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Chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead is

Introduction

The Book of Going Forth by Day, more commonly known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, is one of the most famous funerary books ever written. The book is meant to act as a guide for the deceased as he travels through the underworld, on a quest to gain admission to the afterlife by appeasing the king of the underworld, Osiris. The book was first discovered in the tomb of Queen Mentuhotep, who lived during the 17th dynasty during the second intermediate period, but archaeologists have found copies from the Roman period as well[1]. The text consists of a variety of short segments and detailed illustrations accompanied by 192 spells. In addition, the book discusses different amulets and their protective powers, such as the wadj pillar, a green stalk which symbolizes rebirth.

Richard Lepsius first translated and published the Book of the Dead in 1842. E. A. Wallis Budge is known for completing one of the first translations of the book, although scholars now consider his work to be outdated and erroneous. In 1894, Budge translated the Book of the Dead written on the papyrus of Ani, which currently resides in the British Museum. The papyrus of Ani is the most beautiful and complete example of the Book of the Dead in existence today[2].


Origins and Innovations

The book is based on earlier funerary writings called the pyramid texts and coffin texts. Previous texts were found exclusively engraved on tombs and sarcophagi, while the Book of the Dead has been discovered on a multitude of artifacts, like papyri, mummy wrappings, and statues. The book differs in other key aspects; for example, less importance is placed on reuniting with familial members in the afterlife[3]. Ancient artists also added the famous judgment scene called the Weighing of the Heart to the Book of the Dead, which they never included in earlier writings[4].


Important Terms

- Maat: Maat symbolizes balance, order, and justice. Gods were believed to feed off of maat, and the king of Egypt was supposed to maintain maat and therefore appease the gods, who would bless Egypt and its inhabitants in return. Maat was represented by an ostrich feather, and was also impersonated in the goddess Maat[5].

- Osiris: Supposed first king of Egypt. After his murder, he was crowned the king of the underworld. He resides over the Weighing of the Heart ceremony and ultimately decides if the deceased will be allowed into the afterlife.

- Anubis: Jackal-headed god of embalming, who is also present during the Weighing of the Heart ceremony.

- Thoth: Ibis-headed god of scribes.

- Wadjet eye: Amulet representing protection symbolized by the eye of Horus, the son of Osiris.


Weighing of the Heart

The central ceremony the deceased had to pass was the Weighing of the Heart, explained and depicted in spell 125 of the Book of the Dead. This ritual is the most important ritual the deceased goes through post-mortum, since the outcome will determine whether or not he is worthy enough to join Osiris in the afterlife. In this scene, the deceased appears before Osiris and the 42 judges, each holding a knife and decorated with maat feathers[6]. These 42 judges represented the 42 nomes, or districts of Egypt[7].


The Ceremony

Wadjet eyes and feathers decorate “The Hall of the Double-Truth,” one of the locations prior to the entrance to the underworld and the site of the ceremony[8]. As the ritual begins, Anubis takes the physical heart of the deceased and places it on the scale of Maat. On the other side of the scale sits the symbol of maat, the feather of truth. In addition to the 42 nomes and the gods Osiris and Anubis, Thoth resides over the ceremony and records the transpiring events. Naturally, Maat is also present in goddess form, supervising the ritual. If the heart creates an equal balance with the feather, Osiris grants entry to the underworld and the deceased can enjoy an eternity in peace. However, if the heart is weighed down with sin and the feather of truth rises on the scale, the heart is thrown to the waiting beast Ammit, who devours the heart without a delay. If so, the deceased is banned from the afterlife and damned. The Book of the Dead did provide some protections from punishments like eternal burning and physical torture in case the deceased was sent to hell[9]. One scholar describes the scene: “How evocative is this Egyptian metaphor! For all humanity… the delicacy of the necessary equipoise of moral worth contained in the heart meant that one’s sins must be feather-light…”[10].


