The Book of Gates

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The text describes the contents of the Books of Am-Tuat and the Book of Gates, which outline the Egyptian conception of the afterlife.

In the first hour, Ra enters the earth through the Hall of Amentet and travels over 120 fields before reaching the gods of Tuat. The first field is called Net-Ra.

The text says that whoever copies the similitudes of Tuat according to what is depicted in Ament will have magical protectors on earth and in the afterlife.

The Book of Gates

with the Short Form of the Book Am-Tuat

London; Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.

[1905]
Scanned at Sacred-texts.com, May 2003. J.B. Hare, Redactor. This text is in the public domain. These files
may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact.
NOTE
THIS volume is the second of a series of three volumes which treat of the Egyptian Heaven
and Hell. It contains the complete hieroglyphic text of the Summary, or short form of the
BOOK AM-TUAT, and the complete hieroglyphic text of the BOOK OF GATES, with
translations and reproductions of all the illustrations. A series of Chapters dealing with the
origin and contents of Books of the Other World, with prefatory remarks, and a full index to
the whole work, will be found in the third volume.

CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE

THE GODDESS NUT. FROM THE SARCOPHAGUS OF SETI I. Frontispiece

THE SHORT FORM OF THE BOOK AM-TUAT:--

FIRST HOUR 1

SECOND HOUR 4

THIRD HOUR 8

FOURTH HOUR 13

FIFTH HOUR 16

SIXTH HOUR 20

SEVENTH HOUR 25

EIGHTH HOUR 30

NINTH HOUR 32

TENTH HOUR 34

ELEVENTH HOUR 36

TWELFTH HOUR 38

I. THE ALABASTER SARCOPHAGUS OF SETI I. 43

APPENDIX: BELZONI'S ACCOUNT OF HIS DISCOVERY OF THE


TOMB OF SETI I. 71
THE BOOK OF GATES:--

II. THE WESTERN VESTIBULE, OR ANTE-CHAMBER OF THE TUAT,


SET-AMENTET, GUARDED BY SET AND TAT. With 2 Illustrations 80

III. THE FIRST GATE, GUARDED BY SAA-SET. With 10 Illustrations 86

IV. THE SECOND GATE, SEPTET-UAUAU, GUARDED BY AQEBI. With


7 Illustrations 100

V. THE THIRD GATE, NEBT-S-TCHEFAU, GUARDED BY TCHETBI.


With 10 Illustrations 119
p. viii

VI. THE FOURTH GATE, ARIT, GUARDED BY TEKA-HRA, With 11


Illustrations 139

VII. THE JUDGMENT HALL OF OSIRIS. With 1 Illustration 158

VIII. THE FIFTH GATE, NEBT-AHA, GUARDED BY SET-EM-MAAT-F.


With 4 Illustrations 168

IX. THE SIXTH GATE, PESTIT, GUARDED BY AKHA-EN-MAAT. With


27 Illustrations 190

X. THE SEVENTH GATE, BEKHKHI, GUARDED BY SET-HRA. With 9


Illustrations 219

XI. THE EIGHTH GATE, AAT-SHEFSHEFT, GUARDED BY AB-TA. With


12 Illustrations 237

XII. THE NINTH GATE, TCHESERIT, GUARDED BY SETHU. With 10


Illustrations 259

XIII. THE TENTH GATE, SHETAT-BESU, GUARDED BY AM-NETU-F.


With 12 Illustrations 279

XIV. THE ELEVENTH GATE, TESERT-BAIU, GUARDED BY SEBI AND


RERI, OR THE EASTERN VESTIBULE OF THE TUAT. With 2
Illustrations 301

ERRATA
P. 10, l. 3, for "Then-tent-baiu" read "Tent-baiu"; p. 20, l. 10, for "Nebt-mu-tuatiu" read
"Metchet-nu-nebt-Tuatiu"; p. 57, l. 3, for "the magical powers" read "her magical powers to
those"; p. 113, p. 119, l. 3, for "Tchetbi" read "Nebt-tchefau"; p. 147.
THE SHORT FORM

OF THE

BOOK OF AM-TUAT
THE SUMMARY OF THE BOOK OF WHAT IS IN THE
UNDERWORLD.
THE BEGINNING OF THE HORN OF AMENTET, [WHICH IS] THE UTTERMOST POINT
OF THE DEEPEST DARKNESS.

THE FIRST HOUR.


THIS god entereth into the earth through the Hall of the horizon of Amentet. There are one
hundred and twenty ATRU to journey over in this Hall before a man arriveth at the gods of the
Tuat.
The name of the first Field of the Tuat is NET-RA. He (i.e., Ra) allotteth fields to the gods
who are in [his] following, and he beginneth to send forth words to and to work out the plans
of the divine beings of the Tuat in respect of this Field.
Whosoever shall have these made (i.e., copied)
p. 2
according to the similitude which is in Ament of the Tuat, [and] whosoever shall have
knowledge of these similitudes, [which are] the copies of this great god himself, they shall act
as magical protectors for him upon earth regularly and unfailingly, and they shall act as
magical protectors for him in the Great Tuat.
USHEMET-HATU-KHEFTI-RA is the name of the [first] hour of the night which guideth this
great god through this Hall.

p. 4

THE SECOND HOUR.


This great god afterwards taketh up his position in UR-NEST, which is three hundred and
nine ATRU in length, and one hundred and twenty ATRU in width.
The name of the gods who are in this Field is, BAIU-TUATI. Whosoever knoweth their
names shall have his existence with them, and unto him shall this great god allot fields in the
place wherein they are in the FIELD OF URNES. He shall stand up with the Gods who Stand
Up (AHAU), he shall travel on in the following
p. 5
of this great god, he shall enter into the earth, he shall force a way through the Tuat, he shall
cleave a passage through the tresses of the gods with flowing hair (HENKSU), he shall travel
on by the EATER OF THE ASS (AM-AA) after the emptying of the lands, he shall eat bread-
cakes in the Boat of the Earth, and there shall be given unto him the fore-part of TATUBA.
Whosoever shall have made in writing (or, in drawing) similitudes of the BAIU-TUATI (i.e.,
the Souls of the Tuat) in the forms in which they are in Ament of the Tuat-now the beginning
of such representations should be from Amentet,--and whosoever shall make offerings unto
them upon earth in their names, [these things I say] shall act as magical protectors to that
person upon earth, regularly and unfailingly.
And whosoever shall know the words which the gods of the Tuat speak to this god, and the
words which are said by him to them when he is approaching the gods of the Tuat, [these
words I say] shall act as magical protectors to him that knoweth them upon earth, regularly
and unfailingly.
SHESAT-MAKET-NEB-S is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god
through this Field.

.8

THE THIRD HOUR.


This great god afterwards taketh up his position in the Fields of the PERU-gods (i.e., the
Fighters), and
p. 9
this great god paddleth his way over the STREAM OF OSIRIS (NET-ASAR) in sailing up
this Field, which is three hundred and nine ATRU long, and one hundred and twenty ATRU
wide. This great god uttereth words to those who are in the following of Osiris to this City,
and he allotteth unto them estates which are situated in this Field.
BAIU-SHETAIU (i.e., Hidden Souls) is the name of the gods who are in this Field, and
whosoever knoweth their names upon earth shall be able to approach to the place where Osiris
is, and there shall be given unto him water for his Field.
NET-NEB-UA-KHEPER-AUATU is the name of this Field. Whosoever shall know these
hidden similitudes of the Hidden Souls in the correct forms wherein they are depicted in
Ament of the Tuat--now the beginning of such representations should be from Amentet--
[these figures I say] shall act as magical protectors to that man upon earth, [and] in Neter-
khert, regularly and unfailingly.
Whosoever knoweth these, when he is making his journey past them shall escape from their
roarings, and he shall not fall down into their furnaces (or, pits).
Whosoever knoweth this, when 'he is keeping ward over [his] seat (or, place), his bread-cake
shall be with Ra; and whosoever knoweth this, being soul [and] spirit, shall have the mastery
over his legs, and shall never enter into the place of destruction, but he shall
p. 10
come forth with his attributes (or, forms), and shall snuff the air for his hour.
THENTENT-BAIU is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god through
this Field.

p. 13

THE FOURTH HOUR.


The majesty of this great god, having been towed along, afterwards taketh up his position in
the secret Circle of AMENTET, and he performeth the affairs of the gods of the Tuat who are
therein by means of his voice, but he seeth them not.
ANKH-KHEPERU is the name of the gate of this Circle.
AMENT-SETHAU is the name of this Circle.
Whosoever knoweth this representation of the hidden roads of RE-STATET, and the holy
paths of the AMMEHET, and the secret doors which are in the Land Of SEKER, the god who
is upon his sand, shall be in the condition of him that eateth the bread-cakes which are [made]
for the mouth of the LIVING gods in the Temple of Tem.
Whosoever knoweth this shall be in the condition of him that is maat on the ways, and he
shall journey
p. 14
over the roads of RE-SETHAU, and he shall see the representations of the AMMEHET.
URT-EM-SEKHEMU-SET is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god.

p. 16

THE FIFTH HOUR.


This great god is towed along over the ways of Maat of the Tuat through the upper half of this
secret Circle of the god SEKER, who is upon his sand, and he neither looketh upon nor gazeth
at the secret figure of the earth which containeth the flesh of this god. The gods who are in
[the train of] this god hear the words of Ra, who crieth unto them from where this god is.
AHA-NETERU is the name of the door [of this City].
AMENT is the name of the Circle of this god, [and in it are] the secret path of Amentet, and
the doors of the hidden palace, and the holy place of the LAND OF SEKER [with his] flesh,
and [his] members, [and his] body, in the divine form which they had at first.
BAIU-AMU-TUAT is the name of the gods who are in [this] Circle. Their forms (aru) who
are in their hour,
p. 17
and their secret shapes (kheperu) neither know, nor look upon, nor see this image (or,
similitude) of SEKER (or, the hawk) himself.
Whosoever shall make these representations according to the image which is in writing in the
hidden places of the Tuat, at the south of the Hidden Palace, and whosoever shall know them
shall be at peace, and his soul shall unite itself to the offerings of SEKER, and the goddess
KHEMIT shall not hack his body in pieces, and he shall go on his way towards her in peace.
Whosoever shall make offerings to these gods upon earth--[these offerings, I say, shall act as
magical protectors to that man upon earth, and in NETER-KHERT, regularly and unfailingly].
SEM-HER-AB-UAA-S is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god
through this Field.

p. 20

THE SIXTH HOUR.


The majesty of this great god taketh up his position in the stream of NEBT-MU-TUATIU (i.e.,
the Lord of the waters of the gods of the Tuat), and he sendeth forth words to the gods who
are therein, and he commandeth that they have the mastery over their divine offerings in this
City. He maketh his way through this Field, being provided with his Boat, and he setteth apart
by his words the estates which are [to produce] their offerings in this City, and he giveth to
them water for their lakes, and he travelleth through the Tuat every day.
SEPT-METU is the name of the door of this City.
p. 21
The secret roads of Amentet, and the manner wherein this great god is being rowed along over
the water therein in his boat to perform the plans (or, affairs) of the gods of the Tuat, the
gathering together [of them] by their names, the manifestations of their shapes (or, forms),
and [their] secret hours, such are the things of which the secret representation of the Tuat is
not known to men and women.
Whosoever shall make [a copy of] this image in writing, according to the representation of the
same which is in the hidden things of the Tuat, at the south of the Hidden Palace, and
whosoever shall know them shall be in the condition of one who awardeth offerings in
abundance in the Tuat, and he shall be united to the offerings of the gods who are in the
following of Osiris, and his Parents (or, kinsfolk) shall make the offerings which are
obligatory on the earth.
The majesty of this great god sendeth forth words, and he giveth divine offerings to [the gods
of] the Tuat, and he standeth up by them; and they see him, and they have dominion over their
Fields and over the gifts made to them, and they effect their transformations by reason of the
words which this great god hath spoken unto them.
METCHET-NEBT-TUATIU is the name of this Field, which is the road of the Boat of Ra.
MESPERIT-AR-MAAT is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god
through this country.

p. 25

THE SEVENTH HOUR.


The majesty of this great god taketh up his position in the secret place of Osiris, and the
majesty of this great god sendeth forth words into this to the gods who dwell therein. This god
maketh to himself other forms for this hidden place in order to drive out of his path the
serpent fiend APEP by means of the words of power of Isis, and the words of power of
SEMSU (?).
RUTI-ASAR is the name of the gate of this City through which this god passeth.
TEPHET-SHETA is the name of this City.
p. 26
This great god maketh his way over the road of Ament in the holy boat, and he passeth in it
over this road which is without water, without being towed along. He maketh his way by
means of the words of power of Isis, and by means of the words of power of SEMSU (?), and
the utterances of this great god himself [act as] magical protectors, and perform the slaughters
of Apep in the Tuat, in this Circle, in his windings in the sky.
Whosoever shall make [a copy of] these [pictures] according to the similitudes which are in
writing at the northern side of the Hidden Palace in the Tuat, they shall act as magical
protectors for him that maketh them in heaven and in earth. And whosoever knoweth them
shall be a soul of souls with Ra. And whosoever shall make (i.e., recite) the words of power of
Isis and the words of power of SEMSU, shall make to be driven back the Apep of Ra in
Amentet. Whosoever shall do [this] in the Hidden Palace of the Tuat, and whosoever shall do
[this] upon earth, [the result is] the same. Whosoever knoweth this shall be in the Boat of Ra,
both in heaven and upon earth; but he that hath no knowledge of this representation shall not
know how to drive back NEHA-HRA (i.e., Stinking-Face).
Now the ridge of earth of NEHA-HRA in the Tuat is four hundred and fifty cubits in length,
and he filleth it with the undulations of his body. The regions which belong to him are made
(i.e., kept) for him, and the great god doth not make his way over him when he
p. 27
maketh him to turn aside out of the way for him, from the secret place of Osiris, when this
god maketh his way through this city in the form of the serpent MEHEN.
Whosoever shall know this upon earth, the serpent NEHA-HRA shall not drink his water, and
the soul of him that knoweth it shall not be evilly entreated by the gods who are in this Circle;
and whosoever knoweth it the crocodile AB-SHAU shall not devour his soul.
KHESEF-HAI-HESEQ-NEHA-HRA is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this
great god through this Circle.

p. 30

THE EIGHTH HOUR.


When the majesty of this great god hath taken up his position in the secret Circles of those
who are in their sand, he sendeth forth words to them from out of his Boat, and the gods tow
along him that is in the holy embrace (?) of the serpent MEHEN.
AHA-AN-URT-F is the name of the gate of this City.
TEBAT-NETERU-SET is the name of this City.
As for the secret Circle of AMENTET, this great god maketh his way over it in his Boat, by
means of the towing of the gods who are in the Tuat.
Whosoever shall make [a copy of] these things according to the similitude which is in writing
on the north [wall] of the Hidden Palace in the Tuat, and whosoever shall know them by their
names, shall be in the condition of one who is fully provided with swathings on the earth, and
he shall never be repulsed at the secret gates, and he shall have abundant offerings in the great
funeral hall regularly and unfailingly for millions of years.
NEBT-USHA is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god.

. 32

THE NINTH HOUR.


When the majesty of this great god hath taken up his position in this Circle, he sendeth forth
words from his Boat to the gods who dwell therein, and the sailors join the, Boat of this great
god in this City.
SAA-KEB is the name of the gate of this City through which this great god passeth to take up
his position on the stream which is in this City.
BES-ARU is the name of this City, which is the secret Circle of AMENTET, wherein take up
their positions in the Tuat this great god and his sailors.
Whosoever maketh [a copy of] these things in their names according to the similitudes which
are in writing on the east [wall] of the Hidden Palace of the Tuat, and whosoever knoweth
their names upon earth, and knoweth their habitations in Amentet, shall rest in his habitation
in the Tuat, and he shall stand up among the lords of the provisions of the gods, and his voice
shall be maat before the tchatcha beings on the day of the reckoning of Pharaoh (literally, the
thrice great house). And these things shall act as magical protectors to him that knoweth them
upon earth.
MAK-NEB-S is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god in this Circle.
p. 34

THE TENTH HOUR.


The majesty of this great god taketh up his position in this Circle, and he sendeth forth words
to the gods who are in it.
AA-KHEPERU-MES-ARU is the name of the gate of this City through which this great god
passeth.
METCH-QA-UTEBU is the name of this City. [This is] the secret Circle of Amentet whereto
KHEPERA joineth himself before Ra, and the gods, and the spirits, and the dead cry out from
it over the secret representations (or, images) Of AKERT.
Whosoever shall make [a copy of] these [representations] according to the figures which are
depicted on the east [wall] of Ament, and whosoever knoweth them by their names shall
journey round about in the Tuat, and shall travel through it, and he shall not be driven back,
and he shall flourish with Ra.
TENTENIT-HESQ-KHAKABU is the name of the hour of the night which guideth this great
god through the secret ways of this City.

p. 36

THE ELEVENTH HOUR.


The majesty of this great god taketh up his position in this Circle, and he sendeth forth words
unto the gods who are therein.
SEKHEN-TUATIU is the name of the gate of this City through which this great god passeth.
RE-EN-QERERT-APT-KHAT is the name of this City. [This is] the secret Circle of the Tuat
into which this great god passeth on his way, and [he] cometh forth at the eastern mountain of
the sky, the eater of eternity. The form thereof is in the presence of the serpent PETRA, which
dwelleth in this City, and they (i.e., the gods) place themselves in the train of [Ra] when the
birth of KHEPER upon earth is about to take place.
Whosoever shall make [a copy] of these [representations] according to the figures which are
depicted on the east [wall] of the palace of Ament in the hidden [places] of the Tuat, and
whosoever knoweth them shall be in the position of him that divideth his offering, and of him
who is a spirit who is suitably equipped [to travel] both in heaven and upon earth, regularly
and unceasingly.
SEBIT-NEB-UAA-KHESEF-SEBIU-EM-PERT-F is the name of the hour of the night which
guideth this great god in this Circle.

p. 38

THE TWELFTH HOUR.


The majesty of this great god taketh up his position in this Circle at the limits of the thick
darkness, and this great god is born under the form of KHEPERA in this Circle. The gods NU
and AMMUI, and HEH and HEH[UT] are in this Circle at the birth of this great god, when he
maketh his appearance from the Tuat, and taketh up his place in the Matet Boat, and riseth
from between the thighs of the goddess Nut.
THENEN-NETERU is the name of the gate of this City.
KHEPER-KEKUI-KHA-MESTI is the name of this City. [This is] the secret Circle of the
Tuat, wherein this great god is born, when he maketh his appearance in NU, and taketh up his
place in the body of NUT.
Whosoever shall make [a copy] of these [representations] according to the figures which are
depicted on the east [wall] of the palace of Ament of the Tuat, they shall be magical protectors
to him that knoweth them upon earth, both in heaven and on earth.
At this point the light beginneth [to come], and it is the end of the thick darkness which Ra
travelleth through in Amentet, and of the secret matters which this great god performed
therein. He who hath no knowledge of the whole (?) or part (?) of the secret
p. 39
representations of the Tuat, shall be condemned to destruction.
Whosoever shall make [a copy] of these [representations] according to this copy of what is in
the Ament of the Tuat, [which] cannot be looked at or seen, and whosoever shall know these
secret images shall be in the condition of the spirit who is equipped [for journeying], and shall
come forth [from] and shall descend into the Tuat, and shall hold converse with the men and
women who live [there] regularly and unfailingly, millions of times.

p. 43

THE BOOK OF GATES


CHAPTER I.
THE ALABASTER SARCOPHAGUS OF SETI I.

