Inpw

Inpw, also written Anpu or Inpu and known in Greek as Anubis, is a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion associated with funerary rites and the afterlife. The name Inpw is the original Egyptian form; Anubis is the Hellenized version that became common in later sources. He appears in inscriptions from the Old Kingdom onward and remains prominent in New Kingdom funerary literature.

Inpw is primarily a god of mummification and the protection of graves. He is usually depicted with a jackal head, either as a standing deity or as a jackal, reflecting his role as guardian of cemeteries and embalming processes. In funerary iconography and texts, Anubis guides the dead and oversees the embalming of the body. In the weighing of the heart scene, Inpw places the heart on a balance against the feather of Ma'at; Thoth records the outcome, Osiris judges, and Ammit threatens rejection of the soul if the heart is heavy with sin.

His worship was widespread, with particular associations with cemeteries and embalming rites. The cult is attested at multiple sites, including Cynopolis and other centers throughout Egypt, and he appears in a range of funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, and the Book of the Dead, where he often appears as a protector and guide of the dead. Inpw’s enduring presence in tomb art and inscriptions underscores his central role in Egyptian concepts of death, judgment, and the journey to the afterlife.