The ancient Egyptians believed that after death, one's heart would be weighed on a scale against a feather. If the heart was heavy due to sinful deeds, the god Ammut, who was feared for being the devourer, would appear and eat the person's heart. However, if the heart was light due to good deeds in life, the person would pass judgment and enter the heavenly afterlife. This weighing of the heart ceremony determined one's fate in the Egyptian afterlife.

1. The Weighing of theThe Weighing of the
Heart CeremonyHeart Ceremony
The AfterlifeThe Afterlife

2. People in most ancient civilizations werePeople in most ancient civilizations were
afraid of their Gods.afraid of their Gods.
This wasThis was notnot true in Ancient Egypt. Thetrue in Ancient Egypt. The
Egyptians loved their Gods. They had littleEgyptians loved their Gods. They had little
fear and great wonder.fear and great wonder.

3. There was one exception, though - the GodThere was one exception, though - the God
AmmutAmmut..
Almost everyone in ancient Egypt was afraidAlmost everyone in ancient Egypt was afraid
of Ammut! Ammut was the Devourer.of Ammut! Ammut was the Devourer.
The ancient Egyptians believed if you didThe ancient Egyptians believed if you did
something bad, your heart would besomething bad, your heart would be
heavy, and the God Ammutheavy, and the God Ammut mightmight
suddenly appear and eat you up! suddenly appear and eat you up!

4. The God Ammut had a big part in theThe God Ammut had a big part in the
weighing of the heart ceremony.weighing of the heart ceremony.
When you died, the ancient EgyptiansWhen you died, the ancient Egyptians
believed you travelled to an afterlife, abelieved you travelled to an afterlife, a
heavenly place where you spent eternity.heavenly place where you spent eternity.
You had to earn your way. To enter your You had to earn your way. To enter your
afterlife, you had to have a light heart.afterlife, you had to have a light heart.
Light hearts were earned from a lifetime ofLight hearts were earned from a lifetime of
doing good deeds.doing good deeds.

5. After you died, the ancient EgyptiansAfter you died, the ancient Egyptians
believed your heart had to be weighed.believed your heart had to be weighed.
It had to be lighter than a feather. To find outIt had to be lighter than a feather. To find out
if your heart qualified for the trip to theif your heart qualified for the trip to the
afterlife, your spirit had to enter the Hall ofafterlife, your spirit had to enter the Hall of
Maat. Maat.

6. First you had to plead your innocenceFirst you had to plead your innocence
to the Gods and your fellow mento the Gods and your fellow men

7. Then the God Anubis would lead you intoThen the God Anubis would lead you into
the Hall of Maat and weighed your heartthe Hall of Maat and weighed your heart

8. The God Thoth recorded the findings.The God Thoth recorded the findings.
(In ancient Egypt, everything was(In ancient Egypt, everything was
recorded and written down.)recorded and written down.)

9. If your heart was light, you wereIf your heart was light, you were
considered to be pure and free fromconsidered to be pure and free from
sin. This meant you had passed thesin. This meant you had passed the
test and entered your afterlife. Lead bytest and entered your afterlife. Lead by
Horus to Osiris.Horus to Osiris.

10. BUT, if your heart was heavyBUT, if your heart was heavy
because your deeds were dreadful,because your deeds were dreadful,
the God Ammutthe God Ammut wouldwould suddenlysuddenly
appear ... and eat you up!appear ... and eat you up!