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Funerary Beliefs and Procedures of the Ancient Egyptians
The Ancient Egyptians were a very religious people. Their beliefs held a lot of stock in the afterlife, and the importance of making sure people would make it there safely. As they felt that this was where they would spend eternity, works dedicated to death, the gods, or the afterlife were produced in much more permanent mediums than those from many other aspects of their lives. This allows us a look into the beliefs and customs that fueled some of the works that survive to the present day, dazzling (and baffling) those who see them.

Temples and Tombs
The first and most obvious example of their funerary practices are the Pyramids--the biggest and most extreme examples of the tombs that hypothetically every Egyptian would have, ensuring, amongst other things, that their body would be safe and prepared for its resurrection into the afterlife. They made them out of stone, and built them to last. This was in strict contrast to actual homes, which from the smallest hovel to even the King's palace would be made of mud bricks. This was because they saw actual living quarters as temporary, as everybody inside was going to die sooner or later. The tombs and temples, however, they referred to as "homes for eternity". They planned them as just that, the eternal homes of the gods (for the latter) and of themselves for the former.

The actual construction of tombs was fairly uniform in theory, but not at all in execution. Social stratification meant that while some may essentially just be buried in the sand, kings may be interned in massive pyramid complexes, like those of Giza. More on beliefs later, but they believed that they would be resurrected into eternal life, but only if their body was preserved long enough for it to happen. To this end, they always put the tombs in the desert, where the dry conditions would help preserve the bodies, along with mummification procedures. Burials of the lower members of society would merely be a small pit for their body and burial goods, but the elite or kings would have large, ornately decorated tombs. Temples of kings followed patterns of pillars, with sloped floors and roofs leading to an offering chamber. Others had massive pyramid complexes dedicated to their burial. In the tombs of kings, though as time passed we start to see them in those of the elite and sometimes even lower classes, we also find texts either on the walls of the sarcophagi. These would be spells to protect the body, offerings to provide the deceased with food and tools (as words were as good as the real deal for them), and instructions from the book of the dead, thought to aid them in their quest towards resurrection. We also find likenesses of the deceased, which could count in the body's stead should it not survive, and images of the daily life or accomplishments of the person interred inside. The ancient Egyptians had always held that belief that you actually could take it all with you when you go. To this end, they would be buried with a variety of goods. The wealthier the person, the more treasure that would be left in their tombs, as they wanted to be able to keep up their lavish lifestyle in the afterlife. In addition to the material wealth of things like gold and jewels, grave goods would include food (both real and images, which were regarded as equivalent), mummified animals (pets and livestock), and other such things that were needed in life. They believed that they would need it in the afterlife, and so strived to make them prepared. As the afterlife was meant to be an idyllic time for the deceased, in the New Kingdom era they would also often be buried with small statues known as "shabti". These would hypothetically be brought to life along with the deceased, and serve menial tasks to spare the one being buried from having to do them. - 	This an example of a King's temple for his death cult- those who continue to worship him and provide offerings so that he would be sustained in the afterlife. The pylon was the front of the temple, and the gate/entrance. This would be the tallest part of the temple. As you progressed deeper inside, the ground would move uphill, while the roof got lower. It formed the shape of a wedge, until by the time you get to the sanctuary it's gone from impressively big to uncomfortably small. The main halls get smaller as well, going from the wide open courtyard, to the more closed and imposing pronaos. The Hypostyle would no longer have any windows, and by the time you reached the sanctuary it would be cramped and dark, with no natural light. This was where sacrifices and offerings would be made. The location was appropriate, with the entire temple closing in to one compact room, which hypothetically housed Amun, "The Hidden One"

