Knowra Ma'at Ma'at Ma'at was the ancient Egyptian principle of truth, justice, order, and balance, understood as the condition that sustained the cosmos and governed human conduct.
Isfet : Isfet is the ancient Egyptian concept of chaos, injustice, and disorder opposed to Ma'at. It names the disorder Ma'at was believed to restrain.
Pharaoh : A pharaoh was a ruler of ancient Egypt, regarded as a divine or divinely sanctioned king. The king's central duty was to uphold Ma'at throughout the land.
Thoth : Thoth was an ancient Egyptian god associated with writing, knowledge, measurement, and the moon. He appears as a divine recorder and arbiter in scenes of judgment.
Pyramid Texts : The Pyramid Texts are ancient Egyptian religious inscriptions carved inside royal pyramids, beginning in the late fifth dynasty. They are among the earliest surviving sources for Ma'at's place in royal and cosmic order.
Weighing of the Heart : The Weighing of the Heart is an ancient Egyptian judgment scene in which a deceased person's heart is weighed against Ma'at's feather. The judgment made Ma'at's ethical standard decisive for a person's afterlife.
Vizier : A vizier was a senior official who administered government and justice in ancient Egypt. Viziers applied royal authority to judgments and administration framed by Ma'at.
Osiris : Osiris was an ancient Egyptian god of the dead, resurrection, and kingship in the afterlife. As judge of the dead, he presides over the trial measured against Ma'at.
Middle Kingdom : The Middle Kingdom was a period of ancient Egyptian history conventionally dated about 2055–1650 BCE. Middle Kingdom writings develop political and ethical ideas closely associated with Ma'at.
Confession of Innocence : The Confession of Innocence is a sequence of denials spoken by the deceased before divine judges in the Book of the Dead. Its declared refusals of wrongdoing express Ma'at as a standard of personal conduct.
Egyptian law : Egyptian law comprised the rules and procedures used to resolve disputes and govern conduct in ancient Egypt. Judicial decisions were expected to preserve the justice and order Ma'at represented.
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