THE text of the "Book of Gates," printed in the following pages, is taken from the alabaster
sarcophagus of king Seti I., B.C. 1370, which is preserved in the Museum of Sir John Soane,
at 13, Lincoln's Inn Fields. This sarcophagus is, undoubtedly, one of the chief authorities for
the text of that remarkable book; but before any attempt is made to describe the arrangement
of the scenes and the inscriptions which accompany them, it will be well to recall the principal
facts connected with its discovery by Giovanni Battista Belzoni, who has fortunately placed
them on record in his Narrative of the Operations and recent discoveries within the pyramids,
temples, tombs and Excavations in Egypt and Nubia, London, 1820, p. 233 ff. In October,
1815, Belzoni began to excavate in the Biban-al-Muluk, i.e., the Valley of the Tombs of the
Kings, on the western bank of the Nile at Thebes, and in the
p. 44
bed of a watercourse he found a spot where the ground bore traces of having been "moved."
On the 19th of the month his workmen made a way through the sand and fragments of stone
which had been piled up there, and entered the first corridor or passage of a magnificent tomb,
which he soon discovered to have been made for one of the great kings of Egypt. A second
corridor led him to a square chamber which, being thirty feet deep, formed a serious obstacle
in the way of any unauthorized intruder, and served to catch any rain-water which might make
its way down the corridors from the entrance. Beyond this chamber are two halls, and from
the first of these Belzoni passed through other corridors and rooms until he entered the
vaulted chamber in which stood the sarcophagus. 1 The sarcophagus chamber is situated at a
distance of 320 feet from the entrance to the first corridor, and is 180 feet below the level of
the ground. Belzoni succeeded in bringing the sarcophagus from its chamber into the light of
day without injury, and in due course it arrived in England; the negotiations which he opened
with the Trustees of the British Museum, to whom its purchase was first proposed, fell
through, and he subsequently sold it to Sir John Soane, it is said for the sum of £2000. An
examination of the sarcophagus shows that both it and its cover were hollowed out of
monolithic blocks of alabaster,
p. 45
and it is probable, as Mr. Sharpe says, 1 that these were quarried in the mountains near
Alabastronpolis, i.e., the district which was known to the Egyptians by the name of Het-nub,
and is situated near the ruins known in modern times by the name of Tell al-'Amarna. In the
Yet-nub quarries large numbers of inscriptions, written chiefly in the hieratic character, have
been found, and from the interesting selection from these published by Messrs. Blackden and
Fraser, we learn that several kings of the Ancient and Middle Empires carried on works in
them, no doubt for the purpose of obtaining alabaster for funeral purposes. The sarcophagus is
9 ft. 4 in. long, 3 ft. 8 in. wide, in the widest part, and 2 ft. 8 in. high at the shoulders, and 2 ft.
3 in. at the feet; the cover is 1 ft. 3 in. high. The thickness of the alabaster varies from 21 to 4
inches. The skill of the mason who succeeded in hollowing the blocks without breaking, or
even cracking them, is marvellous, and the remains of holes nearly one inch in diameter
suggest that the drill was as useful to him as the chisel and mallet in hollowing out the blocks.
When the sarcophagus and its cover were finally shaped and polished, they were handed over
to an artisan who was skilled in cutting hieroglyphics and figures of the gods, &c., in stone,
and both the insides and outsides were covered by him
p. 46
with inscriptions and vignettes and mythological scones which illustrated them. Both
inscriptions and scenes were then filled in with a kind of paint made from some preparation of
copper, and the vivid bluish green colour of this paint must have formed a striking contrast to
the brilliant whiteness of the alabaster when fresh from the quarry. At the present time large
numbers of characters and figures are denuded of their colour, and those in which it still
remains are much discoloured by London fog and soot.
The first to attempt to describe the contents of the texts and scenes on the sarcophagus of
SETI I. was the late Samuel Sharpe, who, with the late Joseph Bonomi, published "The
Alabaster Sarcophagus of Oimenepthah I., King of Egypt," London, 1864, 4to; the former was
responsible for the letterpress, and the latter for the plates of scenes and texts. For some
reason which it is not easy to understand, Mr. Sharpe decided that the hieroglyphic characters
which formed the prenomen of the king for whom the sarcophagus was made were to be read
"Oimenepthah," a result which he obtained by assigning the phonetic value of O to the

hieroglyphic sign for Osiris . The prenomen is sometimes written , or

, and , and is to be read either SETI-MEN-EN PTAH, or SETI-

MEN-EN-PTAH. Mr. Sharpe did not, apparently, realize that both the signs and
p. 47
were to be read "Set," and he gave to the first the phonetic value of A and to the second the
value of O; he next identified "Aimenepthah" or "Oimenepthah" with the Amenophath of
Manetho, and the Chomaepthah of Eratosthenes, saying, "hence arises the support to our
reading his name (i.e., the king's) Oimenepthah." Passing over Mr. Sharpe's further remarks,
which assert that the sarcophagus was made in the year B.C. 1175 (!), we must consider
briefly the arrangement of the texts and scenes upon the insides and outsides of the
sarcophagus and its covers. On the upper outside edge of the sarcophagus runs a single line of
hieroglyphics which contains speeches supposed to be made to the deceased by the four
children of Horus; this line is in two sections, each of which begins at the right hand side of
the head, and ends at the left hand side of the foot. Below this line of hieroglyphics are five
large scenes, each of which is divided into three registers, and these are enclosed between two
dotted bands which are intended to represent the borders of the "Valley of the Other World."
On the inside of the sarcophagus are also five scenes, but there is no line of hieroglyphics
running along the upper edge. On the bottom of the sarcophagus is a finely cut figure of the
Goddess Nut, and round and about her are texts selected from the Theban Recension of the
Book of the Dead; on the inside of the cover is a figure of the goddess Nut, with arms
outstretched. On the outside of the
p. 48
cover, in addition to the texts which record the names and titles of the deceased, are inscribed
two large scenes, each of which is divided into three registers, like those inside and outside
the sarcophagus.
The line of text on the upper outside edge reads:--
p. 50
I. Speech of MESTHA: "I am Mestha, I am [thy] son, O Osiris, king, lord of the two lands,
Men-Maat-Ra, whose word is maat, son of the Sun, Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat,
and I have come so that I may be among those who protect thee. I make to flourish thy house,
which shall be doubly established, by the command of Ptah, by the command of Ra himself."
Speech of ANPU: "I am Anpu, who dwelleth in (or, with) the funeral chest." He saith,
"Mother Isis descendeth . . . . . . . . bandages for me, Osiris, king Men-Maat-Ra, whose word
is maat, son of the Sun, Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat, from him that worketh against
me."
Speech of TUAMATEF: "I am Tuamatef, I am thy son Horus, I love thee, and I have come to
avenge thee, Osiris, upon him that would work his wickedness
p. 51
upon thee, and I will set him under thy feet for ever, Osiris, king, lord of the two lands, Men-
Maat-Ra, son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him, lord of crowns (or, risings)
Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat, before the Great God."
To be said: "Ra liveth, the Tortoise dieth! Strong are the members of . . . . . Osiris, king Men-
Maat-Ra, whose word is maat, for Qebhsennuf guardeth them. Ra liveth, the Tortoise dieth! In
a sound state is he who is in the sarcophagus, in a sound state is he who is in the sarcophagus,
that is to say, the son of the Sun, Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat."
Speech of NUT: Nut, the great one of Seb, saith: "O Osiris, king, lord of the two lands, Men-
Maat-Ra, whose word is maat, who loveth me, I give unto thee purity on the earth, and
splendour (or, glory) in the heavens, and I give unto thee thy head for ever."
II. Speech of NUT, who is over the HENNU BOAT: "This is my son, Osiris, king, Men-Maat-
Ra, whose word is maat. His father Shu loveth him, and his mother Nut loveth him, Osiris,
son of Ra, Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat."
Speech of HAPI: "I am Hapi. I have come that I might be among those who protect thee, I
bind together for thee thy head, [and thy members, smiting down for thee thine enemies
beneath thee, and I give
p. 52
thee] thy head, O Osiris, king, Men-Maat-Ra, whose word is maat, son of Ra, Seti Mer-en-
Ptah, whose word is maat."
Speech Of ANPU, the Governor of the divine house: I am Anpu, the Governor of the divine
house. O Osiris, king, lord of the two lands, Men-Maat-Ra, whose word is maat, son of the
Sun, [proceeding] from his body, the lord of crowns, Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat,
the Shennu beings go round about thee, and thy members remain uninjured, O Osiris, king,
Men-Maat-RA, whose word is maat for ever."
Speech Of QEBHSENNUF: "I am thy son, I have come that I might be among those who
protect thee. I gather together for thee thy bones, and I piece together for thee thy limbs. I
bring unto thee thy heart, and I set it upon its seat in thy body. I make to flourish (or,
germinate) for thee thy house after thee, [O thou who] liv[est] for ever."
To be said: "Ra liveth, the Tortoise dieth! Let enter the bones of Osiris, king Men-Maat-Ra,
whose word is maat, the son of the Sun, Seti Mer-en-Ptah, whose word is maat, let them enter
into their foundations. Pure is the dead body which is in the earth,
p. 53
and pure are the bones of Osiris, king Men-Mast-Ra, whose word is maat, like Ra [for ever!]."
On the bottom of the sarcophagus is a large, full-length figure of the goddess NUT who is
depicted in the form of a woman with her arms ready to embrace the body of the king. Her
face and the lower parts of the body below the waist are in profile, but she has a front chest,
front shoulders, and a front eye. Her feet are represented as if each was a right foot, and each
only shows the great toe. One breast is only shown. The hair of the goddess is long and falls
over her back and shoulders; it is held in position over her forehead by a bandlet. She wears a
deep collar or necklace, and a closely-fitting feather-work tunic which extends from her breast
to her ankles; the latter is supported by two shoulder straps, each of which is fastened with a
buckle on the shoulder. She has anklets on her legs, and bracelets on her wrists, and armlets
on her arms. The inscriptions which are cut above the head, and at both sides, and under the
feet of the goddess contain addresses to the king by the great gods of the sky, and extracts
from the Book of the Dead; they read:--
p. 55

INSCRIPTION ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SARCOPHAGUS OF


SETI I.

I. The words of Osiris the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is
maat, the son of Ra (i.e., the Sun), SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, who saith, "O
thou goddess NUT, support thou me, for I am thy son. Destroy thou my defects of immobility,
together with those who produce them."
II. The goddess NUT, who dwelleth in HET-HENNU, saith, "This [is my] son Osiris, the king,
the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, the son of Ra, [proceeding]
from his body, who loveth him, the lord of crowns, Osiris, SETI MER-EN-PTAH."
III. The god SEB saith, "This [is my] son MEN-MAAT-RA, who loveth me. I have given unto
him purity upon earth, and glory in heaven, him the Osiris, king, the lord of the two lands,
MEN-MAAT-RA, "whose word is maat, the son of Ra, the lover of Nut, that is to say, SETI
MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, before the lords of the Tuat."
IV. Words which are to be said:--"O Osiris, king, lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA,
whose word is maat, the son of Ra, [proceeding] from his body, that is to say, SETI MER-EN-
PTAH, whose word is maat. Thy mother NUT putteth forth [her] two hands and arms over
thee, Osiris, king, lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, son of Ra,
p. 57
whom he loveth, lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat. Thy mother
NUT hath added the magical powers which are thine, and thou art in her arms, and thou shalt
never die. Lifted up and driven away are the calamities which were to thee, and they shall
never [more] come to thee, and shall never draw nigh unto thee, Osiris, king, the lord of the
two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat. Horus hath taken up his stand behind thee,
Osiris, son of Ra, lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, for thy
mother NUT hath come unto thee; she hath purified (or, washed) thee, she hath united herself
to thee, she hath supplied thee as a god, and thou art alive and stablished among the gods."
V. The great goddess NUT saith, "I have endowed him with a soul, I have endowed him with
a spirit, and I have given him power in the body of his mother TEFNUT, I who was never
brought forth. I have come, and I have united myself to OSIRIS, the king, the lord of the two
lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, the son of Ra, the lord of diadems, SETI MER-
EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, with life, stability, and power. He shall not die. I am NUT of
the mighty heart, and I took up my being in the body of my mother TEFNUT in my name of
Nut; over my mother none hath
p. 59
gained the mastery. I have filled every place with my beneficence, and I have led captive the
whole earth; I have led captive the South and the North, and I have gathered together the
things which are into my arms to vivify Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-
MAAT-RA, the son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, the lover of SEKER, the lord of
diadems, the governor whose heart is glad, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat. His
soul shall live for ever! "
VI. ["Nut,"] saith Osiris, the king MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, "Raise thou me up!
I am [thy] son, set thou free him whose heart is at rest from that which maketh [it to be still]."
VII. Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, the son
of the Sun, loving him, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, saith the

CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AND OF MAKING A


WAY THROUGH AMMEHET. 1

Saith Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, the
son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him, the lord of crowns, SETI MER-EN-
PTAH, whose word is maat, "Homage to you, O ye lords of maat, who are free from iniquity,
who exist and live for ever and to the double henti period of everlastingness, MEN-MAAT-
RA, whose word is maat, the son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him, the lord
of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH,
p. 61
whose word is maat, before you hath become a khu (i.e., a spirit) in his attributes, he hath
gained the mastery through his words of power, and he is laden with his splendours. O deliver
ye the Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, the
son of the sun, the lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, from the
Crocodile of this Pool of Maati. He hath his mouth, let him speak therewith. Let there be
granted unto him broad-handedness in your presence, because I know you, and I know your
names. I know this great god unto whose nostrils ye present offerings of tchefau. REKEM is
his name. He maketh a way through the eastern-horizon of heaven. REKEM departeth and I
also depart; he is strong and I am strong. O let me not be destroyed in the MESQET Chamber.
Let not the Sebau fiends gain the mastery over me. Drive not ye me away from your Gates,
and shut not fast your arms against the Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-
MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, the son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him,
the lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, because [my] bread is in the
city of PE, 1 and my ale is in the city Of TEP, and my arms are united
p. 63
in the divine house which my father hath given unto me. He hath stablished for me a house in
the high place of the lands, and there are wheat and barley therein, the quantity of which is
unknown. The son of my body acteth for me there as kher-heb. 1 Grant ye, unto me sepulchral
offerings, that is to say, incense, and merhet unguent, and all beautiful and pure things of
every kind whereon the God liveth. Osiris, the king, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat,
the son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him, the lord of diadems, the ruler of
joy of heart, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat, existeth for ever in all the
transformations which it pleaseth [him to make]. He floateth down the river, he saileth up into
SEKHET-AARU, 2 he reacheth SEKHET-HETEP. 3 I am the double Lion-god." 4
VIII. Saith Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat,
son of the Sun, loving him, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat:--"O ward off that
destroyer from my father Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose
word is maat, and let his divine protection be under my legs, and let them live. Strengthen
thou Osiris, son of the Sun, lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, whose word is maat,
with thy hand. Grasp thou him with thy hand, let him enter thy hand, let
p. 65
him enter thy hand, O Osiris, king, lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, Whose word is
maat, thou shalt not perish. NUT cometh unto thee, and she fashioneth thee as the Great
Fashioner, and thou shalt never decay; she fashioneth thee, she turneth thy weakness into
strength, she gathereth together thy members, she bringeth thy heart into thy body, and she
hath placed thee at the head of the living doubles (kau), O Osiris, king, lord of the two lands,
MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, before the beautiful god, the lord of TA-TCHESERT."
IX. Saith Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA, whose word is maat,
the son of the Sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him, the lord of diadems, SETI MER-
EN-PTAH, whose word is maat,

[THE CHAPTER OF CAUSING THE SOUL TO BE UNITED TO


ITS BODY IN THE UNDERWORLD] 1

Hail, ye gods who bring (ANNIU)! [Hail] ye gods who run (PEHIU)! [Hail] thou who
dwellest in his embrace, thou great god, grant thou that may come unto me my soul from
wheresoever it may be. If it would delay, then lot my soul be brought unto me from
wheresoever it may be, for thou shalt find the Eye of Horus standing by thee like those
watchful gods. If it lie down, let it lie down in ANNU (Heliopolis), the land where [souls are
joined to their bodies] in thousands. Let my soul be brought
p. 67
unto me from wheresoever it may be. Make thou strong, O guardian of sky and earth, this my
soul. If it would tarry, do thou cause the soul to see its body, and thou shalt find the Eye of
Horus standing by thee even as do those [gods who watch]."
"Hail, ye gods who tow along the boat of the lord of millions of years, who bring [it] into the
upper regions of the Tuat, who make it to pass over Nut, and who make the soul to enter into
its sahu (i.e., spiritual body), let your hands be full of weapons, and grasp them and make
them sharp, and hold chains in readiness to destroy the serpent enemy. Let the Boat rejoice,
and let the great god pass on in peace, and behold, grant ye that the soul of Osiris, king MEN-
MAAT-RA, whose word is maat, may emerge from the thighs [of Nut] in the eastern horizon
of heaven, for ever and for ever."
X. Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA SETEP-[EN]-RA, whose word
is maat, the son of Ra, loving PTAH-SEKRI, the lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH,
whose word is maat, saith:--"O ye shennu beings, go ye round behind me, and let not these
my members be without strength."
XI. Osiris, the king, the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-RA AA-RA, whose word is maat,
the son of the sun, [proceeding] from his body, loving him, lord of diadems, SETI MER-EN-
PTAH, saith:--"O Nut, lift thou me up. I am thy son. Do away from me that which maketh me
to be without motion." [Nut saith]:--O Osiris, the king the lord of the two lands, MEN-MAAT-
RA
p. 69
AA-RA whose word is maat, the soil or the sun, [proceeding] from his body,
[paragraph continues]
loving him, the lord or diadems, SETI MER-EN-PTAH, Whose word is maat, I have given
thee thy head to be on thy body, and all the members of him that is SETI MER-EN-PTAH,
whose word is maat, shall never lack strength."
On the outside of the cover, beneath the two scenes and texts which occupied the upper part of
it, was a horizontal line of hieroglyphics which contained two short speeches, the one by the
goddess Nut, and the other by Thoth. The speech of Nut is a duplicate of the opening lines of
that found on the bottom of the sarcophagus (see above § v., p. 55); the speech of Thoth is
much mutilated, and can have contained little except the promise to be with the king, and a
repetition of the royal name and titles. On the inside of the cover were texts, many portions of
which are identical, as we see from the fragments which remain, with the Chapters from the
Book of the Dead which are found on the bottom of the sarcophagus, and which have been
transcribed above. At each side of the figure of the winged goddess which was cut on the
breast was a figure of the god Thoth, who is seen holding a staff surmounted by the symbol of
"night.". When the cover was complete there were probably four such figures upon it, and the
texts which accompanied them were, no doubt,
p. 70
identical with those found in Chapter CLXI. of the Book of the Dead.
The scenes and inscriptions which cover the inside and outside of the sarcophagus are
described and transcribed in the following chapters.
p. 71

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER I.

BELZONI'S ACCOUNT OF HIS DISCOVERY OF THE TOMB OF SETI I.

