In July 2026, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, archaeologists uncovered 18 ancient tombs in Marina El Alamein, in the northwest of Egypt, once home to the flourishing city of Leukaspis. The find comes with an unusual twist: the tongues of all 18 deceased had been removed and replaced with 24 small gold foil tongues. The background to this seemingly strange ritual lies in the beliefs held by the people of the time. While death today is often described as "eternal rest" or "final peace," in ancient Egypt it was, at first, a genuinely stressful affair. Before the dead could even think about resting in peace, each of them first had to appear before a divine tribunal, which decided what would happen to them next.
"42" is not just the answer to life, the universe and everything
The number 42 has held a humorous place of honor among computer nerds and science-fiction fans for decades — thanks to British author Douglas Adams, who had a supercomputer calculate that exact figure as the answer to all of humanity's questions in his novel series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Adams was frequently asked how he arrived at the number and repeatedly insisted the choice was entirely random. So is it merely a coincidence that, in ancient Egyptian mythology, the tribunal that judged the dead consisted of 42 goddesses and gods?
Only with a golden tongue could the dead speak to the gods
It is not entirely clear whether the saying "to speak with a golden tongue" actually originates in ancient Egypt. What is certain, however, is that according to the beliefs of the time, it was the only way to raise one's voice in defense or justification before the divine tribunal. Incidentally, excavations carried out over the past decades at the site have uncovered not only golden tongues among the dead, but occasionally golden sandals as well. Could these have been intended as a way to sneak past the judgment of the gods?