Judgement of Osiris - The Weighing of the Heart

Judgement of Osiris - The Weighing of the Heart

Upon reaching the Hall of Osiris, the dead would undertake perhaps the most difficult challenge before reaching the Beyond -

The Weighing of the Heart
Judging the dead dates back to the Old Kingdom - when it was Osiris himself who deliberated upon the eternal life / complete death (Osiris would separate the dead into two categories \'the Prospering and the exterminated\'. But this type of trial only came into existence when Maat (the natural and just order) had been threatened.

The usual weighing scene shows the dead being lead by the hand by Anubis - it is Anubis who will perform the weighing, the heart is placed on the left scale, the feather of Maat on the right. The god Thoth stands ready to record the result, an interested AMEMAIT (the \'Devourer of the Dead\') waits for the decision - if the heart is heavier than the feather of truth then she will devour the heart and the dead / deceased with suffer the final complete death.

Spells included with the \'Book of the Dead\' enable the dead to plead with its own heart \'not to oppose [the dead] in the realm of the dead\'. In the very top part of the scene the dead also makes offerings to 12 of the major gods who sit in judgement.

Declaration of innocence before 42 gods

The trial is not over yet - the deceased then has to make a declaration of independence before a tribunal and divine advisory board:

Behold, I have come to You,
Bringing Justice to You,
Repelling evil for you.
I have not done evil against men.
I have not improvished my associates.
I have not acted crookedly in the Place of Justice.
..........

Finally after passing these tests the deceased was finally allowed into the Beyond where it could live for eternity in paradise

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Judgeent
• Osiris
• Book
• of
• Dead
• Ancient
• Egypt
• Weighing
• Heart

[zytigon]

@garychldress74 Good point, judgement wasn't new to Christianity. E.A.Wallis Budge, 'The Papyrus of Ani' (1500BCE comp O.T.800-300BCE ish), other great writings are by Donald A. Mackenzie,' Egyptian myth and legend', James G Frazer, 'The Golden Bough', For sceptical Bible scholars try T. Paine, Joseph Wheless, Robert Ingersoll, C.Dennis Mckinsey, Victor J Stenger, Robert M Price, Dan Barker, John W. Loftus, Bart Ehrman, Gary Greenberg, Richard Carrier, David Mills, Valerie Tarico, Ken Humphreys

[jk9187]

@Underworldisis1

there are a few images with his body painted black. most of the images are of him being dark red to dark brown. however the odds are he was a mythological character that was illustrated in the color of the popular opinion at the time for that area. 

[Underworldisis1]

This is inaccurately portrayed as the photo suggests Anubis is caucasian. Anubis is Black of color.

[garychldress74]

This is where the Hebrews ,Christians & Muslims copied the judement in their scriptures from.

[bardarians]

Oh Aset Heru Asar Hotep... Humbly l bow to thee Asar Hotep Asar Hotep.. In the name of Ma'at Hotep.

[NumdgJr]

Hmmm, what I don't get is that no heart is heavier than a feather, and how can the dead say the negative confession when they are dead.