Upon death, it was the practice for some Egyptians to produce a papyrus manuscript called the Book of Going Forth by Day or the Book of the Dead. A Book of the Dead included declarations and spells to help the deceased in the afterlife.

The Papyrus of Ani is the manuscript compiled for Ani, the royal scribe of Thebes. Written and illustrated almost 3,300 years ago, The Papyrus of Ani is a papyrus manuscript with cursive hieroglyphs and color illustrations. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and complete surviving examples of ancient Egyptian philosophical and religious thought known to exist.

This twentieth anniversary edition of The Egyptian Book of the Dead has been revised and expanded to include:

• Significant improvements to the display of the images of the Papyrus.
• A survey of the continuing importance of ancient Egypt in modern culture.
• A detailed history of Egyptian translation and scholarship since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799.
• A state-of-the-art Annotated Bibliography and Study Guide for Ancient Egyptian studies.

• THE COMPLETE PAPYRUS OF ANI IN FULL COLOR: This edition presents all 74 plates of the Papyrus of Ani, one of the most celebrated surviving examples of ancient Egyptian funerary art and religious thought, with the English translation integrated directly beneath the images.
• A LANDMARK WORK OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CULTURE: The Book of Going Forth by Day offers a remarkable window into ancient Egyptian beliefs about death, the afterlife, ritual, and the journey beyond this world.
• REVISED & EXPANDED FOR MODERN READERS: This twentieth-anniversary edition features improved image reproduction, a history of Egyptian translation and scholarship, a survey of ancient Egypt's continuing cultural influence, and an updated annotated bibliography and study guide.
• A RICH VISUAL & SCHOLARLY RESOURCE: The combination of hieroglyphic text, color illustration, translation, and contextual material makes this volume valuable for students, educators, scholars, librarians, and serious readers of Egyptology.
• A DISTINCTIVE GIFT FOR HISTORY & MYTHOLOGY READERS: A substantial choice for anyone fascinated by ancient Egypt, Egyptian religion and mythology, archaeology, art history, world history, or the history of ideas.