The Book of the Dead May Not Be What You Think It Is

[@pbsstoried]

Learn more about Surfshark with Incogni at: incogni.com/storied

[@TheCommonGentry]

are those live action skits new?

[@mythicalcreaturesdoctorsor3589]

book of dead : Egypt hell dead souls morality bad and good sins anubis and thoth justice law Osiris hell and heaven hell punishment ammit devourer people

[@PaszerDye]

Doc Emily channeling here inner kwasong

[@PokhrajRoy.]

8:44 I love that across cultures, the realm of the dead is a bureaucratic process.

[@RevShifty]

But no one beats the Confucians. Their traditional conception of an afterlife is literally just a heavenly bureaucracy, all the way down. It's both oddly fascinating and kinda depressing IMO.

[@gastonmarian7261]

The gods made us in their image, as the old adage says. The Norse myths showed the gods performing rituals for their gods, and that taught humans how to perform rituals to them. All of human society is hierarchical, whether you are a president with local mayors and a military, or a CEO with regional managers and an HR staff, or a pope with various bishops and priests. To structure the hierarchy requires documentation and a level of bureaucracy

[@mmyr8ado.360]

​@@RevShifty It just goes to show that people recognize that a hierarchial structure is inherent in the cosmos. Besides, beaureaucracy in Ancient China might not be the same as we have today.

[@kingmj87]

At least you get to listen to Harry Belafonte in the waiting room

[@RevShifty]

@@mmyr8ado.360 Eh, I think you're giving the Confucian idea of submitting to authority because tradition tells you to and because the Chinese emperor and its nobility was to always be respected far too much credit. No one did palace intrigue or rebellions like the Chinese, and Confucianism was just an attempt to reign that in and slow that all down for a bit. The fact that that intrigue and rebellion never really stopped shows you what the philosophy really meant to your average Chinese person, even the nobility. If it wasn't attached to all those wandering priests and eventually martial arts teachers, it might never even have survived. Well, that and I'm sure every parent loved the idea of filial piety, but it certainly wasn't because they were so busy observing the universe. But submitting to authority because the Heavenly Bureaucracy requires it doesn't sound all that profound or even cosmically attentive to me.

[@jessicajayes8326]

So, the Book of the Dead is a walk-thru tutorial with cheat codes to get to the "good ending" of the afterlife. Got it!

[@evolancer211]

"I am not a man of deceit" Greatest line in the episode lol

[@origaminosferatu3357]

*Trembles nervously in Witch-King of Angmar*

[@lakrids-pibe]

You guys are ridiculously dorky! I love it. I feel at home here.

[@safaiaryu12]

Oh, I clicked on this so fast! Work be damned! 😂 Ancient Egypt has been my special interest since I was little. I actually intended to go to grad school for Egyptology, but in my senior year of undergrad, my health suddenly tanked, and then the Egyptian revolution happened, so my professors said I should wait for Egypt to settle down... and now my career looks dramatically different than I expected. But I still try to keep up with archaeological news! Also, love Dr. Z's weighing of the heart! Y'all are so fun!

[@collin4555]

I appreciate the Beetlejuice reference. Without saying Beetlejuice, of course. Can only imagine the hijinks if you had said Beetlejuice.

[@animeevergreenathena]

Oh my…it has been a long time since I’ve seen that film. Nice to have that reference included in this video. ❤❤❤

[@Casiotron74]

Said it three times

[@krzysztofczarnecki8238]

@@animeevergreenathena There's a part 2 coming out this year. I hope it's at least one third as good as the first one

[@macgonzo]

Did not expect an Evil Dead reference, but the fact you put it in is GROOVY! ❤❤❤

[@eomguel9017]

I LOVE Egyptian mythology! As a child, I was obsessed with everything related to ancient Egypt and even though I chose a different career, I still enjoy seeing this kind of content. My favourite Egyptian god is actually Seth because he seems to be more of a misunderstood character rather than an actual villain, at least if you see the development of his myth from the early to the late dynasties. His personality and attributes were a lot more nuanced in early myths, representing a balancing force in equilibrium rather than conflict with Osiris and Horus. It was actually him who guarded Ra's boat against Apophis while it traveled through the Duat. In early versions of the myth, he was not sterile and was actually Anubis's father, representing the fact that there is also life in the desert, his dominion. Alongside Horus, he crowned each new pharaoh, granting him authority over the black and red Egypts. It seems to be a result of foreign invasions occurring during the Middle and New Kingdoms, and those peoples associating him with their own war gods that he thus became a much darker and villainous character.

