March 17, 2025 11:39 pm

Anubis and Mummification

Anubis and mummification in ancient Egypt are so important and so old! The ancient Egyptians did, in fact, mummify their bodies!! Everyone thinks they understand mummification, but have you ever considered why ancient Egyptians mummified themselves? What did they think about life after death? And why was Anubis (the jackal) regarded as the embalming deity by the ancient Egyptians?

Anubis and Mummification in Culture and Civilization

Ancient Egypt was the very first human civilization, with a culture that dates back over 7,000 years.
The civilization began in the year 3100 BC when the king of the southern half of Egypt “King Menes” unified the two states of Egypt (Upper and Lower).

He was the first king of Egypt and he is known as “the unifier of the two lands”. He developed the country’s organizational structure and was in charge of resolving some of the world’s oldest political and diplomatic disputes. However, religious structures existed in Egypt long before the pharaoh, or, more accurately, far before ancient Egypt’s civilization.

Before the unification, the ancient Egyptians worshipped several gods. Horus, the falcon deity of light and the sky, was one of the earliest gods. He is shown in scenes honoring the king’s triumph over the people of the north and unifying the two territories of Egypt – north, and south – on Narmers’ palette, which is on display in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.

Let’s first get a brief idea about the ancient Egyptian beliefs

The Holy Nine: “The first nine gods”

Egypt is everlasting because of its past, which is transmitted via stories. The Egyptians believed that the very first deity, Atum, created himself.

Then he made the other gods, beginning with Shu (air) and (moisture) (Tefnu). The deity of the soil (Geb) and the goddess of the sky (Nut) were created when air and moisture were mingled together. The heavens and the ground created four gods: Osirus, Isis, Seth, and Nyphtes.

The Holy Nine gods, on the one hand, are extremely important since they are the principal and oldest gods. The sun god, on the other hand, was the preeminent divinity of ancient Egypt throughout its existence. He goes by several other names, including Ra, Amun, Amun Ra, and Aton (at the time of king Akhnaton).

The Holy Trinity:

There was a sacred triad (a family of gods) for every significant city in ancient Egypt, consisting of a father, mother, and son or daughter. The deity Ptah, his wife Sekhmet, and their son Nefertum, for example, were the holy trio in Memphis’ old, first capital city, while the god Amun, his wife Mut, and their son Khonso were the holy triad in Luxor.

There were around 700 gods in ancient Egypt in all. Some of them were nice and some of them were bad. It’s fascinating to note how the ancient Egyptians handled these inconsistencies with acceptance, serenity, and a sense of calm.

Anubis and Mummification:

What was the purpose of mummification in ancient Egypt? What evidence did they have that there was life after death? And why did the ancient Egyptians believe Anubis (the jackal) was the embalming god?

In the prehistoric period, to avoid the unpleasant odors of rotting corpses, Egyptians buried the bodies of their deceased in the desert, far away from communities and homes, before the entire development of this ancient civilization. They decided that the desert would be the best location for this. They selected a location that was close by and had soft sand to make it more convenient.

They would frequently seek ready-made holes to bury the body and cover it with sand. Gradually, this tradition became a religious law, and the Western Desert of Egypt became the immortal land of the afterlife.

The Secret of Mummification

Once, they were transporting a deceased person to the desert to be buried when they came upon a ready-made hole, which, as previously said, made it easier for them to bury a body swiftly. However, when they began to prepare the hole, they discovered another body inside, which was in remarkably good shape!

The thought came, “Why is this body in such wonderful shape? Furthermore, “HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?”. They decided to wait and see what would happen, so they stuffed the recently deceased body into the hole and stood guard at the burial.

Nothing happened for a few days, and nothing changed. “We’ll keep an eye on it,” they said. They noticed several animals assaulting the grave and digging in the hole in search of food after about a week. These carnivorous creatures were a gang of jackals who ate the dead and then ran away from the graveyard.

The ancient humans had the foresight to wait until the animals had completed their delectable feast before returning to the grave to examine what was left of the body. The jackals ate only the inner organs, the viscera, and drained the blood from the body, rather than the complete flesh.

Natural Mummification in Ancient Egypt

The body was exposed to the tremendous energy and burning heat of the sun while lying in the desert for several days. This dried the body, resulting in a mummy, and thus the natural mummification process began. It was done by an animal before humans were aware of it.

This animal was seen by the ancient Egyptians as a messenger who was sent to teach them the mummification procedure, but they had no idea why.

The explanation was straightforward: he (the jackal) was dispatched to inform the populace that they needed to mummify their bodies to prepare for a new existence. They believed in the afterlife as a result of mummification, rather than mummification as a result of believing in the afterlife.

God Anubis and Mummification deity

Anubis became known as the deity of mummification from this point on. They declared him a deity at the time and offered him sacrifices for him to stop digging graves. Because of him, they learned how to mummify, and the jackal (Anubis) ironically became the guardian of the tombs.

If you want to learn more about mummification and the equipment used to mummify bodies in ancient Egypt, the mummification museum in Luxor has all the information, tools, and mummies you need.

