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Essay On Afterlife Beliefs

1376 Words6 Pages

Abstract:

Food for the soul is provided by religious beliefs. However has anyone ever stopped to wonder how much importance actual food is given in regular religious practices? Take Christianity’s ritual of the Eucharist, the breaking of bread and offering of wine in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s last supper is celebrated at every mass and is a meal shared by the community; take also Hinduism and Sikhism which requires the devotees to partake in Prasad which is food blessed by God, yet another example is that of Islam with its yearly focus on fasting and feasting during Ramzan. Food therefore plays a central role in all religions.
This paper is an attempt at exposing and explaining the food references in the mythological afterlife beliefs in Ancient Greek and Ancient Egyptian traditions. We all see death as the end of all biological needs and the beginning of the fulfillment of our spiritual ones. These traditions however place actual food at centre stage in the process of attaining the afterlife and even beyond it in the realm of infinity.
Ancient Egyptian Afterlife Beliefs and Food
Egypt, the very name conjures up images of vast expanses of dessert, pyramids, sphinxes and the like. However amidst the death and burial that indelibly marks the place we have a rich cultural heritage known for its unique food, clothing, …show more content…

The body may whither and decay within its mummified garb but the soul lived on in the spiritual realm. In this manner they are very similar to most religions of today but with a difference. The complex journey of the soul through the door to everlasting life is fraught with turmoil and trials. Once it conquers all, the soul enters the spiritual realm only to be linked to the physical world of its special tomb and final resting place; which is why Egyptian graves in Giza, Saqqara and beyond hold special artifacts and hieroglyphs; the magic bridge between this world and the one

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