Book of the dead

Book of the dead
    The best known of the funerary 'books' of the New Kingdom. These were written on papyrus or leather rolls and placed in the tombs of the wealthy, providing them with a series of spells to ensure their safe passage into the next world. The magical potency of the words was reinforced by illustrations—coloured vignettes in the New Kingdom and line drawings in the Late Period. In addition to the Book of the Dead, other texts included the 'Book of Gates' and the 'Book of Amduat ('that which is in the underworld'). Ultimately, all these texts had been derived from the Pyramid Texts—the magical spells inscribed on the interior walls of some of the Old Kingdom pyramids.
Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David

Ancient Egypt. A Reference Guide. . 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Book of the Dead —    See also Egyptian Creation Legends and Egyptian Religion.    An aspect of early religious thought peculiar to the Egyptians was the custom of furnishing the dead with detailed instructions, with the aid of which they could overcome all… …   Who’s Who in non-classical mythology

  • Book of the Dead — a collection of ancient Egyptian papyrus books, many with elaborate illustrations, each containing prayers, hymns, incantations, and formulas for the behavior of the souls of the dead. * * * Book of the Dead, a collection of ancient Egyptian… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Book of the Dead —    The name given to a type of papyrus often buried with the dead from the New Kingdom onward. The papyrus contained a number of magical spells that would enable the deceased to successfully reach the next world. The most important spell… …   Ancient Egypt

  • Book of the Dead — a collection of ancient Egyptian papyrus books, many with elaborate illustrations, each containing prayers, hymns, incantations, and formulas for the behavior of the souls of the dead. * * * Ancient Egyptian collection of mortuary texts made up… …   Universalium

  • BOOK OF THE DEAD —    in Egyptian and Tibetan religious traditions a book of MAGICAL texts which was placed in the grave alongside the corpse to secure blessing in the afterlife …   Concise dictionary of Religion

  • Book of the Dead — noun The ancient Egyptian funerary text …   Wiktionary

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