\paperw4290 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 It may be asked why the Egyptians were so interested in preservation of the body.\par
Perhaps the answer can be found in the religiou
s belief linked to the myth of Osiris.\par
This god died and was dismembered.\par
His members were found, reassembled and his body reconstituted inside a tightly wound bandage.\par
Thus Osiris was prepared for the resurrection that was to take place i
n the world beyond.\par
Herodotus describes the method of embalming:\par
ôIf the most elaborate technique has been chosen, they first of all extract the brain through the nostrils by means of a metal hook and inject substances in its place. Then they m
ake an opening near the hip, draw out all the intestines and clean the abdomen by rinsing it with palm wine and roasted spices. Next they fill the abdomen with crushed pure myrrh and other spices and sew up the anus.\par
This done, they place the body i
n saltpeter for sixty-six days û this is the time laid down for embalming. When sixty-six days have passed, they wash the body and wrap it entirely in linen bandages hardened with mastic. Then they hand over the remains to the relatives of the deceased.ö
