The ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead is justly famous for having been interred with its owner following an elaborate burial ritual, and it has often been described as a guide to the afterlife. However, there was no single Book of the Dead. Each unique manuscript, including those on view at the Getty, was compiled from a selection of hundreds of existing spells with their own separate origin and purpose. Join Egyptologist Foy Scalf as he explores the role of the Book of the Dead in the everyday lives of ancient Egyptians, from domestic affairs to temple rituals.
Everyday Magic: The Spellbinding Life of the Book of the Dead
Talk
Mummy Wrapping of Petosiris, Son of Tetosiris (detail), 332–100 BCE, Egyptian. Ink on linen. Getty Museum, 83.AI.47.1.4. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H.P. Kraus
About
Foy Scalf
Egyptologist
Foy Scalf is a scholar of ancient Egyptian religion, texts, and intellectual culture whose work bridges museums, libraries, and the digital humanities. He directs the Data Research Center and Research Archives Library at the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. Foy’s research focuses on ancient Egyptian religious literature, book culture, and textual transmission, and he has worked extensively on the interpretation and digital presentation of manuscripts. His forthcoming volume, The Getty Book of the Dead: Ancient Egyptian Manuscripts in the J. Paul Getty Museum, will provide the first complete critical edition of one of the largest collections of Egyptian religious texts in North America.
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Duration
Approximately 1 hour
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Shortly following this event, a recording will be available on Getty's YouTube channel under "Talks and Conversations."
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