Page 56 - September 2022 Magazine - Bumper Edition

Preserving of the Dead
Mummification
As we know, the ancient Egyptians firmly believed in resurrection and that after this life they would be judged and, if deemed worthy, would pass on into the afterlife.
So it makes sense that they would want their remains to be as well preserved as possible.
Prior to the establishment of the practice of mummifying, burials would have been very different.
The deceased would simply have been placed in the foetal position and laid to rest in a pit with their personal possessions all around them. The hot sands would dry out the body and act as a natural preser- vative.
As the culture of Egyptian society developed, so did the intricacies of burial rights and the need to be as well prepared as they could be for their journey to the afterlife.
The practice of mummification began in ancient Egypt in about 2800 BC. It would have advanced dramatically as the legend of Osiris grew.
Isis, binding all the pieces of Osiris back together and restoring him to life was very powerful imagery for
Anubis emblaming Djehutmose, preparing him for the afterlife. On the wall of his tomb at El K K h h o o k k h h a a , , T T h h e e b b e e s s . . H H e e w w a a s s t t h h e e c c h h i i e e f f s s t t e ew w a a r r d d o o f f A A m m u u n n a a n n d d o o v v e e r r s s e e e e r r, , d d u u r r i i n n g g R R a a m m e e s s s s e e s s s s I I I I r r e e i i g g n n (19th Dynasty)
56 |The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - Preserving of the Dead