In ancient Egypt, it was believed that the dwat was the abode of light where the gods dwelled. The Egyptians had a consistent belief in life after death so much so that their inscriptions would [Page 224]often end with “Life Forever.” The idea of the dwat as a dwelling place for the deceased must have reached far back into ancient Egyptian antiquity. By the time of the New Kingdom, it was such an accepted part of the African idea that it was incorporated into the funerary rituals of the most important people.

The idea of life after death was complex, however. Some people thought that the deceased went to the stars in the sky, others believed that the deceased sat on tree branches and held communication ...