The Weighing of the Heart (sometimes called the Judgement of Osiris ๐ฉ๐น) is my absolute favorite part of the Book of the Dead ๐๐๐๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐บ๐ผ๐บ. I love how each version is unique and not a single one is the same! I find this particular papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ to be absolutely stunning.ย
In ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, the Book of the Dead was actually called โComing Forth By Day ๐๐๐๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐บ๐ผ๐บ,โ and it was a collection of magic spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ to help the deceased enter the Duat ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐, and eventually the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐.ย
The Book of the Dead ๐๐๐๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐บ๐ผ๐บ is interesting because it doesn’t follow a particular story.ย The spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ do seem to be grouped by theme, and sometimes pictures ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ can be representative of the spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ that are written!ย
This particular Book of the Dead ๐๐๐๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐บ๐ผ๐บ belonged to a woman ๐๐๐๐๐ named Nauny ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ who lived during the 21st Dynasty reign of the pharaoh ๐๐ป Psusennes I ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ ฎ๐ผ๐๐๐. Naunyโs ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช are also at the MET!ย
Starting from the left: the goddess ๐น๐ Isis ๐จ๐๐ฅ is shown next to Nauny ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐, who is shown holding her eyes ๐น๐น and mouth ๐ in her hands. Naunyโs ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ heart ๐๐๐ฃ is weighed by Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ against Maat ๐ฆ. Usually, Maatโs ๐ฆ feather ๐๐บ is used, but this time Maat ๐ฆ herself is shown on the scale, and is represented by the hieroglyph ๐น๐ that is used in her name ๐๐! Thoth ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ญ is shown on top of the scale, and his job is to record the findings. Osiris ๐ฉ๐น presides over the scene.ย
Luckily for Nauny ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐, the scales are in balance which means that she lead a true ๐๐ด๐ฃ๐๐ and just ๐๐ด๐ฃ๐๐๐ life ๐น and is worthy enough to enter the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐ and enjoy eternal ๐ life ๐น with Osiris ๐ฉ๐น! Above the Weighing of the Heart scene, Nauny ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ is seen standing by her own tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ and worshipping ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข Horus ๐ ๐ญ.ย
