How did the ancient Egyptians view death?
Source 2: Egyptian illustration showing the weighing of the heart ceremony before Osiris (the god of the afterlife)
The ancient Egyptians believed that when they died their spirit would continue to exist and live in the afterlife that was very similar to the world in which they lived.
To get to the paradise of the afterlife the dead would have to journey through the dangerous underworld to reach the Hall of Final Judgement and Osiris, the god of the afterlife.
The Hall of Final Judgement
Part One: before the 42 divine judges
The first process in the Hall of Final Judgement was standing before the 42 divine judges.
The dead soul would have to appear in front of the the 42 divine judges and say that they had lived a good life. If thought to be innocent, the dead was allowed to proceed to the afterlife after the weighing of the heart ceremony.
Part Two: weighing of the heart
In the weighing of the heart ceremony, the heart of the dead would be weighed against the feather of the goddess Ma’at.
The feather represents truth and justice. If the heart was heavier than the feather, it would be fed to Ammut, the devourer and the dead soul would be cast away into darkness. If the heart was lighter, the deceased soul was guided to the afterlife by Osiris.