The Weighing of the The Weighing of the Heart CeremonyHeart Ceremony

The AfterlifeThe Afterlife

People in most ancient civilizations People in most ancient civilizations were afraid of their Gods. were afraid of their Gods.

This was This was notnot true in Ancient Egypt. true in Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians loved their Gods. They The Egyptians loved their Gods. They had little fear and great wonder. had little fear and great wonder.

There was one exception, though - the There was one exception, though - the God God AmmutAmmut. .

Almost everyone in ancient Egypt was Almost everyone in ancient Egypt was afraid of Ammut! Ammut was the afraid of Ammut! Ammut was the Devourer. Devourer.

The ancient Egyptians believed if you did The ancient Egyptians believed if you did something bad, your heart would be something bad, your heart would be heavy, and the God Ammut heavy, and the God Ammut mightmight suddenly appear and eat you up! suddenly appear and eat you up! 

The God Ammut had a big part in the The God Ammut had a big part in the weighing of the heart ceremony. weighing of the heart ceremony.

When you died, the ancient Egyptians When you died, the ancient Egyptians believed you travelled to an afterlife, believed you travelled to an afterlife, a heavenly place where you spent a heavenly place where you spent eternity. eternity.

You had to earn your way. To enter You had to earn your way. To enter your  afterlife, you had to have a your  afterlife, you had to have a light heart. Light hearts were earned light heart. Light hearts were earned from a lifetime of doing good deeds. from a lifetime of doing good deeds.

After you died, the ancient Egyptians After you died, the ancient Egyptians believed your heart had to be believed your heart had to be weighed. weighed.

It had to be lighter than a feather. To It had to be lighter than a feather. To find out if your heart qualified for the find out if your heart qualified for the trip to the afterlife, your spirit had to trip to the afterlife, your spirit had to enter the Hall of Maat.  enter the Hall of Maat. 

First you had to plead your innocence First you had to plead your innocence to the Gods and your fellow mento the Gods and your fellow men

Then the God Anubis would lead you into Then the God Anubis would lead you into the Hall of Maat and weighed your heartthe Hall of Maat and weighed your heart

The God Thoth recorded the findings. The God Thoth recorded the findings. (In ancient Egypt, everything was (In ancient Egypt, everything was

recorded and written down.)recorded and written down.)

If your heart was light, you were If your heart was light, you were considered to be pure and free from considered to be pure and free from sin. This meant you had passed the sin. This meant you had passed the

test and entered your afterlife. Lead by test and entered your afterlife. Lead by Horus to Osiris.Horus to Osiris.

BUT, if your heart was heavy BUT, if your heart was heavy because your deeds were dreadful, because your deeds were dreadful,

the God Ammut the God Ammut wouldwould suddenly suddenly appear ... and eat you up! appear ... and eat you up!