The Weighing of the Heart Ceremony was ancient Egypt's judgment of the dead, where the deceased's heart was weighed by Anubis against the feather of Ma'at (truth/order) before Osiris. A light heart (a righteous life) meant entry into the Field of Reeds (afterlife). A heavy heart (sins) was devoured by the monster Ammit, leading to eternal oblivion.
Ancient Egyptians believed that all of the good and bad deeds people did during their lifetimes were kept in their hearts. If they lived good lives their hearts would be as light as the “feather of truth” Ma’at wore on her head. Once the mummification process was completed, it was believed that the “ba” (spirit of the person) traveled into Duat (the Underworld) for final judgment at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony. The dead person’s heart, which had been kept in the body, would be placed on the scales and weighed against the feather of truth. If the heart was as light as the feather, it meant that the person had been good and would be able to spend eternity with Isis and Osiris enjoying all of the things that had been left in his/her tomb (food, clothing, toys, statues of servants, furniture, etc.). If the heart was heavier than the feather of truth, Ammit would swallow the heart and that was it for an afterlife. Anubis checks the scales, Thoth records the verdict, and if the person passes the test, Horus presents him to his parents, Osiris and Isis, King and Queen of the Underworld.

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