However, it was also important that the body of the deceased be preserved, as the Egyptians believed that the ba returned to its body each night to receive new life, before emerging in the morning as an akh.

The Egyptians had a many burial customs that they believed were necessary to ensure immortality after death. These rituals and protocols included mummification, casting of magic spells, and burial with specific grave goods thought to be needed in the afterlife.

Although specific details changed over time, the preparation of the body, the magic rituals involved, and the grave goods provided were all essential parts of a proper Egyptian funeral.

According to the Egyptians, after death, the deceased faced a panel of judges where they would account for his time on earth. He was then led by Anubis, the jackal-faced god, to the scales where his heart would be weighed against the feather of Ma'at, the Goddess of Truth and Justice.

This was perhaps the most important trial in the deceased journey and is well documented in Ancient texts. If the heart outweighed the feather "it is heavy with the evil doings of the deceased".

This outcome is not a good one and the heart of the deceased will be devoured in the jaws of Amu'ut and he would face an eternity of oblivion. If the heart did not outweigh the feather, the deceased would be able to pass through to Osiris.

An Ibis-headed god, Thoth, recorded the results. It was Horus that led the deceased through to Osiris. Osiris waited with Isis and Nephthys and welcomed the deceased into the afterlife. The deceased would now continue to live in the afterworld as they did in life.

Their possessions would make the journey too, which is why the tombs were full of items important to the individual. At a minimum, these usually consisted of everyday objects such as bowls, combs, and other trinkets, along with food - placed to provide nourishment to the deceased.

Wealthier Egyptians could afford to be buried with jewelry, furniture, and other valuables. They also contained many pottery and stone vessels. In the New Kingdom, the deceased were provided with a small shabti statue, which the Egyptians believed would perform work for them in the afterlife.

In addition to these shabti statues, the deceased could be buried with many different types of magical figurines to protect them from harm.

Funerary Boats were a part of some ancient Egyptian burials. Boats played a major role in religion because they were conceived as the main means by which the gods traveled across the sky and through the netherworld. Many mummies were provided with some form of funerary literature to take with them to the afterlife.

Most funerary literature consisted of lists of spells and instructions essential to pass through the many obstacles sent to test the deceased as they transitioned from life to death and then back to life again. Eventually, the deceased could continue to enjoy life as an invisible spirit moving among the living, but without the pain and hardships of the living world.