The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal ... - IndianCoins.org

342 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.must take it that this weighing scene, which describesimpressively the scene of the Last Judgment of theDead, has in it all the elements of truth with regard tothe earliest use of balances by the Egyptians. All weneed say here, with regard to this sacred ordeal prescribedby the Egyptian religion, is that the heart ofthe dead has to pass the scales, whatever that mayindicate. 14 The Ka, too, or alter ego, of the deceased, isalso subject to the test, and itmay be that all the partsof the dead man, spiritual or animal, had in turn to beweighed and tested.What, however, concerns us here, is the object andresult of the weighing.Just before weighing, we have thisbehalf of the dead," Iphrase spoken onam here with Osiris, my measureis his measure." 15 Therefore we have the dead alreadymeasured and prepared for the weighing. The Ka andthe heart have already been invoked on his behalf : to thelatter the appeal has been made, " Let there be no fall ofthe scale against me in the presence of him who is at thebalance ;" 16to the former, " The scale of the balancerises, Truth (or Law) rises high to the nose of the god." 17Then comes the weighing scene. 18 Thoth with hisnote-book does the recording ; Maat, the goddess ofjustice, law, and all that is immutable and unchangeable,stands by; she is also the deity of measures, andperhaps standards. In one panof the scales is herfeather, emblematic of justice, truth, and correctmeasure ;in the other ispan the heart.14 It may be that the heart was the tribute paid to the gods beforeentering the divine circle or community.15Eenouf ,Book of the Dead, cxxiv.10 17Idem, xxx. a.Idem. cv.18Idem, cxxv.