The classic text describing Ancient Egyptian beliefs about death and
the afterlife, presented in a high-quality, Chinese-bound format.
Ancient Egyptians imagined the afterlife as a kind of journey you had to
make to get to paradise. It was quite hazardous, so you needed help
along the way. Spells and magic formulas written on papyrus were placed
in coffins and burial chambers in order to protect and aid the deceased
in duat, or the underworld. These funerary texts were developed over
many centuries into individualized collections known as the Book of the
Dead. One of the best-known versions, the Papyrus of Ani, is featured
here. Some 192 spells are known, although no single manuscript contains
them all. The spells are designed to give the dead mystical knowledge in
the afterlife, offer incantations to help preserve different parts of
the deceased, and protect the dead from hostile forces. Some of the
spells are to make sure you can control your own body after death.
Presented in a high-quality format with accompanying illustrations, The
Egyptian Book of the Dead is an ideal resource of esoteric wisdom for
anyone interested in Ancient Egyptian notions of death and the path to
the afterlife.
