The ancient Egyptians were interested in death since the dawn of history, and they imagined it as a stage of life, and everything and the goal of every thought was to reach the deceased a new life that guarantees him immortality in peace, starting with building his tomb or the house of eternity and inscriptions on its walls, and embalming him to ensure the preservation of his body and features, and the establishment of special funeral rites And read texts and prayers, all the way to resurrection and immortality.
The pre-dynastic era in the history of ancient Egypt is known primarily through its cemeteries. During the first half of the fourth millennium BC, funeral customs were affected by two styles belonging to two forms of early civilization: the "Naqada" civilization in the south, and the "Bhutto" civilization. in the north.The civilization of the north did not pay much attention to placing funerary items with the deceased in that ancient era, while the placement of funerary items flourished in the civilization of the south, as vessels and utensils were placed to accompany the deceased on the journey of immortality, and the purpose of which was to put in them some foods that the deceased would need in his eternity. It indicates the belief of the Egyptian since those ancient times in the existence of another world in which he lives and is provided with needs that are the same as his needs in this world.
"In the footsteps of eternity"
The Egyptians called the other world "dat or dut", which means "the world of the afterlife or the underworld", and they called eternity the word "jet." Archaeological excavations of pre-dynastic times reveal things that indicate interest in highlighting the status of the deceased, such as combs and spoons made of ivory or Bones, necklaces.
The discoveries also showed that some of the dead were organized funeral ceremonies, given the condition of the body and offerings, while others were deprived of them, and even the different burials (simple tombs) stand witness to the diversity and complexity of funeral rites within the scope of the civilization of the south.
On the contrary, the civilization of the North, in that ancient era, did not know pride in funerary possessions, as a person was buried alone, in just a simple pit, without any funeral belongings, and if there were only some vessels, there is no cloning of the living world and its projection on their belief in the existence of a world else.Gradually, the traditions of the Naqada civilization crept to include the Nile Valley from its end to its bottom, especially with the construction of the largest cemeteries in areas such as .Saqqara, Helwan and Abu Rawa
"Death is the gateway to life"
The Egyptians imagined death within the order of the universe, and death became an issue of life. The Egyptian civilization did not consider death as a state of absolute annihilation, but rather as a state of life that a person goes through, living only in the position of the deceased.The Egyptians described death in their texts as being like convalescence after illness, and this conception indicates a belief in another life in which a person will be freed from all worldly problems and moral diseases, in which he will enjoy a life of convalescence after leaving the life of the earth.The Egyptians also viewed their kings as a state of merging with the Creator God, and Ibtihal says in the texts of Al-Ahram: "This king was born, while heaven was not, while the earth was not, while humans were not... Whereas death itself was not born."Death for the ancient Egyptians was part of the process of creation, and the way in which they realized death was dominated by fear, and this is evidenced by a call to the living dating back to the era of the Middle Kingdom, declaring: “You who love to live and hate to die.”
Then the modern state comes to continue this meaning, and the deceased is addressed in a text that says: “You who were surrounded by a large number of servants, you are now in a country that loves solitude, and whoever used to walk with his legs, is now shackled, swaddled in his coils and static without movement Whoever had an abundance of fabrics, and liked to wear clothes, now lies in the clothes of yesterday, and whoever loved to drink is now in a country without water.”The French scientist Marie Bonheim and the scientist Luke Pferch in their study "The World of the Egyptians" believe that death in ancient Egyptian thought "delivers man to loneliness and isolation", but it is a situation that "does not express fear in the face of an end, which is death, but rather the end of a positive situation and the beginning of a long negative situation." ".
Death for the ancient Egyptians was part of the process of creation, and the way in which they realized death was dominated by fear, and this is evidenced by a call to the living dating back to the era of the Middle Kingdom, declaring: “You who love to live and hate to die.”
Then the modern state comes to continue this meaning, and the deceased is addressed in a text that says: “You who were surrounded by a large number of servants, you are now in a country that loves solitude, and whoever used to walk with his legs, is now shackled, swaddled in his coils and static without movement Whoever had an abundance of fabrics, and liked to wear clothes, now lies in the clothes of yesterday, and whoever loved to drink is now in a country without water.”
The French scientist Marie Bonheim and the scientist Luke Pferch in their study "The World of the Egyptians" believe that death in ancient Egyptian thought "delivers man to loneliness and isolation", but it is a situation that "does not express fear in the face of an end, which is death, but rather the end of a positive situation and the beginning of a long negative situation." ".
