---

The Egyptian Heaven and Hell

By E. A. Wallis Budge

---

The Book of Am-Tuat-The Ninth Division of the Tuat Which Is Called Best-Aru-Ankhet-Kheperu

HAVING passed through the EIGHTH DIVISION of the Tuat, the boat of the sun arrives at the NINTH DIVISION, which is passed through by the sun during the NINTH HOUR of the night. The opening text reads:--

"This great god taketh up his place in this Circle, and he addresseth words from his boat to those who are in it. The divine sailors join the boat of this great god in this City. The name of the gate of this City through which this god entereth and taketh up his place on the stream which is in this City is SAA-EM-KEB; the name of this City is BEST-ARU-ANKHET-KHEPERU; the name of the Hour of the night which guideth this great god is TUATET-MAKETET-EN-NEB-S."

The line of text which runs above the upper register reads:--

"The hidden Circle of Amentet, through which this great god travelleth and taketh up his place in the Tuat. If these things be made with their names after the manner of this figure which is depicted at the east of the hidden house of the Tuat, and if a man knoweth their names whilst he is upon earth, and knoweth their places in Amenti, [he shall attain to] his own place in the Tuat, and he shall stand up in all places which belong to the gods whose voices (or, words) are maat, even as the divine sovereign chiefs (tchatcha) of Ra, and the mighty ones of the palace (Pharaohs?), and [this knowledge] shall be of benefit to him upon earth."

In the middle register are:--

1. The boat of the sun, with the god AFU standing under a canopy formed by the serpent MEHEN.

 

The Boat of Afu, the dead Sun-god, in the Ninth Hour.

 

2. The, Twelve Sailors of Ra, each of whom stands upright, and holds a paddle in his hands; their names are:--

1. KHENNU, i.e., "the sailor" par excellence.

2. AKHEM-SEK-F.

3. AKHEM-URT-F.

 

 

Khennu.     Akhem-sek-f.     Akhem-urt-f.     Akhem-hemi-f.

Akhem-hep-f.     Akhem-khemes-f.     Khen-unnut-f.     Hepti-ta-f.

Hetep-uaa.     Neter-neteru.     Tcha-Tuat.     Tepi.

 

4. AKHEM-HEMI-F.

5. AKHEM-HEP-F.

6. AKHEM-KNEMES-F.

7. KHEN-UNNUT-F,

8. HEPTI-TA-F.

9. HETEP-UAA.

10. NETER-NETERU.

11. TCHA-TUAT.

12. TEPI.

The text which refers to these reads:--

"This great god joineth those who will transport him through this City, and his sailors join his boat wherein he is in his hidden form of MEHEN. This great god addresseth words to the gods who dwell in this City, that is to say, to the gods who are the sailors of the boat of Ra and to those who will transport [him] through the horizon so that he may take up his position in the eastern Hall of heaven. Their work in the Tuat is to transport Ra through this City every day, and they take their stand by the stream in this City whereon [saileth] the boat, and it is they who give water with their paddles to the spirits who are in this City, and they sing hymns to the Lord of the Disk, and they make to arise [his] Soul in his forms by means of their hidden words every day."

3. A bearded, man-headed hawk, wearing plumes and horns on his head, seated on a basket or bowl; his name is MUTI-KHENTI-TUAT.

4. The ram-god NESTI-KHENTI-TUAT, couchant on a basket or bowl.

p. 192

5. The cow-goddess NEBT-AU-KHENTI-TUAT.

6. A bearded god, in mummied form, called HETEPET-NETER, or HETEPET-NETERU.

 

Muti-khenti-Tuat.

 

The text which refers to these reads:

 

Nesti-khenti-Tuat.

(Left) Nebt-au-khenti-Tuat. (Right) Hetepet-neter.

 

"Those who are in this picture in this City are they who give offerings of food to the gods who are in the Tuat; Ra decreeth for them loaves of bread and vessels of beer, and the gods journey on in the following of this great god to the Eastern horizon of the sky, with HETEP-NETERU-TUAT [also] following him."

In the upper register are:--

1. Twelve gods, each of whom is seated upon the symbol of linen swathings; their names are:--

1. NEHA-TA.

2. TEBA.

3. MAATI (or, ARITI).

4. MENKHET.

5. HEBS.

6. NEBTI.

7. ASTI-NETER.

8. ASTI-PAUT.

9. HETEMET-KHU.

 

Neha-ta.     Teba.     Maati.     Menkhet.

