The canopic jars were used to store the organs of the body before mummification (liver, lungs, intestines, and brain). These jars were made of pottery or marble, and the methods and craftsmanship of the jars varied depending on the status of the deceased. The best jars that have reached us from the ancient Egyptian civilization are those of King Tutankhamun (1350 B.C.) and the jars of Yuya and Tuya from the Late Bronze Age.
The reason for removing the organs such as the kidneys, lungs, brain, and liver was to prevent the body from decaying, as this would deprive the deceased of regaining their soul, preventing the "Ka" and "Ba" from reuniting and leading them to become lost in the spirit world. However, the heart was not removed by the embalmers because it was considered the source of intelligence and emotion. Without the heart, the deceased could not pass through the gates of the underworld, as it was the most important organ in the body.
In the final stage, after appearing before the Court of Truth and its 42 judges, the deceased would confess to the good deeds they did and the sins they did not commit, saying things like: "I did not steal. I did not kill. I did not lie. I did not cause a plant to suffer by forgetting to water it. I did not cause anyone to cry. I did not cause the misery of any person. My heart is clean, and my hands are pure." The deceased could not cross without having performed righteous acts, as these were the strict criteria upheld in the Court of Truth.
After the confessions, the deceased would appear before Osiris, the god of the underworld, accompanied by Anubis, the god of the tombs, and Ma'at, the goddess of balance. The heart of the deceased would be placed on a scale opposite the feather of Ma'at, the feather of truth. If the heart was heavier than the feather, it would be devoured by the beast Ammit, a hybrid of a hippopotamus, lion, and falcon. However, if the heart was lighter than Ma'at's feather, the deceased would enter the Fields of Reeds (Iaru), which means paradise.
If the deceased managed to pass through the gates and the Court of Truth, they could take with them their pets, favorite books, and beloved spouse to the afterlife!
This is the judgment of the soul after death, from Chapter 7 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, *Amduat*.
Archeologist Mohamed Abbas Al-Rifai.
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