The Book of the Dead was a description of the ancient Egyptian conception of the afterlife and a collection of hymns, spells, and instructions to allow the deceased to pass through obstacles in the afterlife. It was most commonly written on a papyrus scroll and placed in the coffin or burial chamber of the deceased.

The Book of the Dead contains a parallel to the Ten Commandments known as the “negative confession.” The deceased must make a confession before the 42 judges of the dead-

I have not made any man sick

I have not made any man weep I have not killed

I have not commanded any man to kill

I have not done harm to any man

I have not diminished the amount of the foodstuffs in the temples

I have not damaged the loaves offered to the gods

I have not stolen the loaves offered to the dead

I have not had any (illicit) sexual relations

I have not engaged in any unnatural lewdness…

(Introduction to Chapter 125)