Book of the Dead

[ book uhv thuh ded ]

noun

1. a collection of ancient Egyptian papyrus books, many with elaborate illustrations, each containing prayers, hymns, incantations, and formulas for the behavior of the souls of the dead.

Example Sentences

Keyed to antiquities at the Getty Villa at the edge of Malibu are three focused shows, one centered on a nearly life-size gold bust of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, another of papyrus scrolls and linen mummy wrappings that comprise the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead and a third charting conservation of a surprising 2,800-year-old Greek bronze statuette of an equestrian, excavated in Albania.

From Los Angeles Times

His descendants auctioned off his private library bit by bit, and by the late 1970s his collection of 19 ancient funerary scroll fragments — each a part of what is today collectively known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead — was acquired by the New York book dealer Hans P. Kraus.

From New York Times

Nov. 1-January 29 ‘Egyptian Book of the Dead’ In their extensive preparations for the afterlife, ancient Egyptians took with them spells intended to lead them through various netherworlds and eternity — instructions, for example, that might help them survive a test for soundness of heart in the court of Osiris.

From Los Angeles Times

Though not technically a book, these incantations are collectively known as the Book of the Dead.

From Los Angeles Times

Marion Winik, host of the NPR podcast “The Weekly Reader,” is the author of numerous books, including “First Comes Love” and “The Big Book of the Dead.”

From Washington Post