Why did ancient egyptians place their kings dead body inside the sepulchre?
The ancient Egyptians believed that a person died when their ka (life-force) left their body. The elaborate procedures that followed, notably the Opening of the Mouth, were intended to reunite the ba (soul) with the ka to ensure an afterlife. The body was key to this, and the Egyptians believed that the deceased would need his body in the afterlife. As a result, they developed mummification to preserve the body (and the essential organs) and tombs to store the body. The king needed more than his body in the afterlife, though. The tomb was intended to store the objects needed for his eternal life. Furniture, games, clothing, jewelry, food, and even chariots were often left in burials. Egyptians believed in magic, and the models of ships were seen as being as useful as actual ships. Similarly, the deceased could use the tomb paintings to conjure up the things he might need in the afterlife. The tomb reliefs also served as a guide through the hazards of the afterlife. There were numerous
