Ancient Egyptian mummies have long sparked our imaginations, starring in countless horror films and novels. But what are they? How were they made? Why were they made? That's mystery of mummy.The Egyptian mummification process is basically a means of preserving a dead body. Without preservation, a body will decompose, leaving only bones. The Egyptian mummification process therefore prevents a body from decomposing, allowing deceased to resemble what he looked like when he was still alive.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
To ancient Egyptians, a person is composed of 6 different parts: his body, ba (personality or character), ka (spirit of life), akh (immortal soul), as well as his name and his shadow. A person is not whole if he is missing any of these parts.
The ancient Egyptians believed in afterlife. They believed that when a person died, he continued living in another plane of life in underworld. Since he is still considered to be "alive", all 6 parts of that person should be intact for him to live properly. Hence need for preservation of body, and creation of ancient Egyptian mummies.
An important belief in ancient Egypt, and source of many Egyptian paintings, is Final Judgment. It describes what happens after a person physically dies. The paintings show recently deceased describing his deeds to a panel of judges. He is then led to scales of balance by Anubis, jackal-headed god of mummification and afterlife. Here, his heart, which contains all evil that he has committed, is weighed against feather of Ma'at, goddess of truth and justice.
Thoth, ibis-headed god of wisdom, records outcome. If heart is heavier, deceased is judged too evil and undeserving of a place in afterlife. The heart will then be devoured by Ammit, god with head of a crocodile and body of a hippopotamus.
If feather of Ma'at is heavier, person is deemed worthy, and is taken by Horus, falcon-headed god, to afterlife and underworld, ruled by Osiris.
THE MUMMIFICATION PROCESS