[@theasinclaire52]

Yes! This! I doubt Seth was originally Osiris' brother. That probably happened when Upper and Lower Egypt united, probably also Osiris worship was considered more important than worshipping Seth and thus another reason for him to be the bad guy.

[@medusa_slayer]

Funnily enough I happen to have bought a book about ancient Egypt and its manuscripts recently so this episode comes and sits perfectly this day 👌🙌

[@GregoryTheGr8ster]

I LOVE the spell incantation in the opening! One of my favorite spell incantations is the awaking of the dragon in the movie "Excalibur". I have tried reciting it myself, and I can only barely make the dragon awaken before he goes right back to sleep.

[@GLSnifit]

0:42 Moments like THIS are why I love this series

[@merlapittman5034]

Excellent video! There's so much to Egyptian culture and mythology to explore, and this was very interesting and informative. The ancient Egyptian beliefs of what happened after people died were so complex that I suspect you could make a different video every day for a year and still have more information you could talk about! I've got to comment on that dress. Somehow, it just sings! It's perfect for Dr. Z, plus it speaks a little of mummy wrappings. And while the gray looks good and feels appropriate for the video, just imagine how you could change the look by simply changing the color!

[@bjdefilippo447]

"I see, but I'm not happy about it." Yeah, I feel that a lot, doc.

[@jared1870]

Storied never disappoints. I loved how this opened.

[@jforce91]

Ive got the full transcribed book of the dead (incl. pyramid texts) that i bought from Universal Studios in CA. The spells are one thing. its the names, and titles, for Egypt's 100+ gods that are the hard to remember bit; Like each deity wasnt just "Horus" "Ra" "Thoth" etc, they could be heralded as "Ra as he is in the western sky" "Ra as he is in the eastern sky" "Ra as he is at this temple" "Ra as he is at that temple" "Ra as he is in Amun Ra" "Ra as he is in Khepri"... and the list goes on.

[@Mikeztarp]

Good on you for saying "may" instead of the condescending clickbait way most people phrase it.

[@john80c]

Super explanation of a complicated piece of Egyptology

[@pattheplanter]

Seshat, Goddess of the Library, has to be the coolest Egyptian deity. I might, in this instance, admit this archaeological find may have been used for ritual.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Love me some Ancient Egypt content.

[@thevine2010]

You need a Pet Sematary for the gerbil (refer to a Stephen King). Plus you have books made of human skin (like the necronomicon) in some libraries (College of Physicians of Philadelphia and Harvard University).

[@crowdemon_archives]

Make sure the human leather book isn't an anatomical textbook too! 😅

[@censusgary]

The Egyptian civilization lasted for such a long time (thousands of years), changing constantly as all societies do, that most things that were true about Egyptian religion, culture, and mythology at one time were not as true at other times.

[@gwyndolinds-en8yt]

Can we assume that the view of it being a grimoire is from egyptomania and the popularization of occultism in the late nineteenth century?

[@ArchFiendFolio]

Love your content, keep it up Dr.

[@tabathawade5279]

The Two of You are Precious.

[@solsystem1342]

Hitchhikers guide to the afterlife?

[@keerthikiran7055]

Sounds like a book name

[@charleshalvorson806]

I love how good the two of you are together being funny, it’s awesome:)

[@ortem000]

Love this one. More interaction like this between Emily and Moiya please!

