Immortality bombshell as 4,000-year-old map for the soul unearthed in Egypt – Daily Star

The oldest etchings of the mythical path to immortality has been found in a 4,000-year-old coffin of a map for the soul to attain eternal life in Egypt.

Ancient Egyptians believed that by following the zig-zagging map in The Book of Two Ways they would reach Osiris, lord of the underworld.

Osiris is the high court judge of human souls in ancient Egyptian religion.

He was classically depicted as a green-skinned deity with a pharaoh's beard.

It was believed that anyone who saw Osiris would achieve immortality and after a great feast with the deity they would achieve all their hopes and dreams.

But the route was perilous with the dead having to cross a lake of fire, the abode of the knife-wielders, gates of fire and darkness, and other hellish obstacles and demons.

Several copies of the ancient guide have been found, but a new study published in The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology by Harco Willems suggests this discovery is the earliest known copy of The Book of Two Ways.

It was unearthed in 2012 in the famous necropolis city of the dead Dayr al-Barsha, located on the east bank of the Nile.

Inscriptions in the tomb refer to Djehutinakht I from around the 21st to 20th century BC and it was originally believed to belong to him, Ancient Origins report.

It was previously assumed the coffin must contain the body of Djehutinakht I, but Willems study points to an elite woman called Ankh as the likely inhabitant.

This comes after reports that the Great Sphinx could have a twin hiding under sand mounds in Giza.

Meanwhile, an ancient Egypt expert may finally have revealed the function of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

And Tutankhamun's great-grandmothers coffin was recently opened, which revealed the noble lady had blonde hair.

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Immortality bombshell as 4,000-year-old map for the soul unearthed in Egypt - Daily Star