In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Thoth commonly records the result of the heart’s weighing.
Thoth was the ibis-headed god associated with writing, knowledge, calculation, the moon, and the maintenance of cosmic order. These qualities made him the ideal divine official to document the verdict in the afterlife court.
The weighing scene usually includes several roles. Anubis handles or supervises the balance, the deceased stands before the judgment, and Thoth writes down the outcome. Osiris presides over the court, while Ammit waits to consume a heart that fails the test against Ma’at’s feather.
Thoth’s role does not mean that he personally decides every judgment in the scene. His defining function is that of an accurate recorder and authoritative witness. This is why identifying Thoth as the scale operator or as Ammit’s counterpart can lead to confusion. Egyptian funerary art assigned the gods distinct duties within the same ritual drama.