The Astral and Solar Destinies of the Deceased in the Ancient Egyptian Texts

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City

Abstract

The funerary literature of the ancient Egypt shows many versions of the eternal life, as well as the descriptions of the different ways in which this eternal life can be achieved. The funerary literatures stated the periodic pattern of some celestial bodies. The celestial bodies were interpreted by the ancient Egyptians as one of the ways of obtaining the regeneration. The cycles of the celestial bodies were used as images in texts that were intended to help the deceased to gain the eternity. This paper studies the texts which had been often characterized with astronomical contexts and the celestial bodies as part of astronomical cycles that is of main interest to assist the deceased in the afterlife to acquire immortality. This study focuses on the texts that reflect the celestial destiny of the deceased, especially the astral and solar destinies.

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