[@coryschabacker]

That's an amazing outfit, Dr Z

[@littlejourneyseverywhere]

As a Khemetic Pagan, I have a beautiful copy of Budge's translation with full images of the translated hieroglyphics that is going to be buried with me when I go on to the Duat. ❤️

[@TimelessTransience]

Do you know where I could find that version? That sounds really cool!

[@littlejourneyseverywhere]

@@TimelessTransience Budge's translation is the most recent and includes pieces that hadn't been excavated when the other more widely distributed version was published so I like it best. I actually got my copy off of Amazon :)

[@TimelessTransience]

@littlejourneyseverywhere I'm somewhat familiar with Budge; I cited his work in a paper for college at least once. I should've asked you like this: what's the particular release you were talking about (cover/ISBN)?

[@suzukablade]

Handbook For The Recently Deceased: Ancient Egyptian Edition!

[@pendragon2012]

I made my students promise if Anubis strikes me down, they'll leave my copy of Book of the Dead next to me so I can find the Field of Reeds.

[@jessicadecuir5622]

Do you want the full treatment with natron, wrappings, and canopic jars as well? Or is that where you draw the line?

[@pendragon2012]

@@jessicadecuir5622 Hey if I'm already struck down, give me the works! 🙂

[@DrBunnyMedicinal]

Oooh, Tefnut, *excellent* choice Dr T! Also, awesome dress there Dr Z. Wonderful and informative work from you both, as always, and bravo to all the rest of the team at Storied too! 👏👏👏

[@pandoraeeris7860]

The Egyptian Book *For* The Dead Simple translation error 😉

[@JimmyCerra]

Handbook for the Recently Deceased.

[@gwyndolinds-en8yt]

The “You died! Now what?” Manual

[@tremorsfan]

If you look at pictures from the opening of King Tut's tomb it looks like one of those garages where you can't park your car.

[@Sgt-Gravy]

Beetleguese's or Beetlejuice's book of the dead would be a much closer modern adaptation to the Egyptian book of the dead?

[@JimmyCerra]

It’s called the Handbook for the Recently Deceased

[@jakephocas1396]

You guys have waaay too much fun doing these segments 😂😂😂! How do you ever get through to the end?!!

[@silverquillproductions4076]

As a fellow free time Egyptologist, this was very fun to watch from a very informative individual!! 🙌✨

[@Qadupae]

Omg, where did you get that dress?!?!

[@zombieholly]

I also need to know this!

[@LindaC616]

Definitely unique

[@pbsstoried]

It's from 4SI3NNA-*Dr. Z*

[@Qadupae]

@@pbsstoried Thank you so much!!! Their whole dress line looks phenomenal!!!

[@gilbertoignacioaguirrevarg4550]

Man, this would've helped a lot with a presentation I gave last semester

[@danielspitz9077]

Ani means "I" or "me" in Hebrew, it makes it quite interesting to think that this character is a symbol for the self going through the afterlife.

[@Ant42Lee]

That's a fun thought, though I doubt it was intentional. The Middle Egyptian (classical) form of the word I was "yanak" or "anak", so I doubt an Egyptian would make that connection (and "Ani" is probably just a conventional pronunciation of that scribe's name anyway, rather than a reconstruction)

[@danielspitz9077]

@@Ant42Lee yes of course, but even the gods names, Ra is 'bad' and Ammit is 'friend' in Hebrew. So while I totally agree it's only a fun thought, it's interesting, especially since the two ancient cultures had connections and probably influenced each other is many ways.

[@hanbeihood3202]

Love Tefnut! Good choice

[@lbjcb5]

Dr. M dropping that book had me cackling. Another great episode!

[@crackers0413]

Writing this 1 minute into the video so may have to edit, but is it true that the Tibetan Book of the Dead was more of a guidebook for life, while the Egyptian version was to cross over to afterlife?

[@loganskiwyse7823]

Very nice presentation.

