Why did most ancient Egyptians still bother with mummificating the dead?

[Oliverlogan263]

Why did most ancient Egyptians still bother with mummifying the dead and giving them grave goods for the afterlife, even after the New Kingdom, the Ptolemaic Era, and Roman Egypt?

Even if it was necessary, according to their faith, for them to have an afterlife, it seems like sooner or later almost every tomb was robbed, and often the mummies were destroyed.

It seems like almost no one got to have a happy stay in the afterlife, as it would end for most people rather sooner than later.

And why didn't these beliefs change enough over time to compensate for this issue?

[jshm2]

The same reason people still bother with burying their dead now. Instead of cremating.

The faith and ritual of the people is important to them, and we see that in how they treat their dead and sick.

The act of mummification was long and complex, but also very public. You were a "part" of the whole journey.

Think of it now as you would have their wake, then you follow the hearse to their burial. Well, that is essentially what the Egyptians did, except over a longer period.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

The majority of robbing of tombs was done in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, well after the Egyptian Dynasty had fallen from its place over a thousand years ago. Mummification was the closest thing they had to preservation, much like we have embalming methods. It was likely to prevent the smell of decay as much as it was a religious ritual to honor the dead, and also allow loved ones who may not have immediately heard of their death time to come and mourn with the corpse present.

[purplepoppy]

They didn't believe their body had to last forever, just long enough for them to make the journey through the underworld to reach the place of the dead.

[DtMe89]

I believe they only mummified people that were of importance. Don't quote me though.

Egyptians believed that the after life was more important than living life, and that it even only started in the after life

[strateguy632]

It was a tradition so everyone did it.

[Fireguy17]

tradition.