A Woman’s Afterlife: Gender Transformation in Ancient Egypt

In Ancient Egypt, it was believed that a deceased woman needed to be reborn. And to do so, she had to temporarily become a man, since it was also believed that man was responsible for creating a fetus and later transferring it to the woman’s body. While these beliefs may seem archaic and, well, ancient today, they do have an important place in history. The Brooklyn Museum’s exhibition includes objects from its permanent collection that illustrate how Egyptians went about transforming women into men after their death to ensure a proper rebirth.