Book of the Dead

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/book-of-the-dead

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the original egyptian name?rw nw prt m hrw (Spells of Coming Forth by Day)
2. What is the primary medium?Papyrus scrolls, often illustrated with vignettes
3. Where did the Book of the Dead come from?It grew out of older funerary texts like the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts. In the New Kingdom, around 1550 BC, Egyptians started writing these spells on papyrus scrolls.
4. Why were the spells in the Book of the Dead different for each person?Families could choose which spells they thought were most important. This made each copy unique and matched the person’s beliefs and social status.

Corpus: A collection or body of written works, especially of a specified author or tradition.
Vignettes: Small, decorative illustrations or scenes within a larger work, often found in manuscripts.
Ma'at: Ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice.
Funerary Literature: Texts written to accompany the dead and aid their journey into the afterlife.