"ON the 16th (of October) I recommenced my excavations in the Valley of Beban el Malook,
and pointed but the fortunate spot, which has paid me for all the trouble I took in my
researches. I may call this a fortunate day, one of the best perhaps of my life; I do not mean to
say, that fortune has made me rich, for I do not consider all rich men fortunate; but she has
given me that satisfaction, that extreme pleasure, which wealth cannot purchase; the pleasure
of discovering what has been long sought in vain, and of presenting the world with a new and
perfect monument of Egyptian antiquity, which can be recorded as superior to any other in
point of grandeur, style, and preservation, appearing as if just finished on the day we entered
it; and what I found in it will show its great superiority to all others. Not fifteen yards from
the last tomb I described, I caused the earth to be opened at the foot of a steep hill, and under
a torrent, which, when it rains, pours a great quantity of water over the very spot I have
p. 72
caused to be dug. No one could imagine, that the ancient Egyptians would make the entrance
into such an immense and superb excavation Just under a torrent of water; but I had strong
reasons to suppose, that there was a tomb in that place, from indications I had observed in my
pursuit. The Fellahs who were accustomed to dig were all of opinion, that there was nothing
in that spot, as the situation of this tomb differed from that of any other. I continued the work,
however, and the next day, the 17th, in the evening we perceived the part of the rock that was
cut, and formed the entrance. On the 18th, early in the morning, the task was resumed, and
about noon the workmen reached the entrance, which was eighteen feet below the surface of
the ground. The appearance indicated, that the tomb was of the first rate; but still I did not
expect to find such a one as it really proved to be. The Fellahs advanced till they saw that it
was probably a large tomb, when they protested they could go no further, the tomb was so
much choked up with large stones, which they could not get out of the passage. I descended,
examined the place, pointed out to them where they might dig, and in an hour there was room
enough for me to enter through a passage that the earth had left under the ceiling of the first
corridor, which is 36 ft. 2 in. long, and 8 ft. 8 in. wide, and, when cleared of the ruins, 6 ft. 9
in. high. I perceived immediately by the painting on the
p. 73
ceiling, and by the hieroglyphics in basso relievo, which were to be seen where the earth did
not reach, that this was the entrance into a large and magnificent tomb. At the end of this
corridor I came to a staircase 23 ft. long, and of the same breadth as the corridor. The door at
the bottom is 12 ft. high. From the foot of the staircase I entered another corridor, 37 ft. 3 in.
long, and of the same width and height as the other, each side sculptured with hieroglyphics in
basso relievo, and painted. The ceiling also is finely painted, and in pretty good preservation.
The more I saw, the more I was eager to see, such being the nature of man; but I was checked
in my anxiety at this time, for at the end of this passage I reached a large pit, which
intercepted my progress. This pit is 30 ft. deep, and 14 ft. by 12 ft. 3 in. wide. The upper part
of the pit is adorned with figures, from the wall of the passage up to the ceiling. The passages
from the entrance all the way to this pit have an inclination downward of an angle of eighteen
degrees. On the opposite side of the pit facing the entrance I perceived a small aperture 2 ft.
wide and 2 ft. 6 in. high, and at the bottom of the wall a quantity of rubbish. A rope fastened
to a piece of wood, that was laid across the passage against the projections which formed a
kind of door, appears to have been used by the ancients for descending into the pit; and from
the small aperture oil the opposite side hung another, which
p. 74
reached the bottom, no doubt for the purpose of ascending. We could clearly perceive, that the
water which entered the passages from the torrents of rain ran into this pit, and the wood and
rope fastened to it crumbled to dust on touching them. At the bottom of the pit were several
pieces of wood, placed against the side of it, so as to assist the person who was to ascend by
the rope into the aperture. I saw the impossibility of proceeding at the moment. Mr. Beechey,
who that day came from Luxor, entered the tomb, but was also disappointed.
"The next day, the 19th, by means of a long beam we succeeded in sending a man up into the
aperture, and having contrived to make a bridge of two beams, we crossed the pit. The little
aperture we found to be an opening forced through a wall, that had entirely closed the
entrance, which was as large as the corridor. The Egyptians had closely shut it up, plastered
the wall over, and painted it like the rest of the sides of the pit, so that but for the aperture, it
would have been impossible to suppose, that there was any further proceeding; and anyone
would conclude, that the tomb ended with the pit. The rope in the inside of the wall did not
fall to dust, but remained pretty strong, the water not having reached it at all; and the wood to
which it was attached was in good. preservation. It was owing to this method of keeping the
damp out of the inner parts of the tomb, that they are so well preserved. I observed
p. 75
some cavities at the, bottom of the well, but found nothing in them, nor any communication
from the bottom to any other place; therefore we could not doubt their being made to receive
the waters from the rain, which happens occasionally in this mountain. The valley is so much
raised by the rubbish, which the water carries down from the upper parts, that the entrance
into these tombs is become -much lower than the torrents; in consequence, the water finds its
way into the tombs, some of which are entirely choked up with earth.
"When we had passed through the little aperture we found ourselves in a beautiful hall, 27 ft.
6 in. by 25 ft. 10 in., in which were four pillars 3 ft. square. I shall not give any description of
the painting, till I have described the whole of the chambers. At the end of this room, which I
call the entrance-hall, and opposite the aperture, is a large door, from which three steps lead
down into a chamber with two pillars. This is 28 ft. 2 in. by 25 ft. 6 in. The pillars are 3 ft. 10
in. square. I gave it the name of the drawing-room; for it is covered with figures, which
though only outlined, are so fine and perfect, that you would think they had been drawn only
the day before. Returning into the entrance-hall, we saw on the left of the aperture a large
staircase, which descended into a corridor. It is 13 ft. 4 in. long, 7 ft. 6 in. wide, and has 18
steps. At the bottom we entered a beautiful corridor, 3 6 ft. 6 in. by 6 ft. 11 in.
p. 76
We perceived that the paintings became more perfect as we advanced farther
[paragraph continues]
into the interior. They retained their gloss, or a kind of varnish over the colours, which had a
beautiful effect. The figures are painted on a white ground. At the end of this (corridor we
descended ten steps, which I call the small stairs, into another, 17 ft. 2 in. by 10 ft. 5 in. From
this we entered a small chamber, 20 ft. 4 in. by 13 ft. 8 in., to which I gave the name of the
Room of Beauties; for it is adorned with the most beautiful figures in basso relievo, like all
the rest, and painted. When standing in the centre of this chamber, the traveller is surrounded
by an assembly of Egyptian gods and goddesses. Proceeding farther, we entered a large hall,
27 ft. 9 in. by 26 ft. 10 in. In this hall are two rows of square pillars, three on each side of the
entrance, forming a line with the corridors. At each side of this hall is a small chamber; that
on the right is 10 ft. 5 in. by 8 ft. 8 in., that on the left 10 ft. 5 in. by 8 ft. 9½ in. This hall I
termed the Hall of Pillars; the little room on the right, Isis' Room, as in it a large cow is
painted, of which I shall give a description hereafter; that on the left, the Room of Mysteries,
from the mysterious figures it exhibits. At the end of this hall we entered a large saloon, with
an arched roof or ceiling, which is separated from the Hall of Pillars only by a step so that the
two may be reckoned one. The saloon is 31 ft. 10 in. by 27 ft. On the right is a small
p. 77
chamber without anything in it, roughly cut, as if unfinished, and without painting; on the left
we entered a chamber with two square pillars, 25 ft. 8 in. by 22 ft. 10 in. This I called the
Sideboard Room, as it has a projection of 3 ft. in form of a sideboard all round, which was
perhaps intended to contain the articles necessary for the funeral ceremony. The pillars are 3
ft. 4 in. square, and the whole beautifully painted as the rest. At the same end of the room, and
facing the Hall of Pillars, we entered by a large door into another chamber with four pillars,
one of which is fallen down. This chamber is 43 ft. 4 in. by 17 ft. 6 in.; the pillars 3 ft. 7 in.
square. It is covered with white plaster, where the rock did not cut smoothly, but there is no
painting on it. I named it the Bull's, or Apis' Room, as we found the carcass of a bull in it,
embalmed with asphaltum; and also, scattered in various places, ail immense quantity of small
wooden figures of mummies 6 or 8 in. long, and covered with asphaltum to preserve them.
There were some other figures of fine earth baked, coloured blue, and strongly varnished. On
each side of the two little rooms were wooden statues standing erect, 4 ft. high, with a circular
hollow inside, as if to contain a roll of papyrus, which I have no doubt they did. We found
likewise fragments of other statues of wood and of composition.
"But the description of what we found in the centre of the saloon, and which I have reserved
till this place,
p. 78
merits the most particular attention, not having its equal in the world, and being such as we
had no idea could exist. It is a sarcophagus of the finest oriental alabaster, 9 ft. 5 in. long, and
3 ft. 7 in. wide. Its thickness is only 2 in., and it is transparent, when a light is placed in the
inside of it. It is minutely sculptured within and without with several hundred figures, which
do not exceed 2 in. in height, and represent, as I suppose, the whole of the funeral procession
and ceremonies relating to the deceased, united with several emblems, &c. I cannot give an
adequate idea of this beautiful and invaluable piece of antiquity, and can only say, that nothing
has been brought into Europe from Egypt that can be compared with it. The cover was not
there; it had been taken out, and broken into several pieces, which we found in digging before
the first entrance. The sarcophagus was over a staircase in the centre of the saloon, which
communicated with a subterraneous passage, leading downwards, 300 ft. in length. At the end
of this passage we found a great quantity of bats' dung, which choked it up, so that we could
go no farther without digging. It was nearly filled up too by the falling in of the upper part.
One hundred feet from the entrance is a staircase in good preservation; but the rock below
changes its substance, from a beautiful solid calcareous stone, becoming a kind of black rotten
slate, which crumbles into dust only by touching. This subterraneous passage proceeds in a
south-west
p. 79
direction through the mountain. I measured the distance from the entrance, and also the rocks
above, and found that the passage reaches nearly halfway through the mountain to the upper
part of the valley. I have reasons to suppose, that this passage was used to come into the tomb
by another entrance; but this could not be after the death of the person who was buried there,
for at the bottom of the stairs just tinder the sarcophagus a wall was built, which entirely
closed the communication between the tomb and the subterraneous passage. Some large
blocks of stone were placed under the sarcophagus horizontally, level with the pavement of
the saloon, that no one might perceive any stairs or subterranean passage was there. The
doorway of the sideboard room had been walled up, and forced open, as we found the stones
with which it was shut, and the mortar in the jambs. The staircase of the entrance-hall had
been walled up also at the bottom, and the space filled, with rubbish, and the floor covered
with large blocks of stone, so as to deceive any one who should force the fallen wall near the
pit, and make him suppose, that the tomb ended with the entrance-hall and the drawing-room.
I am inclined to believe, that whoever forced all these passages must have had some spies
with them, who were well acquainted with the tomb throughout. The tomb faces the north-
east, and the direction of the whole runs straight south-west."

Footnotes

44:1 As Belzoni's narrative is of interest, his account of his discovery of Seti's tomb is given
in the Appendix to this Chapter.
45:1 The Alabaster Sarcophagus of Oimenepthah I., King of Egypt. London, 1864, p. 14.
59:1 This is Chapter LXXII. of the Book of the Dead.
61:1 Pe and Tep formed a double city in the Delta.
63:1 The kher-heb was the priestly official who read the funeral service.
63:2 I.e., the Field of Reeds.
63:3 I.e., the Field of Peace.
63:4 I.e., Shu and Tefnut.
65:1 This is Chapter LXXXIX. of the Book of the Dead.

p. 80

CHAPTER II.
THE ANTE-CHAMBER OF THE TUAT.

IN THE FIRST DIVISION of the "Book of Gates of the Tuat," according to the sarcophagus

of Seti I., we see the horizon of the west, , or the mountain of the west, divided into

two parts, , and the boat of the sun is supposed to sail between them, and to enter
by this passage into the Tuat. On the right hand is fixed a jackal-headed standard, and on each
side of it kneels a bearded god; one god is called TAT, and is a personification of the region

which is beyond the day, and the other SET, , and represents the funeral mountain. On
the left hand is a ram-headed standard, and on each side of it also kneels a bearded god; as
before, one is called Tat and the other Set. The ram's head has the horizontal, wavy horns,
which belong to the particular species of ram that was the symbol of the god Khnemu; this
animal disappeared from Egypt before the XIIth Dynasty, but the tradition of him remained.
In the middle of the scene sails the boat of the sun. The god is symbolized by a beetle within a
disk, which is enveloped in the folds of a
p. 81

Part of the horizon over which the Boat of the Sun passes to enter the Tuat at eventide.
In it are the Twelve Gods of the Funeral Mountain .
p. 82
serpent having its tail in its mouth. In the bows stands the god of divine intelligence, whose
name is SA, and in the stern, near the two paddles, stands HEKA, i.e., the personification of
the word of power, or of magical utterance. The god who usually accompanies SA is HU. The
text which refers to the Sun-god reads:--
"Ra saith unto the Mountain:--Send forth light, O Mountain! Let radiance arise from that
which hath devoured me, and which hath slain men and is filled with the slaughter of the
gods. Breath to you, O ye who dwell in the light in your habitations, my
p. 83

Part of the horizon over which the Boat of the Sun passes to enter the Tuat at eventide.
In it are the twelve Gods of Set-Amentet .
p. 84
splendours shall be to you. I have decreed their slaughter, and they have slaughtered
everything which existeth. I have hidden you from those who are upon the earth, restoring the
crown (or, tiara) to those who are on the Mountain. The gods say:--'Let this jackal-headed
sceptre emit the words of this great god who joineth together his members. Come then unto
us, O thou from whom we have come forth! Cries of joy are to thee, O thou who art in thy
disk, thou great god whose forms (or transformations) are manifold.' Their provisions
[consist] of bread-cakes and beer."
The paragraph below the above text is practically a duplicate of it, but it contains no mention
of either the jackal-headed or the rain-headed sceptre, and it is unnecessary to give it here.
On the right of the boat stand twelve gods, who are called "gods of the mountain," and the
text referring to them reads:--
p. 85
"[These gods] have come into being from Ra, and from his substance, and have emerged from
his eye. He hath decreed for them [as] a place (or, abode) the Hidden Mountain (Ament Set),
which consumeth men, and gods, and all cattle, and all reptiles which are created by this great
god. This great god hath decreed the plans (or, designs) thereof having made [them] to spring
up in the earth which he created."
On the left of the boat stand twelve gods, who are called "gods of Set-Amentet," and the text
referring to them reads:--
"The hidden place. [These are] those who have consumed the men, and the gods, and all the
cattle, and all the reptiles which this great god hath created. 'This great god hath decreed plans
for them after he made them to spring up in the land which he created, that is to say, in the
Amentet which he made."

p. 86

CHAPTER III.
THE GATE OF SAA-SET
THE SECOND DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

THE boat of Ra, having passed between the two halves of the horizon of the West, now
approaches a gateway, the door of which is closed before him; the door of the second division
of the Tuat is different from the doors of the other divisions, for it consists of a single leaf
which turns upon a pivot working in holes in the top and bottom of the framework of the door.
This door is guarded by a serpent called SAA-SET, which stands upon its tail. The text
referring to this serpent reads:--
p. 87
"He who is over (i.e., has the mastery over) this door openeth to Ra. SA saith unto SAT-SET,
'Open thy door to Ra, throw wide open thy door to KHUTI. The hidden abode is in darkness,
so that the transformations of this god may take place.' This portal is closed after this god hath
entered in through it, and there is lamentation on the part of those who are in their mountain
when they hear this door shut."
In the centre of the scene we see the boat of Ra being towed along by four gods standing, each
of whom grasps the tow-line with both hands. The god is now in the form of a ram-headed
man, who holds the sceptre in his right hand, and has the solar disk above his horns. He stands
within a shrine which is enveloped in the voluminous folds of the serpent Mehen, a serpent
also stands on his tall before him. In front of the shrine stands SA, and behind it HEKAU. The
gods who tow the boat are called TUAIU.
p. 88
The sun's boat is met in this section by a company of thirteen gods, who are under the
direction of a god who holds a staff in his hand. The names of the first seven gods are:--
NEPEMEH 1, NENHA, 2, BA, HERU, BEHA-AB, KHNEMU, and SETCHET; the third has
the head of a ram, and the fourth that of a hawk. The last six gods
The Boat of the Sun towed by Gods of the Tuat .

are described as "gods who are in the entrances," the god who bears the staff has no name.
The text which refers to the Sun-god reads:--
p. 89

Seven of the Gods of the Entrances who tow the Boat of the Sun through Saa-Set .

.
Six of the Gods of the Entrances who tow the Boat of the Sun through Saa-Set, and a god who bears a staff

p. 90
"This great god journeyeth along the roads of the
p. 91
Tuat. This god is drawn by the gods of the Tuat (in order to make divisions (or,
[paragraph continues]
distinctions) in the earth, and to work out [his] designs therein, to weigh words and deeds in
Ament, to magnify the great god above the little god among the gods. who are in the Tuat, to
place the KHU (i.e., the blessed dead) upon, their thrones, and the damned [in the place] to
which they have been condemned in the judgment, and to destroy their bodies by an evil
death. Ra saith:--'O grant ye to me that I may restore the tiara, and that I may have possession
of [my] shrine which is in the earth. Let SA and HEKA unite themselves to me for the
working out of plans for you, and for making to come into being their attributes (or, forms) ye
[have] (what is yours. Isis hath made to be at peace the wind, and offerings are there. None
shutteth [the door] against you, and the damned do not enter in after you. That which
belongeth to you is to you, O gods.' These gods say unto Ra, 'There is darkness on the road of
the Tuat, therefore let the doors which are closed be unfolded, let the earth open, so that the
gods may draw along him that hath created them.' Their food [i.e., the food of these gods] is
of the funeral offerings, and their drink is from their cool waters, and their hands are on meat
offerings among the Akert regions of Ament."
On the right of the boat are twenty-four gods, the first twelve of whom are described as "those
p. 92
who are at peace, the worshippers of Ra," and the second twelve as "the righteous who are in
the Tuat." These beings are thus described by the accompanying text:--
p. 93

Nine of the gods who adore Ra and are at peace .

.
(Left) Five of the righteous gods of the Tuat. (Right) Three of the gods who adore Ra and are at peace

p. 94
"These [are they who] have worshipped (or, praised) Ra upon earth, who uttered words of
power against Apep, who made their offerings unto him, and who burnt (literally, made)
incense to their gods on their own behalf, after their offerings. They have gained possession of
their cool waters, and they receive their meat, and they eat of their offerings in the gateway of
him whose name is hidden. Their meat is by the gateway, and their offerings are with him.
who is therein. And Ra saith unto them:--'Your offerings are yours, ye have power over your
cool waters, your souls shall never be hacked to pieces, your meat shall never fail, [O ye who
have] praised [me], and have vanquished Apep for me.'"
The above passage refers to the "worshippers of Ra who are at peace."
"[These are] they [who] spake truth upon earth,
p. 95
and who were not addicted to evil thought about the gods. They make their invocations in this
gateway, they live upon maat (i.e., truth), and their cool waters are in their cisterns. Ra saith
unto them:--"'Truth is yours, live ye on your food. Ye yourselves are truth;' and they have
power over these their cool waters, which are waters of fire to those who have
Seven of the righteous gods of the Tuat .

guilt and sin. And these gods say to Ra:--'Let there be stability to the Disk of Ra. Let him that
is in the shrine have the mastery over it, and let the serpent [Mehen] guard him well. May the
flames of Khuti which are in the corners of the hidden shrine grow stronger.' And there shall
be given to them meat in the place of peace in their circle."
p. 96
The above passage refers to the "righteous who are in the Tuat."
On the left side of the boat of Ra are: 1. The god TEM, who is depicted in the form of an aged
man, leaning heavily on a stick which he grasps in his right hand. 2. Four male beings who are
lying prostrate on their backs. 3. Twenty male beings, with their backs bowed, and their arms
tied together at their elbows behind their backs. The our beings are described as "the inert,"
and the twenty as "the apostates of the Hall of Ra, who have blasphemed Ra upon earth, who
have invoked evils upon him that is in the Egg, who have thrust aside the right, and have
spoken words against KHUTI."

The inert Apostates and Blasphemers of Ra .

The text referring to the inert and the apostates reads:--


p. 97
"Tem worketh on behalf of Ra, glorifying the god,
p. 98
and singing praises to his soul, and distributing evil things to his enemies. [He saith]:--'The
word of my father Ra is right (maat) against you, and my word is right against you. I am the
son who proceedeth from his father, and I am the father who proceedeth from his son. Ye are
fettered, and ye are tied with strong cord, and it is I who have sent forth the decree concerning
you that ye should be
The Apostates and Blasphemers of Ra, who are doomed to destruction, with their arms bound .

bound in fetters; your arms shall never more be opened. Ra pronounceth the formula against
you, his soul is prepared to attack you; my father hath gained the mastery over you, and his
soul uttereth words against you. Your evil deeds [have turned] against you, your plottings
[have come] upon you, your abominable acts [have recoiled] upon you, your destinies are for
evil, and your doom bath been
p. 99
decreed before Ra; your unjust and perverted judgments are upon yourselves, and the
wickedness of your words of cursing are upon you. Evil is the doom which hath been decreed
for you before my father. It is you who have committed sins, and who have wrought iniquity
in the Great Hall; your corruptible

The Apostates and Blasphemers of Ra, who are doomed to destruction, with their arms bound .

bodies shall be cut in pieces, and your souls shall have no existence, and ye shall never again
see Ra with his attributes [as] he journeyeth in the hidden land. Hail, Ra! Adored be Ra! Thine
enemies are in the place of destruction."'

Footnotes

88:1 Var., NEPEN.


88:2 Var., NENA.

p. 100

CHAPTER IV.
THE GATE OF AQEBI.
THE THIRD DIVISION OF THE TUAT.
THE boat of the sun having passed through the Second Division of the Tuat arrives at the
gateway which leads to the THIRD DIVISION. This gateway is unlike the first, which has
already been described, for its opening is protected by an outwork, similar to that which
protects the door of a fortified building. The outwork is guarded by nine gods, in the form of
mummies, who are described as the "second company of the gods," and in this wall, which
completely divides the Second Division from the Third, is an opening, which leads to a
corridor that runs between two walls, the tops of which are protected by rows of pointed
stakes. At the entrance to the corridor stands a god, in mummied form, called AM-AUA, and
at the exit is a similar god called SEKHABESNEFUNEN, each is said to "extend his arms
and hands to Ra." At each side of the angle, near
p. 101

.
The Gate of the serpent Aqebi

p. 102
the entrance to the corridor, is a serpent, who ejects flames from his mouth; the flame from
the one sweeps along the corridor, at the end of which it is met by the flame from the other
serpent which sweeps along the inside of the inner wall. The flames of these serpents are said
to be for Ra. The gateway leading to the Third Division is called SEPTET-UAUAU, and the
door thereof, which opens inwards, is guarded by the serpent standing on his tail, who is
called AQEBI, and faces outwards. The texts referring to the entrance of Ra through this
gateway read:--
p. 103
"[When] this god cometh to this gateway, to enter in through this gateway, the gods who are
therein acclaim this great god, [saying], 'Let this gateway be unfolded to KHUTI, and let the
doors be opened to him that is in heaven. Come then, O thou traveller, who dost journey in
Amentet.' He who is over this door openeth [it] to Ra. SA saith unto AQEBI, 'Open thy gate to
Ra, unfold thy door to KHUTI. He shall illumine the darkness, and he shall force a way for
the light in the habitation which is hidden.' This door is closed after the great god hath entered
through it, and there is lamentation to those who are in their gateway when they hear this door
close [upon them]."
Along the middle of the THIRD DIVISION, we see the boat of the sun being drawn along by
four gods, as before; the god Ra stands in a shrine, similar to that already described, and his
companions are SA and HEKAU. The rope by which the boat is towed along is fastened to the
two ends of a very remarkable object, in the form of a long beam, each end of which
terminates in a bull's head. The accompanying text describes it as "his boat," and from the fact
that the four gods who tow the boat are seen again at the other end of the beam-like object,
with the towing-rope in their hands, it is clear that the boat of Ra, and the god himself, were
believed to pass through it, from one end to the other. The object is supported on the
p. 104
shoulders of eight gods, in mummied form, who are called "Bearers of the gods," at each end,
immediately behind the bull's head, stands a bull, and at intervals seven gods, who are called
"the

The Gods of the Third Division of the Tuat towing the Boat of Ra .

