Judgement Scene from Book of the Dead of Hunefer is a 3,300-year-old Egyptian papyrus that has been on display at the British Museum for about 160 years. Discovered by Sir E. A. Wallis Budge in 1888, it was taken to the British Museum, where it currently resides. It is one of the finest examples of funerary papyri still in existence. I saw a copy of it when I was in Cairo and had to have my own. It spoke to me. Mine was painted on a 3' x 7' piece of Egyptian papyrus. I rolled it up into a tube and hand-carried it back to Idaho Falls. MK had it framed and preserved between two sheets of plexiglass. For the next 25 years, it hung in my office where I saw it nearly every day. I would often explain my understanding of Judgement Scene to interested patients, friends, and visitors who expressed an interest. From my perspective, ancient Egyptian burial scrolls have uncanny parallels to many modern religions. The original Judgement Scene scroll had been buried for over 2000 years by the time Revelations was written and remained unseen and buried for another 1000 years until British explorers dug it up and took it to London. The burial scroll was not even intended for us to see. It was much more personal -- afterlife instructions for Hunefer.
The ancient Egyptians were obsessed with the art of dying well. They wanted to ensure their place in the afterlife and that it would be as enjoyable as life itself. Hunefer was no exception to this desire, especially since he had a privileged and prosperous life. Funerary papyri are usually found with pharos, this one is an exception. Hunefer was a royal scribe and steward to Pharaoh Seti I, who ruled during the 19th dynasty of the New Kingdom. This papyrus was one of many scrolls with lengthy afterlife navigation instructions for Hunefer.
Judgement Scene, is like many modern religions, revealing an all-consuming concern about accountability, judgement, and eternal life. Reading from left to right, Anubis, holds an ankh, the symbol of eternal life, in his left hand. Anubis, the jackal-headed Egyptian god of embalming and protector of the dead, holds the hand of Hunefer and leads him to the balance scale. Hunefer’s heart sits on the left side of the balance scale weighing against the Feather of Ma’at (Truth) on the right side. The ancient Egyptians believed a person’s heart was the seat of emotions, intellect, and character.
If the heart weighed more than the Feather of Ma’at, then it indicated a sinful life ineligible to an afterlife. Those with sinful hearts that failed the test were immediately devoured by Ammit, the grotesque creature below the scale and sitting to the right of Anubis. Ammit is a female demon with a hybrid body. She is part crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus. She is a manifestation and combination of the three largest man-eating animals known to ancient Egyptians. Hence she was fearfully known as the Devourer of the Damned because anyone who had his or her heart eaten was deprived of an eternal afterlife. He or she was condemned to non-existence. Judgement Scene captures the balancing act with Anubis adjusting the plumb weight and Ammit looking eagerly for her next meal. The tension is almost palpable.
Just last week, as I looked at this scene, it was the first time I noticed that all eyes of those awaiting the results of the judgement scales are looking toward the ibis-headed god, Thoth, the god of writing and scribes. Were this a Christian painting, we would probably see parallels to the judgement bar and the words, "And the books were opened." Assuming that Hunefer gets a passing grade from Thoth, and is not eaten by Ammit, he progresses beyond the judgement bar. He is led by the falcon-headed god, Horus, who stands to Hunefer’s immediate right and points with his hand towards Osiris, the god of the dead and the afterlife. Horus is the son of Osiris (seated with a white pharaoh's crown.) Horus escorts Hunefer and appears to introduce Hunefer to the divine family and to the afterlife.
This papyrus shows the building blocks for most current religions — accountability, justice, and eternal life. Closer inspection reveals that this particular papyrus seems to be engraved with symbols that are common with and peculiar to my own beliefs. No other religion, that I know of has this particular perspective and understanding. The afterlife process of a judgement bar leads to qualifying for eternal marriage, eternal procreation, and marriage plurality. Hunefer’s progression includes a tribunal and council of 12 where he is depicted taking a knee and raising both hands at an altar with a beehive symbol.
Is Judgement Scene merely a coincidental artifact, painted just for one man’s afterlife instructions, or is it something more? All I know is that 3000 years ago someone painted this scene and it resonated with me 30 years ago. As I look at my own copy, I reflect on scripture reminding me that we all are accountable and will have a final judgement — making this papyrus much less coincidental and intensely more personal. As fascinating as this is, I guess we will just have to be patient and wait for the books to be opened. Some of us are looking forward to this event more than others. For instance, I am hoping that Ammit is just a figment of some ancient Egyptian's personal imagination. When it comes to a final judgement, MK says she is in no hurry to have her laundry displayed in public. As for afterlife marriage plurality, she is less than on board with the concept. She doesn't have anything to worry about -- I know that I already have my hands full with just one woman. Can you imagine trying to manage a whole harem of hair-do days?
Ever vigilant,
RT
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