[@lowspotsound721]

What I always find so disappointing about mainstream coverage of ancient non-Europeans is the strictly literal interpretation of texts that express ideas with fantastic and super natural imagery. It seems a way to dismiss as childish a group that had remarkable mathematical and scientific achievements, and most certainly were encoding perspectives on science, philosophy, etc… through metaphor and allegory. Reading these texts so literally and suggesting the most educated of the society were performing “spells” makes it sound like magic and woo woo, when the Egyptians clearly demonstrated an advanced understanding of physical reality through construction of pyramids and their understanding of the cosmos. It’s sad really.

[@Winteramen]

I like how most historical facts reveal how much of our history is able to turn things into businesses

[@ChiefRxcka]

Nothing to do with the video but something funny that someone pointed out to me recently: In the beginning of the video she says, "you can't judge a book by it's cover". But, that's _exactly_ what book covers are for...to help you in judging the contents of the book so you don't have to waste time reading a book that you're not going to like...

[@skyden24195]

I've always found "The Mummy" series using an actual book, as it is commonly found in the modern world, to be one of the most hilariously obvious missteps of the franchise. Depicting "The Book of the Dead" as a fancible means to resurrect the dead is one thing, but to completely overlook the fact that ancient Egypt utilized scrolls and not cover-bound folded, central-connected pages is mindbogglingly dumb on the writers' part. BTW, I loved the comparison to "The Handbook of the Recently Deceased."

[@uroboros_8563]

Love your videos ❤

[@mascadadelpantion8018]

I do love their videos like this

[@KimberlyLetsGo]

Folks need to remember that the rule of the pharaohs lasted 3200 years. In comparison, there has only been a British monarchy for 1200 years.

[@denisejeffries2675]

After I skipped past the silly skit portions I enjoyed the video ⭐️ I like Dr. Z teaching about the interesting topics.

[@zacharymoore9028]

There is so much talk of spells and trials in the discussion about the book of the dead. Are there actual spells written by the Egyptians to heal or control to help them along the way or is it more instructive guide to the journey?

[@PeterFrikadelle]

Thanks for the content you sweet nerds!

[@AlexBigelow2]

If anyone's looking for a rabbit hole, the childish scribbles behind the fragment at 3:33 were done by Joseph Smith, ... which are officially canonized as Mormon scriptures. And yes, Mormonism has secret rituals and spells (borrowed from Freemasonry, not Egypt) that you need to know to get into heaven

[@Volundur9567]

I got a copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead with hieroglyphics, transliterations and translations from a used book store. I haven't read it yet, just flipped through it. Looks neat.

[@Pottery4Life]

Thank you.

[@aidanrogers4438]

I can never watch ‘The Mummy’ and ‘The Mummy Returns’ the same way again now.

[@AslamGreyFox]

how about the Tibetan Book of th DEAD ....they have a book for living too

[@anaz5918]

I have read it very interesting book .

[@nbutler33]

Not me watching every video because I'm so invested in the Pantheon picks 🤣

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

0:50 - Oh, like Beetlejuice!

[@171QA]

Great video.

[@bnthern]

a fun and well given education

[@harrisonfletcher9886]

Thanks for the great video! I love this channel. Speaking of things that aren't what they seem; would you consider doing a video on Crom Cruach? I recently watched your video on the dullahan so it made me think of it.

[@user-pz2lt7ox1r]

Thank you for this video

[@nazokashii]

Thank you so much

[@easytomove]

Taweret is watching you

[@genghisgalahad8465]

And Sobek, was it awaits, 🐊 ....

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video

[@majinsole8554]

Funnily enough, “Hail to the King, baby” is a direct Anubis quote. Don’t bother looking it up, just take my word for it. ~_~

[@Crocus4x]

I worship the goddess in a new way, I expect to be punished for saying that, but I love her regardless. Deeply and with conviction... .

[@redcurrantart]

Okay. 3:32 I adore that you’re using the Joseph Smith Papyri in this video. Yes it’s clearly the book of the dead but any LdS scholar is going to argue that’s Abraham being sacrificed. It even had the ‘pharaoh’ illustration where Smith put human features in the vacant space of Anubis head. Thank you as scholars for calling it exactly what it is… the book of the dead, not the Book of Abraham written by the hand of Abraham while in Egypt as Smith claimed.

