What is the collection of spells to help the deceased navigate the afterlife?

The story behind the answer

The correct answer is Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptian collection of funerary spells meant to guide and protect the deceased through the hazards of the afterlife. These texts offered instructions, passwords, and magical aid for trials like the Weighing of the Heart—overseen by Osiris, Anubis, and Thoth—and included the well-known Negative Confession.

Despite the modern name, it wasn’t a single book but personalized papyrus scrolls placed in tombs, especially during the New Kingdom, evolving from earlier Pyramid and Coffin Texts. Egyptians called it the Book of Coming Forth by Day. Memory tip: picture a “book” (a scroll) sent with the “dead” to help them safely emerge into the light of the afterlife.