THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

The Great Council of Gods

The upper register depicts the divine jury overseeing the judgment.

Ra-Horakhty Ra-Horakhty is the sun god Ra combined with Horus of the Horizon, representing the sun at its highest point.

Atum The creator god and father of the Ennead.

Shu The god of air and sunlight.

Tefnut The goddess of moisture and rain.

Geb The god of the earth.

Nut The goddess of the sky.

Isis and Nephthys The sister-goddesses and protectors of the dead.

Horus and Hathor

Hu and Sia Personifications of authoritative Utterance and divine Perception.

The Hall of Judgment

Ani and Tutu enter from the left. Ani bows in reverence, dressed in the fine pleated linen of a high-ranking official.

The Prayer for the Heart
This text is Chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead, often inscribed on heart scarab amulets to prevent the heart from testifying against its owner.

Ani says: "O my heart of my mother! O my heart of my mother! O my heart of my different forms! Do not stand up against me as a witness. Do not oppose me in the council of judgment. Do not be hostile to me in the presence of the Keeper of the Balance. You are my Ka The 'Ka' is the vital life force or double of a person that requires sustenance after death. which is in my body, the creator who makes my limbs sound. When you go forth to the place of happiness to which we advance, do not make my name stink before the Entourage who make people into columns A metaphor for those who are established forever in the afterlife.. Let it be well with us, let it be well with the listener, and let there be joy at the weighing of words. Do not speak lies against me in the presence of the Great God, the Lord of the West. Behold, your reputation depends on the verdict!"

The Attendants of Destiny
In the center stand the forces that have shaped Ani since his birth:

• Shai: The personification of Destiny or the lifespan.
• Meskhenet: Depicted here as a birth-brick with a human head. She presided over the moment of Ani's birth.
• Renenutet: The goddess of nursing and the "True Name," who provided Ani with his fortune.

The Great Balance
The jackal-headed god Anubis, "He who is in the Place of Embalming," kneels to steady the plumb bob of the scales.

• The Left Scale: Contains the heart of Ani, representing his conscience and his deeds.
• The Right Scale: Contains the feather of Ma'at The goddess of truth, justice, and cosmic order..
• The Ba-Bird: Perched atop a shrine, the Ba The Ba-soul is the aspect of the personality that can move between the physical and spiritual worlds, often depicted as a human-headed hawk. of Ani watches the proceedings with anticipation.