Egyptology | Chapter 18: The Hereafter and Immortality
The Hereafter and Immortality
On Drunkenness and the Company of Fools
…to help you; but your drinking companions will mock you, saying: “Take this fool away,” and when you are interrogated you will be lying prostrate upon the ground.
The Remembrance of Death
“Prepare for yourself a beautiful dwelling in the desert valley, and death will come to you and station himself before you. Do not say: ‘I am still young for him to seize me,’ for you do not know your appointed time, and death comes and seizes the child who is still suckling at his mother’s breast, just as he seizes the old man.”
Choosing Friends and Honoring Elders
“Do not take the aggressive man as a friend for yourself; rather choose for yourself a just and upright friend.”
“Do not sit down if someone older than you is standing, or another who is senior to you in your profession.”
The Pursuit of Knowledge and Guarding the Tongue
“If you are diligent in writing, all people will do everything according to what you say. Therefore take care to acquire books and to study them.”
“Ruin befalls a man as a result of the slip of his tongue. A man must choose the best speech and speak it, and keep ugly speech imprisoned in his belly.”
Loyalty to the Mother and Compassion for the Poor
“Double the amount of good that you give to your mother, and carry her as she carried you. She gave you her breast for three years and was not disgusted by your excrement. She enrolled you in school when you learned writing. And when you become a young man and take a wife for yourself, keep before your eyes how your mother brought you forth and how she raised you by every means.”
“Do not eat bread when there is another who suffers from lack of it without stretching out your hand to him with bread. There is a rich person and a poor one, and he who was rich in past years may become poor this year.”
Conduct in the Household and with the Teacher
“Do not play the role of the master with your wife in her house if you know that she is skilled in her work. Let your eye observe in silence so that you may know her good deeds, and you will be happy if your hand is with her in that.”
“Submit your ears, listen to what is said to you, absorb it in your heart and mind, appreciate what your teacher says to you, and thank God that he exerts every effort in order to teach you.”
Mercy, Wisdom, and the Protection of Public Property
“Beware of robbing a wretched poor man, of being bold before a broken-winged man, and of making yourself a messenger on a harmful mission.”
“Do not enter into an argument with a fool, turn away from one who attacks, and leave the presence of one who is in the hour of his anger. For the foolish man is like a tree whose branches are cut and whose destiny is the wood-yard that the fires consume; whereas the wise man is like a lofty tree in a flourishing garden, abundant in fruit and dense in shade, and it remains permanently in the garden.”
“Do not misuse the shares of the temple, do not show greed when you find abundant good, and do not dismiss a priest for the benefit of another priest, for tomorrow comes and goes, and no one remains permanently in his position.”
“Do not rejoice over wealth that has come by way of theft, for you will not find it in your house at the rising of dawn; perhaps the earth has already opened its mouth and swallowed it. Do not complain of poverty, for the boat of the evil man sinks in the mud, while the boat of the good man sails with the breeze.”
Sincerity, Honesty, and the Danger of Greed
“Do not separate your heart from your tongue so that all your ways may be successful, and be firm before other people, for man is in the hand of God. He who is detested by God is the one who lies in his speech, for the greatest thing He hates is hypocrisy.”
“Do not covet the property of a subordinate, and do not look longingly at his loaf.” And he says the same about the property of a nobleman:
“Do not covet the property of a nobleman, and do not give a large amount of bread as waste. And if he appoints you to manage his affairs, keep away from what belongs to him until what you yourself possess bears fruit.”
“Do not harm a man with a stroke of the pen upon a papyrus, for that is what the god detests. Do not give false testimony, and do not use your pen in falsehood.”
Solidarity, Cheerfulness, and True Testimony
“If you find a poor man who has a large debt, divide it into three parts, forgive him two, and keep one. You will find yourself sleeping deeply throughout the night, and on the following day you will find that the good you have done is circulating upon the tongues of people. For the praise of people and their love for a man is better than riches in the storehouses, and for a man to eat bread with a happy heart is better than riches with misery.”
“Do not lie down at night fearing tomorrow, for a man does not know what tomorrow will be.”
“Do not falsify your words in the court, do not hesitate in your answer, and speak the truth before the judge.”
“Do not accept a gift from a powerful man, and do not oppress the weak for his sake. Do not draw up false documents for yourself, do not falsify papers, for by that you are trying to corrupt the will of the god.”
The Dawn of Conscience and Immortality
Thus the dawn of civilisation and progress rose upon the land of Egypt, and with it rose the dawn of conscience. The conscience of man in his first life was the overseer of everything he did, in the hope that by means of this conscience – which expressed its alertness and purity in all the values, principles, ideals and ethics of ancient Egyptian society – he might reach the world of immortality, in which, in every time and place and with every religion and creed, nothing will avail except righteous work and the pure conscience.
Module Key Takeaways
- The Egyptian sages provided detailed practical guidance covering every aspect of daily life, from table manners and treatment of parents to honesty in work and testimony.
- Alert conscience was the constant overseer; every action was measured against the standards of truth, justice, compassion, and sincerity to secure a favourable judgment in the afterlife.
- Immortality depended not on wealth or status but on righteous deeds and a pure heart, with the final resurrection bringing joy to the sinless who walked according to the moral path.