Pagan theology is a truly grandiose set of beliefs, because it has developed much longer than the entire Christian civilization. It will be erroneous to believe that pagan religions placed only rituals of worship at the forefront in order to appease the great forces of nature and avoid the wrath of the gods in this earthly life. Since man began to recognize himself as an inevitably mortal being, all religious thought inevitably dealt with the question of the otherworldly life of people, what awaits them after their death. The concept of the soul, which is separated from the body with the last breath, arose a very long time ago, and the thought of what awaits this soul in another, invisible earthly eye world has generated numerous books of the dead.
The esoteric teachings of ancient people extrapolated to the invisible region the laws of the living world. And if success and prosperity here largely depend on knowledge and its correct application, then there, behind the coffin, harm can be avoided and prosperity achieved through knowledge. For example, a person, having mastered the necessary skills in handling fire, can put him at the service of his needs and avoid fires, and after death, having the necessary information, you can avoid the harm of evil deities, enlist the support of the good and, in the end, come to some a quiet haven in which you can prosper forever. Man could not accept the finiteness of death; he sought immortality, creating ancient books of magic.
Over the centuries, the development of the philosophy of funeral rites has created a special cult in the civilization of ancient Egypt. Sacred texts were written summarizing the knowledge of the Cosmos, the Universe, visible and invisible. These two worlds were inextricably linked by secret threads, known only to priests. The first Egyptian book of the dead known in history is the so-called “Texts of the Pyramids”, carved on the walls of the tomb of Unas (about 2400 BC). This religious text reflects the astral connection of the pharaoh, standing at the top of the "pyramid" of his people, with the world of the gods. Here, the Pharaoh acts as the Primate before the higher forces for his subjects.
With the further development of theology, soul salvation becomes an individual affair of everyone. The Egyptian book of the dead is reflected in numerous similar texts, for example, in the Books of the Duat or the Texts of Sarcophagi. Also, people's ideas about the human soul have become more complicated. Ancient beliefs ceased to be naive: the soul did not live in the tomb, attached to its body, the human spirit Ka rushed upward, in a great light. Evil demons stood in his way, but the goddess Isis, full of compassion for humanity, took him under her wings, passed him to the wise god Anubis, who accompanied the soul with all the winding corridors of the underworld to the hall of Osiris's fair trial.
In fact, the Egyptian book of the dead is literally called the "Book of the Exit to the Light of Day." Thus, it is not dedicated to the dead, but truly alive. "Death appears as a cure for illness, as an exit to the sun after prolonged confinement." Overcoming death, breaking free from the clutches of evil demons towards eternal life - this is the true purpose of these sacred texts. For this, a collection of 180 hymns and spell texts was placed in the tomb of the deceased. The theology of salvation gained its peak in the 18th dynasty: in various Thebes burials, archaeologists discovered many papyri decorated with subtle drawings with burial scenes, soul journeys through the Gallery of the Night and Osiris’s court.
Both Thebes and Sait Egyptian books of the dead narrate how Anubis and soul go west from Abydos, to the mountain that supports the sky. Then, having overcome this highest mountain range, they descend on the river Hephri on the river of the underworld to the Gallery of the Night. The snake Apophis and other evil spirits are trying to capture the soul: baboons, snakes, dragons, terrible reptiles are trying to instill fear and confusion in it, but the soul, knowing the spells by heart, goes through these trials.
But there is more to come: Seven Gates and Ten Pylons will be tested ahead. All gates are guarded by their guardian, magician and interrogating god. One needs to know the secret names of each in order to open them for eternity. Saying these names, as well as the spell "Open me the door, be my guide" makes astral beings serve the soul. At the trial of Osiris, "weighing the heart." The soul must justify itself and prove that it did no harm and oppression to anyone: "I gave bread to the hungry ... watered the afflicted ...".