In the beginning, only pharaohs could board Ra's magical boat and travel to the land of the Two Fields, to dwell forever in the afterlife. But the god Osiris changed that. One of the reasons that Osiris was such a famous and important god in ancient Egypt is that Osiris opened the door to the afterlife to everyone.  

Just dying would not get to you the land of the Two Fields. You had to earn a place in Ra's boat. To board Ra's boat, your heart had to be light.

To keep your heart light, the ancient Egyptians believed you had to spend a lifetime doing good deeds.

Crime was very low in ancient Egypt because someday, after a good life spent by the Nile, everyone wanted to board Ra's boat and travel to the land of the Two Fields to enjoy their afterlife. 

There were a couple of other requirements you had to satisfy before you could spend eternity in the afterlife.  

1. First, you had to pass the test of heart in the Hall of Maat. That got you onboard Ra's boat. 

2. But you also had to have your name written down somewhere. 

3. And you had to have a preserved body. 

Why? Because the ancient Egyptians believed that everyone had a soul. They called the soul by two names - the Ba and the Ka. As the story goes, the Ba returned during the day to watch over the living family, while the Ka flew off to enjoy life in the land of the Two Fields. At night, both the Ba and the Ka flew home to their tomb, to rest and prepare for the next heavenly day.   

f something happened to your preserved body, or if your name was not written down somewhere, the Ba and Ka would get lost and you would disappear, no longer able to reach your afterlife.

That's why grave robbing was the most horrible crime in ancient Egypt. Grave robbers not only stole someone's wealth, they stole their chance to live happily ever after in the land of the Two Fields. 

Grave Goods

Weighing of the Heart

Mummies 

Welcome to Eternity Travel - Plan Your Afterlife (game)