The Book of Gates: The Book of Gates: Chapter IX. The Gate Of Akha-En-Maat. The Seventh Division of the Tuat.
THE boat of the Sun having passed through the Sixth Division of the Tuat arrives at the gateway which leads to the SEVENTH DIVISION. This gateway is similar to that which guards the Sixth Division, and is guarded by nine gods, who are described as the "Seventh Company;" at the entrance to the corridor, and at its exit, stands a bearded god, with arms hidden, the former being called SHEPI, and the latter HEQES (?), and each is said to extend his arms and hands to Ra. The corridor is swept by flames of fire as before. The gateway is called PESTIT, and the text says, "This great god cometh to this gateway, and entereth in through it, and the gods who are therein acclaim him." In the middle of this Division we see the boat of Ra being towed on its way by four gods of the Tuat; the god is in the same form as before, and stands in a shrine enveloped by MEHEN. SA stands in the bows and HEKA at the stern. The text relating to the god reads:--
THE GATE OF AKHA-EN-MAAT.
THE SEVENTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT.
"The gods of the Tuat tow along this great god, and they say unto Ra:--'Thou art towed along, O great god, lord of the hours, who dost work on behalf of those who are under the earth.' The gods have life in his attributes, and the spirits look upon his forms. And Ra saith unto them:--'There is magical protection to you, O ye who tow, and there is holiness to
In front of the divine towers of the boat march:-- 1. Twelve bearded gods, the AMENNU-AAIU-KHERU-SHETAU, whose hands and arms are bidden; they are described as "hidden of hands and arms and possessing hiddenness." The text relating to them reads:-- 2. Eight bearded gods, the NETERU-HETI, who stand turn back Apep on behalf of Ra in Amentet and the places of the Tuat. And this god allotteth to them their provisions of bread, and their beer is the tchesert drink, and their libations are of cool water, and offerings are made to them upon earth because they repulse the Enemy of Ra in Amentet." 2. The gods KHERU-AMU-PERERU-TEPU-EM-QEBU-F, and the monster serpent SEBA-APEP, the body of which is held up above the ground by twelve bearded gods, who are described as "those who have food when the heads appear from his folds." Twelve human heads grow out from his body, 3. An upright, bearded mummied form called QAN. To the neck of this figure are attached two ropes, which are twisted together symmetrically, and are grasped by twelve bearded men with both hands. Each god stands within a loop formed by the two ropes, and has a star before him. The gods are described as "those who hold the rope which cometh forth . . . . . . . ." The text reads:-- "The Enemy of Ra cometh forth from the Tuat. Offerings shall be made unto the gods of that whereby I exist under the trees. Seize ye the rope, and tie ye therewith the mouth of AQEN. Your hours come forth, and there is benefit to you therein. Rest ye upon your throne[s], and let the rope enter into the mouth of the god AQEN when he cometh to the place In the lower register are:-- 1. A god, standing, and leaning upon a long staff; his name is TUATI. 2. The serpent NEHEP, the long body of which is made to serve as biers for twelve gods in mummied form; the serpent's body is provided with twenty-four legs of lions, and a mummied god rests over each pair of them. These gods are described as "those who are in the body of Osiris asleep," and "those who are in inactivity," 3. Four gods, each with his arms stretched straight together before him at an acute angle with his body. The legend reads, khast-ta-rut.
"These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living in this pool, and the water of the pool is of fire, and the gods of the earth and the souls of the earth cannot descend thereto by reason of the flames of fire of this serpent. This And Ra, saith unto them:--"Hail to you, O ye gods who guard this holy pool, give ye yourselves to him that is the Governor of Aukert. The water of this pool is Osiris, and this water is KHENTI-TUAT. This flame consumeth and destroyeth the souls which dare to approach Osiris, and the awe of this pool cannot be done away, or made an end of, or overcome. As for the gods who keep ward over its waters, their food is bread, and their drink is tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as unto TERI in Amentet, lord of (offerings. There are fields for you in this Field, and the waters thereof are for you. Let your offerings be there [and] fields from Nebt-hetepu. Their libations shall be of water. It is the serpent NEHEP who giveth their bodies [and] their souls, and they journey into SEKHET-AARU to have dominion over their libations, and to walk on the earth. They count up their limbs, their food is of bread-cakes, and their drink is of tchesert ale, and their libations are of water. Offerings are made unto them upon earth as unto SAH, who resteth upon his ground. "These are they who are in the circuit of this pool. There is a serpent living . . . . . ." 191:1 Var., AKHA-HRA. 191:2 See Lefébure, Mémoires, tom. ii., part ii., pl. 11 ff.
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