The Importance of the Afterlife

Ancient Egyptians loved life, but their life expectancy reached only 40 years old at best. They wanted their lives to continue beyond death, and strongly believed in preservation of the body and providing the deceased with all of the essentials they would need in the afterlife. To them, death was merely a brief disruption in life, and if the funeral practices were followed correctly, the deceased could live without pain in the Fields of Yalu.

However, a lot went into securing a person’s right into the Fields of Yalu.

THE PERSON’S HEART HAD TO BE LIGHT.

The more good deeds a person participated in, the lighter their heart became. Ultimately, upon the person’s death, Anubis weighed their heart against a feather from Ma’at’s (Goddess of Truth and Justice) headdress. If the heart was heavy with bad deeds, it would be devoured by Ammut (soul eater), and the person would not live on in the afterlife. This belief ensured that the ancient Egyptians worked hard at making their souls light.

The ancient Egyptians believed there were two important aspects to everyone, the “ka” and the “ba.” The ka was the person’s life force, while the ba was their soul. Without the process of embalming, the ancient Egyptians believed a person couldn’t pass into the afterlife successfully.

Religious Temples

Temples were built to honor the gods the ancient Egyptians worshiped. These temples contained features like enormous statues, gardens, crocodiles (on occasion), inscriptions and more. Some of the most impressive temples were the Temple of Amun at Karnak, Abu Simbel, the Temple of Isis at Philae and the Temple of Horus at Edfu.

Click here to learn more about The Temples of Ancient Egypt

Rituals and Festivals

To honor and uphold Maat, the ancient Egyptians held many festivals and took part in many rituals. Some of these included:

• Wepet Renpet: A celebration to mark the beginning of the year or “opening of the year”. This date varied, because it directly corresponded with the Nile’s annual flooding. The celebration usually took place in July. The festival ensured fertility of the farmlands.
• The Sed Festival: This festival honored the Pharaoh’s kingship. It was held every third year during the Pharaoh’s reign. The festival included many rituals, including offering the spine of a bovine, which represented the pharaoh’s strength.
• The Festival of Khoiak: This festival honored Osiris’ death and revival. When the Nile River receded, Egyptians planted seeds in Osiris beds to help ensure that their crops would flourish and revive, just as Osiris had.