A captivating look at one of the oldest religious documents in the world. Lost for millennia, The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a fascinating piece of history that dates back over 4,000 years. It reveals the reason why the Egyptians built the pyramids and is the likely source of the Ten Commandments.

HISTORY™ follows the ancient scroll from its creation in approximately 1800 BC to its rediscovery in 1887 AD.

The Egyptian Book of the Dead weaves together two stories through recreations, expert interviews and computer-generated graphics – that of a temple scribe in ancient Egypt, who saves for months to buy his Book of the Dead, and that of a roguish 19th Century museum curator named Earnest Wallis Budge, who discovers the same book and purchases it for the British Museum in London.

From the age of papyrus to the age of silicon, The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a captivating look at one of the oldest religious documents in the world.

• This programme brings history to life with its engaging mix of documentary and recreation.