THE BOOK OF THE DEAD: THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

THE WEIGHING OF THE HEART

Plate 3

3—Illustration: Above the main scene, twelve gods sit in a row. They act as judges before a table loaded with offerings.

Below this is the Psychostasia psychostasia: the Greek term for the ritual weighing of the soul or conscience, or the Weighing of the Conscience. The jackal-headed god Anubis is shown testing the heart of the deceased in the scales. The heart, representing Ani's conscience, is weighed against a feather. This feather is the symbol of Ma'at Ma'at: the divine principle of Truth, Law, and cosmic order.

On the left side, Ani and his wife stand in a posture of humble devotion. On the right side, the ibis-headed god Thoth, who is the scribe of the gods, records the result of the trial. Behind Thoth stands the monster Ammit original: "Amemit", the "Devourer of the Dead."

To the left of the scales stands Shai, the god of Destiny. Behind him are the two goddesses Renenutet and Meskhenet original: "Renenit and Meschenit," goddesses who presided over nursing and the birth-chamber. Above these figures is the Ba-soul of Ani, depicted as a hawk with a human head, and a symbol representing a birth-brick or cradle.

Text: The columns of hieroglyphs on the left contain the prayer of Ani addressed to his own heart. The columns on the right contain the official sentence of his acquittal the verdict declaring Ani "true of voice" or righteous.

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