Ancient Egypt for Kids Book of the Dead 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 Ba and your Ka - the two pieces of your soul - find their 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) I read it in the Book of the Dead Explore Ancient Egypt   Stories & Games Free Powerpoints Daily Life, Government, Inventions, Religion   Free Clipart Free Templates Return to Ancient Egypt for Kids  All Rights Reserved    Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin Have a great year!