Egyptian book of the death - Essay Example

After that, the Nile Valley area became a province under the Roman Empire and was ruled from outside its borders for almost a thousand years. It was at this time that its culture changed out of all recognition. As a result, the Egyptian book of the dead was written as a collection of chapters made up of formulas and magic spells written and illustrated on papyrus. These funeral chapters began to appear in tombs at around 1600 BC. It is the guidebook that guides the deceased to a happy afterlife.

The text is made to be read by the deceased as they travel into the underworld. By reading it, the deceased would overcome obstacles so as not to loose their way. The practice was possible by providence of passwords, clues, and revealing information on routes that allowed the deceased person to navigate around hazards and answer questions. It would grant the protection and help of the gods while reading the deceased’s identity with the gods2. Around 5000 years ago, the Egyptians established an enduring and extraordinary civilization.

The following is a journey through it all. The first breakthrough to Egypt civilization came along the valley of River Nile. This locality is flat, and the climate alternated between the hot-dry and the very wet, with the latter producing floods of rivers and swamps. These conditions challenged the human skills and his ingenuity. The rivers led to success in agriculture, and thus, the large and still growing population was sustainable. The desert that protected the land from attacks and invasions by neighbors sealed the Egyptian breakthrough.

This success led to advancement in other and broader fields such as writing, calendar, centralized system of government and a system of irrigation all developed. As a result, Egypt divided into provinces, each ruled by a monarch. Feuds and conflict were common. Menes was