The Book of the Hidden Chamber (Amduat)
In the mid-18th Dynasty (c.1430 BCE), pharaohs were decorating their tombs with a beautiful and intricate set of religious images. These texts/scenes comprised the Amduat (“That Which is in the Underworld”), and they told the story of Re’s journey through the night-time hours. In twelve chapters, Re travelled deep into the Duat, met his own corpse, and was reborn on the eastern horizon, ready for a new day.
How did the Amduat play out? We explore…
Listen on 
Hour 1, Rejoicing. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 2, the Netherworld Itself. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 3, the Waters of Osiris. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 4, the Desert of Rosetjau. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 5, the Intersections and the Pit of Sokar (bottom left). (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 6, the Depths: Re’s corpse lies at right-middle, protected by serpents. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 7, Great Danger: Enemies are Punished (top), Apophis (centre) is restrained and dismembered. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 8, Order is Restored; the Gates are guarded. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 9, the Crew of the Solar Barque (left); the entourage of Re. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 10, the Cavern of the Drowned; goddesses with light-bearing serpents stand at bottom-right. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 11, the Serpents (Isis and Nepthys) and the avatars of Neith prepare the way. (from Hornung, 1999)
Hour 12, Re (left) reaches his destination: Khepri (far-right) raises the solar orb into the sky. Osiris (bottom-right) remains in the Underworld. The gods rejoice at the victory. (from Hornung, 1999)
Bibliography
- Erik Hornung, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife, 1999
- Erik Hornung, Texte zum Amduat, 1987.
- Erik Hornung, Valley of the Kings: Horizon of Eternity, 1990.
- Emily Teeter, Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt, 2011.
Great
Reblogged this on ReBirth: The Pursuit of Porsha.
very nice but the pictures from tomb or papyrus ?
thanks
Tomb, of Thutmose III
Fascinating episode,
The centrality of the role of the various serpents in this is particularly interesting, serpents feel like such a primeval cross ancient religious phenomenom, as sowers of discord, chaos, but also all encompassing creatures and protectors, interesting to see this was true of Egypt too