The ancient Egyptians believed that the world consisted of the land, sky, and underworld. They saw that nature had cycles. The N
ile flooded every year. Plants grew and died, but grew again. The ancient Egyptians believed that people were also part of the cycle of nature. They believed that they could travel to the lands of the gods in the afterlife. They hoped to see their families after death. Ancient Egyptians believed that, for a soul to gain the afterlife, the body had to be preserved. They developed an embalming process called mummification. The Book of the Dead contains spells that were believed to protect the dead on their journey. The spells were said to allow the dead to defeat danger on their journey to the underworld.
The funeral marked the transition from the world of the living to the land of the dead. Ancient Egyptians believed that the dead would make a long journey through the underworld to the Hall of Truth.
There, the dead would face a great test. Their soul would be weighed against a feather. Good deeds would make the soul as light as the feather. Bad deeds would make the soul heavy. That soul would not gain the afterlife.
A. The soul was weighed for good deeds.
B. There was no afterlife.
C. The soul was weighed for its wealth.
D. The Book of the Dead contained spells.
E. The dead had to pass a test to gain the afterlife.
