Book of the Dead papyrus of Kerqun, Ptolemaic, Egypt; © the Trustees of The British Museum. This sheet shows the ceremony of the judgement of the dead before Osiris, the central god of Egyptian funereal rituals and ruler of the Underworld. The heart of Kerqun, represented by the hieroglyph for heart, sits on the left pan of the scale to be weighed against a feather representing Maat. To the left of the scales waits the devourer, ready to consume the heart should it not balance with Maat. The judgement is proclaimed and recorded by the scribe Thoth, the ibis-headed god.

Heart scarab, third intermediate period, Egypt; © the Trustees of The British Museum. The scarab was a potent symbol of rebirth for the ancient Egyptians. Amulets shaped like scarabs formed an important part of their funerary rituals. The scarab would be placed over the heart of the mummified body to prevent the heart’s removal and to discourage it from speaking out against the dead during the judgement ceremony. The underside of this heart scarab is inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead. It entreats the heart to perform well during the judgement ceremony, saying: ”My heart of my mother, My heart of my mother stand not against me as a witness, oppose me not in the council, outweigh me not before the keeper of the balance.”