tailieunhanh - EGYPTIAN IDEAS OF THE FUTURE LIFE

The following pages are intended to place before the reader in a handy form an account of the principal ideas and beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians concerning the resurrection and the future life, which is derived wholly from native religious works. The literature of Egypt which deals with these subjects is large and, as was to be expected, the product of different periods which, taken together, cover several thousands of years; and it is exceedingly difficult at times to reconcile the statements and beliefs of a writer of one period with those of a writer of another. . | EGYPTIAN IDEAS OF THE FUTURE LIFE BY E. A. WALLIS BUDGE . . . Keeper of the Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities of the British Museum With eight illustrations Third edition 1908 To Sir John Evans . . S. etc. etc. etc. in grateful remembrance of much friendly help and encouragement CONTENTS. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Preface I. The belief in God Almighty II. Osiris the god of the resurrection III. The gods of the Egyptians I. The creation II. Isis suckling Horus in the papyrus swamp III. The soul of Osiris and the soul of Rã meeting in Tattu. Rã in the form of a cat cutting off the head of the serpent of IV. The judgment of the dead V. The resurrection and immortality Footnotes darkness IV. The judgment of the dead in the hall of Maãti V. The deceased being led into the presence of Osiris VI. The Sekhet-aaru or Elysian Fields -- 1 From the papyrus of Nebseni 2 From the papyrus of Ani 3 From the papyrus of Anilai PREFACE. The following pages are intended to place before the reader in a handy form an account of the principal ideas and beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians concerning the resurrection and the future life which is derived wholly from native religious works. The literature of Egypt which deals with these subjects is large and as was to be expected the product of different periods which taken together cover several thousands of years and it is exceedingly difficult at times to reconcile the statements and beliefs of a writer of one period with those of a writer of another. Up to the present no systematic account of the doctrine of the resurrection and of the future life has been discovered and there is no reason for hoping that such a thing will ever be found for the Egyptians do not appear to have thought that it was necessary to write a work of the kind. The inherent difficulty of the subject and the natural impossibility that different men living in different places and at different times should think alike on matters which must .