Book of Gates

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The Book of Gates is an ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom.[1] The Book of Gates is long and detailed, consisting of one hundred scenes.[2] It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world journeying with the sun god, Ra, through the underworld during the hours of the night towards his resurrection. The soul is required to pass through a series of 'gates' at each hour of the journey. Each gate is guarded by a different serpent deity that is associated with a different goddess. It is important that the deceased knows the names of each guardian. Depictions of the judgment of the dead are shown in the last three hours. The text implies that some people will pass through unharmed, but others will suffer torment in a lake of fire. At the end of Ra's journey through the underworld, he emerges anew to take his place back in the sky.[3]

  1. ^ Hornung, Erik. The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife (in German). David Lorton (translator). Cornell University Press.
  2. ^ "The Book of Gates Index". sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  3. ^ "Book of Gates | Ancient Egypt Online". Retrieved 2024-02-26.