Believers of eternal life after death, the ancient Egyptians considered their existence on Earth as a preparation period for the next world. The "Book of the Dead" is the name given to the funerary manuscript — a collection of texts that contained spells believed to help safely guide the dead into the afterlife.
This is the first time the British Museum's "Greenfield Papyrus," a 37-meter-long scroll copy of the "Book of the Dead," has been brought to Japan, and only the second time it has been ever shown in its entirety. Around 180 other artifacts accompany the scroll, including ancient relics such as mummified remains, coffins and accessories; till Sept. 17.
Mori Arts Center Gallery; (03) 5777-8600; Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 52F, 6-10-1, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo; Roppongi Station, Tokyo Metro Hibiya and Toei Oedo lines. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. ¥1,500. www.egypt2012.jp.
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