Mythologis
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: A Complete Guide to the Spells for the Afterlife

Egyptian Mythology

The Egyptian Book of the Dead: A Complete Guide to the Spells for the Afterlife

The Spells, the Judgement and the Journey Through the Duat

The complete guide to the Egyptian Book of the Dead: what the spells were for, the journey of the soul through the Duat, the weighing of the heart against the feather of truth, and how to read this strange and beautiful text.

180 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • A plain-language guide to the spells
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01Not a Book, and Not About Death
  2. 02Where the Spells Came From
  3. 03The Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts
  4. 04What the Book of the Dead Was For
  5. 05The Journey Through the Duat
  6. 06The Weighing of the Heart
  7. 07Maat, the Feather of Truth
  8. 08Osiris, Anubis and Thoth in the Judgement
  9. 09Ammit and the Second Death
  10. 10The Most Famous Spells
  11. 11How to Read the Book of the Dead Today

About this book

About this Egyptian mythology guide

The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a set of spells buried with the dead to guide the soul past the dangers of the underworld. This is the complete guide to reading it.

The Egyptian Book of the Dead is not really a book, and it is not about death so much as about not staying dead. It is a collection of spells, written on papyrus and buried with the dead, meant to guide the soul through the dangers of the underworld and bring it safely to a new life. For more than a thousand years the Egyptians copied, illustrated and adapted these spells, and the result is one of the strangest and most beautiful texts to survive from the ancient world.

This is a complete guide to the Book of the Dead for the general reader. What the text actually is and how it grew from the older Pyramid and Coffin Texts; the journey of the soul through the Duat, the Egyptian underworld; the great scene of the weighing of the heart against the feather of the goddess Maat, with the monster Ammit waiting to devour the guilty; the role of Osiris, Anubis and Thoth in the judgement; and how a modern reader can make sense of the spells, the names and the pictures.

The book opens up the Book of the Dead without jargon, working from the spells themselves and the standard translations, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • What the Book of the Dead really is, and what it was for
  • How it grew from the older Pyramid and Coffin Texts
  • The journey of the soul through the Duat, the Egyptian underworld
  • The weighing of the heart against the feather of truth
  • Ammit, the devourer who waited for the guilty
  • How a modern reader can make sense of the spells and pictures

Egyptian mythology book at a glance

TraditionEgyptian mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length180 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Egyptian mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Egyptian mythology guide

Questions about the Egyptian mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this a translation of the Book of the Dead?

It is a guide to it, not a new translation. The book explains what the spells are, how the text works and what its famous scenes mean, and points you to the standard scholarly translations if you want the full papyrus.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It works from the Book of the Dead itself and the older Pyramid and Coffin Texts, drawing on the standard translations and Egyptological scholarship, with references throughout.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 180 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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