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| The Egyptian Heaven and Hell |
CALLED THEPHET-ASAR.
THE scene that illustrates the SEVENTH DIVISION of the Tuat, which is passed through by the Sun-god during the SEVENTH HOUR of the Right, is introduced by three lines of text, which read:--
"The Majesty of this great god taketh up his abode in the Hall of Osiris, and the Majesty of this god addresseth words to the Hall of the gods who dwell therein. This god performeth all the rites proper [for entering] this Hall, and he advanceth on his way against Apep by means of the words of power of Isis, and by means of the words of power of the Sovereign God. The name of the gate of this City wherethrough passeth this god is RUTI-ASAR. The name of this City is THEPHET-SHETA. The name of the hour of the night which guideth this great god into it is KHEFTES-HAU-HESQET-[NEHA]-HRA."
In the middle register are:--
1. The boat of Ra, who stands under a canopy formed by the body of the serpent MEHEN; the god is ram-headed and wears a disk on his head, and his name AFU is written twice near him. In front of him stand HEKA-SER and SA, and ISIS, who has both arms stretched out before her, and is reciting the words of power which shall make the boat to advance.
Behind the god stand HERU-HEKEN, KA-SHU, NEHES, HU, and the "protector of the boat." Above the boat is written:--"This great god journeyeth in this City in the path of the Circle of SAR (Osiris) by means of the utterances of the words of power of Isis and of the words of power of SER, so that he may journey on his way against NEHA-HRA. If these words of power of Isis, and those of SER be uttered, APEP shall be turned back and shall be shut up in Ament, in the hidden place of the Tuat; if they be uttered on the earth it shall be so likewise. Whosoever shall utter them shall become one of those who are in the boat of Ra, both in heaven and upon earth; but whosoever knoweth not these figures shall not know how to repulse NEHA-HRA."
2. The serpent NEHA-HRA, which is transfixed to the ground by means of six knives. The goddess SERQET stands with a band round his neck in the act of strangling him, and the god HER-TESU-F stands by his tail, round which he is tying a fetter. The text which refers to him reads:
"He who is in this picture is Apep, and he surroundeth his country, which is in the Tuat; TCHAU is the name of this district, which is four hundred and forty cubits in length, and four hundred and forty cubits in breadth, and his voice guideth the gods to him. He who is with (?) him after this great god hath made his passage through this City, halteth (?) with AFU, opposite to the country whereover he would make a way; behold, SERQET is at the head [of Apep], and HER-TESU-F placeth his deadly fetter about his feet after Isis hath taken possession of the words of power of SER of two-fold strength, [and Ra] giveth their it words of power. Whosoever knoweth it (i.e., this picture and the text) upon earth shall not be one of those of whose water NEHA-HRA drinketh."
3. The goddess HETEMTIT, armed with a knife.
4. The goddess NAKITH, armed with a knife.
5. The goddess TENIT, armed with a knife.
6. The goddess TEMTITH, armed with a knife. These four goddesses guard four rectangular coffers, at the end of each of which is a human head; inside each coffer is a mound of sand, beneath which is buried one of the four forms of Osiris. The first coffer "contains the form of TEM," the second "contains the form of "KHEPERA," the third "contains the form of Ra," and the fourth "contains the form of OSIRIS." The goddesses are described as:
"The goddesses who hack at Apep in the Tuat, who repulse (or, bring to nought) the affairs (or, matters) of the enemies of Ra. Those who are in this picture, and who hold knives, hack asunder Apep in the Tuat each day."
7-10. The four coffers of Osiris, concerning which it is said: "[These are the] hidden magical figures of the Tuat, the funeral shrines of the hidden heads. [When] those who reached this region [come there, the hidden heads] appear, [and when they have heard the voice of RA] they eat their own forms, after this great god hath passed them by." The line of hieroglyphics above the upper register reads:
"The hidden road of Ament. The great god maketh his way over it in his holy boat, and he passeth over this road which has no water, and none to tow. 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 for him that maketh them as magical protectors in heaven and in earth. Whosoever knoweth them shall be as the SPIRITS with Ra."
11. The god NEB-UAST, standing, and holding a sceptre in his right hand.
12. The goddess SETH-AB (?).
In the upper register are:--
1. The god SHEPES, in mummied form, seated, and holding in his right hand some curved object, which resembles a boomerang.
2. The goddess ATH, with the head of a lioness, holding the symbol of "life" in her right hand, and a sceptre in her left.
3. The uraeus ANKHUITHIT, with the head of a woman.
4. A god in human form, seated on a throne, wearing plumes and an uraeus on his head, with "life" in his right hand, and the sceptre in his left; this god is called AFU-ASAR, and he is seated under a canopy which is formed by the body of a monster serpent called ANKH-ARU-TCHEFAU-ANKH-ARU. The text which refers to the first three gods reads: "The Majesty of this great and holy god saith, Grant thou me to come forth on the path by thy spittle(?) and by [thy] throat and let me utter the word which is maat to Ankhit, and let me open thy fold, for I have come to illumine the darkness, and to embrace him that is in Mehen." The text which refers to AFU-ASAR reads:
"This god saith unto Osiris, who dwelleth in the serpent MEHEN, Hail, Osiris, Governor of the Tuat, thou lord of life, thou ruler of Amentet, thou shalt live, live thou life, thou hast magical power, and shalt prevail by magical power in [this] land. Thou dost exalt those who are in thy following on their arrival before thee. Thine enemies are beneath thy feet, thou hast gained the mastery over those who have worked against thee. The flames [of fire] are against them, he burneth them up with his blazing knife which is over them, he hacketh them in pieces and choppeth them up with his slaughtering knife, and he reckoneth up his members each day. O let me pass over thee in peace."
