EGYPTIAN
SOUL BA AND KA
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Egyptians
believed that human soul was composed of two parts, the Ka (physical
soul) and Ba (conscience)
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The Egyptians also believed in the concept of akh which
was the transformation of some of the noble dead into eternal
objects.
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The nobles were often conceived of as being transformed
into stars, thus joining in the cosmic universe.
![](ba.jpg)
The
Ba - conscience
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BA |
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The
hieroglyph for the Ba was a human-headed bird
flying out of the tomb of the dead person. |
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The
Ba refers to all non physical qualities that make
up the personality of humans. |
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Animals
were sometimes thought to be the bau of gods,
the bennu bird was called the Ba of Ra, the Apis
bull was worshipped as the Ba of Ptah. |
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Prior
to the New Kingdom, no representations of the
Ba are certain. The first illustrations of the
Ba are found in the Book of the Dead. |
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The
Ba was associated with only human beings and gods. |
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The
most important function of the Ba during a person
life was to guide each individual conscience,
urging kindness, quietude, honor and compassion. |
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After
death the Ba made it possible for the deceased
to leave his tomb and rejoin his Ka, and fly together
into the next step of the person journey in afterlife,
the judgment in the Hall of Maat. |
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![](ka.jpg)
The
Ka - physical soul
|
KA |
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The
hieroglyph for the Ka was the shoulders and arms
with the arms bent upwards at the elbow. |
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The
Ka was not an element of the personality, but
a detached part of the self which was sometimes
said to guide the fortunes of the individual in
life, like the Roman genius, but was clearly most
associated with a person's fortunes in the hereafter. |
• |
The
Ka was a spiritual twin born with every man and
lived on after he died as long as it had a place
to live, this place was the body of the individual. |
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Khnum
who was believed to create men out of clay on
his potter's wheel also molded the Ka at the same
time. |
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The
idea of the Ka also be associated with objects
that would otherwise be considered inanimate like,
Osiris was often called the Ka of the pyramids.
Everything that existed was believed to have its
"double" Ka, animals, objects and plants
alike. |
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The
Ka followed the person like a shadow or a double
all through life. |
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The
Ka needed that body after death, this is why Egyptians
mummified their dead. |
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If
the body decomposed, their spiritual double would
die and the deceased would lose their chance for
eternal life. |
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The
Ka was sustained through food and drink. For this
reason food offerings were presented to the dead. |
• |
If
the Ka was neglected, and allowed to starve, it
could leave the grave and haunt the offenders. |
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Represented
as a second image of the individual, with two
upraised arms on his head. |
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Source
:
https://www.aldokkan.com/
religion/ba.htm
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