Book of the Dead: Did you mean...?

Early medieval Irish book art is both beautiful and fascinating. It reflects a flourishing monastic culture which played a key role in the cultural development of Europe from the 6th to 9th centuries. Nowhere is this more clearly illustrated...

A text known as The Lay of the Harper, dating from the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) encourages its audience to make the most of the time because death is a certainty: Make a holiday! And do not tire of playing! For no one is allowed to...

The judgement of the dead in the presence of Osiris, from the Book of the Dead of Hunefer, from Thebes, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, c. 1275 BCE. The scene reads from left to right. To the left, Anubis brings Hunefer into the judgement area. Anubis...

Illuminated manuscripts were hand-made books, usually on Christian scripture or practice, produced in Western Europe between c. 500-c. 1600. They are so called because of the use of gold and silver which illuminates the text and accompanying...

Ancient Egyptian literature comprises a wide array of narrative and poetic forms including inscriptions on tombs, stele, obelisks, and temples; myths, stories, and legends; religious writings; philosophical works; wisdom literature; autobiographies...

Ereshkigal (also known as Irkalla and Allatu) is the Mesopotamian Queen of the Dead who rules the underworld. Her name translates as 'Queen of the Great Below' or 'Lady of the Great Place.' She was responsible for both keeping the dead within...

Dead Sea Scrolls jars from Qumran (Khirbet Qumran or Wadi Qumran), West Bank of the Jordan River, near the north part of the Dead Sea, modern-day State of Israel. The Dead Sea Scrolls, or Qumran Caves Scrolls, are parchment and papyrus...

The Negative Confession (also known as The Declaration of Innocence) is a list of 42 sins which the soul of the deceased can honestly say it has never committed when it stands in judgment in the afterlife. The soul would recite these in the...

Setna I (also Setna Khaemaus and the Mummies) is a work of ancient Egyptian literature from the Ptolemaic Period (323-30 BCE) written in demotic script. It is part of a cycle of stories known as the Tales of Prince Setna featuring a character...

The Copper Scroll was discovered inside Cave 3 (Q3) at Qumran (Khirbat Qumran or Wadi Qumran). This is the only known inscription on metal from the Dead Sea area. The scroll originally consisted of three sheets of copper, totaling 2.3 meters...