Yoto

ward Nowes - 07/26/2007
The Egyptians were particularly religious people obsessed by death and their preoccupation with the after life was to create the perfect harmony they found in the Egyptian living environment. In general it was believed that the best existence of man after life is composed of what was thought as the best and the most desired style of life on earth. We are very fortunate for the even, dry climate of modern Egypt. Tombs have survived in remarkable conditions despite the ravages of time and looters. We can now admire and collect wonderful Egyptian decorative arts and funerary objects. In stone, bronze, wood, ceramic and faience, we have sculpture, jewelry, furniture, and used ritual pieces. The wonder and magic of the Ancient Egyptians lives on forever.
Within their spiritual forces of the afterlife, they believed that the deceased was made up of a number of elements
The Sah The Corpse
The Akh The aspect which moved into the Relm of the Gods
The Ka Vital energy – delivered at death
The Ba The physical powers of the deceased
By 2600 BC early embalming was set into place for the elite, royal families and the highest noble families, where the organs were removed through an incision in the body and placed in simple canopic jars, which in turn were placed into a chest. They used natural chemicals, natron to do their work. By the late Old Kingdom, bodies were placed in linens and gesso and decorated. The preservation and journey into the next life was very critical to the eternal life they sought so proper funeral equipment had to be produced. In the First Intermediate Period already, versions of spells once only held for Pharaohs, began to appear on wealthy patrons coffins. Animals are also mummified to accompany the deceased; the dog was sacred to Anubis, the cat was worshiped at Bubastis as the Goddess Bastet. At Saqqara and Hermopolis, ibis mummies filled the catacombs; In Fayum it was the crocodile to honor Sobek in religious devotion.... [continues]

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