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One of the most important deitiesgod or goddess of ancient Egypt, Osiris was god of the underworldland of the dead and judge of the dead. He also represented the idea of renewal and rebirth in the afterlife. Osiris appears in many Egyptian myths and legends, and his cultgroup bound together by devotion to a particular person, belief, or god spread beyond Egypt.

Little is known about the origin of Osiris in Egyptian mythology. In very ancient times, he may have been a local god of the city of Busiris in Lower Egypt. It is possible that he was originally an underworld or fertility deity or a legendary hero. By about 2400 B.C., his cult had become firmly established and began to spread throughout much of Egypt.

In Egyptian mythology, Osiris...