When a king or queen in Egypt died, they expected to spend their afterlife, surrounded by luxury. Instead, most were robbed blind – and their mummies destroyed.
In ancient Egypt, they believed that in order to enjoy the afterlife, you had to have a body for your Ka or Ba to reside within. The walls of their tombs were covered with beautiful paintings, and often held scenes that helped the deceased to get through the trials that they had to attend, as the book of the dead dictated. Once on the other side, they could enjoy their afterlife.
Sadly, many tombs were robbed, mostly from the master thieves of Gurneh, but many others were also involved in the sale and looting of the tombs. As the antiquities department was watching priceless treasures leak out of the country, they had to wonder where they were coming from.
This book gives a fantastic overview! I was hooked from the first page, and could not put it down until I was finished. Thankfully, there is an audiobook version now, so I was able to listen when I could not sit to read. If you enjoy history, ancient history, or anything Egypt – this is one book that you need to read!