[@Myself-yf5do]

They didn't have books in ancient Egypt?

[@miketacos9034]

Sounds pretty nice honestly.

[@jkosch]

Not sure if you could just pick Tefnut without picking (or getting) Shu as well.

[@13ravenstears]

I wish its actual name was much more common. Such a beautiful title.

[@jeffreybrannen9465]

At the 3:32 mark, did you include the Book of Abraham? (I know Joseph Smith made it up, but I think I recognized his doodles)

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

"Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge; hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again." --A.B. (DD1) 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨

[@GarGhuul]

Handbook For The Newly Deceased! Original Edition.

[@DarthTingleBinks]

Just because you brought up for a joke, I was wondering if there ARE any historical religious or spiritual texts similar to the Lovecraft concept of the Necronomicon? Texts about summoning demons and reviving the dead. Because that's what I want to learn about.

[@la_belle_heaulmiere]

Oddly, I thought this was common knowledge

[@gastonmarian7261]

One of my favorite funerary texts is the Egyptian Book of Gates with commentary by Josephine McCarthy

[@XOguitargurlOX]

"I am not a *man* of deceit" "we really need to close that loophole..." Love you ladies 🤣

[@SambagsStockpot]

I was just going to mention Beetlejuice then you did, Dr. Z. Dagnabbit! 😂

[@MagdaleneDivine]

Its a book of spells to use in the afterlife. But it says at the beginning "ALL OF THIS ARE JUST SUGGESTIONS CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEN AFTER YOU IS DEAD...GOOD LUCK" IT SAYS THAT on the front cover letter. The first page says "SUGGESTED USE ONLY" CAUSE I READ IT. ITS ALL SUGGESTIONS

[@Svartalf14]

How did the lesser strata of Egyptian society have access to the Book, if they couldn't read it and learn the spells and rites? learn by word of mouth?

[@walt3223]

Enjoyed the video, good infor. Fill the need to say that I have a part copy of a Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead, Translated by E.A. Wallis Budge from 240 BC were the Sumerian god Anu takes part in the rite. Might be interesting.

[@Beryllahawk]

One of the nicer "versions" of the Egyptian afterlife involved most folks sticking around in the Field of Reeds, though I think the author called it a summer country. She wasn't at all trying to reflect the real practices, though, this was a fantasy novel with strong influences of Egyptian culture, not a scholarly work of any sort. At the same time it seemed like a less horrible afterlife than some I could mention.

[@sunny_muffins]

One day people will perhaps also wonder how to decipher our emojis 🌞✍👁👄👁 😁💀🤔

[@cleobuck7717]

It may be to comfort their love ones, that have passed on , the after life is spiritual .

[@DeusShaggy]

It is exactly what I knew it is. Thank ya very much.

[@AleshaM30]

Dope episode. Also, Dr. Z where did you find that dress? I love it!

[@M335h1]

00:56 😅 my immediate mind reference is beetlejuice😅😅

[@M335h1]

1:36 yeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss

[@fabycho6791]

Uhhh that dress 😯😯🙌

[@susan174]

Interesting! I thought the (Egyptian) Book of the Dead was widely understood as a sort of handbook for the deceased. Oh, well- times change, eh? Thanks for reacquainting us with this information.

[@NodDisciple1]

What about the Tibetan One?

[@amythefinalgirl8377]

This was absolutely adorable and fun ❤

[@undergroundindy]

😂 Love the Evil Dead opening ♥

[@VoltasP]

A very Egyptian cut to that dress. I dig it.

[@pbsstoried]

You noticed! The necklace is also a recreation of one found on an Egyptian mummy.-Dr.Z

[@zombieholly]

@@pbsstoried Is there any way someone can tell me where it was purchased? It's so cool!

[@pbsstoried]

@@zombieholly 4SI3NNA!

[@zombieholly]

Thank you so much!@@pbsstoried

[@BobLHedd]

I like your Jedi robes, Dr. Z