The Eight Bearers of the Boat of the Earth and its Seven Gods .

gods who are within," are seated upon it. At the end of this Division stand four mummied
forms, with their elbows projecting, and their hands crossed on their breasts. The text
p. 105
which refers to the passage of the boat of the sun reads:
p. 106
"This great god is towed along by the gods of the Tuat, and this great god advanceth to the
Boat of the Earth, which is the bark of the gods. Ra. saith unto them:--'Hail, ye gods who bear
up his Boat of the Earth, and who lift up the Bark of the Tuat, may there be support to your
forms and light unto your Bark. Holy is he who is in the Boat of the Earth. I make to go back
the Bark of the Tuat which beareth my forms (or, attributes), and verily I travel into the
hidden habitation to perform the plans which are carried out therein.' ENNURKHATA,
ENNURKHATA [saith], 'Praised be the Soul which the Double Bull hath swallowed, and let
the god be at peace with that which he hath created.'"
The effect of the above words is to allow the Sun-god and his boat to pass through the double
bull-headed
p. 107
Boat of the Earth without any let or hindrance, and when he has done this,--
[paragraph continues]
"These gods (i.e., the four gods at the other end of the Boat of the Earth) say to Ra:--'Praised
be Ra, whose Soul hath been absorbed by the Earth-god! Praised be the gods of Ra who hath
rested [therein].' This Boat of its Tuat rejoiceth, and there are cries from them after Ra hath
passed them as he journeyeth on his way. Their offerings are the plants of the year,
The Tuat-gods address the Utau .

and their offerings are given to them when they hear the words of those who draw along, this
great god. The gods of the Tuat (?) who [draw] the holy Boat in the earth say unto the UTAU,
whose arms are hidden:--'O ye UTAU Of the earth, whose duty it is to stand (?) near his
habitation, whose heads are uncovered, and whose arms are hidden, may there be air to your
nostrils, O UTAU, and may your funeral swathings be burst open, and may you have the
mastery over
p. 108
your meats, and may you have peace (or, crest) in that which I have created. Their food is of
bread cakes, and their bread is made of the red grain, the draughts which they drink are of
[cool] water, and their meat is given unto them because of the whiteness (or, brilliance) of
their apparel in the Tuat."

The-Twelve holy Gods who are in the Tuat .

On the right hand side of this Division of the Tuat the boat of the Sun passes twelve shrines,
each of which has its doors thrown wide open, and so permits us to see a god in mummied
form standing inside it these gods are described as "the holy gods who are in the
p. 109
Tuat." Along the front of the twelve shrines stretches an enormous serpent, the
[paragraph continues]
duty of which is to protect those who stand in them. Beyond the shrines is a long basin or lake
of boiling water, with rounded ends, in which stand up to their waists twelve mummied gods,
with black heads, who either have white bodies, or are arrayed in white apparel; in front of
each god grows a large ear of wheat. These gods are described as "the gods in the boiling
lake." The texts which relate to both groups of beings are as follows:--
p. 111
"[Those who are in] their shrines are the members of the god whose shrines the serpent SETI
guardeth. Ra saith unto them:--'Open ye [the doors of] your shrines, so that my radiance may
penetrate the darkness in which ye are! I found you weeping and lamenting, with your shrines
tightly closed, but air shall be given to your nostrils, and I have decreed that ye shall have
abundance to overflowing [in all things].' And these gods say unto Ra:--'Hail, Ra, come thou
into our lake, O thou great god who never failest.' The Shennu gods who are before and
behind him pay homage to him, and they rejoice in Ra when he traverseth [their] region, and
when the great god journeyeth through the secret place. Their food consisteth of loaves of
bread, their drink is made from the red [barley], and their cool waters come from [their
cisterns of] water, and the serpent of fire, SETI, giveth unto them the things whereon they live
there. The door which shutteth them in closeth after this god hath passed through their midst,
and they utter cries of grief when they hear their doors shut upon them."
p. 112
The following refers to the lake of water in this Division:--
"[Here is] the lake of water which is in the Tuat, and it is surrounded by the gods who are
arrayed in [their] apparel, and who have [their] heads uncovered. This lake is filled with green
herbs. The water of this lake is boiling hot, and the birds betake themselves to flight when
they see the waters thereof, and when they smell the fœtid smell which is in it. Unto these
gods saith Ra:--'O ye gods whose duty it is

.
The Gods of the Boiling Lake

p. 113
[to guard] the green herbs of your lake, whose heads core uncovered, and
[paragraph continues]
whose limbs are covered with garments, may there be air to your nostrils, and may offerings
be made to you of the green herbs, and may your meat be from your lake. The water thereof
shall be yours, but to you it shall not be boiling, and the heat thereof shall not be upon your
bodies.' These [gods] say unto Ra:--'Come thou unto us, O thou who sailest in thy boat, whose
eye is of blazing fire which consumeth, and hath a pupil which sendeth forth light! The beings
of the Tuat shout with joy when thou approachest; send forth thy light upon us, O thou great
god who hast fire in thine eye.' Their food consisteth of loaves of bread and green herbs, and
their drink (or, beer) is of the kemtet plants, and their cool water is from [their cisterns of]
water. And food shall be given unto them in abundance from this lake."
On the left of the path along which the boat of Ra passes in this Division of the Tuat are two
groups of beings. In the first of these we see the god TEM, in the form of an aged man, with
bent shoulders, leaning upon a staff; coiled up before him in voluminous folds, with its head
flat upon the ground, is the monster serpent APEP. Behind Apep stand nine men, with their
arms hanging by their sides; these are called the "TCHATCHA who repulse APEPI," In the
second group is TEM,
p. 114
in a similar attitude, and before him stand nine gods, each holding the symbol of life in the
right hand, and the sceptre in the left; the nine gods are called "Nebu khert," i.e., Lords of
destinies.

The Tchatcha who repulse Apep .


The texts which refer to these groups read:--
p. 116
The first group shows us what "TEM hath done for Ra, and how he hath protected the god by
words of magical power, and hath overthrown the serpent SEBA. [TEMU saith:--] 'Thou art
prostrate, and thou shalt never more rise up; thou art enchanted by [my enchantments], and
thou shalt never more be found. The word of my father is maat against thee, and my word is
maat against thee; I have destroyed thee for Ra, and I have made an end of thee for KHUTI.'
"The company of the gods of Ra who repulse APEP say:--'Thy head is slit, O Apep, thy folds
are gashed, thou shalt never more envelop the boat of Ra, and thou shalt never again make a
way into the divine bark. A flame of fire goeth out against thee from the hidden place, and we
have condemned thee to thy
p. 117
dire doom.' They (i.e., the nine gods of the company of Ra) live upon the food of Ra, and
upon the cakes of KHENT-AMENTI, for offerings are made on their behalf upon earth, and
libations of cool water are made unto them by the lord of food (or, as lords of food) before
Ra."

The Lords of Destinies(?) .

To the second group of nine gods "TEM saith:--'Inasmuch as ye are the gods who possess life
and sceptre (i.e., authority), and who have mastery over your sceptres, drive ye back the
serpent SEBA from KHUTI, gash ye with knives the foul and evil serpent AF.' These are the
gods who work enchantments on APEP, who open the earth to Ra, and who
p. 118
shut it against APEP in the gates of KHENTI-AMENTI. They are those who are in the hidden
place, and they praise Ra, and they destroy his enemies, and they protect the great one against
the serpent AFU, and they utter cries of joy at the overthrow by Ra of the enemy of Ra. They
live upon the meat of Ra, and on the cakes offered to KHENTI-AMENTI. Offerings are made
on their behalf upon earth, and they receive libations through [their] word being maat in
Ament, and holy are they of arm in their hidden place. They utter cries to Ra, and they make
lamentation for the great god after he hath passed by them, for when he hath departed they are
enveloped in darkness, and their circle is closed upon them."

p. 119

CHAPTER V.
THE GATE OF TCHETBI.
THE FOURTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.
THE boat of the sun having passed through the Third Division of the Tuat arrives at the
gateway which leads to the Fourth Division. This gateway is like that which admitted the god
into the Third Division and its outwork is guarded by nine gods, in the form of mummies,
who are described as the "third company of the gods of the great god who are within." At the
entrance to the corridor which runs between the two walls is a god in mummied form called
ENUERKHATA, and at the exit is a similar god called SETA-TA, each god has a uraeus over
his brow, and each is said to "extend his arms and hands to Ra." The corridor is swept by
flames of fire which proceed from the mouths of two serpents, stationed each at an angle, and
their "fire is for Ra." The gateway of the Fourth Division is called NEBT-S-TCHEFAU,
p. 120
and the text says, "This great god cometh to this gateway, and entereth in through it, and the
gods who are therein acclaim him." The company of gods say to Ra, "Open thou the earth,
force thou a way through the Tuat and the region which is above, and dispel our darkness;
hail, Ra, come thou to us." The monster serpent which stands on his tail and guards the
gateway is called TCHETBI, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read,
"He who is over this door openeth to Ra. SA saith to TCHETBI:--'Open [thy] gate to Ra,
unfold thy doors to KHUTI, that he may send light into the thick darkness, and may make his
radiance illumine the hidden habitation.' This door is shut after this great god hath passed
through it, and there is lamentation to those who are in this gateway when they hear this door
close upon them."

The Gate of the serpent Tchetbi .


p. 122
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of
the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before, and stands in a shrine enveloped by MEHEN.
SA stands in the bows, and HEKA at the stern. The boat advances to a long, low building with
a heavy cornice, which contains nine small shrines or chapels; in each of these is a god in
mummied form lying on his back. The nine gods are described as the "gods who follow
Osiris, who are in their abodes" (literally, "holes"). Immediately in front of the nine shrines
are two groups, each containing six women, who stand upon a slope, one half of which
appears to be land and the other half water; these women are called "the hour goddesses
which are in the Tuat." Each group is separated from the other by a monster serpent of many
folds called HERERET, and of him it is said that he spawneth twelve serpents to be devoured
by the hours."
p. 123

The Gods of the Fourth Division of the Tuat towing the Boat of Ra .

The Nine Gods who follow Osiris .

The Serpent Hereret and the Goddesses of the Hours .


p. 124
[paragraph continues] The text relating to the passage of the boat of the sun reads:--
p. 125
"This great god is drawn along by the gods of the Tuat, and he, journeyeth in the hidden place,
and worketh in respect of the things which are there.
p. 126
[He saith:--] 'Draw ye me along, O ye beings of the Tuat, look ye upon me,
[paragraph continues]
[for] I have created you. Pull ye with your arms and draw ye me therewith, and turn ye aside
to the eastern part of heaven, to the habitations which surround ARES (or, SAR) [and to] that
hidden mountain, the light (or, radiance) of which goeth round about among the gods who
receive me as I come forth among you into the hidden place. Draw ye me along, [for] I work
on your behalf in the gateway which covereth over the gods of the Tuat.'"
"And Ra saith unto them:--'Look ye upon me, O gods, for I strike those who are in their
sepulchres, [saying], Arise, O ye gods! I have ordered for you the plan and manner of your
existence, O ye who are in your sepulchres, whose souls are broken, who live upon your own
filth and feed upon your own offal, rise up before my Disk, and put ye yourselves in a (right
state by means of my beams. The duties which ye shall have in the Tuat are in conformity
with the things which I have decreed for you.' Their food consisteth of flesh, and their ale is
[made] of the red [barley], and their libations are of cool water. There is lamentation to them
after they have heard their doors close upon them."
In respect of the twelve goddesses of the hours it is said:--"[These are] they who stand upon
their lake, and it is they who guide Ra in a straight line by means of their instruments. To
them Ra saith:--"Hearken, O ye goddesses of the hours of the night
p. 127
sky. Work ye, and eat ye, and rest ye in your gateways, with your breasts towards the
darkness, and your hind-parts towards the light. Make to stand up the serpent HERERET, and
live ye upon that which cometh forth from it. It is your duty in the Tuat to eat up the spawn of
HERERET, and ye shall destroy that which cometh forth from it. Draw ye me, for I have
begotten you in order that ye may pay homage [to me]. Take ye your rest (or, be at peace), O
ye Hours!' Their food consisteth of cakes of bread, and their ale is [made] of the red [barley],
and their draughts are of cool water, and there is given unto them as their food that which
cometh forth with the khu (i.e., the beatified dead)."
On the right hand of the path of the boat of the Sun in the Fourth Division we see:--1. Twelve
gods, bearded and standing upright, who are called "the gods who carry along their doubles,"
2. Twelve jackal-headed gods, who stand round the "Lake of Life," who are called the "jackals
in the lake of life," 3. Ten uraei, which stand round the Lake of the Uraei," and are called the
Living Uraei."
p. 129
The paragraph which refers to the first twelve gods reads:--
"[These are] they who bear along their doubles, who immerse themselves in that which
floweth in abundance from the slaughtered ones during the time of their existence, and who
carry the offerings which are rightly due [to the god] to his abode. Unto them
p. 130
saith Ra:--'That which belongeth to you [to do], O ye gods who are among your offerings, is
to offer as an obligatory offering your doubles. Ye have your own offerings, your enemies are
destroyed, and they are not. Your spirits are on their thrones, [and your] souls are on their
places.' They say unto Ra, 'Adorations be unto thee, O RA-KHUTI! Hail to thee, O thou Soul
who art protected in the earth! Hail to thee, as being eternity, the lord of the years and of the
everlastingness which hath no diminution.' Their food consisteth of offerings, their drink is of
cool water, and there is lamentation to them when they hear their doors close upon them.
Their food is given to them from the goddess Mu-sta (?) by TESERT-BAIU."
The paragraph which refers to the jackal-headed gods reads:--
"[These are] they who come forth from this lake whereunto the souls of the dead cannot
approach by reason of the sanctity which is therein. Unto them saith Ra:--'That which
belongeth to you [to do], O ye gods who are in this lake, is to keep guard upon your lives in
your lake; your offerings are under the guard of the jackals which have set themselves on the
edge of your lake.' They say unto Ra:--'Immerse thyself, O Ra, in thy holy lake, wherein the
lord of the gods immersed himself, whereunto the souls of the dead approach not; this is what
thou thyself hast commanded, O KHUTI.' Their food consisteth of bread, their drink is [made]
of the red [barley], and their
p. 131

The Twelve Gods who carry their Doubles .


The Twelve Gods of the Lake of Life .

The Ten Living Uraei of the Lake of the Uraei .


p. 132
vessels of drink are filled with wine. There is lamentation among them when they hear their
doors close upon them. Their food is given unto them as lord[s] of their sceptres round about
this lake."
The paragraph which refers to the uraei reads:--
"[These are] they who have their speech after Ra cometh to them, and souls are turned
backwards, and shadows are destroyed at the hearing of the words (or, voices) of the uraei.
Unto them saith Ra:--'That which belongeth to you [to do], O ye URAEI who are in this lake,
is to guard your flames and your fires [so that ye may hurl them] against my (literally, his)
enemies, and your burning heat against those whose mouths are evil. Hail to you, O URAEI.'
They say unto Ra:--'Come thou to us, stride thou over TANEN.'"
On the left of the path of the boat of the sun through the Fourth Division we see the god
Osiris, in mummied form, and wearing on his head the crown of the South, standing on a
serpent, and partially covered by the earth of a mountain; his head only is above the ground,
and he stands in a naos with a vaulted dome. His name or title, KHENT AMENTI, is written
by his side. Before the shrine is a Flame-goddess in the form of a uraeus, and behind her are
twelve gods, who stand in front of HERU-UR (or, Horus the Aged), the Haroeris of the later
Greek writers. Heru-ur is in the form of a hawk-headed
p. 133
man, who leans on a staff. Behind the shrine which contains Osiris stand twelve gods, who are
described as "the gods who are behind the shrine," Behind, or by the side of these, are four
pits or hollows in the ground, by the side of each of which stands a god, with his body bent
forward in adoration before a bearded god, who holds the symbol of life in the right hand and
a sceptre in the left. The four gods are called "Masters of their pits," and their lord is called
the "Master of Earths (?)."
p. 135
The text referring to Horus reads:--
"Horus worketh on behalf of his father Osiris, he performeth magical ceremonies for him, and
restoreth to him the crown [, saying], 'My heart goeth out to thee, O my father, thou who art
avenged on those who would work against thee, and in all the matters which concern thee
thou art guided by magical ceremonies. Thou hast the mastery, O Osiris, thou hast the
sovereignty, O KHENTI AMENTI, thou hast whatsoever is thine as Governor of the Tuat, O
thou whose forms (or, attributes) are exalted in the hidden place the beatified spirits hold thee
in fear, and the dead are terrified at thee. Thy crown hath been restored unto thee, and I, thy
son Horus, have reckoned thy weakness there.'"
The twelve gods who are in front of the shrine of Khenti Amenti say:--
"Let Him of the Tuat be exalted! Let Khenti Amenti be adored! Thy son Horus hath restored
to
p. 136
thee thy crown, he hath protected thee by means of magical ceremonies, he hath crushed for
thee thine enemies, he hath brought to thee vigour for thy arms, O Osiris, Khenti Amenti."
In reply to this address of the twelve gods Khenti Amenti saith unto his son Horus:--
"Come to me, O my son Horus, and avenge me on those who work against me, and cast them
to him that is over the things which destroy, [for] it is he who guardeth the pits [of
destruction]."
Then saith Horus unto those gods who are behind the shrine:--
"Make inquisition for me, O gods who are in the following of Khenti Amenti, stand ye up, and
withdraw ye not yourselves, and be ye masters over yourselves, and come, and live delicately
on the bread of HU, and drink ye of the ale of Maat, and live ye upon that whereon my father
liveth there. That which belongeth to you in the hidden place is to be behind the shrine,
according to the commandment of Ra. I call unto you, and behold, it is for you to do what it is
your duty [to do].' Their meat consisteth of cakes of bread, and their ale is of the tchesert
drink, and their libations are [made with] cool water. Their food is given unto them by the
guardian of the things which are in the shrine. And Horus saith unto these gods:--'Smite ye the
enemies of my father, and hurl ye them down into your pits because of that deadly evil which
they have done against the
p. 137

The Twelve Gods before the Shrine. Heru-ur .

The Twelve Gods behind the Shrine. Osiris Khent-Amenti. The goddess of Flame (Nesert) .

The Master of Earths. The Four Masters of their Pits .


p. 138
Great One, [which] found (?) him that begot me. That which belongeth to you to do in the
Tuat is to guard the pits of fire according as Ra hath commanded, and I set [this] before you
so that, behold, ye may do according to what belongeth to you [to do].' This god standeth over
(or, by) the pits."
p. 139

CHAPTER VI.
THE GATE OF TEKA-HRA.
THE FIFTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

THE boat of the sun having passed through the Fourth Division of the Tuat arrives at the
gateway which leads to the FIFTH DIVISION. This gateway is similar to that which guards
the Fourth Division, and is guarded by nine gods, who are described as the "Fourth company;"
at the entrance to the corridor and at its exit stands a jackal-headed god, the former being
called AAU, and the latter TEKMI, each is said to "extend his arms and hands to Ra." The
corridor is swept by flames of fire, as before. The gateway is called ARIT, and the text says,
"This great god cometh to this gateway, and entereth in through it, and the gods who are
therein acclaim him," The nine gods say to
p. 140
Ra, "RA-HERU-KHUTI unfoldeth our doors, and openeth our gateways. Hail,
[paragraph continues]
Ra, come thou to us, O great god, lord of hidden nature." The monster serpent which stands
on his tail and guards the gateway is called TEKA-HRA, and the two lines of text which refer
to his admission of Ra read:--"He who is over this door openeth to Ra. SA saith to TEKA-
HRA:--'Open thy gate to Ra, unfold thy doors to KHUTI, that he may send light into the thick
darkness, and may make his radiance illumine the hidden habitation.' This door is shut after
the great god hath passed through it, and there is lamentation to those who are in this gateway
when they hear this door close upon them." As the hieroglyphic text is identical with that
given above on p. 120 it is not repeated here.
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of
the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before, and stands in a shrine enveloped by MEHEN.
SA stands in the bows, and HEKA at the stern. In front of those who tow the boat are nine
shrouded gods, with projecting elbows; each of these holds in his hands a part of the body of a
long, slender serpent, and the group is called "those who hold ENNUTCHI." In front of these
are
p. 141
The Gate of the serpent Teka-hra.
p. 142
twelve bearded beings, who are advancing towards a god, who is styled [the god] "of his
angle;" the twelve gods are described as BAIU RETH-AMMU-TUAT, i.e., "the souls of the
men who are in the Tuat," The texts read:--

The Boat of Ra being towed by the Gods of the Fifth Division of the Tuat .
p. 144
"The gods of the Tuat draw along this great god, and he journeyeth through the hidden place.
[Ra saith:--] 'Draw ye me along, O ye gods of the Tuat, and sing praises unto me, O ye who
are at the head of the stars; let your cords be strong (or, vigorous), and draw ye me along by
means of them, and let your hands and arms be steady, let there be speed in your legs, let there
be strong intent in our souls, and let your hearts be glad. Open ye a prosperous way into the
chambers (qerti) of hidden things."'
The Nine Gods who hold Ennutchi .

