National Geographic: Egyptian Secrets of the Afterlife

To the ancient Egyptians, life after death was a high-stakes underworld journey fraught with terrifying obstacles: fiery lakes of death, battles with bona fide monsters and ultimately eternal death or resurrection with the sun. It’s a journey each Egyptian believed was real, and for the pharaoh the stakes were even higher – the entire cosmos depended... More »

To the ancient Egyptians, life after death was a high-stakes underworld journey fraught with terrifying obstacles: fiery lakes of death, battles with bona fide monsters and ultimately eternal death or resurrection with the sun. It’s a journey each Egyptian believed was real, and for the pharaoh the stakes were even higher – the entire cosmos depended on the king’s successful journey and resurrection. Now, new excavations are revealing more than we’ve ever known about what the Egyptians knew they’d encounter on their afterlife journey. And we’re finding that the king’s tomb wasn’t just a place to keep his mummified corpse. The royal tomb was nothing less than a machine constructed to guarantee the king’s resurrection and eternal life.

Bonus Feature: EGYPT'S HIDDEN TREASURES
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is a treasure house filled with passionate staff, awe struck visitors and many of the ancient world's most precious artefacts. On the eve of its hundredth anniversary, we join museum conservators as they prepare for a special exhibit to coincide with this major milestone. There are many artefacts stored in the museum that haven`t been displayed since they were first located, in some cases up to a century ago. What secrets do these hold and what are the stories behind these hidden treasures? Less «