Concepts and Iconography of Afterlife Judgment in the Religions of the Ancient West Asian Mediterranean Cultural Sphere

This study aims to analyze the concept of afterlife judgment and its iconographic representations as developed within the ancient West Asia-Mediterranean cultural sphere. In the afterlife beliefs of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Zoroastrianism, afterlife judgment functions as a central element, with the underworld serving as the designated realm of the dead, where the fate of the deceased is determined. Particularly in these cultures, the concept of afterlife judgment evolved beyond mere mythological motifs into a structured system of judgment, visually represented through symbolic imagery such as the river and bridge of the afterlife and the scales of judgment.In ancient Egypt, the weighing of the deceased’s heart against the feather of Ma’at determined their moral standing, while in Zoroastrianism, the Rashnu Scales measured human deeds quantitatively, establishing a visual icon of afterlife judgment. Over time, the concepts of the ‘river of the afterlife’ and the ‘bridge of judgment’ emerged, symbolizing the boundary between life and death. The Chinvat Bridge in Zoroastrianism functioned not only as a passage separating the living from the dead but also as the ultimate site of judgment, dividing souls between heaven and hell. These ideas were not confined to a single religious tradition but spread through cultural exchanges between East and West, as evidenced by various artistic representations. Notably, the presence of both the scales of judgment and the Chinvat Bridge in reliefs on Sogdian ossuaries in Central Asia serves as key evidence of the transmission of afterlife judgment concepts through transregional exchanges. While these iconographic elements exhibit regional variations, they retain consistent thematic features and later influenced the East Asian cultural sphere.As these concepts of afterlife judgment and their visual representations were transmitted to China, they merged with Buddhist notions of reincarnation, most notably exemplified in the Dunhuang ‘Ten Kings of Hell’ paintings. The Dunhuang murals feature depictions of rivers, bridges, and scales of judgment, demonstrating a conceptual connection with the afterlife judgment traditions of the West Asia-Mediterranean cultural sphere. By exploring the links between these traditions and East Asian Buddhist art, this study aims to provide a new perspective on ‘Ten Kings of Hell’ research and lay the foundation for further in-depth analysis of afterlife judgment iconography across cultural boundaries.