Scales and balances.

In Ancient Egyptian mythology, entry into the afterlife was secure only after the weighing of the heart (Figure 1.4.1). The gods would place the deceased’s heart on a scale opposite the feather of Maat, symbolizing the seven cardinal virtues of truth, justice, propriety, harmony, balance, reciprocity, and order. Those whose hearts were in equilibrium with Maat could pass into the afterlife; hearts heavy with misdeeds would be devoured by Ammut — a chimerical, crocodile-headed goddess — consigning the soul of the deceased to oblivion