Egyptian+Sin+and+Punishment

(By Alex Potter) =Background Beliefs=

The Egyptians believed when the body died, the //ka,// body double, and the //ba,// personality, would go to the Kingdom of the Dead. While the soul dwelt in the Fields of Aaru, Osiris demanded work as restitution for the protection he provided. Statues were placed in the tombs to serve as substitutes for the deceased. In the Hall of Two Truths, the deceased's heart was weighed against the //Shu// feather of truth and justice taken from the headdress of the goddess Ma'at. If the heart was lighter than the feather, they could pass on, but if it were heavier they would be devoured by the demon Ammut. Egyptians also believed that being mummified was the only way to have an afterlife. Only if the corpse had been properly embalmed and entombed in a mastaba, could the dead live again in the Fields of Yalu and accompany the Sun on its daily ride. Due to the dangers the afterlife posed, the Book of the Dead was placed in the tomb with the body as well as food, jewelry, and 'curses'. (7) If the deceased was judged worthy, their ka and ba were united into an akh. Specific beliefs about the destination of the akh varied. The vindicated dead were often said to dwell in Osiris' kingdom, a lush and pleasant land believed to exist somewhere beyond the western horizon, but kings, and sometimes commoners as well, were often said to travel with Ra across the sky. (5)

=Definition of Sin=

The Book of the Dead state's clearly what are sins of Egyptian culture. The deceased would recited lines in front of all the gods that included them saying "// I have not done crimes against people, I have not mistreated cattle, I have not sinned in the Place of Truth. I have not known what should not be known, I have not done any harm. I did not begin a day by exacting more than my due, My name did not reach the bark of the mighty ruler. I have not blasphemed a god, I have not robbed the poor. I have not done what the god abhors, I have not maligned a servant to his master. I have not caused pain ,I have not caused tears. I have not killed, I have not ordered to kill, I have not made anyone suffer. I have not damaged the offerings in the temples, I have not depleted the loaves of the gods, I have not stolen the cakes of the dead. I have not copulated nor defiled myself. I have not increased nor reduced the measure, I have not diminished the arura, I have not cheated in the fields. I have not added to the weight of the balance, I have not falsified the plummet of the scales. I have not taken milk from the mouth of children, I have not deprived cattle of their pasture. I have not snared birds in the reeds of the gods, I have not caught fish in their ponds. I have not held back water in its season, I have not dammed a flowing stream, I have not quenched a needed fire. I have not neglected the days of meat offerings, I have not detained cattle belonging to the god, I have not stopped a god in his procession. I am pure, I am pure, I am pure, I am pure! I am pure as is pure that great heron in Hnes." // (3) These acts were called "an abomination of the Ka." (4)

=Trial and Punishment=

Afterlife in Egyptian culture was a very important aspect of how they lived. The consequences of not being allowed a complete afterlife and living in the Fields of Aaru were what compelled the Egyptians to lead a good life. Arriving at one's reward in afterlife was a demanding ordeal, requiring a sin-free heart and the ability to recite the spells, passwords, and formulae of the Book of the Dead. If they had not the gods would be able to tell because of the "Weighing of the Heart Ceremony" which occurred in The Hall of Two Truths. This was when Anubis would bring the deceased, by hand, to the Scale of Ma'at. Then Ma'at would put the heart on the plate by Ammut, Devourer of the Dead, and a feather on the other side.(1) If the heart was full of sin it would slowly lower the scale towards Ammut's mouth who sat readily to gulp down the heart and stop the soul from living an afterlife. The fear of not being able to live an afterlife was supposed to rule the Egyptian's conscious lives. In reality the heart would always weigh more then the feather did but this was besides the point of the belief. They felt the heart was the the center of reason and emotion during life, and if they sinned it would be stored in the heart.(2) This is why it was weighed against the feather of Ma'at. Weighing the center of reason against the truth revealed all and allowed Osiris to deem the soul pure or not.

**Bibliography**
//Egyptian Afterlife Ceremonies, Sarcophagi, Burial Masks. // 15 Jan. 2010 
 * 1) //The Judgment of the Dead. // Oct. 2001. 14 Jan. 2010 
 * 2) McDevitt, April. //Heart //. 25 Mar. 2008. 14 Jan. 2010 
 * 3) //The Negative Confession. // 2008. 14 Jan. 2010 
 * 4) Flinders, W.M. Class Lecture. //Religion and Conscience in Ancient Egypt. //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;"> University College, London. 1898
 * 5) =====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;">David, Rosalie. Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt. London: Penguin, 2002 =====
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;">Lichtheim, Miriam. "Anubis receiving dead." Photo. //<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;">http://prophetess.lstc.edu. 15 Jan. 2010 <http://prophetess.istc.edu/~rklein/Doc5/anubishtm> //
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;">Dunn, Jimmy. "Re (Ra) and Re-Horakhty" Photo. http://www.touregypt.net <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;">.  <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%; line-height: normal;"> 14 Jan. 2010 <http://touregypt.net/featurestories/re.htm>