Book of the Dead papyrus

Few cultural stories are more often associated with modern museums than those relating to ancient Egypt. This fragmented piece of papyrus was once displayed in The Children’s Museum’s popular What if . . .? exhibit and is a page from a Book of the Dead, a book of chapters that ancient Egyptians placed in tombs with mummies.

 

The book began to appear in Egyptian tombs around 1600 BC and was meant to serve as a guidebook for the deceased to a happy afterlife. The text was intended to be read by the deceased during their journey into the underworld. It enabled the deceased to overcome obstacles and not lose their way by revealing passwords, clues, and special routes that helped the deceased answer questions and navigate around hazards. This Book of the Dead fragment dates to the late 18th–early 19th Dynasties, New Kingdom period, 1554–1080 BC.