Final answer:
Ancient Egyptian pharaohs believed in an afterlife where the soul would be judged, leading to either eternal life or destruction. Mummification and elaborate tombs with art and iconography, including the worship of Osiris, reflected and enabled these beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pharaohs of ancient Egypt conceived of an afterlife that was intricately linked with their religious beliefs. The vision for the afterlife emphasized that the soul would be judged by a god, with the heart weighed against the ideals of harmony and order. For the virtuous, this would result in eternal life, whereas those found lacking would have their hearts devoured by a crocodile-headed demon. The belief in the Ka and Ba, spiritual elements that needed the body, led to the practices of mummification and the creation of elaborate tombs, like the pyramids, where the body and the Ka could reside. Art and iconography within these tombs, as well as beliefs surrounding deities like Osiris, played a crucial role in these conceptions of the afterlife.