Facts about The Amduat
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Originally titled 'What is in the Underworld,' the Amduat is considered the oldest complete book of the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion.
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Spells and protective formulas inscribed throughout the Amduat functioned as magical instructions enabling the deceased pharaoh to navigate and survive the underworld's treacherous regions alongside Ra.
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The Amduat's seventh hour depicts a lake of fire called the Lake of the Knives, where serpents and hostile forces attempt to prevent Ra's continued westward journey.
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Aker, the double-headed lion god, guards the eastern and western horizons of the Amduat to protect Ra's transition between the underworld and the living world.
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Coffin lids and tomb walls served as primary surfaces for Amduat texts during the Middle Kingdom, predating their later appearance in royal New Kingdom tombs like those of Thutmose III.
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Khenti-Amentiu, the jackal-headed god of the dead, appears as a guardian figure in the Amduat to assist Ra's safe passage through the underworld's dangerous regions.
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Scenes within the Amduat show the sun god Ra transformed into a ram-headed figure during his journey through the underworld's darkest hours.
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Papyrus copies of the Amduat from the New Kingdom period, including versions in the tomb of Thutmose III around 1479 BCE, represent the earliest known illustrations of this underworld guidebook.
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Elaborate painted illustrations and hieroglyphic texts within the Amduat depict 120 demons, deities, and supernatural beings that Ra encounters during his nocturnal underworld voyage.
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Twelve hours of nighttime journey comprise the Amduat, with each hour representing one stage of the sun god Ra's passage through the Egyptian underworld.