Known to ancient Egyptians as rw nw prt m hrw ("Book of Coming Forth by Day"), the Book of the Dead is a collection of magic spells designed to assist a deceased person's journey through the Duat (underworld) into Field of Reeds (Aaru).
Structure of the Spells
Composed on papyrus scrolls, coffin surfaces, and tomb walls, these texts contained around 200 spells ranging from preserving the mummy against decay to defeating demon guardians at the 21 gates of the underworld.
The Hall of Two Truths & Weighing of the Heart
The ultimate test occurred in Spell 125, where the deceased recited the "Negative Confessions" before 42 divine judges. Anubis then placed the deceased's heart (Ib) on a golden balance opposite the feather of Ma'at (Truth and Order).
If the heart was balanced, Thoth recorded the verdict and Osiris granted eternal life. If heavy with sin, the soul was devoured by Ammit—the demon combining lion, hippopotamus, and crocodile—resulting in eternal non-existence.