The Funerary process
As part of the funerary process before being placed in their tombs, the ancient Egyptians practiced a procedure known as mummification. This was thought to preserve their body for eternity so that it could be rejoined with its soul and presented before Osiris to be reborn. While it was not strictly necessary to be mummified (as not everybody could afford it) it was believed to be a big help in actually attaining resurrection. The process starts with preservation--as is already seen from them making a point of burying bodies out in the desert, is was important for them to keep the bodies dry in order to preserve them effectively. To this end they collected natron, a combination of baking soda and salt, which was a naturally occurring desiccant found in Wadi Natrun. The first thing they would do was remove the internal organs and liquids, as these would be the main sources of decay. To begin, they would insert a sharp object through the nostril, and remove the subject's brain. next, the body would be cut open and the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines would be removed. These, unlike the brain, would be removed in one piece, at which point they were each placed in one of 4 canopic jars, which would traditionally be decorated by the images of the Four Sons of Horus. It was thought that they would need them later, but they couldn't be kept in the body, as this would help prevent decay. The heart, thought to be the seat of the soul and conscious thought, was left in the body so that when it was brought before Osiris the heart could be used to judge whether or not they were worthy against the feather of Maat. After this was done, the body would be dessicated. Packets of natron would be stuffed into the now empty body cavity, and then the entire body would be covered in natron. The body would be left inside there for 40 days, at which point it would be removed and emptied of natron. The body would be completely dry at this point, but the skin, muscles, and hair would remain intact. This was regarded as an important milestone, and even today modern Egyptians will come together for a second wake for the deceased 40 days after their death, in a cultural holdover from the times of mummification. At this point, the body is considered preserved, and they then move into the second stage of mummification. In a process that would take another 30 days, for 70 in total, they would undergo the rituals that would transform the deceased into a semi divine being, one ready for and deserving of resurrection. The first step of this phase was to anoint the body in wine and oils. These were for ritual and religious purposes, but had the added benefit of making the limbs more supple, preventing things like fingers from breaking off. They then were covered in a gold resin, which protected from bacteria and insects, and would provide a sticky base for the linen. It also gave the body's flesh a distinctive golden sheen, which was symbolic as they believed the gods had flesh of gold. As they were wrapped in the distinctive linen, protective spells, amulets, and charms would be woven in. Once they were covered the wealthier would have the mummy adorned with images of the gods, or more jewelry, sometimes even a mask representing their face. Now, the preparations are complete, and they move into the funeral stage.

This shows the mummy's final sarcophagus, as well as the mummy inside. Note how the skin is still on the skull, and is shriveled up showing that all the moisture was sucked out. The linen over the body still bears the golden coloring, though it seems an outer layer which would hold some of the spells and the like was lost. To finalize preparations, a priest would take the fully prepared mummy and perform a ritual known as "the opening of the mouth". They would open the mummy's mouth with a special tool, while reciting spells from the book of the dead. This was thought to give the deceased the ability to eat and drink in the afterlife, so they'd be able to enjoy the sustenance of the offerings provided to them. After this the mummy would be placed into the tomb with their burial goods. Once they were placed inside, the tomb would be sealed. It was thought that this would keep anyone else out, like grave robbers, but the spirit of the deceased would still be able to move around as they pleased. Of course, all of the troubles the Egyptians took for their dead were not for show. They believed that this was all for the sake of the deceased reaching the afterlife--a blessing for the lower classes, who would be blessed by an eternal idyllic life, and very important for the pharaohs, who would become one with the gods and serve important functions in the afterlife. Much of the surviving beliefs that made it down to us come from the Book Of The Dead, which contained instructions and spells crucial for one to make it to the hall of judgement where they would undergo the weighing of the heart, being judged before Osiris if they were worthy of afterlife. The Book of the Dead, not an actual book, is more a collection of the funerary texts that were passed down through the centuries. Its spells and instructions can be found inscribed in tombs, pyramids, and even on coffin or sarcophagi, as it was hoped that the spirit of the deceased would read them and that they would aid it on its journey through the underworld. The spirit, guided by coffin or pyramid texts, and nourished by the offerings left for it, was said to travel through the Duat, a river with many dangers that must be faced. If successful, they would come before Osiris. Anubis would pass judgement by weighing the deceased's heart (hence why it was kept in the body) against the Feather of Maat. If they were found wanting, their heart would be fed to Ammit, the Devourer. This was a creature part crocodile, part lion, and part hippo, which would devour their soul, dooming them to oblivion rather than the afterlife.Understandably, they wanted to avoid this. This led to the tradition of the "negative confession". They would have epitaphs that said things like "I did not kill or cause to kill" "I did not take bread from the hungry" and things like that, proclaiming their innocence in the hopes that they would be judged favorably. Ideally, they would pass this test, and their spirit would be reunited, and brought into the afterlife.

This image from the Book of the Dead depicts the Weighting of the Heart Ritual. The scale holds the Feather of Maat on the right, and the heart on the left. In the middle, Anubis, the god of the dead, administers the test, with Ammit waiting beside him. To the far right, Thoth, the god of scribes, records the proceedings. The mummies were prepared thoroughly, along with the tomb's writings and burial goods, so that this process would go well, and that once it did the body would be safe and ready for the resurrection to come.