5. Three headless figures, kneeling, with their arms tied behind their backs; these represent the enemies of Osiris. Behind these stands a fierce cat-headed (or, lynx-headed) god, who holds a huge pointed stake in one hand, and flourishes a large knife in the other.
6. Three foes of Osiris lying on their backs; round the right arm of each a rope is tied, and the other ends of the three ropes are in the hands of a god called ANKU. The passage which refers to these reads:
"The Majesty of this god saith:--O ye spirits who are hostile to Osiris, who have rebelled against the Governor of the Tuat, your hands and arms are fettered, and [ye] are tied tightly with bonds, and your souls are kept under ward, and your shades are hacked in pieces, ANKU hath drawn the cords about you so tightly that ye shall never be able to escape from his restraint."
7. Three bearded, human-faced hawks, wearing on their heads the double crown of the South and North; the first is called SA-TATHENEN, the name of the second is wanting, and the third is called MAM (?), or MAAT.
8. A huge serpent, which bears on its back a god in a sitting posture; the god is called AFU-TEM, and the remains of the text which refers to him say that he shoots forth his flame at those who rebel against Osiris, and that he eats the souls of the enemies of the god.
In the lower register are:--
1. The god HERU-HER-KHENT-F, seated on a throne, as his name implies. He is hawk-headed, and wears the solar disk encircled by a serpent; in his right hand is the symbol of life, and in his left a sceptre. The other forms of his name are ### and ###. Of this god it is said: "The work of this figure who is in this picture is in the Tuat, and it is for him to send the stars on their way, and to make the hours to go on their way in the Tuat." The stars are personified by gods, twelve in number, who stand each with a star on his head. Their names are:--
1. UR-KERT.
2. KEKHERT (?).
3. NEB-KHERT-TA.
4. TUATI.
5. HIAT.
6. HI-KHU-. . . ..
7. EMTA-A.
8. TESER-A.
9. EMMA-A.
10. SEM-NES-F.
11. TESEM-EM-MAAT-F.
12. SEQER-TEPU.
The text relating to these gods reads: "The Majesty of Horus of the Tuat saith unto the starry gods:--O ye who are maat in your flesh, whose magical powers have come into being for you, who are united unto your stars and who yourselves rise up for Ra in the horizon which is in the Tuat each day, O be ye in his following, and let your stars guide his two hands so that he may journey through the Beautiful Ament in peace. And, O ye gods who stand up, who dwell in our land, light up ye your stars in the sky so that [I] may unite [myself] with the master of the horizon."
2. The Twelve Goddesses of the Hours, who face to
the right, having each a star on her head. Their names are:--
1. HEKENNUTHETH.
2. NEBT-EN-. . . .
3. NEBT-NEBT.
4. TUATHETH.
5. AMENTET-ERMEN.
6. [Name erased.]
7. ANITH.
8. AUNITH.
9. TAIT.
10. ARIT-KHU.
11. ARIT-ARU.
12. UAAT-TESTES.
The text relating to the goddesses of the hours reads:
"The Majesty of Heru-Tuati saith unto the Hours who are in this City:--O ye Hours who have the power of coming into being, O ye Hours who are endowed with stars, O ye Hours who avenge Ra, fight ye on behalf of Him that is on the horizon, and take ye your forms (or, attributes), and carry ye your symbols, and lift ye up your heads and guide this [god] Ra, who is on the horizon, into the beautiful Amentet in peace." The text goes on to say:
"Behold the gods and goddesses who guide this great god along the hidden way of this City."
3. In front of the Hours is an enormous crocodile called AB-SHA-AM-TUAT, which is described as "Osiris, the Eye of Ra." The crocodile stands upon a long funeral mound, out of the end of which, immediately under the head of the animal, appears a bearded human head, i.e., "the head of Osiris." Of the crocodile the text says: "He who is in this picture is AB-SHAU, and he is the warden of the symbols of this city. When he heareth the voice [of the boat of] Ra which is addressed to the Eye which is in his cheek (?), the head which is in his dominion maketh its appearance, and then it eateth its own form after this great god hath passed it by. Whosoever knoweth this [picture] AB-SHAU shall not devour his soul."
THE GATE OF AKHA-EN-MAAT.
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| The Book of Gates |
Part of the text of the speech which the nine gods make to Ra is broken away, 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:--
"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 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:--
"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 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:--
"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."
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 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 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 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 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 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:--
"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 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 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."
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.
4. Four gods.
5. A serpent within a circle filled with water.
6. A god in mummied form.
The text relating to these reads:
"The god Tuati saith unto them:--'Hail, O ye gods 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 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 . . . . . ."
"These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living . . . . . ."
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