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Subject: [agade] FEATURES: Passport to paradise (More on the BoD exhibit at
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From <http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/04/egyptians.book.dead/>:
[Go there for video]
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Ancient Egyptians' spells were 'passport' into paradise
Exhibit reveals Book of the Dead secrets

London, England (CNN) -- If you've ever wished that there was a
guidebook to get you into heaven, no matter what your exploits in this
life, you're not alone.

In fact, so strong was the desire for eternal life for the ancient
Egyptians that they took things a step further, in the shape of a
collection of spells, known as the Book of the Dead, designed to
fast-track them through the underworld into paradise.

For the ancients, the journey through the underworld after death was
filled with obstacles and tests, including knife-wielding gods,
monsters and perilous gateways -- and that's where the spells came in.

"It's a kind of repertoire, a pool of about 200 hymns to the gods,
magical spells. You could choose from these a number of texts to put
onto a roll of papyrus to take with you into your tomb and that would
be your passport, your guide, to the next world." John Taylor, curator
of a new London exhibition, "Journey Through the Afterlife: Egyptian
Book of the Dead," told CNN.

The gods that had to be overcome are depicted on a number of fragile
papyri on display in the British Museum, where the exhibition is being
held. They include one with the head of a hippopotamus and the body of
a lion, wielding a giant knife.

"If you couldn't speak the correct words to this god then it would
leap at you with the knife and you would be killed and you would not
have the afterlife," Taylor explained. "So, knowing these spells was
absolutely crucial."

Ancient Egyptians also believed they would have to endure a ritual
known as "the weighing of the heart" before a monster in the
underworld known as the Devourer. If their hearts were pure, they
could pass into the next life; if not, the heart would be eaten.

Mark Smith, a professor of Egyptology at Oxford University, explained
that treatment of the body was also a crucial part of the funerary
process.

The book of the dead would smooth the passage, it would be a kind of
fast-track into paradise
--John Taylor, British Museum

Bodies were cleansed, internal organs removed and preserved in what
are known as "canopic" jars, apart from the heart, which was put back
in the body. The body was then packed with a salt-like substance
called Natron to stop it from decomposing, before being wrapped in
bandages and placed in an ornate sarcophagus.

If this complex and gruesome process suggests that the Egyptians were
death-obsessed, Taylor explained that quite the opposite was true.
"What they really want is to live forever," he said.

The lengthy burial process aimed to restore the dead person to life
again and give them a new body that they could dwell in, he said.

Also on display are funerary masks, sarcophagi, mummies and amulets
unearthed from ancient tombs in what is now Egypt that show just how
important it was for the ancient Egyptians to get the proper send-off.

But according to Taylor, only the top level of Egyptian society could
afford it. So what happened if you couldn't buy a book of the dead?

"The poorer people would still have a chance to reach the afterlife,"
Taylor explained. "It's just that the book of the dead would smooth
the passage, it would be a kind of fast-track into paradise."

Smith told CNN that hints in a handful of ancient Egyptian texts
suggest that there was some provision for the poor in the afterlife.
He described one which tells of a virtuous poor man being handed the
spells and amulets of a rich but wicked man.

"So, I don't think it is the case that if you couldn't buy a copy of
the book of dead, you were out of luck," he said.

Also very important to ancient Egyptians, according to Smith, was the
idea of reintegrating into a society in the afterworld.

The book of the dead included spells that would help the deceased make
friends on the other side, and gave practical advice about how to
approach other spirits.

"There's an ancient Egyptian proverb that says: There is no man except
for a man with his brother -- that means, no man is an island," Smith
told CNN.

He continued: "I think that proverb gives you a good insight into the
way that Egyptians thought. It explains a lot about their ideas
concerning the afterlife."

Mairi Mackay contributed to this story.