Языческое богословие – комплекс верований truly grandiose, because it developed much longer than the entire Christian civilization. It would be a mistake to consider that the pagan religions put at the forefront only the rituals of worship in order to appease the great forces of nature and avoid the wrath of the gods in this earthly life. Since then, as a person began to realize himself as a being inevitably mortal, every religious thought inevitably dealt with the question of the otherworldly life of people, of what awaits them after death. The concept of the soul, which is separated from the body with the last breath, has arisen a long time ago, and thinking about what awaits this soul in another world, invisible to the earthly eye, gave rise to numerous books of the dead.
Esoteric teachings of ancient peopleextrapolated to the region of the invisible laws of the world of the living. And if success and prosperity here largely depends on knowledge and its correct application, then there, behind the coffin, harm and welfare can also be avoided and knowledge can be achieved. For example, a person, having mastered the necessary skills for dealing with fire, can put him in 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 good and, eventually, come to a haven in which you can flourish forever. Man could not reconcile with the finiteness of death, he was looking for immortality, creating ancient books of magic.
В течение веков развитие философии погребальных ceremonies created a special cult in the civilization of ancient Egypt. Sacred texts were written, summarizing the knowledge of the Cosmos, the Universe, the visible and the invisible. These two worlds were inextricably linked by secret threads, led only to the priests. The first known Egyptian book of the dead in history is the so-called “Pyramid Texts”, 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. Pharaoh here acts as the primate in front of the highest forces for his subjects.
With the further development of theology soul salvationbecomes an individual affair of each. The Egyptian book of the dead is reflected in many similar texts, for example, in the "Books of the Duat" or "The sarcophagus texts." Also began to become more complex ideas of people about the human soul. Ancient beliefs have ceased to be naive: the soul did not live in the tomb, attached to its body, the spirit of man Ka rushed up, in the great light. Evil demons rose on his way, but the goddess Isis, full of compassion for humanity, took him under her wings, transferred to the wise god Anubis, who accompanied the soul through all the winding corridors of the underworld until the very hall of the fair court of Osiris.
In fact, the Egyptian book of the dead is literallycalled the "Book of the exit to the light of day Thus, it is dedicated not to the dead, but truly alive. “Death is presented as a cure for ailment, as going out to the sun after a long imprisonment.” To overcome death, to escape from the clutches of evil demons towards eternal life - this is the true purpose of these sacred texts. For this purpose, a collection of 180 hymns and spell texts was placed in the tomb of the deceased. The salvation theology received the greatest flourishing in the XVIII dynasty: in various tombs of Thebes, archaeologists discovered many papyrus adorned with the finest drawings with scenes of burial, soul journeys through the "Gallery of the Night" and the court of Osiris.
Both Thebes and Sait Egyptian Book of the Deadthey tell how Anubis and the soul go west from Abydos to the mountain supporting the sky. Then, overcoming this highest mountain range, they descend by boat Hefri on the river of the underworld to the Gallery of the night. Snakes Apophis and other evil spirits are trying to capture the soul: baboons, snakes, dragons, horrible reptiles try to sow fear in it and confuse, but the soul, knowing by heart spells, pass through these tests.
But that's not all:Ahead are the trials of the Seven Gates and the Ten Pylons. All gates are guarded by their guard, mage and inquiring god. You need to know the secret names of each to open them for eternity. The pronouncement of these names, as well as the spell "Open the door for me, be a guide for me," causes the astral beings to serve the soul. At the trial of Osiris, a "weighing of the heart" takes place. The soul must justify itself and prove that it did not cause anyone any harm or oppression: “I gave bread to the hungry ... gave drink to the suffering ...”.
