Book of Gates

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Ancient Egyptian religion
Beliefs Afterlife Cosmology Duat Ma'at Mythology Index Numerology Philosophy Soul
Practices Funerals Offerings: Offering formula Temples Pyramids
Deities (list)
Locations Aaru Benben Duat Land of Manu The Indestructibles
Symbols and objects Aani Abtu Ankh Atef Atet Book of Thoth Cartouche Corn mummy Crook and flail Deshret Djed Egyptian obelisk Egyptian pool Eye of Horus Eye of Ra Griffin Hedjet Hemhem crown Hennu Hieracosphinx Hypocephalus Imiut fetish Khepresh Kneph Matet boat Medjed Menat Nebu Nemes Neshmet Ouroboros Pschent Scarab Seqtet boat Serekh Serpopard Set animal Shen ring Sphinx Tyet Uraeus Ushabti Was-sceptre Winged sun
Texts Funerary texts (Amduat • Books of Breathing • Book of Caverns • Book of the Dead • Book of the Earth • Book of Gates)
Related religions Atenism Hermeticism Thelema Kemeticism (Kemetic Orthodoxy • Church of the Most High Goddess)
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The Book of Gates (Arabic: كتاب البوابات, romanized: Kitab al-Bawaabat) is an ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom.^[1] The Book of Gates is long and detailed, consisting of one hundred scenes.^[2] It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world journeying with of the sun god, Ra, through the underworld during the hours of the night towards his resurrection. The soul is required to pass through a series of 'gates' at each hour of the journey. Each gate is guarded by a different serpent deity that is associated with a different goddess. It is important that the deceased knows the names of each guardian. Depictions of the judgment of the dead are shown in the last three hours. The text implies that some people will pass through unharmed, but others will suffer torment in a lake of fire. At the end of Ra's journey through the underworld, he emerges anew to take his place back in the sky.^[3]