The text relating to the bearers of the serpent reads:--


"Those who are in this scene carry this serpent. Ra striketh them and advanceth towards them
to make himself to rest in [the gateway called] NEBT-AHAU. This serpent travelleth as far as
it (i.e., this (gateway), but he passeth not beyond it. Ra saith unto them:--'Strike ye the serpent
ENNUTCHI there, give him no way [whereby to escape], so that I may pass by you. Hide
your arms, destroy that which
p. 145
you guard, protect that which cometh into being from my forms, and tie ye up (or, fetter) that
which cometh into being from my strength.' Their food consisteth of the hearing of the word
of this god, and offerings are made to them from the hearing of the word of Ra in the Tuat."
"Unto those who have spoken what is right and true upon earth, and who have magnified the
forms of the god, Ra saith:--'Praises shall be [sung] to

(far Left) Heri-qenbet-f. (Right) The souls of men who are in the Tuat .

your souls, and there shall be breath to your nostrils, and there shall be to you joints in
SEKHET-ARU. That which shall be indeed yours is what belongeth to the MAATI GODS.
The habitations which shall be yours shall be (or, are) at the corner where [live] those who are
with me who weigh words for them.' Their food is of bread-cakes, and their drink of tchesert
drink, and their libations are of cool water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as to the
p. 146
god HETEPI, according to what should be offered unto them."
Ra saith unto this god:--"Let him that is over his Corner (HERI-QENBET-F) cry out to those
souls who are right, and true, and divine, and make them to sit at peace in their habitations at
the Corner of those who are with myself."
On the right hand of the path of Ra in the Fifth Division of the Tuat are:--1. Twelve male
beings bowing in adoration; they are described as "those who make adorations in the Tuat." 2.
Twelve male beings who bear in their hands a cord for measuring plots of ground and estates;
these are called "Holders of the cord in the Tuat." Four gods, standing upright, each holding
the symbol of life in his right hand, and a sceptre in the left.
p. 148
The Twelve Gods who make adoration in the Tuat .

The passage in the text which refers to the adorers reads:--


"[These are] they who make songs to Ra in Amentet and exalt Heru-khuti. [These are they
who] knew Ra upon earth, and who made offerings unto him. Their offerings are in their
place, and their glory
p. 149
is in the holy place of Ament. They say unto Ra:--'Come thou, O Ra, progress through the
Tuat. Praise be to thee! Enter thou among the holy [places] with the serpent Mehen.' Ra saith
unto them:--'There are offerings for you, O ye who made offerings. I am content with what ye
did for me, both when I used to shine in the eastern part of heaven, and when I was sinking to
rest in the chamber of my Eye.' Their food is of the bread-cakes

The Twelve Gods who hold the cord for measuring land .

of Ra, and their drink is of his tcheser drink, and their libations are made of cool water, and
offerings are made unto them on the earth in [return] for the praisings which they make unto
Ra in Ament."
The passage in the text which refers to the holders of the measuring cord reads:--
"[These are they who] hold the measuring cord in Ament, and they go over therewith the
fields of the KHU (i.e., the beatified spirits). [Ra saith to
p. 150
them]:--'Take ye the cord, draw it tight, and mark out the limit (or, passage) of the fields of
Amentet, the KHU whereof are in your abodes, and the gods whereof are on your thrones.'
The KHU of NETERTI are in the Field of Peace, [and] each KHU hath been judged by him
that is in the cord. Righteousness is to those who are (i.e., who exist), and unrighteousness to
those who are not. Ra saith unto them:--'What is right is the cord in Ament, and Ra is content
with the stretching (or, drawing) of the same. Your possessions are yours, O ye gods, your
homesteads are yours, O ye KHU. Behold ye, Ra maketh (or, worketh) your fields, and he
commandeth on your behalf that there may be sand (?) with you."
The Four Henbi Gods .

"Hail, journey on, O KHUTI, for verily the gods are content with that which they possess, and
the KHU are content with their homesteads. Their food [cometh] from Sekhet-Aru, and their
offerings from that which springeth up therein. Offerings are made unto them upon earth from
the estate of Sekhet-Aru."
To the four bearded gods Ra saith:--"Holy are ye, O HENBI gods, ye overseers of the cords in
Amentet. [O stablish ye fields and give [them] to the gods and to the KHU (i.e., spirits) [after]
they have been
p. 151
measured in Sekhet-Aaru. Let them give fields and sand to the gods and to the souls who are
in the Tuat. Their food shall be from Sekhet-Aaru, and their offerings from the things which
spring forth therein]."
On the left of the path of the boat of Ra are:--1. A hawk-headed god, leaning upon a staff; he
is called Horus. 2. Four groups, each group containing four men. The first are RETH, the
second are AAMU, the third axe NEHESU, and the fourth are THEMEHU. The RETH are
Egyptians, the AAMU are dwellers in the deserts to the east and north-east of Egypt, the
NEHESU are the black races and NEGROES, and the THEMEHU are the fair-skinned
Libyans. 3. Twelve bearded beings, each of whom grasps with both hands the body of a long
serpent; these are called the "Holders of the period of time in Ament." 4. Eight bearded gods,
who are called the "Sovereign chiefs of the Tuat." The hieroglyphic text which relates to these
groups reads:--
p. 153

The Aamu, i.e., Asiatics. The Reth, i.e., Egyptians. (far right) Horus .
The Themehu, i.e., Libyans. The Nehesu, i.e., Negroes .
p. 154
The passage which refers to the four groups, each containing four men, reads:--
Horus saith unto the creatures of Ra who dwell in the Black Land (Qemt, i.e., Egypt) and in
the Red Land (i.e., the deserts which lie on each side of the Black Land formed of the mud of
the Nile):--"Magical protection be unto you, O ye creatures of Ra, who have come into being
from the Great One who is at the head of heaven! Let there be breath to your nostrils, and let
your linen swathings be unloosed! Ye are the tears 1 of the eye of my splendour in your name
of RETH (i.e., men). Mighty of issue (AA-MU) ye have come into being in your name of
AAMU; Sekhet hath created them, and it is she who delivereth (or, avengeth) their souls. I
masturbated [to produce you], and I was content with the hundreds of thousands [of beings]
who came forth from me in your
p. 155
name of NEHESU (i.e., Negroes); Horus made them to come into being, and it is he who
avengeth their souls. I sought out mine Eye, and ye came into being in your name of
THEMEHU; Sekhet hath created them, and she avengeth their souls."
The passage which refers to the gods who make stable the period of life (KHERU-AHAU-
EM-AMENT) reads:--
Those who make firm (or, permanent) the duration

The Twelve Gods of Life in Ament .

of life stablish the days of the souls [in] Amenti and possess the word (or, command) of the
place of destruction. Ra saith unto them:--"Inasmuch as ye are the gods who dwell in the Tuat,
and who have possession of [the serpent] METERUI, by means of whom ye mete out the
duration of life of the souls who are in Amenti who are condemned to destruction, destroy ye
the souls of the enemies according
p. 156
to the place of destruction which ye are commanded to appoint, and let them not see the
hidden place."
The passage in the text which refers to the divine sovereign chiefs reads:--
"[Here are] the divine sovereign chiefs who shall destroy the enemies. They shall have their
offerings
The Eight sovereign Chiefs in the Tuat.

by means of the word [which becometh] Maat; they shall have their oblations upon earth by
means of the word [which becometh] Maat, and it is they who destroy and who pass the edict
concerning (literally, write) the duration of the, life of the souls who dwell in Amenti. The
destruction which is yours shall be [directed] against the enemies, and the power to write
p. 157
which ye possess shall be for the place of destruction. I have come, even I the great one
Horus, that I may make a reckoning with my body, and that I may shoot forth evils against my
enemies. Their food is bread, and their drink is the tchesert wine, and they have cool water
wherewith to refresh (or, bathe) themselves. [Offerings are made to them upon earth. One
doth not enter into the place of destruction.] 1

Footnotes

154:1 Or, the weeping.


157:1 Supplied from Champollion, Notices, p. 772.

p. 158

CHAPTER VII.
THE JUDGMENT HALL OF OSIRIS.
THE SIXTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

THE boat of Ra having passed through the Fifth Division of the Tuat arrives at the gateway
which leads to the SIXTH DIVISION, or, as the text says:
"This god cometh forth to this pylon, and he passeth in through it, and those gods who are in
the secret place acclaim him." The gateway is guarded by twelve bearded mummy forms, who
are described as the "gods and goddesses who are in this pylon," and it is called NEBT-AHA.
The gate which admits to the Sixth Division resembles those already described; at the
entrance to the corridor and at its exit stands a bearded mummied form, the former being
called MAA-AB, and the latter SHETA-AB. These names mean "Right (or, true) of heart" and
p. 159
The Judgment Hall of Osiris. The Gate of the Serpent Set-em-maa-f .
p. 160
Hidden of heart" respectively, and each is said to extend his hands and arms to
[paragraph continues]
Ra. The corridor is swept by flames. The gods who acclaim the god say, "Come thou to us, O
thou who art at the head of the horizon, O great god, who dost open the hidden place. Open
thou the holy doors, and unfold the portals of the hidden place."
Between the gate which leads into the SIXTH DIVISION and the Division itself we find
inserted a remarkable scene, which may be thus described:--In the upper part, from one side to
another, a line is drawn, which is intended to represent the roof of the shrine or canopy in
which the god is seated, and on it rests a row of kakheru, i.e., spear-head ornaments. From the
inside of the roof hang, upside down, four heads of some kind of horned animal. These are
called Hahaiu, and are supposed to be heads of gazelle 1 or oxen. In the space between the
spear-head ornaments and the side of the Tuat is written

.
The transliteration of these characters appears to be Ser her Tuat sath then; the meaning of the
first three
p. 161
words is tolerably clear, i.e., "Osiris, governor of the Tuat," but the signification of the last
signs is doubtful. M. Lefébure translates the inscription, "Osiris, master of Hades, Earth, and
Tanen." Osiris, who wears the double crown of the South and North, and holds in his right
hand the symbol of "life," and in his left a sceptre, is seated on a chair of state, which is set on
the top of a platform with nine steps. On each stop stands a god, and the nine gods are
described as the "company which is with SAR, i.e., Osiris." On the topmost step is a Balance,
in which the actions of the deceased are weighed; the beam of the Balance is supported either
by the deceased, or by a stand which is made in the form of a bearded mummy. One pan of
the Balance contains some rectangular object, and the other a figure of the bird which is
symbolic of evil and wickedness. Behind the Balance is a boat, which is sailing away from the
presence of Osiris; in it is a pig being driven along by a dog-headed ape which flourishes a
stick. In the top left-hand corner is a figure of Anubis, jackal-headed, and under the floor of
the platform on which Osiris is seated are figures of the enemy of SAR, or Osiris. From the
variant of this scene which is found on the sarcophagus of Tchehra at Paris, 1 as well as from
the sarcophagus of Seti I., we may see that the pig in the
p. 162
boat is called AM-A, i.e., "Eater of the Arm," and the boat is piloted by a second ape which
stands in the bows. On the Paris monument we see a man wielding a hatchet in a threatening
manner and standing near the Scales, probably with the view of destroying the deceased if the
judgment of Osiris prove adverse to him.
This inscription is in the so-called "enigmatic" writing, 1 a fact which was first noticed by
Champollion, but a transcript of it exists on the sarcophagus of Tchehra in characters which
have the ordinary values, 2 and this reads as follows:--
p. 163
"His enemies are under his feet, the gods and the spirits are before him; he is
[paragraph continues]
the enemy of the dead (i.e., the damned) among the beings of the Tuat, Osiris putteth under
restraint [his] enemies, he destroyeth them, and he performeth the slaughter of them."
The text which refers to Anubis Mr. Goodwin transcribed:--"Hail, O ye who make to be maat
the word of your little one, may Thoth weigh the words, may he make to eat his father."
Immediately over the boat is the short inscription which Goodwin renders by, "[When] this
god entereth, he (i.e., the Ape) riseth and putteth under restraint AM-A (i.e., the Eater of the
Arm)." 1
p. 164
Behind the pair of scales is the legend 1 which Mr. Goodwin renders, "The balance-bearer
does homage; the blessed spirits in Amenti follow after him; the morning, star disperses the
thick darkness; there is good will above, justice below. The god reposes himself, he gives
bread to the blessed, who throng, towards him." The translation by M. Lefébure reads, "The
bearer of the hatchet and the bearer of the scales protect the inhabitant of Amenti, [who] takes
his repose in Hades, and traverses the darkness and the shadows. Happiness is above, and
justice below. The god reposes and sheds light produced by truth which he has produced."
p. 165
The upper part of the space between the roof and the platform on which Osiris sits is occupied
by two short inscriptions, which are full of difficulty.
The meaning of these texts has puzzled several workers, and even the order in which the
characters are to be read has given rise to differences of opinion. One of the chief difficulties
in the matter is caused by the way in which the two legends are written on the sarcophagus of
Seti I. Looking at the hieroglyphics as they stand, they seem to form one continuous
inscription, but, if we examine the scene as it appears in the tomb of Rameses II., we see that
we must divide them as above. Mr. Goodwin made an
p. 166
attempt to transcribe and translate a part of the texts, but as he considered them to form only
one inscription we cannot accept his rendering. M. Lefébure has made translations of both
texts, and they read 1:--
I. "They, they hide those which are in the state of the elect. They the country [belonging to
them, is Ameh in the land. Behold, these are they whose heads issue. What a mystery is their
appearance, [the appearance] of your images!"
II. "The examination of the words takes place, and he strikes down wickedness, he who has a
just heart, he who bears the words in the scales, in the divine place of the examination of the
mystery of mysteries of the spirits. The god who rises has made his infernal [companions]
all."
For purposes of comparison, the versions of the texts from the tomb of Rameses VI., as given
by Champollion (Monuments, pl. 252) are given. It will be noted that a part of the line
immediately over the head of Osiris, given in different places in the latter scene, is
immediately in front of the double crown of Osiris, and is immediately in front of the sceptre
of the god.

Footnotes

160:1 "Têtes de gazelles" (Champollion, Monuments, tom. ii., p. 495).


161:1 Sharp, Inscriptions, part ii., pl. 9.
162:1 See Goodwin, Aeg. Zeit., 1873, p. 138; Renouf, ibid., 1874, p. 101; and Champollion,
Monuments, pl. 272.
162:2 Lefébure renders, "O ye who bring the word just or false to me, he, Thoth, examines the
words" (Records of the Past, vol. x., p. 114).
163:1 The diver [when] this god rises, he gives up [the pig] to the plagues" (Lefébure, op. cit.,
p. 114).
164:1 See also Champollion, Monuments, tom. ii., p. 490.
166:1 Records of The Past, vol. x., p. 114.

p. 168

CHAPTER VIII.
THE GATE OF SET-EM-MAAT-F.
THE SIXTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT--continued.

THE pylon which gives access to the SIXTH DIVISION of the Tuat has already been
described. The monster serpent which stands on his tail and guards the gateway is called SET-
EM-MAAT-F, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read:--
"He who is over this door openeth to Ra. SA saith to SET-EM-MAAT-F:--'Open thy gate to
Ra, unfold thy doors to KHUTI, that he may send light into the thick darkness, and may make
his radiance illumine the hidden habitation.' This door is shut after this great god hath passed
through it, and there is lamentation to those who are in this gateway when they hear this door
close upon them" (see p. 169).
p. 169
The scenes and texts which illustrate the Sixth Division of the Tuat cannot be obtained in a
complete state from the sarcophagus of Seti I., and recourse must therefore be had to other
documents. In the following pages, however, the fragments of the texts and scenes from the
sarcophagus are first given, and these are followed by the complete texts as they are found in
the tomb of Rameses VI., as published by Monsieur E. Lefébure in the third volume of the
Mémoires of the French Archæological Mission at Cairo.
The fragmentary texts and scenes from the sarcophagus of Seti I. may be thus described:--
In the middle register are:--
1. Two of the four gods of the Tuat whose duty it is to tow along the boat of the Sun through
this Division.
The Serpent Set-em-maat-f .
p. 170
2. The god TEM, in the form of an aged man, with bent shoulders, and leaning on a staff.
3. The jackal-headed standard called Ra, to which are tied two "enemies," who probably
represent the damned.
4. The two UTCHATS, which appear to be keeping watch on the "enemies."
5. The jackal-headed standard called TEM, with two "enemies" tied to it.
6. A mummied form, with projecting elbows, called AFAT.
7. The jackal-headed standard called KHEPER, with two "enemies" tied to it.
8. A mummied form, with projecting elbows, called, or MET 1.
9. The jackal-headed standard called SHU, with two "enemies" tied to it.
10. A mummied form, with projecting elbows, called SENT.
11. The jackal-headed standard called SEB, with two "enemies" tied to it.
12. A mummied form, with projecting elbows, called AQA-SA.
p. 171
13. The jackal-headed standard called SAR, (Osiris). 1
14. A mummied form, with projecting elbows, called AA-KHER (?) 1.
15. The jackal-headed standard called HERU.
16. A god holding a sceptre called SHEF-HRA.
The text which refers to the above-mentioned gods reads:--
p. 172
Fragment of the Sixth Division of the Tuat, from the Cover of the Sarcophagus of Seti I .
p. 173

Fragment of the Sixth Division of the Tuat, from the Cover of the Sarcophagus of Seti I .
p. 174
"[This great god is towed along by the gods in the Tuat, and those who tow Ra along say,
'Rise up, O disk,] . . . . . . . . . . . . god, verily get thee forth to the standards of Seb.' Tem saith
unto the standards:--'Keep ward over the enemies, and bind ye fast those who shall be smitten.
O ye gods who are behind the standards, and who are in the following of Seb, I give ye the
power to bind fast the enemies and to keep ward over the wicked. Let them not go forth from
under your hands, let them not slip through your fingers. O enemies, ye are reckoned for
slaughter according to the decree which [was given] to you by him that with his body, and
created the Tuat by his members(?). He hath passed the decree for
p. 175
you to be punished, and he taketh count of you and what ye do . . . . . . . '"
The upper register is much mutilated on the cover of the sarcophagus of Seti I.; on it we see:--
1. Five upright male figures, each of whom holds a large loaf of bread, with both hands on his
head; when the scene was complete these figures were twelve in number, as we learn from the
variants published by Champollion, 1and they are called HETEPTI-KHEPERU.
2. Six upright male figures, each of whom holds the feather of Maat with both hands on his
head; when the scene was complete these figures were twelve in number, and they are called
AUTU-MAAMU-KHERU-MAAT 2.
The text which remains reads:--
p. 176
"[These are they who have offered up incense to the
.
Fragment of the Cover of the Sarcophagus of Seti I. in the British Museum

gods, and whose doubles have been washed, maat, they have been reckoned up and they are
maat
p. 177
in the presence of the great god, who destroyeth iniquities. Osiris saith unto them:--'Ye are
maat of maat. Be ye at peace [because of what] ye have done, O ye who are in the forms of
those who are in my following, and- who dwell in the house of him whose souls are holy.
Live ye on what ye live there, and have the mastery over the cool waters which are in your
Lake . . . . .'"

