About a century before Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt, an Egyptian royal scribe named Hunefer died. Found in his tomb was a papyrus Book of the Dead, an illustrated guide for navigating the afterlife.

The above illustration shows Hunefer (in white at far left) entering the afterlife, where his heart will be weighed against the Feather of Truth on a scales (center) at the court of goddess Maat. She personifies truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice—attributes so scarce among American political leaders today.

If Hunefer’s heart turns out to be lighter than the feather, he will be eaten by the demon goddess Ammit (immediately to the right of the center post of the scales). She is ferocious—part crocodile, part lion, part hippopotamus. If Hunefer’s heart has more substance than the feather, he proceeds to the next stage of the afterlife. Evidently he passes the test because at far right he continues into eternity.

I don’t expect to see Maat or Ammit in another world, but Jesus tells us what will happen at the final judgement:

The Son of Man, Jesus says, will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . .  

“For I was hungry and you supported food banks, I was thirsty crossing the desert and you set up water stations, I was an immigrant and you welcomed me, I was naked and you provided social services, I was sick and you funded medical care, I was imprisoned for having no documents and you visited me” (Matthew 25:31-46, edited for clarity).

Jesus also says what will happen to those who did not show compassion. They will . . . well, read Matthew 25. It has something to do with an unpleasant arrangement “prepared for the devil and his angels.”

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PS: Would love to have you join me on a pilgrimage-tour to biblical, Pharaonic, early church, and monastic sites in Egypt in the autumn of 2026–specifics soon to be announced. For info on the Egypt tour and other trips, keep an eye on http://www.tourmagination.com.

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The photo in this blog entry is in the public domain and is available on Wikipedia.