1. Ancient Egypt
The Afterlife

2. The Afterlife
The ancient Egyptians believed that before a person could get to the afterlife, that they had to pass through the underworld. The underworld was a place that was full of terrifying monsters and dangerous animals. A person would need magic to successfully overcome these threats.
The ancient Egyptians chose spells to take with them on their journey. The spells were chosen from a group of spells known as the Book of the Dead. The spells were then written on a papyrus scroll which was buried with them in their tombs.

3. Egyptian Afterlife
The Egyptian religion centered around polytheism (which is the belief in many gods and not just one)
Ancient Egyptians especially Pharaohs practiced a very specific ceremonies to ensure they would attain the Afterlife
Egyptians believed that each person had a soul after death but they needed their body as a place for the soul to live in the afterlife

4. Egyptian Book of the Dead
Part 1
Part 2

5. Mummification
Every morning Egyptians would wash their clothes with washing soda and brushed their teeth with bread soda
If you put the two together you get Natron
Natron was the preserving agent used in mummification

6. Mummification After death the first step is mummification
All Pharaohs and some important Egyptian citizens were turned into a mummy
To the Egyptians preserving the physical appearance was extremely important so that the man’s soul could recognize his body in the afterlife

7. Pharaoh’s Tomb The tombs of Pharaohs had many, many hieroglyphics
The object was to recreate the cosmos and give direction out of the Underworld

8. Pharaoh’s Tomb
Tombs were constructed to be resurrection guides that would reunite Pharaoh’s body & soul
Pharaohs also took food, beer, weapons, & servants, gold, & jewels
Later instead of real servants Pharaohs took Shabtis
Shabtis are small figures of adult male or female form inscribed with a special formula to be recited (Shabtiformula), or figures representing the function expressed in that spell, namely, to carry out heavy manual tasks on behalf of a person in the afterlife.

9. Shabtis
Shabtis were little figurines that were buried with the Pharaoh in place of servants
Egyptians believed that in the afterlife if the Pharaoh was to call on one of his servants who was still alive the Shabti representing that servant would wake up a perform the task
Pharaohs would take hundreds of Shabtis into their tombs, one for almost everyday of the year

10. The Soul Takes Flight

11. The Soul Takes Flight
If you didn’t live a good life your soul was thrown to the devourer of souls
Before the soul can take flight it starts in the lair (home) of the devourer of souls and the man and his soul has to find his way out
Here is the story of the Egyptian Afterlife

12. The Pharaoh’s Voyage
The Pharaoh’s soul awakens in the Devourer of souls home (Underworld)
On the wall is the Book of Gates (hieroglyphics drawn in the Pharaoh’s sarcophagus)

13. The Pharaoh’s Voyage
The Book of Gates is a map that will lead him to the Divine Judges and Osiris
The Pharaoh has one night to make the journey or his soul will be devoured

14. Traveling the Nile of the Underworld
The Pharaoh will need to travel through what is known as the Nile of the Underworld
He will have to pass through 12 gates (one for each hour of the night)

15. Traveling the Nile of the Underworld
This Nile is not so friendly as the Earthly Nile as the 12 gates are guarded by Cobras
The Great snake demon Apophis (Devil) lurks under the water for his chance to strike

16. Passing through the Cobra’s Gates
The Cobras were there to guard against souls that were not pure
The Pharaoh not only had to live a good life but he had to have magical knowledge

17. Passing through the Cobra’s Gates
As he passed through the gates Pharaoh would have to say the Cobra’s name this would tell the Cobras that he is the true one
The names of the 12 Cobras that guarded the gates were written on the walls of his tomb as part of his Book of Gates

18. The Lake of Fire
After passing through the first two of Cobra’s Gates Pharaoh will come to the Lake of Fire
The Lake of Fire is a lake of fire that tests your purity
If you have not lived a good life your soul is consumed by the fire

19. The Lake of Fire
Many men’s souls reside in the Lake of fire but the Pharaoh will pass through the lake because he is more than man
Pharaoh is lucky because he is considered more than man & he actually gets to decide which men’s souls to save

20. Battling Apophis
After passing through the forth Cobra’s Gate Pharaoh unites with other Egyptian mummies to Battle Apophis
They temporarily defeat him and tie him up but Pharaoh knows from his Book of the Dead that he will be back

21. Meeting Osiris
After going through the 6th Cobra’s Gate Pharaoh meets the god of the Underworld Osiris
Because he is a Pharaoh, Pharaoh will merge with Osiris and help him judge men who have made it past the 6th gate

22. Meeting Osiris
The men’s hearts are ripped out of their chest and placed on a scale in front of Osiris and on the other side of the scale the Feather of Truth
Anubis would weigh the heart against the feather
The man’s heart and the Feather of Truth must perfectly balance for the man to continue on
Pharaohs will not be judged because they are considered more than a man so they will help judge

23. Heavy Hearted
If your heart was too heavy you were heavy with sin and impure and you would be thrown to Amet the Gobbler
He was part Crocodile, part Hippopotamus, & part Lion

24. Mummy & Soul Reunited
After passing by Osiris the Pharaoh lies down on a stone bed where he is reunited with his soul
Without being reunited Pharaoh can never be resurrected
Without body & soul he cannot pass through the Underworld

25. Rolling Over In Their Graves
After passing through Cobra’s Gate 8 mummies turn over in their beds
This is a key stage into coming back to life and being resurrected

26. Apophis Round 2
After passing through the Cobra’s Gate number 10 Pharaoh will have his second showdown with Apophis
This is Apophis’s last chance to devour the Pharaoh
Pharaoh calls upon past mummies who form a net to prevent Apophis from eating Pharaoh

27. Dawn Strikes
Just as dawn strikes and the sun begins to come up over the horizon Pharaoh passes through the 12 and final Cobra’s Gate
He is ushered in by Egyptian gods & goddesses

28. Journey Forever He resurrects not as a human but as the sun
Finally Pharaoh will change into a symbolic figure to at last protect his people
Pharaoh has reached immortality

29. Journey Forever
Ancient Egyptians believed that each Pharaoh would make that journey every night for all of eternity only to resurrect with the sun god after passing the 12th gate