View source for Ammit

== Role in ancient Egyptian religion ==
Unlike other [[Ancient Egyptian deities|gods]] featured in [[ancient Egyptian religion]], Ammit was not [[Ancient Egyptian deities#Worship|worshipped]].<ref name="wilkinson" /> Instead, Ammit was feared and believed to be a [[demon]] rather than a deity, due to her role as the 'devourer of the dead'.<ref name="wilkinson" /> During the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]], deities and demons were differentiated by having a cult or center of worship. Demons in ancient Egyptian religion had supernatural powers and roles, but were ranked below the gods and did not have a place of worship.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Lucarelli |first=Rita |date=September 2010 |editor-last=Wendrich |editor-first=Willeke |editor2-last=Dieleman |editor2-first=Jacco |editor3-last=Frood |editor3-first=Elizabeth |editor4-last=Baines |editor4-first=John |title=Demons (Benevolent and Malevolent) |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1r72q9vv |journal=UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology |volume=1 |pages=2–6}}</ref> In the case of Ammit, she was a guardian demon.<ref name=":0" /> A guardian demon was tied to a specific place, such as [[Duat]]. Their appearance was based on a hybrid of an [[animal]] or a [[human]] and was denoted so the dead could recognize them. Guardian demons that appeared as a hybrid of animals were an amalgamation of traits meant to be feared and to differentiate them from deities associated with humanity.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Hieroglyphic Papyrus Book of the Dead; Late Period, 2nd Cent. BC; from Thebes (28748663675).jpg|thumb|[[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Ptolemaic]] depiction of Ammit standing on top of a pedestal left of the scale. She has the head of [[crocodile]], the [[Lion#Mane|mane]] of a [[lion]], and the body of a [[dog]]. From a ''[[Book of the Dead]]'' [[papyrus]] (c. [[2nd century BC]]E) in [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]].]]
Prior to the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] and the creation of [[List of Book of the Dead spells#125-6: Judgement|Chapter 125]] in the ''[[Book of the Dead]]'', Ammit did not have a large presence in [[ancient Egyptian religion]]. However, [[Khonsu]], the god of the moon, was depicted as a 'devourer of the dead and hearts' in [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]] [[Pyramid Texts|pyramid texts]] and [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]] Coffin Texts.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Adel Zaki Nasr |first=Youmna |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Apotropaic Roles of Khonsu in the Ancient Egyptian Religion during the Dynastic Period |url=https://mkaf.journals.ekb.eg/article_276392_eda89ae7b789c6bf50958c471723673f.pdf |journal=Research Journal of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels |publisher=Mansoura University |issue=12 |pages=541–545}}</ref>

Throughout the [[First Intermediate Period of Egypt|First Intermediate Period]] and the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]], a collection of spells was created to form the [[Coffin Texts]]. In Spell 310, [[Khonsu]] burned [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ib (heart)|hearts]] heavier than the [[Maat#Weighing of the Heart|feather of ma'at]] during the [[Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs#Judgment of the dead|Judgment of the Dead]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Faulkner |first=Raymond O. |url=https://archive.org/details/TheAncientEgyptianCoffin1/The%20ancient%20Egyptian%20coffin1/page/n239/mode/2up |title=The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts: Volume I Spells 1-354 |publisher=Aris & Phillips Ltd. |year=1973 |isbn=0-85668-005-2 |location=Warminster, England |pages=227–228}}</ref> In Spell 311, Khonsu devoured the hearts of the gods and the dead. Divine hearts were devoured for their power. Hearts deemed impure during judgment were devoured, leaving the deceased trapped in [[Duat]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Faulkner |first=Raymond O. |url=https://archive.org/details/TheAncientEgyptianCoffin1/The%20ancient%20Egyptian%20coffin1/page/n241/mode/2up |title=The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts: Volume I Spells 1-354 |publisher=Aris & Phillips Ltd. |year=1973 |isbn=0-85668-005-2 |location=Warminster, England |pages=228–229}}</ref> These spells were among those adapted into the ''Book of the Dead'' starting in the New Kingdom.

