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The Book of the Dead is a large collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts relating to funerals and the afterlife. The texts include spells, magic formulas, hymns, and prayers. The title is misleading. The writings do not actually make up a book but consist of many individual texts, assembled from numerous authors and sources over hundreds of years. Some of the writings are more than 4,000 years old.

The Egyptians believed that the texts in the Book of the Dead would protect and guide the deceased in the journey after death. The spells and magic words were supposed to give the dead person the power to overcome obstacles and reach the peaceful realm of the blessed.

The spells served a variety of purposes. One spell helped the deceased enter the afterworld immediately after burial. Others enabled them to revisit the earth, restored their memory, and helped them breathe and eat. The Book of the Dead also contained the...