjusted to the specific circumstances of each person who left the “beyond”.
What were the spells found on these scrolls?
Below I present some examples of typical spells found in the Book of the Dead:
Spell for navigation in the solar boat (Spell 15)
This spell provided the deceased with the necessary instructions to successfully navigate the solar boat through the sky during the day and night, thus ensuring their safe passage through the realm of the dead.
Spell for resurrection and transformation (Spell 64)
This spell was one of the most important and powerful in the Book of the Dead. It was believed to provide the deceased with the ability to resurrect and transform into a divine form, allowing them to join the gods in the realm of the dead.
Spell for protection of the heart (Spell 30B)
This spell protected the heart of the deceased during the judgment of his soul. The heart of the deceased was believed to be weighed in a balance against the feather of truth and justice of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice, and this spell ensured that the heart of the deceased was not burdened with sin.
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