Abstract
This paper compares cultural attitudes on death and afterlife with focus on the Mesopotamian views about death in relation to their respective material culture.

From the paper:

"There were many ways that the Ancient Egyptian society and the Mesopotamian society were similar yet at the same time they were very different. Egyptians and Sumerians agreed on religion in a sense that both cultures were polytheistic. However, the relationships between the gods and goddesses were different between the Sumerians and Egyptians."

Tags:afterlife, death, egyptian, sumerian, culture, tradition, life, society, belief, religion

Abstract
The paper analyzes the afterlife within Homer's "The Iliad" to reveal the nature of death, and how ancient and modern Greeks relate to this tradition of Hades. The paper discusses how this mythic and literary aspect of death in Homer's text brings forth the reluctance and ire of all men to have to be sent to Hades, regardless of the heroic traits they possessed. The paper explains that the tradition of Hades can often still be seen in the tradition of Hell, which has evolved from Greek antiquity; then through the Romans, and finally into modern traditions of sin that define a reward system for going to either Heaven or Hell.

Tags:homer, religious, afterlife

Abstract
This paper discusses the focus of Egyptian culture on preparation for death and the afterlife during the Old Kingdom. It looks at the immortality of pharaoh and the impact of pyramids on Egyptian economy and culture. It also examines the Myth of Orisis.

Tags:Pyramids, Egypt, Egyptian, Afterlife, Kingdom, Pharaoh, Death, Myth, Orisis

Abstract
The paper discusses many cultures' conceptualizations of an "Afterlife" in which our existence is, in some form at least, continued after the cessation of functioning of our physical bodies. The paper explains that this conception of an "Afterlife" is usually closely integrated in the dominant religion and religious rituals of a culture, in which the presiding deities or supernatural entities represent effective guarantors of the "Afterlife." The paper examines the conceptualizations of death and the afterlife in Ancient Egypt with a particular emphasis upon how these concepts were integrated into Egyptian religion and popular society. The paper shows how Ancient Egyptian concepts of death and the afterlife were diverse and complex as opposed to homogenous and monolithic, and suggest commonalities in the human experience that span millennia.

From the Paper
"One of the most universal of human preoccupations is our concern with death. In many cultures this has manifested itself in the form of conceptualizations of an "Afterlife" in which our existence is, in some form at least, continued after the cessation of functioning of our physical bodies. This conception of an "Afterlife" is usually closely integrated in the dominant religion and religious rituals of a culture, in which the presiding deities or supernatural entities represent effective..."

Tags:history, egypt, ancient

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that the belief in an afterlife is an almost universal concept, with most major religions around the world providing dogmatic support. The writer points out that while there is no single Jewish tradition concerning the afterlife, a review of the various Jewish traditions concerning the possibility and nature of immortality can provide some useful insights in identifying salient aspects of Jewish beliefs in the afterlife. To this end, the writer provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning Jewish beliefs in the afterlife and the general issues of immortality and the resurrection of the good in "the world to come". Further, the writer discusses the specific Pharisees' notions about a future resurrection of the good, followed by a summary of the research and findings in the conclusion.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Conclusion

From the Paper
"There is a distinct element of reincarnation to these later Jewish concepts of the afterlife, at least for the time the soul remains on earth, with a departure from the traditions of earlier Hellenistic Jewish authors and suggested that the human soul survives as an individual, conscious being, capable of recalling its past life and able to contemplates (either with joy or sorrow) its eventual eternal destination when God's judgment is passed (Nadler 54). In fact, while the apocalyptic writings during the period 300 BCE to 100 BCE expanded on the earlier themes present in the Hebrew Bible such as Sheol and divine judgment, these authors ensured that their views were consistent with Scriptural teachings but also included observations concerning what was likely implied by these teachings about the afterlife as well. Although these concepts have not been integrated into mainstream Jewish dogma concerning the afterlife, some of the fundamental elements remain highly influential today."

