Life After Death in Egypt

The pyramids were built to serve in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians believed that each person had a spirit, or Ka, that lived on after the person died. A person’s most important task during their lifetime was to prepare for life after death.[1] Ancient Egyptians believed that when the pharaoh died, he became Osiris, king of the dead. The new pharaoh became Horus, god of the heavens and protector of the sun god. This cycle was symbolized by the rising and setting of the sun. Some part of a dead pharaoh's spirit, called his ka, was believed to remain with his body. And it was thought that if the corpse did not have proper care, the former pharaoh would not be able to carry out his new duties as king of the dead. If this happened, the cycle would be broken and disaster would befall Egypt.[2]

Pharaohs and their families and noblemen had elaborate burials involving mummification. It was believed that when a pharaoh died he became a god. Embalming priests prepared the pharaoh’s body for the afterlife. The priest in charge of making a mummy wore the mask of a jackal, which symbolized Anubis, the god of the dead and mummification. First, the body’s organs were removed. Some of them were placed in their own special jars, called canopic jars. Only the heart was left in the body. Cloth was stuffed inside the body, and then the skin was covered with a chemical to dry the body out. After forty days the chemical was removed, and then the body was covered with oils, precious stones, and amulets. Next, it was bound with long strips of cloth over and over again. A highly decorated mask was placed over the face, and the body was wrapped once again. The entire process took about seventy days.

The mummy was placed in a coffin, or sometimes a series of coffins.[3] The pharaohs often held a crook and flail, symbols of power that linked them to the god Osiris. Inside the pyramid was the pharaoh’s burial chamber. The interior walls were covered with magnificent carvings and painting. The coffin was placed inside a large stone box called a sarcophagus. Many of the pharaoh’s possessions and treasures were placed in the pyramid for the afterlife. The canopic jars, guarded by their own gods, were placed in a chest nearby. Figurines of servants, called shabti, were buried along with the dead to serve in the afterlife.

[1] Janey Levy. The Great Pyramid of Giza: Measuring Length, Area, Volume, and Angles. (Rosen Classroom, 2005).
[2] “Kings of the Dead.” http://www.nationalgeographic.com (accessed October 14, 2009).
[3] Gail Gibbons. Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book about Ancient Egypt. (New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company, 2004).