Impression Die Egyptian Winged Cobras

This impression die depicts the Egyptian goddess Ma'at. In ancient Egyptian mythology, Ma’at was the personification of truth, justice, balance, and order. She was often depicted sitting or standing, but usually with an ostrich feather on her head and sometimes she was depicted with wings. It was believed that Ma’at was created when Ra arose from the waters of Nun (chaos). Ma’at was often considered to be the daughter of Ra and was married to Thoth, god of wisdom. She represented the natural laws of the universe and how those laws are maintained maintained by human beings. This sense of order and balance instilled in the ancient Egyptians their strong sense of morality and justice. More than simply a goddess, Ma'at was the set of principles that ancient Egyptians lived by. Ma’at as a code of ethics was an important part of achieving the Afterlife. The Egyptians believed that after the death of the body, a person was required to pass through the Hall of Judgment, where their heart was weighed on a scale against Ma’at’s feather of truth. If the deceased person’s heart balanced with Ma’at’s feather, they could continue their journey to the Afterlife. If not, their journey ended. This influenced the daily actions of the ancient Egyptians. (This information was sourced from https://egyptianmuseum.org/)