Negative Confession

In order to pass through to the afterlife, the deceased was required to name each judge and supply a negative confession, in which he would deny that he had committed any wrongdoings throughout his life. One inscription reads: “I have not robbed; I have not killed men; I have not destroyed food supplies; I have not told lies; I have not eavesdropped; I have not been voluble in speech; I have not reviled god; I have not made distinctions for myself”[11]. Because the Egyptians had a very specific view of a worthy and just life, it was vital that the deceased exemplify his lifelong wholesomeness to the gods to earn his admittance to the afterlife. “Good” Egyptians were philanthropists, never harmed others, and of course paid regular homage to the gods[12]. The Book of the Dead did explain how to live a righteous life on earth, but it is unclear whether or not living people were supposed to read the book, or if the writings were meant exclusively for the deceased[13].

The book also included chapters concerning cleansing to prepare for the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, since it was assumed that most Egyptians did not have a spotless life record[14]. Interestingly, there was no direct test of dedication to the gods; the existence of the ritual and the supervision of Osiris assumed the deceased was already religiously devoted. However, if the deceased was allowed into the afterlife, the book described that he would then add the words “true of voice” or even simply “Osiris” to the beginning of his name to show appreciation and commitment.


The Ceremony in Context

Two aspects of the ritual held major significance in the day-to-day happenings of Egyptian culture: judgment and the heart. When an unacceptable deed occurred in daily life, Egyptians issue written accusations and sometimes went to trial, where judicial officials would review the claim[15]. The Weighing of the Heart can be equated with such occurrences, except in a religious and symbolic context. The human heart was incredibly important because it was considered to be the origin of all thoughts and emotions[16]. One researcher notes, “The heart was felt to have a will and an existence of its own”[17]. Because of this conviction, it was the only organ left inside the body during the embalming process, while all other organs were either mummified individually or thrown away.


References

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  1. ^ Ikram, Salima. “Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt.” Pearson Education Limited. Great Britian 2003. Chapter 2.
  2. ^ The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Volume 1. Editor in Chief: Donald B. Redford. The American University in Cairo Press. 2001 Oxford University Press Inc. “Book of Going Forth by Day” pages 193-194.
  3. ^ Ikram, Salima. “Ancient Egypt: An Introduction.” Cambridge University Press. New York, NY 2010. Chapter 5.
  4. ^ Ikram, Salima. “Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt.” Pearson Education Limited. Great Britian 2003. Chapter 2.
  5. ^ Ikram, Salima. “Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt.” Pearson Education Limited. Great Britian 2003. Chapter 2.
  6. ^ Milde, H. “The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet.” Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. Leiden, Nederland 1991.
  7. ^ Ikram, Salima. “Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt.” Pearson Education Limited. Great Britian 2003. Chapter 2.
  8. ^ Milde, H. “The Vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet.” Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. Leiden, Nederland 1991. Pg. 84.
  9. ^ Faulkner, Dr. Raymond and Dr. Ogden Goelet. “The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.” The American University in Cairo Press. Cairo, Egypt 1998.
  10. ^ Faulkner, Dr. Raymond and Dr. Ogden Goelet. “The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.” The American University in Cairo Press. Cairo, Egypt 1998. Pg. 13.
  11. ^ Kemp, Barry. “How to Read the Egyptian Book of the Dead.” W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY 2007. Chapter 5: Reviewing One’s Life. Pg. 59.
  12. ^ Kemp, Barry. “How to Read the Egyptian Book of the Dead.” W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY 2007. Chapter 5: Reviewing One’s Life (53-63).
  13. ^ Kemp, Barry. “How to Read the Egyptian Book of the Dead.” W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY 2007. Chapter 5: Reviewing One’s Life (53-63).
  14. ^ Faulkner, Dr. Raymond and Dr. Ogden Goelet. “The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.” The American University in Cairo Press. Cairo, Egypt 1998.
  15. ^ Kemp, Barry. “How to Read the Egyptian Book of the Dead.” W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY 2007. Chapter 5: Reviewing One’s Life (53-63).
  16. ^ Faulkner, Dr. Raymond and Dr. Ogden Goelet. “The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.” The American University in Cairo Press. Cairo, Egypt 1998.
  17. ^ Faulkner, Dr. Raymond and Dr. Ogden Goelet. “The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.” The American University in Cairo Press. Cairo, Egypt 1998. Pg. 151.
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