The Book of
the Dead is not a book. It's a nickname for a bunch of
different magical spells written down in various ways by the ancient
Egyptians.
Nearly all of the magical spells that have been discovered to
date were written to help the ancient Egyptian safely
reach their Afterlife.
Egyptologists have found about 200 different spells so far, most written
on piece of papyrus, some written on tomb walls.
Everyone in ancient Egypt wanted to safely reach the Afterlife.
They believed the Afterlife was a real place, and they believed magical
spells would help them get there.
Wealthy Egyptians hired scribes to write down all their personal favorite spells
on papyrus sheets. Once prepared, this collection of spells
was packed carefully away with their other grave goods, to be placed in
their tomb someday.
If you did not have a lot of money, you could buy a ready-made
version that included several of the most popular spells. A space was left
on the sheet of papyrus for your name. That way, you not only had
several spells on hand to use, but you also had your name written down,
which helped your spirit find its way home each night to your tomb.
If you would like to read some of these ancient spells
and magical stories, click on the link below. Once you get used to the
style, you'll find it easy reading.
Book
of the Dead (Tour Egypt)