Spells 310 and 311 of the Coffin Texts are referred to in [[List of Book of the Dead spells#64–89: Coming Forth by Day|Chapters 79]], and 125 in the ''Book of the Dead''. Chapter 79 refers to the burning of the heart, while the scene of judgment and devouring of hearts is found in Chapter 125.<ref name=":1" /> Instead of [[Khonsu]] devouring the [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ib (heart)|heart]] of the dead, Ammit was referred to as the 'devourer of the dead'. Ammit was present during the weighing of the heart, usually near the scale waiting to learn the results. If the heart of the dead was impure, she ate their heart leaving them soulless and trapped in [[Duat]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Kleiner |first=Fred S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XQfFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT74 |title=Gardner's Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume I |date=2020 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-357-37048-3 |pages=57 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Weighing of the heart ===
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[[File:The Weighing of the Heart.svg|thumb|left|300px|Judgment of the Soul based from the [[Papyrus]] of Ani. Shows heart being weighed on the scale of [[Maat]] against the [[feather of truth]], by the [[jackal]]-headed [[Anubis]]. Ammit stands ready to eat the heart if it fails the test. The [[ibis]]-headed [[Thoth]], [[scribe]] of the [[gods]], records the result.]]
The ''[[Book of the Dead]]'' was a collection of [[Ancient Egyptian funerary texts|funerary texts]] used to guide the dead to [[Duat]], the Egyptian [[underworld]]. The process of the [[Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs#Judgment of the dead|Judgment of the Dead]] was described in [[List of Book of the Dead spells#125-6: Judgement|Chapter 125]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Lichtheim |first=Miriam |author-link=Miriam Lichtheim |title=Ancient Egyptian literature : a book of readings. Volume II, The New Kingdom |date=April 3, 2006 |publisher=University of California Press |others=Hans-Werner Fischer-Elfert |isbn=978-0-520-93306-4 |edition=2nd |location=Berkeley, CA |pages=132–139 |oclc=778435126}}</ref><ref name="snape" /> The ruler of Duat, [[Osiris]], presided over judgment. [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] depictions of this scene occurred at the Hall of the Two Truths (or Two ''Maats''). {{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|With Osiris accompanied Isis and Nephthys and the Sons of Horus. In later times, its judgment was presided by Ra.<ref name="taylor2001"/>}}<ref name="taylor2001"/>{{sfnp|Von Dassow|2008|p=155}} [[Anubis]], the Guardian of the Scales, conducted the dead towards the weighing scale.{{Refn|Group="lower-alpha"|Lay literature sees fit to say that Anubis drops the heart on the scale, but scholarship stops at stating that Anubis drags the person to the scale, and also attending to the pan and [[plumb bob]] of the scale in the weighing process (e.g. Budge,<ref name="budge1934"/> Taylor here.<ref name="taylor2001"/>)}} Ammit would be situated near the scale, awaiting the results. While [[Thoth]], the god of hieroglyphs and judgment, would record the results.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aronin |first=Rachel |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvh1dqv7 |title=Current Research in Egyptology 2007: Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference |collaboration=Meg Gundlach |publisher=Oxbow Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-84217-329-9 |editor-last=Griffin |editor-first=Kenneth |volume=8 |location=Oxford |pages=8, 10–11 |chapter=Divine Determinatives in the Papyrus of Ani |doi=10.2307/j.ctvh1dqv7.5 |jstor=j.ctvh1dqv7.5 |chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvh1dqv7.5}}</ref> The [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ib (heart)|heart]] of the deceased was weighed against the [[Maat#Weighing of the Heart|feather of Ma'at]],{{efn|Often illustrated as an ostrich feather (the feather was often pictured in Ma'at's headdress).}} the goddess of truth.<ref name="taylor2001"/>{{sfnp|Von Dassow|2008|p=155}}<ref name="budge1934"/> The feather of Ma'at symbolized the balance, and truthfulness needed to be present during one's lifetime. The heart or ''[[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ib (heart)|Ib]]'', represented the individual's soul and was the key to traveling to [[Aaru]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=de Ville |first=Jacques |date=Fall 2011 |title=Mythology and the Images of Justice |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/lal.2011.23.3.324 |journal=Law and Literature |publisher=Taylor & Francis, Ltd. |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=336–337 |doi=10.1525/lal.2011.23.3.324 |jstor=10.1525/lal.2011.23.3.324 |hdl=10566/288 |s2cid=220308728 |issn=1535-685X |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

In [[List of Book of the Dead spells#125-6: Judgement|Chapter 125]] of the ''[[Book of the Dead]]'', the deceased is given a series of declarations to recite at the Judgment of the Dead. ''The Declaration of Innocence'' was a list of 42 sins the deceased was innocent of committing. ''The Declaration to the Forty-two Gods'' and ''The Address to the Gods'' were recited directly to the [[Ancient Egyptian deities|gods]], proclaiming the deceased's purity and loyalty.<ref name=":3" />

 After the declarations are recited, their heart is weighed. If the [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ib (heart)|heart]] weighed less than the feather of Ma'at, the deceased was ruled to be pure. [[Thoth]] recorded the result and Osiris would allow the deceased to continue their voyage toward [[Aaru]] and [[immortality]]. If the heart was heavier than the feather of Ma'at, the deceased was deemed impure. Ammit would devour their heart, leaving the deceased without a soul. [[Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs|Ancient Egyptians]] believed the [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul|soul]] would become restless forever, dying a second death. Instead of living in Aaru, the soulless individual would be stuck in [[Duat]].<ref name="snape" /><ref name="taylor2019" /><ref name=":2" />
[[File:Temple of Deir el-Medina 21.JPG|thumb|Wall carving of Ammit on a pedestal in a scene depicting the [[Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs#Judgment of the dead|Judgment of the Dead]] from the [[Hathor#Temples in Egypt|Temple of Hathor]] in [[Deir el-Medina]]]]
Ammit is often depicted sitting in a crouched position near the scale, ready to eat the heart.<ref name="taylor2019" />{{sfnp|Von Dassow|2008|p=155}} Ancient Egyptians were buried with a copy of the ''Book of the Dead'', guaranteeing they would be successful at the [[Ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs|Judgment of the Dead]]. Thus, Ammit was left hungry without any hearts to eat, and the consecrated dead was then able to bypass the [[Lake of fire|Lake of Fire]], featured in [[List of Book of the Dead spells#125-6: Judgement|Chapter 126]] of the ''Book of the Dead''.<ref name="snape" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Janes |first=Regina M. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/jane18570 |title=Inventing Afterlives: The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Life After Death |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-231-18570-7 |location=New York |pages=40–42 |chapter=Impermanent Eternities: Egypt, Sumer, and Babylon, Ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome |doi=10.7312/jane18570 |jstor=10.7312/jane18570 |s2cid=166143164 |chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/jane18570.5}}</ref>