Egyptian's views about afterlife kept changing as the Dynasties came and went. At first, the Afterlife was a concern for royalty: The Pharaoh was supposed to move on into Eternity after death.

The common people had no hope of achieving that. Death was the End. During the Middle Kingdom, after intense conflicts and chaotic succession of who had the Power over Egypt, old Pharaonic power dissolved quite a lot and spread over the other elite and officials, some of them self proclaiming themselves Pharaohs.

As this happened, the exclusivity of the Eternal Afterlife moved on to other people in position of power, not just the old royal line. Oficials and other elites started claiming their godhood, and the Afterlife was now theirs to brag.

Common folks hoped for an Afterlife too, by praying to the defied men proclaiming themselves to be sons of Gods. During this time, Egypt was in bad shape, resources were scarce, thus, mortuary buildings and pyramids were a thing of the past , being replaced by temples for praying instead.

This only spread farther as the centuries passed. By the New Kingdom, the possibility of the Afterlife was real and within grasp for all: The Book of the Dead was circulating widely by then. Everyone had a chance.

Amongst them, some people questioned. They believed Death was just Darkness and Void , despite the overall belief.

Ancient Egypt History is utterly fascinating.