A few years ago I purchased from a native at Luxor a fragment of the cover of the
sarcophagus of Seti I. (see p. 176); this is now in the British Museum (No. 29,948), and it
gives the following:--
1. Three male figures, each of which bears a loaf on his head.
2. The following fragmentary text: "Their bread cakes are ordered for
p. 178
"them by their gods; their kau are in their hands, and they enter into their abodes at the pylon
which destroyeth its gods. The god SAR (Osiris) saith unto them:--'Your bread shall be to you
from that which cometh forth from your mouths, O ye HETEPTI-KHEPERU. . . . . .'"
In the lower register are:--
1. Five male figures, who are occupied in tending very large ears of corn; when the scene was
complete these figures were twelve in number, and they were called, "Those who work about
the plants of grain in the fields of the Tuat."
2. A man holding a sickle; he is one of the seven "reapers," of which this section of the scene
originally consisted.
The text which relates to those who tend the grain reads:--
p. 180
"[They perform the works in connection with the grain, and they embrace the god of wheat
(NEPRA) which is eaten (?). Their grain becometh glorious in the land through the light of
Ra, when he appeareth, and sendeth forth heat, and maketh his way by them. The lord of joy
of heart saith unto them:--'Let your grain be glorious, and let the young shoots of your grain
germinate, and let your offerings be for Ra] . . . . there . . . . Ra. Let NEPER germinate, and let
SAR (Osiris) be the source of food of the gods in "the Tuat . . . . . . . AMENTI . . . . behold, in
the fields of the Tuat.' They gather together their grain, and they say unto Ra:--'Let the fields
of the Tuat be green with young plants. May Ra shine upon the members of SAR (Osiris).
When thou dost shine the young plants come into being, O great god, thou creator of the
grain.' Their offerings of food are of grain, and their drink offerings are of tcheser, and their
libations are made with cool water. Offerings are made unto them on the earth of the grain of
the fields of the Tuat."
p. 181
Of the reapers it is said:--
"These are they who have their scythes, and who reap the grain in their fields. Ra saith to
them:--'Take ye your scythes, and reap ye your grain, for it is granted to you . . . . . . your
habitations, and to join yourselves [to] me in the Circle of the Hidden Forms. Hail to you, O
ye reapers!' Their food is of bread, and their drink is of tcheser, and their libations are made
with cool water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as being those who hold scythes in
the fields of the Tuat."
The text which describes the middle register of the Sixth Division as it appears in the tomb of
Rameses VI. reads:
p. 182
"This great god is being towed along by the gods of the Tuat, and those who tow Ra along
say:--'Be
p. 183
exalted, O Aten (i.e., Disk), who art at the head of . . . . . the Light, the head . . . . Look ye at
the abodes of the Tuat. Your eyes are to you, O gods, observe ye Ra, the Power in Akert. This
great god decreeth your destinies. This great god cometh forth to the standards of Seb, which
reckon up the enemies after the weighing of words in Amentet. Behold, Sa saith unto this god
[when] he cometh forth to the standards of Seb . . . . . . the head of Ra, the great god . . . .
verily, get thee forth to the standards of Seb. Tem saith unto the standards:--'Keep ward over
the enemies, and bind ye fast those who are to be smitten. O ye gods who are in the following
of the standards, and who are in the following of Seb, I give ye power to bind fast the
enemies, and to keep ward over the wicked (or, those who are to be smitten). Let them not
come forth from under your hands, let them not slip through your fingers. O ye enemies, ye
are doomed to slaughter, according to the decree of Ra concerning you. His person is the body
of Akert, and he hath created the Tuat of his frame work. He hath issued the decree for you to
be put into restraint, he hath ordered your doom which shall be wrought upon you in the great
hall of Ra . . . . . . . the gods weep [and] lament, he setteth the gods to ward you, and the
enemies and those who are to be smitten in the Tuat are condemned to these standards."'
In the upper register are twelve gods, each of whom
p. 184
stands upright, and has the feather of Maat on his head, and twelve gods, each of whom stands
upright, and has a large loaf on his head. These gods are described as "MAATI gods bearing
Maat," and the HETEPTIU gods bearing provisions. The text reads:--
p. 185
"Offerings of incense to their gods, libations of cool water to their doubles, and fillings of the
mouth . . . . . . by his sustenance afterwards by their offerings of drink and their offerings of
bread. Come
p. 186
forth to them their gods and their doubles. Their hands are to them, and they go to their cakes
through the pylon of . . . . . and to its gods. SAR saith unto them:--'Your bread is to you,
[according to] your utterances, and the peace cakes of Kheper, and loaves of bread. Ye shall
have the mastery over your legs, and ye shall have satisfaction in your hearts, and your gods
shall present unto you your khenfu cakes and unto your doubles their provisions, which
consist of bread, and their drink, which shall be of tcheser ale, and their libations shall be of
cool water, and offerings shall be made unto them upon earth as the lord[s] of offerings in
Amentet. For they have done what was right whilst they were upon earth, and they have
fought on behalf of their god, and they shall be called to the enjoyment of the land of the
House of Life with maat. That which is theirs by right shall be allotted to them in the presence
of the Great God, who doeth away iniquity.' Then shall Osiris say unto them:--'Maat be to
you, O ye MAAT gods, and peace be unto you by reason of what ye have done in following
after me, O dwellers in the House the soul of which is holy. Ye shall live your life upon that
whereupon those who live there feed, and ye shall have dominion over the cool waters of your
land. I have decreed for you that ye shall have your being in all of it with maat, and without
sin (or, defects).' Their bread shall be maat cakes, their drink shall be of wine, and their
libations
p. 187
shall be of cool water. And there shall be offered unto them upon earth the offerings which
must be made from their land."
In the lower register are the figures of twelve men, each of whom tends a monster ear of corn
(?), or a tree, under the superintendence of a god who leans on a staff, and a group of reapers,
each holding a sickle.
The text, which is mutilated in places, reads:
p. 188
"They perform. their work in connection with the grain, and they embrace (i.e., cultivate) the
divine grain (or, NEPRA), and the spirits feed upon their grain in the land of the god of light
(KHU), who cometh forth and passeth by them, and [NEB-AUT-AB, i.e., the Lord of joy of
heart, saith unto them:--'Let your grain be glorious], and let your ears of wheat germinate, and
let your offerings be for Ra. 'Your khenfu cakes are in the Tuat, your offerings are to you, the
offerings which are, yours by maat are
p. 189
decreed (?) for you. Herbs . . . . . . among you. SAR germinate . . . . . and they say unto
Ra:--'Let plants spring up in the Fields of the Tuat, and let Ra shine upon the members of
SAR. When thou dost shine the young plants come into being, O great god, thou creator of the
Egg.' Their food offerings are of grain, their drink is of tcheser ale, and their libations are
made with cool water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth of the grain from the Fields
of the Tuat."
Of the reapers it is said:--
"These are they who have their sickles and who reap the grain in their Field. Ra saith unto
them:--'Take ye your sickles, and reap ye your grain, for it is granted unto you . . . . . . your
habitations, and to join yourselves to the Circle of the Hidden of Forms. Hail to you, O ye
reapers!' Their food is of bread-cakes, and their drink is of tcheser ale, and their libations are
made with cool water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as being those who reap the
grain in the Fields of the Tuat."

Footnotes

170:1 The names are supplied from Champollion, Notices, p. 502.


171:1 The names are supplied from Champollion, Notices, p. 502.
175:1 Notices, ii., p. 501.
175:2 Supplied from Champollion, Notices, ii., p. 502.

p. 190

CHAPTER IX.
THE GATE OF AKHA-EN-MAAT.
THE SEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

THE boat of the Sun having passed through the Sixth Division of the Tuat arrives at the
gateway which leads to the SEVENTH DIVISION. This gateway is similar to that which
guards the Sixth Division, and is guarded by nine gods, who are described as the "Seventh
Company;" at the entrance to the corridor, and at its exit, stands a bearded god, with arms
hidden, the former being called SHEPI, and the latter HEQES (?), and each is said to extend
his arms and hands to Ra. The corridor is swept by flames of fire as before. The gateway is
called PESTIT, and the text says, "This great god cometh to this gateway, and entereth in
through it, and the gods who are therein acclaim him."
p. 191
Part of the text of the speech which the nine gods make to Ra is broken away,
[paragraph continues]
but what remains reads, "Open the secret places, open the holy pylons, and unfold the hidden
portals." The monster serpent which stands on his tail and guards the gateway is called
AKHA-EN-MAAT, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read, "He
who is over this door openeth to Ra. SA saith to AKHA-EN-MAAT 1:--'Open thy gate to Ra,
unfold thy doors to KHUTI, that he may send light into the thick darkness and may make his
radiance illumine the hidden habitation! This door is shut after the great god hath passed
through it, and there is lamentation to those who are in this gateway when they hear this door
close upon them." A portion of the text is mutilated, but it can be restored with certainty. 2
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of
the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before, and stands in a shrine enveloped by MEHEN.
SA stands in the bows and HEKA at the stern. The text relating to the god reads:--
p. 192
Fragment of the Seventh Division of the Tuat, from the Cover of the Sarcophagus of Seti I .
p. 193

Fragments of the Scenes and Texts of the Seventh Division of the Tuat, from the Sarcophagus of Seti I .
p. 194

The Boat of Ra being towed through the Seventh Division of the Tuat by the gods thereof .

"The gods of the Tuat tow along this great god, and they say unto Ra:--'Thou art towed along,
O great god, lord of the hours, who dost work on behalf of those who are under the earth.' The
gods have life in his attributes, and the spirits look upon his forms. And Ra saith unto
them:--'There is magical protection to you, O ye who tow, and there is holiness to
p. 195
you, O ye who tow and bring me into the nethermost parts of the Tuat, tow ye me along until
[ye arrive] at the chambers (?), and take ye your stand upon the hidden mountain of the
horizon."
In front of the divine towers of the boat march:--
1. Twelve bearded gods, the AMENNU-AAIU-KHERU-SHETAU, whose hands and arms are
bidden; they are described as "hidden of hands and arms and possessing hiddenness." The text
relating to them reads:--
p. 196
"These are they who possess the hiddenness (or, who hold the mystery) of this great god.
Verily those who are in the Tuat see him, and the dead see him, who burn in Het-Benben (or,
the temple of Ra), and they come forth to the place where is the body of this god. Ra saith
unto them:--'Receive ye my forms, and embrace ye your hidden forms (or, mysteries). Ye
shall be in Het-Benben, the place where my body is. The hiddenness which is in you is the
hiddenness of the Tuat, and cover ye your arms therewith.' And they say unto Ra:--'Let thy
soul be in heaven, at the head of the horizon, let thy shadow penetrate the hidden place, and
let thy body be to the earth; as for the upper regions of the sky we ascribe Ra thereto . . . . .
Fulfil thou thyself, and take thou thy place [with] thy body in the Tuat.' Their food consisteth
of offerings of every kind whereby souls become content, and offerings are made unto them
upon earth by reason of the sight of the light in the 'Tuat."
2. Eight bearded gods, the NETERU-HETI, who stand
p. 197

The Twelve Gods whose hands and arms are hidden .


p. 198
upright, with their hands hanging by their sides, and are described as "the gods of the
temples," and eight gods, the SENNU, who stand upright, with their arms held straight
together in front of them, at a little distance from their bodies. The text which refers to them
reads:--
p. 199
The Eight Neteru-heti .

Four of the Sennu Gods .


p. 200
"These are they who are outside Het-Benben, and they see Ra with their eyes, and they enter
into his secret (or, hidden) images that which is theirs is apportioned, and the SENNU gods
bring it. [And Ra] saith unto them:--'My offerings (or, provisions) are from your offerings,
and my nourishment is from your nourishment which is to you, O ye who are in my secret
places. I protect my secret things which are in Het-Benben. Hail to you! Your souls live, and
their offerings are the offerings of KHUTI.' TUATI saith unto them:--'O ye gods who dwell in
the Tuat, who are in the divine [places] of the governor of Ament, to whom what is their due
is given upon their ground, who lie down upon their own lands, your own flesh is to you, ye
have gathered together your bones, ye have knit together your members, and ye have
collected your flesh. There are, moreover, sweet winds to your nostrils, ye have girded on
your apparel, and ye have put on your wigs.'
In the upper register are:--
1. Twelve gods, the KHERU-METAU[H], each of whom holds a stake or weapon, forked at
one end; they are described as "those who hold the metau weapons."
p. 201
The text relating to these reads:--
"Ra saith unto them:--'Receive ye your metauh weapons, and take ye them with you. Hail to
you, [go against] the serpent fiend MAMU; bail to you, make ye gashes in him when the
heads appear from
p. 202
out of him, and turn ye him backwards.' They say unto Ra:--'Our metauh weapons in our
hands are for Ra [and against] MAMU, and we will make gashes in the great and evil
WORM. O Ra, do away the heads when they come forth from the windings of the serpent
KHETI These are the gods who are in the [Boat of Ra], and they repulse Apep in the sky, and
they travel through the Tuat. It is their duty to
The Kheru-Metauh Gods .

turn back Apep on behalf of Ra in Amentet and the places of the Tuat. And this god allotteth
to them their provisions of bread, and their beer is the tchesert drink, and their libations are of
cool water, and offerings are made to them upon earth because they repulse the Enemy of Ra
in Amentet."
2. The gods KHERU-AMU-PERERU-TEPU-EM-QEBU-F, and the monster serpent SEBA-
APEP, the body of which is held
p. 203

The Kheru-Metauh Gods.

up above the ground by twelve bearded gods, who are described as "those who have food
when the heads appear from his folds." Twelve human heads grow out from his body,

The Kheru-Metauh Gods .


p. 204
the first appearing from his head, and the other eleven from his back. The text which relates to
them reads:--
"These are they who are the adversaries of his two-fold evil, and who overthrow the enemies
of Ra, and it is their duty to seize the SEBA-Fiend when he maketh heads to come forth from
him. [Ra] saith to
p. 205
them:--'Turn ye back SEBA, make ye to go backwards APEP when the heads appear from out
of him, and let him perish.' [Ra] ordereth for him his destruction. 'O heads, ye shall be eaten,
ye shall be eaten, ye shall be consumed, when ye come forth from him.' Ra ordereth for them
when they come forth that they shall be consumed (or, swallowed up) [in] their folds when he
journeyeth to them, and that the heads shall retreat within their folds. The WORM HEFAU
shall be without eyes, and he shall be without his nose, and he shall be without his ears, and
he shall exist upon his roarings, and he shall live upon that which he himself uttereth. The
food [of these gods] consisteth of the offerings [which are made to them] upon earth."
3. An upright, bearded mummied form called QAN. To the neck of this figure are attached
two ropes, which are twisted together symmetrically, and are grasped by twelve bearded men
with both hands. Each god stands within a loop formed by the two ropes, and has a star before
him. The gods are described as "those who hold the rope which cometh forth . . . . . . . ."
The text reads:--
p. 206

The Serpent Seba-Apep, with the twelve human heads which grow out of his body and his twelve attendant gods .
p. 207

The Serpent Seba-Apep, with the twelve human heads which grow out of his body and his twelve attendant gods .
p. 208
The god Qena, and the gods who hold the rope .

"The Enemy of Ra cometh forth from the Tuat. Offerings shall be made unto the gods of that
whereby I exist under the trees. Seize ye the rope, and tie ye
p. 209

The gods who hold the rope .

therewith the mouth of AQEN. Your hours come forth, and there is benefit to you therein.
Rest ye upon your throne[s], and let the rope enter into the mouth of the god AQEN when he
cometh to the place

The gods who hold the rope .


p. 210
where the hours are born; Ra crieth out, and it resteth in its place, and it maketh an end of
ANEQ. They say unto Ra:--The god NAQ is tied up with the rope, the hours of the gods(?)
are to thee, O Ra, with light. Rest thou and thy hidden body . . . . .. Their provisions of loaves
of bread are to them, their beer is tchesert, and their libations are of cool water, and offerings
are made to them upon earth."
The god Tuati .

In the lower register are:--


1. A god, standing, and leaning upon a long staff; his name is TUATI.
2. The serpent NEHEP, the long body of which is made to serve as biers for twelve gods in
mummied form; the serpent's body is provided with twenty-four legs of lions, and a mummied
god rests over each pair of them. These gods are described as "those who are in the body of
Osiris asleep," and "those who are in inactivity,"
3. Four gods, each with his arms stretched straight together before him at an acute angle with
his body. The legend reads, khast-ta-rut.
p. 211

.
The gods who are asleep in the body of Osiris

p. 212
The gods who are asleep in the body of Osiris.
p. 213

Four Khast-ta-rut Gods .

(Left) A god in mummied form. (Center) The serpent in the round pool of fire. (Right) Four Khast-ta-rut Gods .
p. 214
4. Four gods.
5. A serpent within a circle filled with water.
6. A god in mummied form.
The text relating to these reads:
p. 216
"The god Tuati saith unto them:--'Hail, O ye gods
p. 217
who are over the Tuat, ye gods who dwell in this [place] of the governor of Ament, who abide
permanently on your places, and who lie down upon your couches, lift up the flesh of your
bodies, and gather together your bones, and gird up your members, and bring ye into one
place your flesh! There is sweet (or, fresh) air for your nostrils. Loose and take off your
funeral swathings, untie and remove your wigs, unclose your eyes and look ye at the light
therewith, rise ye up from out of your inert and helpless state, and take possession yourselves
of your fields in Sekhet-nebt-hetepu (i.e., Field, lord of offerings). There are fields for you in
this Field, and the waters thereof are for you. Let your offering be there, [and] fields from
Nebt-hetepu.' Their libations shall be of water. It is the serpent NEHEP who giveth their
bodies [and] their souls, and they journey on to SEKHET-AARU to have dominion over their
libations, and to walk over the earth. They count up their flesh, their food is of bread-cakes,
and their drink is of tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto
them upon earth as [unto] the god SAH, who resteth upon his ground."
"These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living in this pool, and
the water of the pool is of fire, and the gods of the earth and the souls of the earth cannot
descend thereto by reason of the flames of fire of this serpent. This
p. 218
great god who is the governor of the Tuat liveth in the water of this pool."
And Ra, saith unto them:--"Hail to you, O ye gods who guard this holy pool, give ye
yourselves to him that is the Governor of Aukert. The water of this pool is Osiris, and this
water is KHENTI-TUAT. This flame consumeth and destroyeth the souls which dare to
approach Osiris, and the awe of this pool cannot be done away, or made an end of, or
overcome. As for the gods who keep ward over its waters, their food is bread, and their drink
is tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as
unto TERI in Amentet, lord of (offerings. There are fields for you in this Field, and the waters
thereof are for you. Let your offerings be there [and] fields from Nebt-hetepu. Their libations
shall be of water. It is the serpent NEHEP who giveth their bodies [and] their souls, and they
journey into SEKHET-AARU to have dominion over their libations, and to walk on the earth.
They count up their limbs, their food is of bread-cakes, and their drink is of tchesert ale, and
their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as unto SAH, who
resteth upon his ground.
"These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living . . . . . ."

Footnotes

191:1 Var., AKHA-HRA.


191:2 See Lefébure, Mémoires, tom. ii., part ii., pl. 11 ff.

p. 219

CHAPTER X.
THE GATE OF SET-HRA.
THE EIGHTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

HAVING passed through the Seventh Division of the Tuat, the boat of the Sun arrives at the
gateway called BEKHKHI, which leads to the EIGHTH O DIVISION, or, as the opening text
reads:
This great god cometh forth to this gate, and entereth through it, and the gods who are therein
acclaim this great god." The gateway is like that through which the god passed into the
previous Division, and its outwork is guarded by nine gods in the form of mummies, who are
described as the PAUT, i.e., the company of the nine gods.
At the entrance to the gate proper stands a bearded, mummied form, with his hands folded on
his breast, called BENEN, and at its exit stands a similar form called HEPTTI, each of these is
said
p. 220
to "extend his arms and hands to Ra." The corridor is swept by flames of fire, which proceed
from the mouths of two uraei, as before. The company of the gods who guard the outwork
address Ra, and say, "Come thou to us, O thou who art at the head of the horizon, O thou great
god who openest hidden places, open for thyself the holy pylons, and unfold the doors
thereof." The monster serpent, which stands on his tail and guards the door, is called SET-
HRA, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read, "He who is over this
door openeth to Ra. SA saith unto SET-HRA:--Open thy gate to Ra, unfold thy portal to
KHUTI, So that he may illumine the thick darkness, and may send light into the hidden
abode. This gate closeth after the great god hath passed through it, and the souls who are on
the other side of it wail when they hear the door closing upon them."
p. 221

The gate of the Serpent Set-hra .


p. 222
In the middle of the Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of
the Tuat, the god is in the same form as before, and SA stands on the look-out, and Heka
obeys his instructions as to the steering. At the head of the

.
The Boat of Ra being towed through the Eighth Division of the Tuat by the gods thereof

four gods who tow the boat stands an aged god, who leans on a long staff, and is called "He
who dwelleth in Nu." Immediately in front of the divine procession is a long tank, wherein we
see four groups, each containing four beings, who are represented in the act of performing
various evolutions in the water. These are called HERPIU, AKIU, NUBIU, and KHEPAU,
p. 223
which names may be translated "Bathers, Floaters, Swimmers, and Divers."
p. 224
The first section of this text reads:--
This great god is towed along by gods of the Tuat, and behold, those who tow Ra along say,
"Let there be praise in heaven to the soul of Ra, and let there be praise on earth to his body,
for heaven is made young by means of his soul, and earth is made young by means of his
body. Hail! We open for thee the hidden place, and we make straight for thee the roads of
Akert. Be thou at peace, O Ra, with thy hidden things, O thou who art praised [by] thy secret
things in thy forms (or, attributes). Hail! We tow thee
p. 225
along, O Ra, we guide thee, O thou who art at the head of heaven, and thou comest forth to
those who are immersed in the waters, and thou shalt make thy way over them."
The passage which refers to the aged god reads:--
"He (literally, those) who is in Nu saith to those who are immersed in the water, and to those
who are swimming in the pools of water, 'Look ye at Ra, who journeyeth in his boat, [for he
is] Great of Mystery.

The Four Herpiu Gods, and the Four Akiu Gods .

It is he who ordereth the destinies (or, affairs) of the gods, it is he who


[paragraph continues]
performeth (or, maketh) the plans of the Khu (i.e., the spirits). Hail! Rise up, O ye beings of
time, pay ye heed to Ra, for it is he who ordereth your destinies.'"
The speech of Ra reads:--
"Put forth your heads, O ye who are immersed in the water, thrust out your arms, O ye who
are under the waters, stretch out your legs, O ye who swim, let there be breath to your nostrils,
O ye who are deep
p. 226
in the waters. Ye shall have dominion over your waters, ye shall be at peace in your tanks of
cool waters, ye shall pass through the waters of Nu, and ye shall make a way through your
cisterns. Your souls are upon earth, and they shall be satisfied with their means of subsistence,
and they shall not suffer destruction. Their food shall consist of the offerings of the earth, and
meat and drink shall be given unto them upon earth, even as to him that hath obtained
dominion

The Four Nubiu Gods, and the Four Khepau Gods .

over his offerings upon earth, and whose soul is not upon the earth. Their food shall consist of
bread, and their drink shall be tchesert wine, and their cisterns shall be full of cool water, and
there shall be offered unto them upon earth of that which this lake produceth."
In the upper register are the following:--
1. Twelve bearded gods, who stand with their arms hanging by their sides, and are described
as the "divine sovereign chiefs who give the bread which hath been
p. 227
allotted and green herbs to the souls who are in the Lake of SERSER (i.e., blazing fire),"

The Tchatchau who give the bread of Maat .

Souls who are in the Lake of Serser .

