Existing comment:
Funerary Rites and the Tomb:
Although their religious beliefs did not change significantly, over time the ancient Egyptians developed different concepts of the afterlife. In early times (ca 2600-2200 BC), for instance, an Egyptian expected to travel through the sky after death to reach a "field of reeds," where eternity could be spent associating with the kings and gods. Funerary texts consisting of magical phrases inscribed on the walls of private tomb chapels appear during this time. They were designed to ensure the survival of the deceased after death. The earliest of these texts, called Pyramid Texts, occur on the chamber walls of kings from the 5th to the 8th dynasties (2494-2125 BC). In the Middle Kingdom (2000-1700 BC), all Egyptians expected to travel the sky with the sun-god Re and cross the underworld to meet its god, Osiris, before whom they would be judged to determine if they were worthy to live forever. A new body of funerary texts called Coffin Texts appeared. They provided spells to guarantee the deceased a safe journey.
During the New Kingdom (ca 1500-1000 BC), Egyptians hoped not only to join Osiris, but also to travel the sky daily with the sun-god Re. As a result of the period's emphasis on the union of Re with Osiris, people believed the sun's dim illumination of the underworld at night helped the dead awaken and, like the sun itself, be reborn in the east each day. A new set of funerary texts accompanied the New Kingdom burials. Called The Book of the Dead, the texts were known as the "spell for coming forth by day." They also contained magical spells to protect the dead and assist them in achieving immortality. By the Late Period (700 BC - AD 300), the cult of Osiris and his wife, Isis, has spread throughout Egypt and beyond. Egyptians of this era held a strong belief that magic and amulets associated with the cult would help the deceased attain an afterlife. |