Book of Gates
French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero assigned the title Livre des Portes to an ancient Egyptian funerary text that Egyptians never named themselves. This designation emerged during scholarly efforts to decipher and translate the work from Jean-François Champollion through Erik Hornung and Alexander Piankoff. The text dates back to the New Kingdom period, spanning roughly 1550 BC to 1070 BC. It consists of one hundred distinct scenes arranged in a long narrative format. The earliest known appearance of this text appears in the tomb of Horemheb, who ruled around 1295 BC. That version remains incomplete compared to later copies found in tombs of the 19th and 20th Dynasties.
Horemheb broke tradition by placing Book of Gates scenes on his burial chamber walls instead of the previously dominant Amduat text. Seti I commissioned the first complete inscription decorating his sarcophagus while also covering half the pillared halls with these images. Ramesses II displayed partial scenes on the pillared walls of his own tomb. Ramesses VII included only selected hours within his burial space. These royal adaptations show how artisans gradually integrated new texts alongside older traditions. The transition marked a shift away from exclusive reliance on the Amduat for royal burials. Each pharaoh tailored the selection to fit their specific architectural constraints and theological preferences.
Artisans from Deir el-Medina incorporated Book of Gates elements into non-royal tombs like that of Sennedjem. Priests such as Tjanefer of Amun also featured partial scenes alongside traditional Book of the Dead texts. Most commoners preferred the Book of the Dead but occasionally interspersed Book of Gates imagery throughout their burial chambers. Some tombs contained only a few scattered scenes rather than full sequences. This selective adoption suggests priests and craftsmen valued specific protective passages over comprehensive coverage. The integration allowed non-royal individuals access to solar journey concepts without replicating entire royal programs.
Ra guides the deceased soul through twelve distinct hours of night across the underworld landscape. Each hour concludes with a gate guarded by a serpent deity requiring the soul to know its name for safe passage. Hour one shows Ra arriving in scarab form as Kephri surrounded by protective snake gods near the Western Horizon. Hours two through six depict encounters with fire-breathing serpents, Lake of Fire crossings, and mummies awaiting resurrection. The final three hours focus on judgment scenes where souls face evaluation before Osiris. At the end of hour twelve, Ra emerges from the waters of Nun back into daylight skies. One hundred images break down these events into three registers per hour with accompanying descriptive text.
Hour five presents the Judgement of Osiris scene where Horus presides over four ethnic groups representing all humanity. Souls face evaluation against evil while enemies await punishment in flames. Hour six depicts Ra casting condemned figures into the Lake of Fire after reuniting with his ba. Hour seven shows true souls tending grain fields under Ra's supervision while evil ones tie to jackal-headed stakes of Geb. These scenes illustrate clear ethical consequences: blessed souls receive offerings and resurrection while damned souls suffer destruction. The text implies some pass unharmed while others endure torment within fiery lakes. This dual outcome reinforces moral accountability within the afterlife journey framework.
The fourth division of the fifth hour displays sixteen figures organized into four sets of four ethnicities led by Horus. Egyptians appear as Remetu, Asiatics as Aamu, Nubians as Nehsey, and Libyans as Themehu. Nubian figures consistently show jet black skin, bare chests, and thick red sashes across chest and waist in tombs of Seti I and Merenptah. Ramesses III tomb introduces variations including a second figure resembling Nubians placed in the Egyptian position. Asiatic and Libyan figures switch positions between tombs despite unchanged hieroglyph labels. These artistic choices reflect how artisans categorized foreign peoples while maintaining theological inclusivity for all souls entering the afterworld.
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Common questions
Who assigned the title Book of Gates to the ancient Egyptian funerary text?
French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero assigned the title Livre des Portes to an ancient Egyptian funerary text that Egyptians never named themselves. This designation emerged during scholarly efforts to decipher and translate the work from Jean-François Champollion through Erik Hornung and Alexander Piankoff.
When did the Book of Gates first appear in a known tomb?
The earliest known appearance of this text appears in the tomb of Horemheb, who ruled around 1295 BC. That version remains incomplete compared to later copies found in tombs of the 19th and 20th Dynasties.
How many hours does Ra guide the soul through in the Book of Gates?
Ra guides the deceased soul through twelve distinct hours of night across the underworld landscape. Each hour concludes with a gate guarded by a serpent deity requiring the soul to know its name for safe passage.
What happens to souls during the fifth hour of the Book of Gates?
Hour five presents the Judgement of Osiris scene where Horus presides over four ethnic groups representing all humanity. Souls face evaluation against evil while enemies await punishment in flames.
Which pharaohs commissioned complete or partial inscriptions of the Book of Gates?
Seti I commissioned the first complete inscription decorating his sarcophagus while also covering half the pillared halls with these images. Ramesses II displayed partial scenes on the pillared walls of his own tomb and Ramesses VII included only selected hours within his burial space.