2. Nine bearded, human-headed and human-handed hawks, which stand with their hands
raised in adoration; before each is a loaf of bread, and a few
p. 228
green herbs. These are described as the "souls who are in the Lake of Serser."
3. A god, who holds a sceptre in his right hand, and in his left.
The portion of the text which refers to the twelve sovereign chiefs reads:--
"These are they who make souls to have a right to the green herbs in the Lake of Serser. Ra
saith unto them:--'[Hail, ye] divine sovereign princes of the gods, and ye chiefs of the Lake of
Serser, who place souls over their green herbs, let them have
p. 230
dominion themselves over their bread; give ye your bread which is appointed, and bring ye
your green herbs to the souls who have been ordered to exist in the Lake of Serser.' They say
unto Ra:--'The bread appointed hath been and the green herbs have been brought to the divine
souls whom thou hast ordered to exist in the Lake of Serser. Hail! Verily, the way is fair; for
KHENTI-AMENTI praiseth thee, and those who dwell in TA-THENEN praise thee.' Their
food is of bread-cakes, and their beer is the tchesert beer, and their libations are of cool water;
and offerings are made unto them upon earth by those who are with (?) TUI by the divine
sovereign princes."
The passage which refers to the souls in the Lake of Serser reads:--
"These are they who are in the Land of Serser; 'they have received their bread, and they have
gained the mastery over this Lake, and they praise this great god. Ra saith unto them:--'Eat ye
your green herbs, and satisfy ye yourselves with your cakes; let there be fulness to your
bellies, and satisfaction to your hearts. Your green herbs are of the Lake of Serser, the Lake
which may not be approached. Praise ye me, glorify ye me, for I am the Great One of terror of
the Tuat.' They say unto Ra:--'Hail to thee, O thou Great One of the SEKHEMU (i.e.,
Powers)! Praise is thine, and majesty is thine. The Tuat is thine, and [is subservient] to thy
will; it is a hidden place [made] by thee for
p. 231
those who are in its Circles. The height of Heaven is thine, and [is subservient] to thy will; it
is a secret place [made] by thee for those who belong thereto. The Earth is for thy dead Body,
and the Sky is for thy Soul. O Ra, be thou at peace (or, be content) with that which thou hast
made to come into being.' Their food consisteth of bread-cakes, their green herbs are the
plants of the spring, and the waters wherein they refresh themselves are cool

Souls who are in the Lake of Serser. A god with a sceptre .

[paragraph continues] Offerings are made unto them upon the earth as [being] the product of this Lake
of Serser."
In the lower register are:--
1. Horus [the Aged], in the form of a bearded man, leaning upon a staff.
2. Twelve bearded beings, who are described as the "burnt enemies of Osiris." The first four
have their arms tied
p. 232
behind their back in such a way that the right hand projects at the left side, and the left hand at
the right side. The second four have their hands tied together at the elbows, and the upper
parts of the arms are at right angles to their shoulders. The third four have their arms tied
together at the elbows, and their elbows are on a lower level than their shoulders.
3. A monster speckled serpent, which lies in undulations immediately in front of the enemies
of Osiris,
.
(Far left) Horus the Aged. (Right) The Burnt Enemies of Osiris

and belches fire into the face of their leader; the name of this serpent is KHETI, In each
undulation stands a bearded god in mummied form, and the hieroglyphics written above
describe them as "the gods who are above KHETI,"
The text reads:--
p. 234
"[This scene representeth] what Horus doeth for his father Osiris. The enemies c who are in
this scene have their calamities ordered for them by Horus, who saith unto them:--Let there be
fetters on your arms, O enemies of my father, let your arms be tied up towards your heads, O
ye who have no [power], ye shall be fettered [with your arms] behind you, O ye who are
hostile to Ra. Ye shall be backed in pieces,

p. 235
ye shall nevermore have your being, your souls shall be destroyed, and none [of you] shall
live because of what ye have done to my father Osiris; ye have put [his] mysteries behind
your backs, and ye have dragged out the statue [of the god] from the secret place. The word of
my father Osiris is maat against you, and my word is maat against you, O ye who have
desecrated (literally, laid bare) the hidden things which concern the rest (or, resting-place) of
the Great One who begot me in the Tuat. O ye shall cease to exist, ye shall come to an end."'
"Horus saith:--'[O] my serpent KHET, thou Mighty Fire, from whose mouth cometh forth this
flame which is in my Eye, whose undulations are guarded by [my] children, open thy mouth,
distend thy jaws, and belch forth thy fires against the enemies of my father, burn thou up their
bodies, consume their souls by the fire which issueth from thy mouth, and by the flames
which are in thy body. My divine children are against them, they destroy [their] spirits, and
those who have come forth from me are against them, and they shall never more exist. The
fire which is in this serpent shall come forth, and shall blaze against these enemies
whensoever Horus decreeth that it shall do so.' Whosoever knoweth how to use words of
power [against] this serpent shall be as one who doth not enter upon his fiery path."
The end of this text on the sarcophagus of Seti I. is
p. 236
defective, but from the tomb of Rameses VI. we see that it should end thus:--"Offerings shall
be made to these gods who are upon this great serpent. Their food is of bread, their drink is of
tesher beer, and the waters of their libations are cool."

p. 237
CHAPTER XI.
THE GATE OF AB-TA.
THE NINTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

HAVING passed through the Eighth Division of the Tuat, the boat of the sun arrives at the
gateway called AAT-SHEFSHEFT, which leads to the NINTH DIVISION, or, as the opening
text reads: "This great god cometh to this gate, and entereth through it, and the gods who are
therein acclaim this great god." The gateway is like that through which the god passed into the
previous Division, and its outwork is guarded by nine gods in the form of mummies, who are
described as the PAUT, i.e., the company of the nine gods. At the entrance to the gate proper
stands a bearded, mummied form, with his hands folded on his breast, called ANHEFTA, and
at its exit stands a similar form
p. 238
called ERMEN-TA, each of these is said to extend his arms and hands to Ra. The corridor is
swept by flames of fire, which proceed from the mouths of two uraei, as before. The company
of the gods who guard the outwork address Ra, and say, "Come thou to us, O thou who art the
head of the horizon, O thou great god who openest the secret places, open for thyself the holy
pylons, and unfold for thyself the holy doors thereof." The monster serpent which stands on
his tail and guards the door is called AB-TA, and the two lines of text which refer to his
admission of Ra read, "He who is over this door openeth to Ra. SA saith unto AB-TA, 'Open
thy gate to Ra, unfold thy portal to KHUTI, so that he may illumine the thick darkness, and
may send light into the hidden abode.' This gate closeth after this god hath passed through it,
and the souls who are on the other side of it wail when they hear this door closing upon
them."
p. 239
The Gate of Ab-ta .
p. 240
In the middle of the Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of
the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before,

The Boat of Af-Ra in the Ninth Division of the Tuat .

and SA stands on the look-out, and HEKA obeys his instructions as to steering. The
procession which marches in front of the boat consists of:--
1. Six bearded male figures, standing upright, who hold in their hands the ends of a rod, or
rope, which is bent in the shape of a bow over their heads; these are described as "those who
are over the words of magical power."
p. 241
2. Four dog-headed apes, which hold a rod bent as already described; these are described as
"those who work magic by means of knots for Ra."
Four women, who stand upright, and hold a bent
.
Gods, goddesses, and apes casting spells on Apep

The spearmen. .
Aai. Shesshes and Apep
rod, or rope, over their heads like the four apes and the six male figures; they are described as
"those who work magic by means of knots for Ra."
4. Three male figures, each holding a harpoon in
p. 242
his right hand, and a cord in his left; they are called "spearmen." Immediately in front of these
is a bearded male figure, who has been lying prostrate on his face; he has upon his head a
small solar disk and a pair of ass's ears, and his name is AAI, i.e., the Ass. In his hands he
grasps a rope, which passes over his head and along his back, and is held by each of the three
spearmen in his left hand; from the knees upwards his body is raised in a diagonal position,
and this attitude suggests that he has either raised himself by means of the rope, or has been
pulled into this position by the spearmen. Facing the Ass are:--1. The monster serpent APEP,
and 2. The crocodile SHESSHES, with a tail ending in the head of a serpent.
The text, which refers to the whole of this section, reads:--
p. 243
"This great god is towed along by the gods of the Tuat, and those who tow Ra along
say:--'The god
p. 244
cometh to his body, and the god is towed along to his shadow. O be thou at peace with thy
body, and we will tow thee along in thy integrity into thy (literally, his) secret place. Come
thou, O Ra, and be thou at peace with thy body, for thou shalt be protected by those who are
over the curved ropes(?).'"
The text which refers to the six men, four apes, and four women, with nets over their heads,
reads:--
"Those who are in this picture march before Ra, and they utter words of power against APEP,
and [then] return to the Arit (or, Hall) of the horizon. They journey onwards with him into the
height of heaven, and they come into being for him in the ATERTI (i.e., the two portions of
the sky in which Ra rises and sets), and they cause him to rise in NUT. And they say their
words of power which are these:--'Out upon thee, O thou Rebel Serpent! Out upon thee, thou
monster that destroyest, thou Apep that sendest forth thy evil emanations (or, deeds)! Thy face
shall be destroyed, O APEP. Thou shalt advance to the block of execution. The NEMU are
against thee, and they shall hack thee in pieces. The AAIU are against thee, and they shall
destroy thee. The ABEBUITI (i.e., the three spearmen) shall drive [their harpoons] into thee,
and they shall enchant thee by means of their Hail! Thou art destroyed, dashed in pieces, and
stabbed to death, O serpent SESSI.'"
"Those who are in this scene, and who have their
p. 245
spears, keep ward over the rope of AI, and they do not permit this Worm to approach the boat
of the great god. They pass behind this god upwards. These gods who do battle on behalf of
this god in heaven say":--(The speech is wanting).
Gods of the South raising the Standard of the South .

In the upper register are the following:--


1. Four gods, who in the place of heads have each a crown of the South, to which is affixed a
uraeus, upon his body, and who, aided by a bearded male figure, are engaged in raising up
from the ground, by means of a rope, a pole or staff, which is surmounted by a bearded
p. 246
human head wearing a crown of the South; the gods are called "gods of the South," and the
bearded male figure "he who is over the front end."
2. Four gods, who in the place of heads have each a

Gods of the North raising the Standard of the North .

crown of the North, to which is affixed a uraeus, upon his body, and who, aided by a bearded
male figure, are engaged in raising up from the ground, by means of a rope, a pole or staff,
which is surmounted by a bearded human head wearing a crown of the North; the gods
p. 247
are called "gods of the North," and the bearded male figure is "he who is over the hind part."
3. Between the two groups described above is the hawk-headed sphinx which typifies "Horus
in the Boat." Above its hindquarters spring the head and shoulders of a bearded human figure
called ANA, and on the head of the hawk and that of And is a crown of the South. Standing on
the back of the sphinx is the figure of HORUS-SET with characteristic heads, with his arms
outstretched, and with each hand laid upon the upper part of the crowns of the South. The
hawk head of this figure faces the back of the hawk head of the sphinx, and the animal's head,
which is characteristic of Set, faces the back of the human head of And. It is thus quite clear
that
Heru-am-uaa with Set-Horus on his back .
p. 248
Horus was regarded as a form of the Sun-god of the South, and Set as a form of
[paragraph continues]
the Sun-god of the North.
4. The serpent SHEMTI, which has four heads and necks at each end of its body, and each
head and neck are supported on a pair of legs. A male figure called APU stands and grasps the
middle of the body of the serpent with both hands.
5. The serpent BATA, with a bearded head at each end of his body; each head wears a crown
of the South. Above the back of this serpent is another serpent, from each end of the body of
which spring the upper portions of the bodies and heads of four bearded male figures; the first
figure of each group has a pair of hands and arms which are raised in adoration, and each
figure of the two groups has a pair of legs, which rest on the back of the serpent BATA. A
male figure called ABETH stands and grasps the middle of the body of the serpent TEPI with
both hands.
6. Two male beings, swinging over their heads a net, wherewith they are going to attack the
serpent, or to resist him.
p. 249

The Shemti Serpent and his warder Apu.


p. 250
The passage which refers to the gods of the South reads:--
"Those who are in this scene rise up for Ra, who
p. 251
saith unto them:--'Receive ye your heads, O ye gods, and draw tightly the front end of your
rope. Hail, O ye gods, come into being! Hail, possess ye the power of light, O ye gods, and
come ye into being, O ye gods. Possess ye the power of light, O ye gods, by

The Serpents Bata and Tepi and the warder Abeth .

my coming into being in the secret place, and by my power of light in the hidden place
(Ament), in the chambers of things.'"
The passage which refers to Horus-Set reads:--
"Ra maketh to arise this god. This god with his two faces goeth in after Ra hath passed by
him."
p. 252
The passage which refers to the gods of the North reads:--
"Ra saith unto them:--'Let your heads be to you, O ye gods! Receive ye your crowns of the
North, and pull ye tightly at the hinder end of the boat of him that cometh into being from me.
Behold now Horus of the handsome Face!'"
The passage which refers to the serpent SHEMTI reads:--
"He who is in this picture strideth through the secret place, and he withdraweth to QA-TEMT,
the Hall (or, Court) of Ament. Those who are in it are the heads which have been devoured,
and they breathe the odour of SHEMTI, of which Apu is the warder."
The passage which refers to the serpent BATA reads:--
"He who is in this picture maketh his rising up for SAR, and he keepeth count of the souls
which are doomed in the Tuat. He strideth through the secret place, and he withdraweth to
TESERT-BAIU, to the Hall (or, Court) of Ament; then TEPI entereth into BATA. Those who
are in it are they whose heads have been devoured. They breathe the odour of BATA, of which
ABETH is the guardian."
The passage which refers to the two gods with nets reads:--
"These are the gods who make use of words of power for Horus-Ra in Ament. [They have
power]
p. 253
over the net, and they make use of words of power on those who are in the net[s] which are in
their hands."
In the lower register are:--
1. Sixteen gods, who stand at one end of the scene, and grasp a rope with both hands. The first
four are bearded, man-headed beings, and are said to be "the souls of Ament," the second four
are ibis-headed, and are "the followers of Thoth," the third four are hawk-headed, and are "the
followers of Horus," and the last four are ram-headed, and are the followers of Ra."
Two gods with nets .

2. Eight bearded, man-headed beings, who stand at the other end of the scene in two groups of
four, and
who are described as "Powers,"
p. 254
each grasps a rope with both hands. The rope which is held by these groups of beings is
attached to the legs of the enormous serpent KHEPRI. This serpent has a head at each end of
its body, the foremost part of which is supported on a pair of human legs; from each end of
that portion of its body which lies flat on the ground springs a uraeus. On the centre fold of
the body is seated a hawk, which wears on its head the double crown, This hawk is the
symbol of "Horus of the Tuat."
The text which refers to this section of the scene reads:--
p. 255

The Souls of Ament, and the Followers of Thoth who tow Khepri .
p. 256

The Followers of Horus and the Followers of Ra who tow Khepri .


"Those who are in this scene have the rope in their hands, and it is fastened to the leg[s] of
KHEPRI, who moveth backwards to the Hall of their horizon. They draw this rope with the
god into their horizon, and they tow him along in the sky (NUT). They live upon the, things of
the South, and their sustenance is from the things of the North, [and they exist] on that which
p. 257
cometh forth from the mouth of Ra. The voice of this serpent KHEPRI goeth round about and
travelleth into the secret place after Ra hath entered into the height of heaven."
The four groups, each containing four beings, "say unto Ra:--'Come, O come, after thy
transformations! Come, O Ra, after thy transformations! Appear,

The Serpent Khepri and Horus of the Tuat .

appear, after thy transformations! Appear, O Ra, after thy transformations in heaven, in the
great heaven! Hail! We decree for thee thy habitations by the excellence which is in the words
of the Mighty One of Forms in the secret (or, hidden) place.'"
The passage which refers to Horus reads:--
"He who is in this scene is HERU TUATI (i.e., Horus
p. 258
of the Tuat). The head cometh forth from him, and the forms [in which he appeareth] from the
coiled [serpent]. Ra crieth unto this god to whom the two divine URAEI unite themselves; he
entereth in upon the way into KHEPRI, Who listeneth when Ra crieth to him."
The two groups, each containing four beings, "have

The Eight Powers who tow Khepri .

in their hands the rope which is fastened to the foot of KHEPRI, and they say to Ra:--'The
ways of the hidden place are open to thee, and [the portals] which are in the earth are unfolded
for thee, the SOUL which Nut loveth, and we will guide thy wings to the mountain. Hail!
Enter thou into the East, and make thou thy passage from between the thighs of thy mother.'"

p. 259
CHAPTER XII.
THE GATE OF SETHU.
THE TENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

HAVING passed through the Ninth Division of the Tuat, the boat of the sun arrives at the
gateway TCHESERIT, which leads to the Tenth Division, or, as the opening text reads: "This
great god cometh forth to this gate, and entereth through it, and the gods who are therein
acclaim the great god." The gateway is like that through which the god passed into the
previous Division, and its outwork is guarded by sixteen uraei. At the entrance to the gate
proper stands a bearded, mummied form called NEMI, who holds a knife in his bands, and at
its exit stands a similar mummied form called KEFI. The corridor is swept by flames of fire,
which proceed from the mouths of two uraei, as before. The uraei which
p. 260
guard the outwork address Ra, and say, "Come thou to us, O thou who art at the head of the
horizon, O thou great god who openest the secret place, open thou the holy pylons and unfold
the portals of the earth." The monster serpent which

The Boat of Af-Ra in the Tenth Division of the Tuat .

stands on his tail and guards the door is called SETHU, and the two lines of text which refer
to his admission of Ra read:--"He who, is over this gate openeth to Ra. SA saith unto SETHU,
'Open thy gate, unfold thy portal, so that he may illumine the thick darkness, and may send
light into the hidden abode.' This gate closeth after the great god hath
p. 261
The Gate of the Serpent Sethu .
p. 262
passed through it, and the uraei who are on the other side of it wail when they hear it closing
upon them."
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of the sun being towed on its way by four gods
of the Tuat, the god is in the same form as before, and his boat is piloted by SA, who
commands, and by HEKA, who steers according to his directions.
The procession in front of the boat of the sun consists of:--
1. A bearded male figure called UNTI, i.e., the "god of the hour," who holds a star in each
hand.
2. Four kneeling gods, each with a uraeus over his head. The first is Horus, hawk-headed; the
second is SEREQ, bearded, and wearing a wig; the third is ABESH, bearded and without a
wig; and the fourth is SEKHET, with the head of a lioness.
p. 263
3. Three bearded beings, the "Star-gods," each holding a star in his right hand, which is
stretched aloft, and with his left towing a small boat containing the "Face of the Disk."
4. A small boat holding a uraeus, which has the latter part of its body bent upwards; within the
curve is the "Face of the Disk."
5. The winged serpent SEMI, standing on its tail, with its body in folds.
6. The bearded figure BESI, receiving in his hand the flame which spouts up from the head of
a horned animal, which forms the top of a staff, and is transfixed by a knife.
7. The serpent ANKHI, from each side of the neck of which grows a bearded, mummy figure.
8. Four women, each with both hands raised in adoration; they are described as "Criers."
9. Two bows, set end to end, on each of which three uraei rear their heads. Standing over the
place where the two ends of the bows meet, with a foot on the end of each, is the two-headed
figure HORUS-SET, with two pairs of hands, one pair on each side of his body, raised in
adoration. HORUS -SET is called "he of the two heads," and the two bows are "the Crown of
the Uraei,"
p. 264
The text which refers to the above groups reads:--
p. 265
"This great god is towed along by the gods of the 'Tuat, and those who tow Ra along say:--'We
are towing Ra along, we are towing Ra along and Ra followeth [us] into Nut. O have the
mastery over thy Face, indeed thou shalt unite thyself to thy Face, O Ra, [by] Maat. Open, O
thou Face of Ra, and let the two Eyes of Khuti enter into thee; drive away thou the darkness
from Amentet. Let him give light by what he hath sent forth, the light.'"
Of the god with stars it is said:--
"He maketh a rising up for Ra (or, he stablisheth Ra), UNTI maketh to be light the upper
heaven; this god leadeth the hour, which performeth that which belongeth to it to do."
Of the four seated gods it is said:--
"The [four] serpents who are in the earth keep ward (over those who are in this picture. They
make a rising up for Ra, and they sit upon the great image[s which are] under them, and they
pass onwards with them in the following of Ra, together with the hidden images which belong
to them."
p. 266
Of the three gods who hold stars it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture sing hymns with their stars, and they grasp firmly the bows of
their boat, [and it] entereth into Nut. And this Face of Ra moveth onwards, and saileth over
the land, and those who are in the Tuat sing hymns to it, and make Ra to stand up (i.e.,
establish Ra)."
Of the winged serpent SEMI it is said:--
"[It maketh a rising up for Ra], and it guideth the

Gods of Light and Fire. Star-gods. Face of the Disk. Semi.

Well-doing god into the Tuat of the horizon of the East."


[paragraph continues]
Of the god BESI it is said:--
"He maketh a rising up for Ra, and he placeth fire on the head and horns (or, [in] his hands is
the fire from the head and horns), and the weapon which is in the hand of the Fighter is in the
follower of this god."
Of the uraeus with the double male figure it is said:--
"It maketh a rising up for Ra. The stablishing of
p. 267
Time which is reckoned in writing by years is with this uraeus, and it maketh it
[paragraph continues]
to go with him into the heights of heaven."
Of the "Criers" it is said:--
Those who cry unto Ra say, 'Enter in, O Ra! Hail, come, O Ra! Hail, come, O thou who art
born of the Tuat! Come, O offspring of the heights of heaven! Hail, come thou into being, O
Ra!
Besi. Ankhi. The goddesses who hail the god. Mehen and Horus-Set .