Nebs.     Nebti.     Asti-neter.     Asti-paut.

Hetemet-khu.     Neb-Pat.     Temtu.     Men-a.

 

10. NEB-PAT.

11. TEMTU.

12. MEN-A.

The text which refers to these reads: "Those who are in this picture in the Tuat are seated firmly on their instruments for weaving, and they are in the form of the figures which Horus made. Ra saith to them:--O ye who are swathed in your holy swathings, who are arrayed in your garments, whom Horus covered up when he hid his father in the Tuat, which concealeth the gods, uncover ye your heads, O ye gods, unveil ye your faces, and perform ye the things which must be done for Osiris! Ascribe ye praise to the lord of AMENTET, and make ye your word maat against his enemies every day. These beings are the tchatcha (i.e., divine sovereign chiefs) of this god, and they avenge by their words Osiris each day; and the work which they do in the Tuat is to overthrow the enemies of Osiris."

2. Twelve goddesses, whose names are:--

1. PERIT.

2. SHEMAT-KHU.

3. NEBT-SHAT.

4. NEBT-SHEFSHEFT.

5. AAT-AATET.

6. NEBT-SETAU.

7. HENT-NUT-S.

8. NEBT-MAT.

9. TESERT-ANT.

10. AAT-KHU

11. SEKHET-METU.

12. NETERT-EN-KHENTET-RA.

The text which refers to these reads: "Those who are in this picture with their bodies of the Tuat are they who are in the forms which Horus made. This great god crieth out to them after he hath arrived at the place where they are, and they come to life and they hear [his] voice. Their work in the Tuat is to raise the praises of Osiris, and to embrace the hidden Soul by means of their words and to bring life and strength to the risings of the god of the Tuat [in whatsoever regions they are], and they utter words on [his behalf] in the chamber each day."

 

Perit.     Shemat-khu.     Nebt-shat.     Nebt-shefsheft.

Aat-aatet.     Nebt-setau.     Hent-nut-s.     Nebt-mat.

Tesert-ant.     Aat-khu.     Sekhet-metu.     Netert-en-khentet-Ra.

 

In the lower register are:--

1. Twelve uraei, which are mounted each on its instrument for weaving, and each pours forth fire from its mouth; their names are:--

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. TEKAIT.

3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. KHUT-TUAT.

5. TERTNESHEN.

6. AP-SHET.

7. ANKHET,

8. SHEN-TEN-AMM.

9 . . . . . . . . .

10. AAT-ARU.

11. NEBT-UAUAU.

12. NEBT-REKEH.

Above the uraei is a mutilated line of text, which, according to Maspero's restoration, reads:

 

. . . . .     Tekait.      . . . . .     Khut-Tuat.

Tertneshen.      Ap-shet.      Ankhet.      Shen-ten-amm.

. . . . .     Aat-Aru.      Nebt-uauau.      Nebt-Rekeh.

 

"The names of the uraei who kindle fires for the god who is the governor of the Tuat by means of the fire which is in their mouths. They swallow their flames after this god hath passed by them." The text which refers to them reads: "Those who are in this picture [are] in the Tuat [and they have bodies of fire], and it is they who lighten the, darkness in the Tuat for [Osiris] . . . by means of the flames of fire which come forth from their mouths, [and it is they who bring about the destruction of] those who are overthrown in the Tuat. It is they who drive back the serpents of every kind which are on the ground, and which are unknown in their forms to the god of the Tuat. They make themselves to live by means of the blood of those whom they hack to pieces each day [when] those advance who endow with magical power the dead by the mystery of their formulae. Those who know this shall see their magical formulæ, and shall not pass through their flames."

2. Nine bearded gods, who stand upright; each holds the symbol of "life" in his right hand, and a staff, the upper portion of which is in the form of a wriggling snake, in the left hand. These gods are under the direction of a god in mummied form, whose name, or description, is HERU-HER-SHE-TUATI, i.e., "Horus who is over the lakes in the Tuat." The names of the nine gods are:--

1. SEKHTI.

2. AM-SEKHET-F.

3. NEHEBETI.

4. TCHAMUTI.

5. NEB-AATTI.

6. HEQ-NETERU-F.

 

 

Sekhti.     Am-sekhet-f.     Nehebeti.     Tchamuti.     Neb-aatti.

 

 

Heq-neteru-f.     Pan-ari.     Teser-ari.     Aha-sekhet.     Heru-her-she-tuati.

 

7. PAN-ARI.

8. TESER-ARI.

9. AHA-SEKHET.