Summary
Anubis was the ancient Egyptian god of embalming, cemeteries and the journey of the dead, shown as a black jackal or a man with a jackal’s head. He prepared the bodies of the dead, guarded their tombs and led their souls to judgement, where he weighed their hearts against the feather of truth. Before Osiris rose to power he was Egypt’s chief god of the dead. Embalmers worked in his name, and his image appears in almost every tomb from the pyramids to Roman times.
Who Was Anubis?
Anubis, called Inpu by the Egyptians, is one of the oldest gods of Egypt. Prayers for the dead invoked him long before the pyramids, and in the Old Kingdom he was the main god of the dead. His titles describe his duties:
- “He who is upon his mountain”: watching over the cemetery from the desert cliffs.
- “He who is in the place of embalming”: the god of mummification.
- “Lord of the sacred land”: ruler of the necropolis, the city of the dead.
When the god Osiris became lord of the underworld in the Middle Kingdom, Anubis became his helper rather than his rival: the embalmer, guide and guardian of every dead person.
Why a Jackal?
Egyptian cemeteries lay at the edge of the desert, where jackals and wild dogs roamed and dug at shallow graves. The Egyptians answered by making a jackal the protector of the dead: if the dangerous animal was itself a god guarding the tomb, the body would be safe. Anubis is usually painted black, not brown like a real jackal. Black was the colour of the rich Nile soil and of rebirth, and also the colour of a body after embalming.
The God of Mummification
In myth, when Seth murdered his brother Osiris, Anubis helped Isis and Nephthys gather and wrap the body: the first mummy. Every Egyptian embalming copied that first one. The chief embalmer acted as Anubis, and some priests may have worn jackal masks during the rites; a rare pottery jackal mask with eye holes survives. Read the full process in Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi and about such masks in ancient Egyptian masks.
Anubis and the Weighing of the Heart
In the Book of the Dead, the dead person is led by Anubis into the Hall of Two Truths. There Anubis kneels at the scales, weighing the dead person’s heart against the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth, while Thoth records the result and Osiris sits in judgement. A heart lighter than the feather passed into eternal life; a heavy one was eaten by Ammit, the devourer. Anubis was also a guide of souls, leading the dead through the dangers of the underworld. See the symbols of this world in ancient Egyptian symbols.
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View This TripThe Family of Anubis
Egyptian myths changed over 3,000 years, so Anubis has more than one family:
- In early texts he is the son of the sun god Ra, sometimes with Bastet or Hesat.
- In the later and best-known version, he is the son of Osiris and Nephthys, raised by Isis.
- His daughter, Kebechet, was a goddess of purification who brought cool water to the dead.
Under the Greeks he was linked with their messenger god Hermes as Hermanubis. Read about the other gods in ancient Egyptian gods.
Where to See Anubis in Egypt
| Where | What to see |
|---|---|
| Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor | The Chapel of Anubis, with some of the best-preserved colour in Egypt |
| Valley of the Kings and Deir el-Medina | Anubis tending the mummy in painted tombs, famously in the tomb of Sennedjem |
| Grand Egyptian Museum | The black-and-gold Anubis shrine from Tutankhamun’s tomb, which guarded his treasury |
| Saqqara | The Anubieion, his temple area, with catacombs holding millions of mummified dogs |
| Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, Alexandria | Anubis carved in Roman armour, where Egyptian and Roman styles meet |
Anubis: FAQ
What is Anubis the god of?
Embalming and mummification, cemeteries and tombs, and the journey of the dead to judgement.
Why does Anubis have a jackal head?
Jackals roamed the desert cemeteries, so the Egyptians made a jackal god their protector, turning a threat to the dead into their guardian.
Was Anubis good or evil?
Good. He protected the dead, prepared their bodies and guided their souls; he was feared only by the wicked at the judgement.
Who are Anubis’s parents?
In the best-known myth, Osiris and Nephthys; earlier texts call him a son of Ra.
What did Anubis do in the weighing of the heart?
He weighed the dead person’s heart against the feather of Maat, deciding whether they could enter eternal life.
