Anubis is the Egyptian god of the afterlife . As protector of helpless souls, he has the function of guiding the dead to heavenly regions and assisting in their resurrection. For being the first embalmer, according to the Osiris myth, Anubis is also known as the god of mummification , that is, the one who, according to the ancient Egyptians, ensures that people receive due treatment after death. Anubis god history
The cult of Anubis is very old, and there are images of the god Anubis in tombs from the First Dynasty (3200 – 2778 BC). There are also references to him in the Pyramid Texts , the oldest texts in ancient Egyptian religion.
These texts are composed of funerary inscriptions engraved more than 4,000 years ago inside the first pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Anubis and other gods are mentioned in these inscriptions in order to protect and assist the dead (in this case, the pharaoh) in their transition towards eternal life in Aaru (Paradise).
Like several other Egyptian deities, Anubis is an anthropozoomorphic being – that is, half human, half animal. In some depictions, he appears as a jackal-headed man . But there are images (see below) that show him simply as an animal, be it a jackal or a black dog. Anubis god history
The image of the jackal god or dog god is probably related to the behavior of the packs that lived in the deserts and went to the cemeteries to “steal” the carrion from the shallowest graves. The canid god (dog or jackal) would be a response to these tomb raiders, protecting the dead against all kinds of harm and guaranteeing them a dignified burial.
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The name Anubis comes from anupu , which in turn derives from the Egyptian word inepe , meaning “to rot” or “to putrefy”. The black color of the dog or jackal that represents Anubis has to do with the color that the body gains during mummification due to the use of certain substances.
Anubis Story: Why he is the god of death
According to Egyptian mythology, Anubis was responsible for the funerary rituals of the god Osiris , the first pharaoh of the world of the living. Osiris was betrayed and killed by his brother Seth, who wanted to take Osiris’ throne. The body, placed inside a coffin, was thrown into the river. Queen Isis, wife of Osiris, found her husband’s body and buried it to hide it from Seth. Anubis god history
But Seth discovered what Isis had done. He found Osiris’ body and cut it into many pieces, which were scattered around the world. With that, he guaranteed that Osiris would never come back to life.
But Isis did not give up. With the help of the goddess Nephthys, she collected all the pieces of her husband and asked Anubis to take care of the rest. Anubis sewed up Osiris’ body and embalmed it.
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After that, Osiris was resurrected, but not to inhabit the world of the living again. He resurfaced in the underworld, becoming lord of the world of the dead. This is how Anubis became the first embalmer , known in Ancient Egypt as a master of mummification.
