The 70 Days of Mummification

The 70-Day Schedule of Rebirth

In ancient Egypt, mummification was not a hurried medical procedure—it was a rigorous 70-day spiritual and chemical metamorphosis matching the 70 days the star Sirius vanished from the night sky before rising anew.

Stage 1 of 6

Days 1–4: The Place of Purification (Ibu)

Stage 1 • Days 1 to 4
Anubis tending to the deceased during the embalming ritual

Immediately following death, the deceased is transported across the Nile to the west bank into a temporary tent-like structure known as the Ibu (“Place of Purification”).

  • Cleansing with Holy Water: The body is washed with sacred Nile water infused with dissolved natron salt, symbolically washing away mortality.
  • Palm Wine Disinfection: Embalmers rinse the body with fermented palm wine; the alcohol and tannins act as an effective natural antiseptic against surface microbes.
  • The Chief Embalmer: The master practitioner wears the ceramic jackal mask representing Anubis, god of embalming and guardian of graves.

Days 5–8: Evisceration & Organs

Stage 2 • Days 5 to 8
Ancient Egyptian alabaster canopic jars with lids of the Four Sons of Horus

Inside the Per Nefer (“The House of Beauty”), internal organs prone to rapid bacterial decomposition are meticulously removed.

  • The Left Flank Incision: An incision is made with a sharp ceremonial obsidian or Ethiopian blade (pesesh-kef). Through this cut, the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines are removed.
  • The Heart Remains: Unlike all other organs, the heart is strictly preserved inside the thoracic cavity. Ancient Egyptians believed the heart was the center of memory and intellect, required to testify during the Weighing of the Heart (Chapters 64 & 66).
  • Brain Extraction: The brain is extracted through the nostrils using a bronze hook. In antiquity, the brain was regarded as a mucus-producing gland rather than the mind, and was not preserved.

The Four Sons of Horus • Canopic Jars

Imsety (Human-Headed God)

Protected by Isis. Houses and guards the liver, the seat of vital metabolic energies.

Hapy (Baboon-Headed God)

Protected by Nephthys. Houses and guards the lungs, preserving the breath of life for the afterlife.

Duamutef (Jackal-Headed God)

Protected by Neith. Houses and guards the stomach, essential for spiritual nourishment.

Qebehsenuef (Falcon-Headed God)

Protected by Serket. Houses and guards the intestines, protected by the celestial raptor.

Days 9–45: The Great Dehydration

Stage 3 • Days 9 to 45

This is the chemical foundation of Egyptian preservation. The body is placed upon an inclined embalming table and completely buried beneath hundreds of pounds of pure, dry Natron salt.

Myth Busted from the Book: Popular media often depicts mummies soaking in liquid chemical baths. In reality, natron was applied completely dry. A liquid vat would accelerate rotting flesh. Dry salt crystals chemically sucked out all cellular moisture (Chapters 2 & 3).
  • What is Natron? A natural mineral compound gathered from ancient dry lakebeds in the Wadi Natrun, composed of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium chloride (table salt), and sodium sulfate.
  • Desiccation: Over 35 to 40 days, the natron extracts roughly 75% of the human body weight in water, leaving the skin, muscles, and bones completely desiccated and immune to fungal decay.
Modern Cultural Survival: The 40 Days (Arba'een) To this day throughout Egypt, families observe the Arba'een (الأربعين — “The Fortieth Day”) following a loved one's death, gathering for solemn memorial prayers, Quran recitations, and charitable meals. While observed today within Islamic and Coptic traditions, this 40-day milestone is an unbroken 5,000-year cultural survival directly originating from the ancient 40-day natron dehydration period required to complete bodily preservation.

Days 46–50: Anointing & Resins

Stage 4 • Days 46 to 50

Excavated from the mountain of dry salt crystals, the shrunken, darkened body is thoroughly cleaned and restored to a lifelike presentation.

  • Washing & Softening: The body is washed in sweet Nile water and massaged with costly imported oils—cedarwood from Lebanon, juniper, myrrh, cinnamon, and melted beeswax to restore elasticity to the skin.
  • Internal Packing: The abdominal cavity is packed with clean linen rolls, aromatic sawdust, and bags of sweet spices to restore natural anatomical contours.
  • Sealing the Incision: The embalming cut on the flank is stitched closed and sealed with molten tree resin and a protective gold or wax plate depicting the sacred Eye of Horus.

Days 51–68: Linen Wrapping & Amulets

Stage 5 • Days 51 to 68

The wrapping process takes over two weeks. Priests wrap every finger and toe individually before bandaging the limbs and torso in hundreds of yards of fine linen cloth.

  • Protective Amulets: Between linen layers, embalmers place sacred amulets into precise spiritual anatomical positions:
    • Heart Scarab: Resting over the heart, inscribed with Chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead, pleading with the heart not to betray the deceased during judgment.
    • Djed Pillar: Representing the spine of Osiris, guaranteeing eternal physical stability.
    • Eye of Horus (Wedjat): Protecting against harm and spiritual dismemberment.
  • Resin Coating: Warm liquid coniferous resin is brushed across the outer linen layers, drying into a hard, waterproof, protective shell.

Days 69–70: Opening of the Mouth

Stage 6 • Days 69 to 70
Ancient Egyptian funerary scene and offerings for the rebirth of the soul

On the 70th day, the physical mummy is reunited with its spiritual identity. The deceased is fitted with a portrait mask so the Ba (soul) can recognize its earthly vessel.

  • The Funeral Procession: Mourners and priest-technicians accompany the sarcophagus across the river into the western necropolis.
  • Opening of the Mouth Ceremony (Wep-pet): Standing before the tomb entrance, the Sem-priest touches ritual blades (the adze and pesesh-kef) to the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears of the mask.
  • The Awakening: This magical rite restores the deceased's senses so they can breathe, consume offerings, speak before the tribunal of Osiris, and live eternally in the Field of Reeds (Chapter 67).