Tags:resurrection, body, immortality, soul

Abstract
This paper explores three traditional presentations of the afterlife and judgment as a means of creating place within the afterlife based upon an evaluation of the individual's deeds. These three traditional works are Homer's "The Odyssey", John Milton's "Paradise Lost", and William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell". The concept of the afterlife as is found within these three traditional works is then contrasted against the more recent film "A Matter of Life and Death" in order to witness how judgment and the afterlife manifest in a contemporary treatment of the topic.

Abstract
In this paper, the burial traditions of afterlife are analyzed within Homer's 'The Iliad' to reveal the nature of Greek death. Clearly, without understanding the afterlife, one cannot understand burial rites and the central reasons why the migration of the soul was a bodily and spiritual process. The writer discusses that this mythic and literary aspect of death in Homer's text brings forth the reluctance and ire of all men to have to be sent to Hades, regardless of the heroic traits they possessed.

Tags:homer, burial, death

Abstract
This paper examines the theology of eschatology which is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind as well as different religious views of death and the afterlife. Christianity views the end of life as the ascension unto heaven, whereas the Jewish approach to the afterlife is limited to a vision of being with God in heaven which is an entry open to all whom God forgives at the last moment of human life.

From the Paper
"To some, death is a release. To others it is merely an event that propels them from one life to another. It is significant to realize that those who may well be the most devout in Hindu and Buddhist religions are the Untouchables, or the lower classes, who can hardly wait to be released from their unhappy lives and, having committed no grave sins, will be reborn, reincarnated, into a better life to come. Their goal, of course, is the perfection of Nirvana."

Tags:theology, religion, judaism, christianity, spiritual

Abstract
This paper examines how the ancient Egyptian civilization, which lasted for millennia and had a considerably advanced cultural and artistic heritage, left scholars with detailed artistic depictions, monumental archaeological remains, and written records of its societal functions and processes of the government, commerce, and daily life of its people. It briefly assays some key tenets of Egyptian religion and society and then explores the way in which the ancient Egyptians thought of the afterlife as an extension and modification of their lives on earth. The mummification process is covered, as are the other complicated and exacting funerary rites of this venerable culture as applied to both the ruling class and the working class of ancient Egyptian society and the ways in which they thought of the afterlife.

From the Paper
"As was stated, Egyptian tombs contained quotidian items from the person's life that were of value to them, as it was assumed that as the person continued into the afterlife, they would continue to utilize these items. A person's clothing and occupational tools would often be included in the tomb, along with writing materials. Sometimes, to save cost and space, models of actual items were used to represent them in their stead, as they were seen to be transformed in the afterlife into their real equivalencies. Even food was provided in the tomb: offerings of food were also made after the person's death. It seems odd from the present cultural perspective to think of the afterlife in terms of eating actual food, but it must be kept in mind that the Egyptians did not as drastically polarize life and afterlife in the same way that those of the current Western tradition tend to."

Tags:mummy, tombs, death, rites

Abstract
This paper provides an examination as to how these people imagined the afterlife through daily prayers and customs. For each civilization, the writer presents rituals, festivals and writings from the time in order to help the reader understand the type of lifestyle each civilization lead. In addition there are detailed descriptions of the burial processes and practices for preserving their dead.

From the Paper
"In Egypt, death was just a right of passage to the next domain, however in order to die properly, the right spells and incantations must have been performed. As shown in The Book of the Dead, written around 2400 B.C. there were very serious rituals that must be performed in order to pass on properly. These spells and incantations reflected how much the Egyptians expected from their society. For example when an Egyptian dies they must face the gods and must repeat lines from the spell "The Protestation of Guiltlessness". A few lines from this poem are as follows: "I have not committed evil against men; I am pure! My purity is the purity of the great benu-bird"; I have not told lies; I have not trespassed" (as on another's land). These are just a few of the many lines that tell of a persons character in hopes of being accepted into their afterlife. The Egyptians were well known for having a mixture of human and animal characteristic in their gods. For example Seth (desert god) was depicted with a dog-like body, long neck, upright tail, and squared ears. The vulture goddess Nekhbet was tutelary goddess of Upper Egypt, while her counterpart in Lower Egypt was cobra goddess Wadjet (Nagle, 28)."

Tags:burial, civilization, death, prayer, custom