What was a common belief about the soul's journey after death in Ancient Egyptian culture?

In Ancient Egyptian culture, a prevalent belief regarding the journey of the soul after death was that it had a lengthy process that could be interpreted as taking a significant amount of time to navigate the afterlife. This reflects the ancient Egyptians' complex understanding of life after death, which involved the soul's journey through the Duat, or underworld.

The belief that the soul went through a kind of trial or judgment, often involving the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma'at, signified that the soul's journey was not immediate or straightforward. This concept of the soul undergoing a lengthy transformation and experience encapsulates the idea that its passage was intertwined with the spiritual and moral evaluations it faced. It provides insight into the Egyptians' focus on morality, justice, and the afterlife's significance, highlighting a deep cultural emphasis on what occurs beyond physical death.

Other concepts such as purification, reincarnation, or returning to the living do not align with the core beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians about the soul's journey. Their focus was less on reincarnation as understood in other cultures, and more on an extensive journey that involved preparation, trials, and ultimately leading to a lasting existence in the afterlife, rather than a simple return or a quick passage.