Or you may take one of our Egypt tour packages to enjoy and listen to an intriguing narrative about ancient Egyptian mummies and discoveries as told by an expert tour guide.

Useful links:

Deluxe Tours in Egypt

 

Egypt World Heritage Sites Tours

Isis with wings

Egypt Tour Paclages

from: 500$

Embark on this special voyage to discover the wonders of ancient Egypt....

from: 1100$

Step back in time to a different era when history was made and immortal monuments...

from: 1000$

Discover the hidden aspects of Egypt's past....

from: 1350$

This package covers all the tourist cities, the iconic attractions, and the lesser-known beautiful sites....

from: 1300$

Explore Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, and the Egyptian desert....

from: 390$

Enjoy exploring the wonders of Cairo and Alexandria with your private guide to enjoy the...
Isis with wings

The Jackal Anubis and Mummification in Ancient Egypt

Isis with wings
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 70 reviews)
Excellent97%
Very good2%
Average1%
Poor0%
Terrible0%

Amazing tour to the pyramids of Sakkara and Dahshur

January 1, 2025

This week we had a great tour with Mohamed to the pyramids of Sakkara and Dahshur as well as Memphis. He tailored the tour to our preferences, took a lot of time with us and gave us detailed background information on everything. It was also great that he never tired of taking the time to answer our many questions.

You can definitely tell that he has studied Egyptology as he has a very deep understanding of the subject and can explain everything well. He also speaks perfect English and is really good driver.

We would definitely book a tour with him again in a heartbeat and would recommend him to anyone. 🙂

Avatar for Christina Gaedcke
Christina Gaedcke

Amazing Egypt Fun Tours

December 22, 2024

Highly Recommend Egypt Fun Tours!

Several weeks ago, I reached out to Egypt Fun Tours regarding a 9-hour layover in Cairo. From the very beginning, Hani Ahmed was responsive and professional, quickly providing a well-organized itinerary tailored to our limited time. The itinerary included a visit to the pyramids, other historical sites, a delicious dinner, and even a quick stop for souvenir shopping.

Upon arrival, Gilman efficiently assisted us in obtaining our day tourist visas (note: $25 per person in cash). She then introduced us to our guide, Mydo, who was absolutely phenomenal! Mydo’s knowledge, friendly demeanor, and ability to adjust the tour to our pace made the experience unforgettable.

We returned to the airport with plenty of time to relax before our flight. The entire experience was smooth, stress-free, and incredibly memorable. Egypt Fun Tours offers reasonable prices for a private, customized experience that truly exceeds expectations. Thank you, Egypt Fun Tours! We will definitely use your services again in the future.

Avatar for Miguel R
Miguel R

Alexandria! Wow!

November 7, 2024

Muhammad is the best! He showed me a world I never thought possible! The tombs in Alexandria by far was my favorite! I never knew there was a place on earth that contained both Greek and Egyptian carvings in the same tombs! The history and culture of Egypt is so fascinating! I highly recommend booking with Muhammad!

Avatar for James Risenhoover
James Risenhoover

Tour of Cairo

November 4, 2024

Despite a late start due to car trouble, Mohamed more than made up for it with his incredible knowledge and dedication. His explanations were detailed and thoughtful, and he went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. A memorable and informative tour, thanks to Mohamed’s hard work!

Avatar for Sebastian
Sebastian

AMAZING TOUR, SOLO TRAVELER.

October 12, 2024

I am a California woman who traveled to Egypt alone and thanks to Egypt Fun Tours I had a great time. Hani, Mohammed, Kamal and David (my driver) were very professional and very knowledgeable, I appreciate how respectful they were and how protective they were with me.

They show me everything I wanted to see in Cairo and nearby places like Saqqara, Memphis, etc. Thanks to them I had a great time in Egypt, they were so so helpful than on my second day they helped me to move from my hotel in Giza to the Steigenberger hotel in downtown Cairo.

The tour price is super good includes a guide (expert in the field) a driver, lunch and drinks, they took me to amazing places for lunch, the food was super super delicious, for a foodie like me that was a highlight. We went out fo the tourist traps and I got to see the Cairo that if you are in a bus tour you will never get to see.

This tour is personalized for each person depending of what you want to see and do, I absolutely love it.

I used WhatsApp to communicate with Hani and arranged all my tours, Hani was super super nice since the moment I contacted him and explained him what I wanted to do and see.

Hani and his group mesmerized me with the tours they put together, this is a memory I will keep for lifetime.

I had only good things to say about them and I highly recommend them.

I did visit the pyramids in Giza, downtown Cairo, new Cairo, several museums, Coptic Cairo and Muslim Cairo with them and I learned a lot from them, I felt like they were family to me and it was EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT.

If I go back to Egypt I will hire them again without hesitation.

David I take my hat off for you because I have NO IDEA how you can drive in crazy Cairo, thanks to all of you for making this lady’s dream a reality.

Avatar for Ladylalique - California
Ladylalique - California
Isis with wings

Top-rated Tour Packages

Isis with wings