ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul

Hey there kiddo! So, ancient Egyptians believed that when a person dies, their soul would leave their body and go on a journey to the afterlife. This journey was really important because the Egyptians believed that the soul would have to be judged by the god Osiris before it could be allowed into the afterlife.

Now, the Egyptians believed that people had two different types of souls. The first type was called the "ka" which was kind of like a life force that everyone had. The "ka" would stay close to the body after death, so it was important to make sure the body was well-preserved through a process called mummification.

The second type of soul was called the "ba" which was believed to be what made each person unique. It was thought to leave the body after death and travel through the afterlife before finally being reunited with the body.

Finally, the Egyptians believed in a third part of the soul called the "akh" which was represented by a bird with a human head. This part of the soul would travel to the afterlife with the "ba" and it represented the achievements of the person's life.

So yeah, that's the ancient Egyptian conception of the soul. Hope that helps you understand it better!