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The Egyptian Book of the Dead — for the Living

GETTY VILLA

Auditorium

This is a past event

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The Egyptian Book of the Dead forms one of the largest bodies of religious texts from the ancient world. Written on papyri, mummy wrappings, and other objects that accompanied the dead to their tombs, this vast collection of spells assisted the deceased’s transition to the afterlife, but also reflected the beliefs and practices of the living. Thousands of years later, the documents are still being interpreted by scholars and reflected upon by Egyptian communities.

In this afternoon of presentations, five experts explore how the Book of the Dead was used outside of funerary contexts and the many ways in which it was also a book for the living. This event will be followed by a reception for further conversation.

This program complements the exhibition The Egyptian Book of the Dead on view November 1, 2023 through January 29, 2024.

Learn more about the Book of the Dead in this overview by curator Sara E. Cole.


Presenters

Introduction
Sara E. Cole, Assistant Curator of Antiquities, Getty Villa Museum

The Getty Book of the Dead
Foy D. Scalf, Head of Research Archives, Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, University of Chicago

The Book of the Dead as a Family Affair
Marissa Stevens, Assistant Director of the Pourdavoud Center for the Study of the Iranian World, University of California Los Angeles

Between Magic and Religion: The Book of the Dead as a Tool for the Living
Jonathan Winnerman, Academic Administrator, Global Antiquity, University of California Los Angeles

Guardian Demons and Doorways in the Book of the Dead and Egyptian Temples
Rita Lucarelli, Associate Professor of Egyptology, University of California Berkeley

Disrupting the Dead: Contemporary Egyptian Reinterpretations of the Book of the Dead
Heba Abd el Gawad, Research Fellow, Institute of Archaeology, University College London