The collections of charms, formulas, hymns and spells designed to accompany the dead of Ancient Egypt on their journey to the afterlife have always exerted a powerful fascination on modern generations. Written on papyrus, inscribed on the walls of tombs and sarcophagi, or engraved on amulets, these texts with their vignette illustrations give us unparalleled insights into the ideas, beliefs and religious systems of the magnificent civilizations that flourished from 1600BC to 900BC. The Books of the Dead were regarded as all-powerful guides along the roads that passed through death and the grave to lead to the realms of light and life, into the presence of the divine Osiris, the conqueror of death, and his consort Isis.