featuring the pharaoh and his wife, Ankhesenamun.
A ivory headrest, depicting the god Shu,
the god of air and breath, was found in the annex. It was there to ensure
a supply of air for the sleeper (dead or alive). It was a symbol of resurrection,
because it enabled the head to breath, by lifting it up from the prostrate
position of death. There was also a pair of wooden sandals, overlaid with
marquetry veneer of bark, green leather and gold foil stucco. The sole
was decorated with figures of Asiatics and Negroes where the king could
trample on them. These shoes, however are very uncomfortable to wear and
it seems they were constructed for the king to wear in his next life.
A number of lamps were found in the burial
chamber, placed there for the King to use as he made his journey to the
underworld. They were amazing works of art, decorated with detailed paintings
of the king and queen. This was also the resting place of the three coffins,
and of course, the mummy. The mummy itself is an excellent example of the
Egyptians belief in the after-life. The concept of mummification was practiced
because of the belief that after death the soul would return to the body
and give it life and breath. Household equipment and food were placed in
the tomb to provide for a person’s needs in the afterworld. The ceremony
“opening of the mouth” was carried out by priests on both the mummy and
the mummy case in order to prepare the deceased for the journey to the
afterworld. This was an elaborate ritual which involved purification, censing
(burning incense), anointing and incantations, as well as touching the
mummy with ritual objects to restore the senses. Inside the bandages that
wrapped the mummy, lay a number of different objects the King was supplied
with for use in his after-life. He was supplied with a gold dagger and
sheath to protect him during his journey to the after-life, and 143 amulets
and pieces of jewelry were scattered through the several layers of bandages
that wrapped his corpse.
In conclusion it is possible to say that
Tutankhamen’s tomb gave the modern world an excellent insight into the
Egyptian’s belief in the after-life. Both the tomb itself, and its contents,
show how much importance the Egyptians placed on the doctrine of Eternal
life, and how strong their belief was that their King would be resurrected
as a god. Thus, the tomb of Tutankhamen and its contents show that the
Egyptian concern for the after-life, was very strong, and that they went
to great lengths to ensure that the eternal life of their kings.
Bibliography
Gardiner, Sir Alan
1966 Eygpt of the Pharoahs. Great
Britain: Oxford University Press.
Lehner, Mark
1977 The Complete Pyramids, Solving
the Ancient Mysteries. Great Britain: Thames and Hudson
“The Internet”
Chronology of the New Kingdom
Tombs of the Valley of the Kings
Model tomb in the American Museum
of Natural History
Manchester Metropolitan University’s
site on the Tomb of Menna
Philosophy of History
Philosophy of Religion (Copyright
(c) 1997 Kelley L. Ross, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved)