. . . . .The Hall of Maat is where the judgment of the dead was performed. This was done by weighing one's heart (conscience) against the feather of Maat (truth and justice). The heart must not be heavier then the feather of Maat. This was not a physical weighing of the organ by living Egyptians, it was a ceremony that took place in the afterlife and was performed by the gods. Here we see Anubis leading Hunefer to the scales of Maat. Anubis weights Hunefer's heart against the feather to see if he is worthy of joining the gods in the Fields of Peace. Ammut is also present, as a demon waiting to devour Hunefer's heart should he prove unworthy. Thoth stands to the right of the scales recording the results.

. . . . .These "book of the dead" papyrus were commissioned by the deceased before their death. The more money spent, the finer the papyrus. Therefore, it should be no surprise that a papyrus has never been found containing a loser in this judgment.

. . . . . .

The Scales of Judgement

Ankh

Symbol of eternal life. The gods are often seen holding an ankh to someone's lips this is considered to be an offering of "The Breath of Life". The breath you will need in the afterlife.

Ieb

This symbol represents a heart. The Egyptian believed the heart was the center of all consciousness, even the center of life itself. When someone died it was said that their "heart has departed." It was the only organ that was not removed from the body during mummification. In the Book of the dead, it was the heart that was weighed against the feather of Maat to see if an individual was worthy of joining Osiris in the afterlife.

PYLON. . From the Greek word meaning "gate" It is a monumental entrance wall of a temple. In this case it probably represents the entrance to the underworld. Pylons are the largest and least essential parts of a temple that is usually built last. Some temples have more then one set, the temple at Karnak has 10 Pylons.

Feather of Maat

Represents truth, justice, morality and balance. It was pharaoh's job to uphold Maat. When a pharaoh died, Maat was lost and the world was flung into chaos, only the coronation of a new pharaoh could restore Maat.

Menhed

A scribes pallet. Writing was a very important skill to the ancient Egyptians. It was practiced by a group called scribes. The writing equipment used by scribes consisted of a palette, which held black and red pigments, a water jar, and a pen. To be a scribe was a favorable position, even some kings and nobles are show proudly displaying scribe palettes.

Sesen

A Lotus Flower. This is a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth. Because at night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. According to one creation myth it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first day. A symbol of Upper Egypt

Ankh

Symbol of eternal life. The gods are often seen holding an ankh to someone's lips this is considered to be an offering of "The Breath of Life". The breath you will need in the afterlife.

Four Sons of Horus From left to right they are;

Imsety: The human headed guardian of the liver

Qebekh-sennuef: The falcon headed guardian of the intestines.

Hapy: The baboon headed guardian of the lungs

Duamutef: The jackal or wild dog headed guardian of the stomach.

She

A pool of water. The Egyptians portrayed bodies of water by means of equally spaced vertical wave lines. When these lines are inclosed by a rectangle it denotes a lake or pool. The Egyptians believed water was the primeval matter from which aII creation began. Life in Egypt's desert climate depended on water, and a pool of water would be a great luxury. There are many tomb paintings that show the deceased drinking from a pool in the afterlife.

Nekhbet

A goddess portrayed as a vulture. Protrectress of Upper Egypt.