Monday, August 1, 2011

Ancient Egypt (pt. 6)

The Ancient Egyptians believed the pharaohs were gods, and that these pharaohs would reunite with the gods in the afterlife.  Just as "it is appointed for a man to die once, and then comes judgment," the Ancient Egyptians believed judgment came next after death.  Anubis (a jackal-headed dog) was the guard of the underworld and would weigh the dead person's heart against the "golden feather of truth."  If the two matched the same weight, Anubis would escort the person's soul to the afterlife; however, if they failed to measure up, the dead person's soul was eaten up.  Here is a depiction of the weighing of the heart being performed in front of the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld, Osiris (seated on the right).  The pharaoh being judged is on the left, and you can see the scale weighing his heart.

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