Osiris, accompanied by the Forty-two Judges,
demon-like creatures, reviewed the lives of the deceased
Egyptians and absolved them or condemned them. Mor-
tuary texts and the priests provided the deceased with the
Declarations of Innocence, also known as the NEGATIVE
CONFESSIONS. The names of the individual Forty-two
Judges were provided to the deceased by priests as well,
so that the corpse could effectively plead its case. In addi-
tion, AMULETS, spells, and incantations were also avail-
able.
The deceased who appeared before the Forty-two
Judges and Osiris understood the guiding principles of
the ritual. The dead whose good deeds outweighed evil
were deemed pure and eligible to enter AMENTI, the west-
ern paradise. Those who had committed equally good
and bad deeds were allowed to become part of the retinue
of Osiris in many forms. The deceased who had commit-
ted more evil deeds than good were given to AMEMAIT,the
fabulous beast that dined not only on their flesh but also
on their souls. This last fate was the most dreaded
because it resulted in total annihilation.
Gigantic scales were present in the hall, and there
divine beings helped THOTHin keeping an account of the
deceased’s heart, which determined his or her worthiness
to enter the realms of eternal bliss. While the weighing of
the heart took place, the corpse addressed a series of
prayers and commands to its heart and recited various
mortuary formulas. The effort resulted in an exact bal-
ance between the heart and the Feather of Ma’at, the sym-
bol of righteousness.
Additional aspects of the ritual in the Judgment Halls
of Osiris included naming of the stones and bolts of the
doors, so that they could open onto the realms of eternal
happiness. The deceased was then faced with performing
bargaining rituals with the ferryman, who rowed the dead
to the domain of Osiris. “HE-WHO-LOOKS-BEHIND-HIM-
SELF,” Hraf-hef, was the ferryman, a testy individual. All
of the rites conducted in the hall and in the ceremonies
indicated a remarkable recognition of human free will
and personal responsibility for moral actions during one’s
life on earth. Such recognition, however, was immediately
countered by the use of magic, which the Egyptians
believed would guarantee a quick passage to the eternal
fields of happiness. This ritual of death and judgment
remained firm in Egyptian religious beliefs, as eternity
remained the goal of Egyptians throughout their history.
The tribunal in the Judgment Halls of Osiris and its ever-
lasting consequences were part of the framework upon
which the Egyptians based their continual spiritual aspi-
rations.Suggested Readings: Antelme, Ruth, and Stephane
Rossini. Becoming Osiris: The Ancient Egyptian Death
Experience. Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions Intl. Ltd.,
1998; Hare, Tom. Remembering Osiris: Number, Gender,
and the Word in Ancient Egyptian Representational Systems.
Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1999; Hous-
ton, Jean. The Passion of Isis and Osiris: A Union of Two
Souls.New York: Ballantine, 1998.Judicial Papyrus of Turin A text dating to the reign
of RAMESSES III(1194–1163 B.C.E.) or soon after, this doc-
ument concerns the HAREMconspiracy against Ramesses
III and the resulting uncovering of the judicial conspira-
cies in the matter. Judges and high-ranking officials
became embroiled in the matter during the court pro-
ceedings against Queen TIYE (2), a lesser consort of
Ramesses III, who wanted to put her son, PENTAWERET,on
the throne instead of RAMESSES IV. The court officials that
were mandated to investigate the matter were corrupted
by Tiye and harem personnel, and the officials were sub-
sequently investigated and punished. Tiye was probably
executed, and Pentaweret and other high-ranking offi-
cials were forced to commit suicide. Lesser officials had
their noses slit and were exiled.Julius Caesar, Gaius See CAESAR, JULIUS.Jupiter Ammon See SIWAOasis.188 Judicial Papyrus of TurinA Spirit Boat, the vessel used to ferry the dead Egyptians to the
paradise of eternity after being found worthy in the Judgment
Halls of Osiris. (Hulton Archive.)