Of the double bow it is said:--


"This is the MEHEN serpent of the uraei, which strideth through the Tuat. The two bows are
stretched out, and they bear up on themselves him of the Two-Faces (or, Two-Heads, i.e.,
Horus-Set) in his mystery which [appertaineth] to them. They lead the way for Ra, in the
horizon of the east of heaven, and they pass on into the heights of heaven in his train."
p. 268
In the upper register are:--
1. The four ANTIU gods, each of whom holds a knife in his right hand, and a short staff with
one end curved and curled in his left.
2. The four HENATIU gods, each having four uraei in the place of a head; they are armed
with weapons similar to those of the ANTIU gods.

The Antiu and Henatiu Gods attacking Apep.

3. The undulating length of the serpent APEP, of whom it is said, "his voice goeth round the
Tuat." Attached to the neck of the monster is a very long chain, which rises in an oval curve,
and, passing along through the hands of sixteen male figures, is then grasped and held down
by a large hand, from which it again rises in an oval curve, and passing on for some distance
descends into the earth
p. 269
immediately in front of Khenti-Amenti. On the first curve of the chain, lying flat on her face,
is the goddess Serq. Of the sixteen bearded figures who grasp the chain with both hands, four
are called SETEFIU, and face to the left; the twelve are described as the "TCHATIU gods,
strong of arm." The right hand which grasps and pulls down the chain is called "HIDDEN
BODY." Lengthwise on the second curve of the great chain lean the upper portions of the
figures of five gods, each of whom grasps the chain with his right hand, and holds in his left a
sceptre and the end of a chain which fetters a serpent in coils. The name of the first serpent is
UAMEMTI, but of the remaining four no names are given. The five gods appear to grow out
of the great chain, and are called SEB, MEST, HAPI, TUAMUTEF, and QEBHSENNUF. At
the end of this section of the scene stands the bearded mummied figure of KHENTI-
AMENTI, wearing the White Crown and the menat, and holding the sceptre in his two hands.
p. 271
The Setefiu and other gods holding Apep in restraint .

Of the eight gods (i.e., the ANTIU and HENATIU) it is said:--


"Those who are in this picture rise up (or, stand) for Ra, and Ra riseth and cometh forth for
them, [and they say], 'Rise, Ra, be strong, Khuti; verily we will overthrow Apep in his fetters.
Approach not thou, O Ra, towards thine enemy, and thine enemy shall not approach thee; may
thy holy attributes come into being within the serpent. The serpent Apep is
p. 272
stabbed with his knives, and gashes are inflicted on him. Ra shall stand up in the hour wherein
he is content (or, the hour of peace), and the great god shall pass on in strength when his chain
(i.e., Apep's) is fixed.'"
"The reptile (literally, worm) who is in this picture breaketh asunder the fetters, and the boat
of this great god beginneth [to move] towards the region

Seb and the Children of Horus holding Apep and his sons in restraint .

of Apep; this great god travelleth on after he (i.e., Apep) hath been put in restraint by means of
his 'fetters."
Of the four SETEFIU gods it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture grasp the fetters of the being of two-fold evil, and they say to
Ra, 'Come forward, Ra, pass onwards, Khuti. Verily fetters have been laid upon NEHA-HRA,
and Apep is in his bonds.'"
p. 273
Of the twelve other gods who grasp the chain it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture [act] as warders of the sons of the helpless one, and they keep
guard (over the deadly chain which is in the HIDDEN HAND, for the dead bodies are placed
with the things [which belong to them] in the circuit of the battlements of KHENTI-AMENTI.
And these gods say, 'Let darkness be upon thy face, O UAMEMTI, and ye shall be destroyed,
O ye sons of the helpless one, by the HIDDEN HAND, which shall cause evils [to come upon
you] by the deadly chain which is in it. SEB keepeth ward over your fetters, and the sons of
the fetters (i.e., Mest, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebhsennuf) put upon you the deadly chain. Keep
ye [your] ward under the reckoning of KHENTI-AMENTI.'"
Of the children of Horus it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture make heavy the fetters of the sons of the helpless one, and the
boat of the Well-doing God travelleth on its way."
In the lower register are:--
1. Twelve male beings, each of whom carries a paddle; they are called "gods who never
diminish."
2. Twelve female beings, each of whom grasps a rope with both hands; above the head of each
is a star. They are called the "hours who tow alone, [the boat of Ra]."
p. 274
The god BANTI, with the head of a cynocephalus ape, holding a sceptre.
4. The god SESHSHA, man-headed, with a star above him, holding a sceptre.
5. The god KA-AMENTI, bull-headed, and holding a sceptre.

The Twelve Akhemu-Seku Gods with their Paddles .

6. The god RENEN-SBAU, man-headed, with a star above him, holding a sceptre.
7. A monkey, with a star over his head, standing on a bracket; he is called the "god of
Rethenu" (Syria).
8. A bracket, whereon rests the Utchat.
p. 275
9. A god called HER-NEST-F, holding a sceptre.
p. 276
Of the twelve gods (the AKHEMU SEKU) it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture make a rising up for Ra, and they take their paddles in this
Circle of UNTI. They come into being of their own accord at the seasons when Ra is born in
Nut; they come into being for the births of Ra, and they make their appearance in Nu along
with him. It is they who transport this great god after he hath taken his place in the horizon of
the East of heaven. Ra saith unto them:--'Take ye your paddles and unite ye yourselves to your
stars. Your coming into being taketh place when [I] come into being, and your births take
place when my births take place. O ye beings who transport me, ye shall not suffer
diminution, O ye gods AKHEMU SEKU.'"
Of the twelve goddesses of the hours it is said:--
"Those who are in this scene take hold of the rope of the boat of Ra to tow him along into the
sky. It is they who tow Ra along, and guide him along the roads into the sky, and behold, they
are the goddesses who draw along the great god in the Tuat. Ra saith
p. 277
unto them:--'Take ye the rope, set ye yourselves in position, and pull ye me, O my followers,
into the height of heaven, and lead ye me along the ways. My births make you to be born, and
behold, my coming into being maketh you to come into being. O stablish ye the periods of
time and years for him who is among you.'"
1. "The god who is in this picture adjureth the
The Twelve Goddesses of the Hours .

pylons to open to Ra, and he goeth on his way by his side."


2. "The god who is in this picture crieth out to the stars concerning the births of this great god,
and he goeth on his way with them."
3. "The god who is in this picture crieth to the gods of the Boat of Ra, and he goeth on his
way with him."
4. "The god who is in this picture setteth the stars
p. 278
in their places (literally, towns), and he goeth on his way with the great god."
The above four paragraphs must refer to the four gods BANTI, SESHSHA, KA-AMENT, and
RENEN-SBAU, and therefore the god of Rethenu, the Utchat, and the god HER-NEST-F
remain without descriptions. From the tomb of Rameses VI. M. Lefébure adds the two

.
(Left to Right) Banti. Seshsha. Ka-Amenti. Renen-sbau. Neter-Rethen. Eye of Ra. Her-nest-f

following paragraphs which concern the Utchat and HER-NEST-F.


"This is the Eye of Ra, which the god uniteth to himself, and it rejoiceth in its place in the
boat."
"This is he who openeth the door of this Circle; he remaineth in his position, and doth not go
on his way with Ra."

p. 279

CHAPTER XIII.
THE GATE OF AM-NETU-F.
THE ELEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

HAVING passed through the Tenth Division of the Tuat, the boat of the sun arrives at the
gateway SHETAT-BESU, which leads to the Eleventh Division, or, as the opening text reads:
"This [great] god cometh forth to this gate, this great god entereth through it, and the gods
who are therein acclaim the great god." The gateway is like that through which the god passed
into the previous Division; at the entrance to the crate proper stands a bearded, mummied
form called METES, and at its exit stands a similar form called SHETAU. The corridor is
swept by flames of fire, which proceed from the mouths of two uraei, as before. In the space
which is usually guarded by a number
p. 280
of gods stand two sceptres, each of which is surmounted by a White Crown; the one on the
right is the symbol of OSIRIS, (SAR), and the other of HORUS. Between the sceptres is a
line of text, which reads:--"They say to Ra, '[Come] in peace! [Come] in peace! [Come] in
peace! [Come] in peace! O thou whose transformations are manifold, thy soul is in heaven,
thy body is in the earth. It is thine own command, O great one." The monster serpent which
stands on his tail and guards the door is called AM-NETU-F, and the two lines of text which
refer to his admission of Ra read:--"He who is over this door openeth to Ra. SAU saith to
AM-NETU-F, 'Open thy gate to Ra, unfold thy portal to KHUTI, so that he may illumine the
thick darkness, and may send light into the hidden abode.' This gate closeth after the great god
hath passed through it, and the gods who are on the battlements wail when they hear it closing
upon them."

The Gate of the Serpent Am-netu-f .


p. 282
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of the sun being towed on its way by four gods
of the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before, and his
The Boat of Af-Ra in the Eleventh Division of the Tuat .

boat is piloted by SA, who commands, and by HEKA, who steers according to his directions.
The procession in front of the boat of the sun consists of:--
1. A company of nine gods, each holding a huge knife in his right hand, and a sceptre in his
left; the first four have jackal heads, and the last five heads of bearded men. These nine beings
represent the
p. 283
"company of the gods who slay APEP."
[paragraph continues]
2. The serpent APEP, fettered by five chains which enter the ground; the fetters are further
strengthened by small chains, which are linked to the larger ones, and are fastened to the
ground by means of pegs with a hook at the top. In an earlier picture we have

The Slaughterers of Apep .

seen APEP fettered by Seb, Mest, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebhsennuf, who were represented by
five gods, but here the figures of the gods are wanting, and it is only the legend "Children of
Horus," that tells us the chains represent the gods.
3. Four Apes, each holding up a huge hand and wrist.
p. 284
4. The goddess of Upper Egypt, wearing the White Crown, and styled AMENTI.
5. The goddess of Lower Egypt, wearing the Red Crown, and called HERIT.
6. The bearded god SEBEKHTI, who holds the emblem of "life" in his right hand, and a
sceptre in his left.
p. 285
Of the gods of the Tuat who tow the boat of Ra it is said 1:--
"The gods of the Tuat say, Behold the coming forth [of Ra] from Ament, and [his] taking up
[his] place in the two divisions of Nu, and [his] performance of [his] transformations on the
two hands of Nu. This god doth not enter into the height of heaven,
p. 286
[but] he openeth [a way through] the Tuat into the height of heaven by his
[paragraph continues]
transformations which are in Nu. Now, what openeth the Tuat into Nut (i.e., the sky) are the
two hands of AMEN-REN-F (i.e., he whose name is hidden). He existeth in the thick
darkness, and light appeareth [there] from the starry night.'"
Of the nine gods with knives and sceptres it is said:--
"Those who are in this scene [with] their weapons in their hand take their knives and hack
[with them] at Apep; they make gashes in him and slaughter him, and they drive stakes
whereby to fetter him in the regions which are in the upper height. The fetters of the REBEL
are in the hands of the Children of Horus, who stand threateningly by this god with their
chains between their fingers. This god reckoneth up his members after he whose arms are
hidden hath opened [the door] to make a way for Ra."
Of the serpent Apep it is-said:--
"The Children of Horus grasp firmly this serpent which is in this picture, and in this picture
they rest in Nut (i.e., the sky). They heap their fetters upon him, and whilst his folds (?) are in
the sky his poison drops down from him into Amentet."
Of the four apes holding hands it is said:--
"It is those who are in this picture who make ready for Ra, a way into the eastern horizon of
heaven,, and they lead the way for the god who hath created them with their hands, [standing]
two on the right hand
p. 287
and two on the left in the double atert of this god; then they come forth after him, and sing
praises to his soul when it looketh upon them, and they stablish his Disk."
Of the three remaining deities it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture turn away SET from this Gate [of the god TUATI. They open
its cavern,

Apep fettered by the chains of Seb and the Children of Horus .

and stablish the hidden pylons, and their souls remain in the following of Ra]."
In the upper register of this Division are:--
1. Four gods, each holding a disk in his right hand; these are "they who hold light-giving
disks."
p. 288
2. Four gods, each holding a star in his right hand; these are "they who hold stars."
3. Four gods, each holding a sceptre in his left hand; these are "they who come forth."
4. Four ram-headed gods, each holding a sceptre in

(Left) The Apes who praise Ra. (Right) Amenti. Herit. Sebekhti .
his left hand; their names are BA, KHNEMU, PENTER, and TENT.
5. Four hawk-headed gods, each holding a sceptre in his left hand; these are called HORUS,
ASHEMTH, SEPT, and AMMI-UAA-F.
p. 289
6. Eight female figures, each seated on a seat formed by a uraeus with its body coiled up, and
holding a star in her left hand; these are called "the protecting hours."
7. A crocodile-headed god called SEBEK-RA, who grasps a fold of a serpent that stands on its
tail in his right hand, and a sceptre in his left.
p. 290

The gods who bring Disks and Stars for Ra .


p. 291
Of the four gods bearing disks it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture carry the disk of Ra, and it is they who make a way through the
Tuat and the height of heaven by means of this image which is in their hands. They utter
words to the Pylon of Akert so that Ra may set himself in the body of Nut (i.e., the sky)."
Of the four gods bearing stars it is said:--

The gods who prepare the Offerings and Shrine of Ra .

"Those who are in this picture carry stars, and when the two arms of Nu embrace Ra they and
their stars shout hymns of praise, and they journey on with him to the height of heaven, and
they take up their places in the body of Nut."
Of the four gods bearing sceptres it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture [having] their sceptres in their hands, are they who stablish the
p. 292
domains of this god in the sky, and they have their thrones in accordance with the command
of Ra."
Of the four ram-headed gods it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture [having] their sceptres in their hands, are they who decree [the
making ready] of the offerings of the gods [from] the bread of heaven, and it is they who
make to come forth celestial water when as yet Ra hath not emerged in Nu."
Of the four hawk-headed gods it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture [having] their sceptres in their hands, are they who stablish the
shrine [in the boat of Ra], and they lay their hands (on the body of the double boat of the god
after it hath appeared from out of the gate of Sma, and they place the paddles [of the boat] in
Nut, when the Hour which presideth over it (i.e., the boat) cometh into being, and the Hour
[which hath guided it] goeth to rest."
Of the goddesses who are seated on uraei it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture with their serpents under them, and their hands holding stars,
come forth from the two ATERT of this great god, four to the East and four to the West; it is
they who call 'the Spirits of the East, and they sing hymns to this god, and they praise him
after his appearance, and SETTI cometh forth in his forms. It is they who
p. 293
guide and transport those who are in the boat of this great god."
There is no description of the crocodile-headed god Sebek-Ra in the text.
In the lower register are:--
1. Four gods, each wearing the Crown of the South; these are the "Kings of the South in
chief."

The goddesses of the Aterti .

2. Four bearded gods, "the WEEPERS."


3. Four gods, each wearing a Crown of the North; these are the KHNEMIU.
4. Four bearded gods, the RENENIU, i.e., "those who give names."
5. Four females, each wearing the Crown of the South; these are the "Queens of the South,"
p. 294
6. Four females, each wearing the Crown of the North; these are, presumably, the "Queens of
the North;" these are the KHNEMUT.
7. Four females, without crowns.
8. Four bearded gods, with their backs slightly bowed; these are the gods who praise Ra.
9. A cat-headed god called MATI.
p. 296

(Left) The Stablishers of the White Crown. (Right) The Four Weepers .

Of the gods wearing the White Crown it is said:--


"Those who are in this picture are they who stablish the White Crown on the gods who follow
Ra; they themselves remain in the Tuat, but their souls go forward and stand at [this] gate."
Of the four Weepers it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture in this gate make
p. 297
lamentation for Osiris after Ra hath made his appearance from Ament; their souls go forward
in his train, but they themselves follow after Osiris."
Of the four gods wearing the Red Crown it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture are those who unite themselves to Ra, and they make his births
to come

(Left) The Stablishers of the Red Crown. .


(Right) The gods who give names

to pass in the earth; their souls go forward in his train, but their bodies remain in their places
(or, seats)."
Of the four RENENIU it is said:--
"[Those who are in this picture are they who give the name to Ra, and they magnify the
names of all
p. 298
his forms; their souls go forward in his following, but their bodies remain in their places (or,
seats)."] 1
Of the four goddesses wearing the White Crown it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture are they who make

Goddesses who stablish the White and Red Crowns .

MAAT to advance, and who make it to be stablished in the shrine of Ra when


[paragraph continues]
Ra taketh up his position in Nut; their souls pass onwards in his following but their bodies
remain in their places."
p. 299
Of the four goddesses wearing the Red Crown it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture are they who stablish time, and they make to come into being
the years for those who keep ward over the condemned ones in the Tuat and over those who
have their life in heaven; they follow in the train of this great god."

(Left) Goddesses who drive away Set. (Center) Gods who adore and praise Ra. (far Right) Mati .

Of the four females who are without crowns it is said:--


"Those who are in this picture in [this] gate make lamentation and tear their hair in the
presence of this great god in Amentet; they make SET to withdraw from this pylon, and they
do not enter into the height of heaven."
p. 300
Of the four gods with their backs bowed it is said:--
"Those who are in this picture make adoration to Ra and sing praises unto him, and in their
place in the Tuat they hymn those gods who are in the Tuat, and who keep guard over the
Hidden Door. [They remain in their places."] 1
["The warder of the door of this Circle remaineth in his place."] 1

Footnotes

285:1 Supplied from Champollion, Monuments, tom. ii., p. 537.


298:1 Supplied from the tomb of Rameses VI.
300:1 Supplied from the tomb of Rameses VI.

p. 301

CHAPTER XIV.
THE GATE OF SEBI AND RERI.
THE TWELFTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.

HAVING passed through the Eleventh Division of the Tuat, the boat of the sun arrives at the
gateway TESERT-BAIU, which is the last that he will have to pass through before emerging
in heaven in the light of a new day. "This great god cometh forth to this gate, this great god
entereth through it, and the gods who are therein acclaim the great god." The gateway is like
that through which the god passed into the previous Division; at the entrance to the gate
proper stands a bearded mummied form called PAI, and at its exit stands a similar form called
AKHEKHI. The corridor is swept by flames of fire, which proceed from the mouths of uraei,
as before. In the space which is usually guarded by a number of gods stand two staves, each
of which is surmounted by a bearded head; on one head is the disk of TEM, and on the other a
beetle, the symbol of Khepera. The text which refers to these reads:
p. 302

(Left) The Gate Tesert-Baiu. (Right) The doors of Sebi and Reri .
p. 303
The Sun-god under the form of Khepera with his Disk, in his Boat, supported by Nu and received by Nut .
p. 304
"They stand up on their heads, and they come into being on their staves by the
[paragraph continues]
gate; the heads stand up by the gate."
The monster serpent which stands on its tail and guards the one door is called SEBI, and the
two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read, He who is over this door openeth to
Ra. SA saith unto Sebi, 'Open thy gate to Ra, unfold thy portal to Khuti, so that he may come
forth from the hidden place, and may take up his position in the body of NUT.' Behold, there
is wailing among the souls who dwell in Ament after this door hath closed," &c.
The monster serpent which stands on its tail and guards the other door is called RERI, and the
two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read, "He who is over this door openeth to
Ra. SA saith unto RERI, 'Open thy gate to Ra, unfold thy portal to KHUTI, so that he may
come forth from the hidden place, and may take up his position in the body of Nut.' Behold,
there is wailing among the souls who dwell in Ament after this door hath closed."
p. 305
[paragraph continues] The text, being similar to that which refers to SEBI, is not repeated here.
On each side of the door is a uraeus, the one representing Isis and the other NEPHTHYS, and
of them it is said, "They it is who guard this hidden gate of Ament, and they pass onwards in
the following of this god."
Here we see that the end of the Tuat is reached, and the boat of the sun has reached that
portion of it through which he is about to emerge in the waters of Nu, and thence in the form
of a disk in the sky of this world. Having passed on to the water the boat is supported by the
two arms of Nu himself, or, as the text says, "These two arms come forth from the waters, and
they bear up this god." The god appears in the boat in the form of a beetle, which is rolling
along a disk; on the left of the beetle is Isis, and on the right Nephthys. The three beings in the
front of the boat are probably the personifications of doors, and the gods to the left are SEB,
SHU, HEK, HU, and SA, In the hieroglyphics at the top of the open space above the boat is
p. 306
written, "This god taketh up his place in the MATETET Boat [with] the gods who are in it."
Away in the waters above, or beyond the boat, is a kind of island, formed by the body of a
god, which is bent round in such a way that the tips of his toes touch the back of his head. On
his head stands the goddess Nut, with her arms and hands raised and stretched out to receive
the disk of the sun, which the Beetle is rolling towards her; the text says, "Nut receiveth Ra."
The island formed by the body of the god is said to be Osiris, whose circuit is the Tuat."

END OF VOL. II.

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