Ani was a high-ranking scribe and treasury official who lived in Thebes during the 19th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, likely under the reign of Seti I or Ramesses II (c. 1290–1250 B.C.). Though his titles vary, he is often called the “Scribe of the Divine Offerings,” indicating a prestigious role in the temple economy. He...
The Lake of Fire in Ancient Egyptian belief is a compelling and multifaceted concept, primarily depicted in funerary texts such as the Book of the Dead. This lake, known in Egyptian as the “Lake of Flames,” served as both a perilous obstacle and a source of purification for the deceased navigating the Duat, the Egyptian...
In Ancient Egyptian belief, Ammit (also spelled Ammut or Amamet) was the personification of punishment, a final threat to those who fail to live a just life. With a body part lion, part hippopotamus, and part crocodile; the three largest and most dangerous animals known to the Egyptians, her name translates to “Devourer“, she is...
The Ancient Egyptians held one of the most sophisticated and enduring beliefs regarding the soul in the ancient world. Far from being a singular, indivisible entity, the soul in Ancient Egyptian thought was composed of multiple interconnected parts, each fulfilling a specific role in both life and the afterlife. These concepts, deeply rooted in religious...
This wig was found lying behind the head of Nauny’s mummy in her inner coffin. From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahari, Tomb of Meritamun (TT 358, MMA 65), inside coffin, MMA excavations, 1928–29. The wig is made from plaits of human hair, which were fastened at the top with a cord. The hair was...
Within this Papyrus, a unique place called the House of Hearts is mentioned,”You will enter the house of hearts, the place which is full of hearts. You will take the one that is yours and put it in its place, without your hand being hindered. Your foot will not be stopped from walking. You will...
Osiris with Isis and NephthysThe Book of the Dead of the scribe HuneferNew Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, c. 1300 B.C.British Museum. EA9901,3 Hunefer was a scribe during the 19th Dynasty (c. 1300 B.C.). He was the owner of the Papyrus of Hunefer, a copy of the funerary Egyptian Book of the Dead, which represents one of the...
One of the best-known vignettes in the Book of the Dead of Taysnakht is that of the weighing of the heart (“psychostasia”) in the tribunal of the Double Truth, in the presence of Osiris and other gods of the netherworld. The heart of the deceased is placed on one pan of a pair of scales,...
Lady of the House; Chantress of Amun-Ra, Tentosorkon, as appearing in her Papyrus (Book of the Dead), discovered in Thebes. c. 945 B.C. British Museum. EA9919,2 The name means ‘The (female) servant of Osorkon’. Tentosorkon (That of Sorkon), a name of Libyan origin which appeared around the 21st dynasty in the Delta, and was popularised...
Not much is known about Khary Wesay, other than he lived during the 19th Dynasty, yet the remnants of his Book of the Dead remain a beautiful discovery from Ancient Egypt. Through these well preserved fragments, one can take a technicolour journey through the Afterlife along with Khary Wesay and his wife Puia. New Kingdom,...
