THE IB (HEART)

The Ib (Ancient Egyptian: jb) is the most critical of all human organs in Egyptian belief. It is the metaphysical heart, representing the mind, conscience, memory, and emotion. Unlike the brain, which was discarded during mummification, the heart was carefully preserved as the center of the individual's being.

Hieroglyph	Heart Jar (𓄣)
Meaning	Mind, Will, Conscience
Function	Record keeper of all deeds
Destiny	Weighed against Ma'at

To the Ancient Egyptians, the heart was the source of all thought, feeling, and action. They believed it was the heart that "spoke" to the limbs to make them move and the heart that "thought" ideas into existence. To "have a heart" meant to be intelligent and moral; to be "heartless" meant to be foolish or wicked.

During life, the Ib acted as an internal god or conscience. It dictated a person's character and stored every memory. The "Instruction of Amenemope" advises: "Do not steer with your tongue while your heart steers elsewhere," highlighting the importance of honesty and alignment between speech (tongue) and intent (heart).

After death, the Ib remained in the chest cavity. If it was accidentally removed or damaged, a stone or ceramic heart amulet (often made of red stone like jasper or carnelian) was placed in the mummy to replace it. Without a heart, the deceased could not be judged and therefore could not enter the afterlife.

The defining moment for the Ib was the Weighing of the Heart. In the Hall of Two Truths, Anubis placed the Ib on one side of a scale and the Feather of Ma'at (Truth) on the other. If the heart was heavy with sin, it would tip the scales and be devoured by Ammit. If it balanced, the soul was justified.

To prevent the heart from betraying its owner by confessing sins, a Heart Scarab was placed over the mummy's chest. It was inscribed with Spell 30B from the Book of the Dead: "O my heart of my mother... do not stand as a witness against me in the tribunal!" This magical seal silenced the heart's potential treachery.

The heart was considered an independent entity within the body. It could not be deceived. Even if a person lied to others, their heart knew the truth. This concept introduced deep personal accountability; one could not hide from one's own conscience, which would eventually testify before the gods.

The Ib was the hub connecting all other soul components:

Component	Interaction
Ka	The heart directs the life force.
Ba	The personality resides within the heart.
Ren	The name is kept alive by the heart's memory.

The Book of the Dead contains multiple spells specifically for the heart: spells for "Not letting the heart be taken away," spells for "Giving the heart back," and spells to prevent the heart from "speaking lies." These texts emphasize the fear of losing one's identity and moral compass in the chaos of death.

The heart hieroglyph (a jar with handles) represents the vessel of life. Its reddish color (carnelian or jasper) symbolized blood, energy, and life. In art, the deceased is often shown offering their heart to the gods, symbolizing the giving of their entire self and their adherence to Ma'at.

The concept of the Ib shaped Egyptian law and ethics. It taught that justice was not just a social contract but a cosmic necessity regulated by an internal organ. "Listening to one's heart" was synonymous with acting righteously. It established a moral framework where inner intent was as important as outer action.

The Egyptian view of the heart anticipates later ideas of the "conscience" and the "unconscious mind." It recognized that humans have an inner voice that judges them. By locating thought in the heart, they emphasized emotional intelligence and the inseparability of feeling and reasoning.

Concept	The Ib (Moral Heart)
Function	Thought, Emotion, Memory
Key Ritual	Weighing of the Heart
Protective Amulet	Heart Scarab
Physical Counterpart	Haty (Organ)