Cult of the Dead

Ancient Egypt: Chronicles of an Empire • Season 1 • Episode 4

About this episode

Ancient Egypt is famous for its cult of the dead. Tomb complexes, mummies and fabulous treasures fire people's imagination to this day. Back then, it played a central role for the Egyptians. Episode 4 of ANCIENT EGYPT – Chronicles of an Empire tells the story behind this cult. Long before King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt for the first time around 3100 BC, the people along the Nile are burying their dead in the desert sand. They observe that a corpse does not decompose and that the body is preserved. This observation is the basis for a cult of the dead that has lasted for thousands of years. It is based on the belief that eternal life in the hereafter is only possible via a preserved body in this world. The documentary traces the development and the embellishment of the cult of the dead.