Did the book of the dead help or make it easier on the Egyptains? Well the book of the dead didn't really make it easier or harder on the lives of Egyptains. It was more of something that they studied throughout their lives. The book was a guide into the afterlife and was buried with them. It consisted of many spells (chapters). Let’s Move On...

Spells

• The Book of the Dead consisted of 200 spells (chapters). Woah that's a lot of spells right? Below I have listed a few.
• Spells 2-4 give the body the powers to revisit earth, visit the gods, and travel in the sky.

Spells21-23 secured the help in several gods in the "opening of the mouth" ceremony. Basically its the gods giving the dead body the ability to eat and breathe.

Spell 25 brings back the body's memories. This starts to make sense although I don't really get the fact that they lost their memory in the first place.

Spell 42 puts every part of the body under protection of a god or goddess. Protection from what ghosts.

Spell 43 protects the body from decapitation. What is there some special swoard that cuts through a spirits heads.

Spell 44 prevents the body from dieing a second time. How is it going to die a second time? What are they afraid of their already dead and if memory serves me right when your dead, your dead.

Spells 130- 131 allows the body to use the boats of sunrise and sunset.

The spells listed above are only a select few that I chose to write about. There are so many other spells but, I didn't want to take up too much space.

Coffin Text

The first examples of the Book of the Dead are from the 18th dynasty. Although there is some example of earlier funerary texts on the inside of the 5th, 6th, and 8th dyansty rulers tombs. The writing helped ensure their safe journey into the afterlife. They believed that if the texts were with in the tomb and that if they practiced them throughout their life it would give them a safe trip. If the text was written on the walls of the tomb it was known as the "coffin texts".

Form

The Book of the Dead was often written in up & down columns. The text was mostly simplified linear hieroglyphics or old fashioned hieratic script... wow that's some big words but basically it wasn't anything different than any other writing they used on any other important document. On the picture to the right is the a written record of the weighing of the heart ceremony. This is recorded on papyri.

Buried

The book of the dead was buried in a coffin sometimes it crawled over into a statue of Osiris or even incorporated itself into the mummy bandages. The Book of the Dead was usually written on papyri but sometimes it was put onto amulets. Even though there is evidence of the Book of the Dead archaeologists haven't actually found a real book. They do know that it exists because of the bits and pieces that they have found on pyramid walls and amulets.

Why did the Egyptains need the 200 spells (chapters)?

What are two things you have learned about The Book of The Dead from my blog?

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What is an area of improvement for this blog?