Why was a scarab beetle buried with a mummy? (pt 5/5)
Jamie Theakston and Marcelle Duprey attempt to solve the mystery of why scarab beetles were buried with mummified bodies. The Book of the Dead contains 200 spells and rituals for burying the dead in the time of the Ancient Egyptians. Information about the scarab beetle is found in a chapter of the book called βWeighing the heart against the feather of truthβ. The scarab was an amulet or lucky charm placed on the heart to protect it on its journey to the afterlife. The heart was the only organ left in a body when it was mummified. This was because it was believed that the heart stored the thoughts and memories of an individual that would be needed in the afterlife. That is why a scarab was found placed on the heart of Tutankhamun in his tomb. Using evidence gathered from various sources, the final mystery about the scarab could be solved.
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