Rituals of the Afterlife: A Cross-Religious Study of Death Practices

This thesis hopes to bridge the gap between religious studies and archaeological evidence in the context of funerary customs. The study examines three religions - Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Ancient Egyptian with an interdisciplinary approach that compares the respective religious texts (Qur’an, Avesta and Vendidad, Egyptian Funerary texts) to the material culture found at the burial sites (grave alignments, grave goods, tomb architecture, etc). The analysis finds varying degrees of alignment between theology and practice across the three faiths. In Islam, funerary practices closely follow the religious teachings, indicating high consistency between belief and practice. On the other hand, Zoroastrian burial rites show significant divergence from religious doctrine due to environmental and social pressures. Orthodox texts prohibit contamination of earth, fire or water, but modern necessities have disrupted this practice. In Ancient Egypt, teachings and practice go hand in hand as...Show moreThis thesis hopes to bridge the gap between religious studies and archaeological evidence in the context of funerary customs. The study examines three religions - Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Ancient Egyptian with an interdisciplinary approach that compares the respective religious texts (Qur’an, Avesta and Vendidad, Egyptian Funerary texts) to the material culture found at the burial sites (grave alignments, grave goods, tomb architecture, etc). The analysis finds varying degrees of alignment between theology and practice across the three faiths. In Islam, funerary practices closely follow the religious teachings, indicating high consistency between belief and practice. On the other hand, Zoroastrian burial rites show significant divergence from religious doctrine due to environmental and social pressures. Orthodox texts prohibit contamination of earth, fire or water, but modern necessities have disrupted this practice. In Ancient Egypt, teachings and practice go hand in hand as elaborate tombs consistently include grave goods, inscriptions and mummification evidences that mirror Egyptian beliefs. Overall, the study shows that Ancient Egypt exemplified full integration of belief into burial material, Islam exhibiting great coherence between the holy texts and material evidence, and Zoroastrianism reflecting a gap that has been victim of surrounding disadvantages. This comparative study contributes to understanding how religious belief is expressed through material practices, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary analysis. It also suggests avenues for future research on death and intercultural exchange, further proving the importance of both textual and archeological evidence in the study of ritual and religion.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Rituals of the Afterlife: A Cross-Religious Study of Death Practices