The Amduat ( egy, jmj dwꜣt, literally "That Which Is In the Afterworld", also translated as "Text of the Hidden Chamber Which is in the Underworld" and "Book of What is in the Underworld"; ar, كتاب الآخرة, Kitab al-Akhira) is an important

ancient Egyptian funerary text The literature that makes up the ancient Egyptian funerary texts is a collection of religious documents that were used in ancient Egypt, usually to help the spirit of the concerned person to be preserved in the afterlife. They evolved over time, ...

of the

New Kingdom of Egypt The New Kingdom, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the sixteenth century BC and the eleventh century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth dynasties of Egypt. Radioca ...

. Like many funerary texts, it was found written on the inside of the pharaoh's tomb for reference. Unlike other funerary texts, however, it was reserved only for

pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...

s (until the Twenty-first Dynasty almost exclusively) or very favored

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

.Hornung (1999), p.27 It tells the story of Ra, the Egyptian sun god who travels through the underworld, from the time when the sun sets in the west and rises again in the east. It is said that the dead Pharaoh is taking this same journey, ultimately to become one with Ra and live forever. The underworld is divided into twelve hours of the night, each representing different allies and enemies for the Pharaoh/sun god to encounter. The ''Amduat'' names all of these gods and monsters. The main purpose of the ''Amduat'' is to give the names of these gods and monsters to the spirit of the dead Pharaoh, so he can call upon them for help or use their name to defeat them. As well as enumerating and naming the inhabitants of the

Duat The Duat ( egy, dwꜣt, Egyptological pronunciation "do-aht", cop, ⲧⲏ, also appearing as ''Tuat'', ''Tuaut'' or ''Akert'', ''Amenthes'', ''Amenti'', or ''Neter-khertet'') is the realm of the dead in ancient Egyptian mythology. It has been ...

, both good and bad, the illustrations of the work show clearly the topography of the underworld. The earliest complete version of the ''Amduat'' is found in

KV34 Tomb KV34 ( ar, مقبرة تحتمس الثالث, Maqbarat Tahtamis al-Thaalithi) in the Valley of the Kings (near the modern-day Egyptian city of Luxor) was the tomb of 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Thutmose III. One of the first tombs to be dug in the ...

, the tomb of

Thutmose III Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Officially, Thutmose III ruled Egypt for almost 54 years and his reign is usually dated from 28 ...

in the

Valley of the Kings The Valley of the Kings ( ar, وادي الملوك ; Late Coptic: ), also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings ( ar, وادي أبوا الملوك ), is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th ...

The hours

In hour 1 the sun god enters the western horizon ( akhet) which is a transition between day and night. In hours 2 and 3 he passes through an abundant watery world called 'Wernes' and the 'Waters of Osiris'. In hour 4 he reaches Imhet the difficult sandy realm of

Seker Seker (; also spelled Sokar, and in Greek, Sokaris or Socharis) is a falcon god of the Memphite necropolis in the Ancient Egyptian religion. Name Although the meaning of his name remains uncertain, the Egyptians in the Pyramid Texts linked his ...

, the underworld hawk deity, where he encounters dark zig zag pathways which he has to negotiate, being dragged on a snake-boat. In hour 5 he discovers the tomb of

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

which is an enclosure beneath which is hidden a lake of fire; the tomb is covered by a pyramid-like mound (identified with the goddess

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

) and on top of which

and Nephthys have alighted in the form of two kites (birds of prey). In the sixth hour the most significant event in the underworld occurs. The ba (or soul) of Ra unites with his own body, or alternatively with the ba of Osiris within the circle formed by the

mehen In Egyptian mythology, the name Mehen ( cop, Ⲙⲉϩⲉⲛ), meaning 'coiled one', referred to a mythological snake-god and to a board game. Snake god The earliest references to Mehen occur in the Coffin Texts. Mehen is a protective deity who i ...

serpent. This event is the point at which the sun begins its regeneration; it is a moment of great significance, but also danger. In hour 7 the adversary Apep (Apophis) lies in wait and has to be subdued in chains by the magic of Isis and

Ser Ser or SER may refer to: Places * Ser, a village in Bogdand Commune, Satu Mare County, Romania * Serpens (Ser), an astronomical constellation of the northern hemisphere * Serres, known as Ser in Serbian, a city in Macedonia, Greece Organization ...

, and the strength of Serqet, who is assisted by the god ''Her-Tesu-F''. In hour 8 the sun god opens the doors of the tomb and

Horus Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...

calls upon a monstrous serpent with the unquenchable fire to destroy the enemies of his father,

, by burning their corpses and cooking their souls. In hour 9 they leave the sandy island of

by rowing vigorously back into the waters. In hour 10 the regeneration process continues through immersion in the waters. In hour 11 the god's eyes (a symbol for his health and well-being) are fully regenerated. In hour 12 he enters the eastern horizon ready to rise again as the new day's sun. Once the deceased finished their journey through the underworld, they arrived at the Hall of

Maat Maat or Maʽat ( Egyptian: mꜣꜥt /ˈmuʀʕat/, Coptic: ⲙⲉⲓ) refers to the ancient Egyptian concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. Ma'at was also the goddess who personified these concepts, and regul ...

. Here they would undergo the Weighing of the Heart ceremony where their purity would be the determining factor in whether they would be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Osiris.

Notes

References

*Forman, Werner and Stephen Quirke. (1996). ''Hieroglyphs and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. . * * Hornung, Erik; Abt, Theodor (editors): ''The Egyptian Amduat. The Book of the Hidden Chamber.'' English translation by David Warburton, revised and edited by Erik Hornung and Theodor Abt. Living Human Heritage Publications, Zurich 2007. (Images, hieroglyphs, transcription and English translation). * ''Knowledge for the Afterlife - the Egyptian Amduat - a quest for immortality'' (1963), Theodore Abt and Erik Hornung, Living Human Heritage.

External links

The Book of Am-Tuat by Wallis Budge

amduat-achilles.de
{{Ancient Egyptian religion footer Ancient Egyptian funerary texts Egyptian underworld