Author Description

The Book of the Dead, an ancient Egyptian text inscribed on papyrus, was used from the beginning of the New Kingdom era (around 1550 BCE) to around 50 BCE. The original Egyptian name for the text is translated as the Book of Coming Forth by Day or Book of Emerging Forth into the Light. "Book" is the closest term to describe this loose collection of texts consisting of different magic spells honoring the gods and goddesses. This text was written by many Egyptian magicians and priests over a period of about 1,000 years to assist a dead person through his journey to the Duat, or underworld, and into the afterlife. It was placed in the coffin or burial chamber of the deceased.