The “Book of the Dead” in Ancient Egypt

The pursuit of eternal afterlife is a key tenet of ancient Egyptian faith. They believed that after death and successful passage through judgement in the underworld, a person’s soul would attain immortality. Behind the funerary practices , such as multi-layered painted wooden coffins and canopic jars for containing organs, were the efforts of preserving the bodies of the deceased.

Eight Steps of Mummification Process

Step 1: Cleaning the body

Step 2: Removing the brain

Step 3: Removing and preserving the organs, but leaving the heart in the body

Step 4:  Dehydrating the body with natron

Step 5: Washing and stuffing the body

Step 6: Wrapping the body layer by layer, and placing the mummy properly

Step 7: Performing the “Opening of the Mouth” ceremony

Step 8: Sealing the coffins for burial

Egyptians believed that the soul was made up of various elements, including khet (the physical body), ba (an aspect of a person's non-physical being, usually represented as a bird with a human head) and ka (the life force). The ka of the deceased received offerings from the living and needed a place to reside, which facilitated the construction of the “soul house” in private tombs.

It was believed that an intact body was essential to successfully enter the afterlife. Thus, finger stalls were used to protect the deceased's fingers from damage. Finger stalls are commonly found in royal tombs from the 18th Dynasty onwards. This finely crafted set is customised to fit the different fingers and even features detailed carvings of the fingernails. 

In Egyptian mythology, some said Horus's eye was injured, while others said its eye was stolen by the god Seth and later restored by Thoth, the god of wisdom. Therefore, the wedjat eye was thought to have healing power and symbolised protection and rebirth. In the 18th Dynasty, certain amulets began to be placed within mummy bandages, and Horus's eye was one of these.

Funerary papyri acted as guides for the deceased to prepare for the challenges they would meet in the underworld, ensuring safe arrival in the afterlife. In the Hall of Judgement, Osiris watches over the weighing of the deceased's heart and Thoth holds a scribal palette to record the result. A mythical creature waits to eat the heart if it is heavier than the feather of truth below the scales.

Egyptians believed an intact body was essential for resurrection. To address this, they developed mummification techniques and an embalming process. A part of this was the removal and separate treatment of the organs most prone to decay and placed in canopic jars for safekeeping. Jars were protected by sons of Horus: falcon-headed Qebehsenuef (intestines); baboon-headed Hapi (lungs); human-headed Imsety (liver); and jackal-headed Duamutef (stomach).

Fear of losing head in the afterlife, which would trigger an irreversible “second death” and the total extinction of the soul, the Egyptians made mummy masks to cover the head and chest of the deceased's body. Towards the Late Period, mummy masks unconnected to the rest of the body's coverings re-emerged, with eyes made of glass inlays, giving them a lifelike gloss and depth.

In Ancient Egypt, Saqqara served as a major burial ground. The tomb-building activities spanned many historical periods, with some ancient tombs repeatedly reused and expanded. Being buried in this holy ground became a fervent posthumous aspiration. Recently, this “City of the Dead” has yielded multiple significant archaeological discoveries, making it one of the top ten globally.

Title: Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums

Date: 20 November 2025 to 31 August 2026

Location: M+, Hong Kong

Curator: Hong Kong Palace Museum, Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt