The Judges of Ma'at are a group of 42 beings that enforce the cosmic principle of Ma'at and judge the advancement of Balance of a Mummy when they die and return to Anubis who the guides the mummy towards the Judges. Should they found a mummy wanting, they would strip it of its power and could even destroy it by casting the mummy's soul into Amemait. Their true natures and names are unknown, as this would let them left controllable by the means of magic and Hekau. Egyptian priests codified the known names and described the judges' responsibilities and origins as well as they could. Being mere mortals, the priests often transcribed grossly simplified or misunderstood concepts of what principles of Ma'at each entity represented.
Originally, each Judge had an associated Shemsu-Heru whom he watched and judged in his deeds. With the spread of the Spell of Life, this functions scattered, as other Dynasties roamed the world who payed no heed to the words of the judges. When the Dja-akh struck, the newly created Amenti were connected to the Judges again.