The Book of Gates: The Book of Gates: Chapter XII. The Gate of Sethu. The Tenth Division of the Tuat.
stands on his tail and guards the door is called SETHU, and the two lines of text which refer to his admission of Ra read:--"He who, is over this gate openeth to Ra. SA saith unto SETHU, 'Open thy gate, unfold thy portal, so that he may illumine the thick darkness, and may send light into the hidden abode.' This gate closeth after the great god hath
In the middle of this Division we see the boat of the sun being towed on its way by four gods of the Tuat, the god is in the same form as before, and his boat is piloted by SA, who commands, and by HEKA, who steers according to his directions. The procession in front of the boat of the sun consists of:-- 1. A bearded male figure called UNTI, i.e., the "god of the hour," who holds a star in each hand. 2. Four kneeling gods, each with a uraeus over his head. The first is Horus, hawk-headed; the second is SEREQ, bearded, and wearing a wig; the third is ABESH, bearded and without a wig; and the fourth is SEKHET, with the head of a lioness. 4. A small boat holding a uraeus, which has the latter part of its body bent upwards; within the curve is the "Face of the Disk." 5. The winged serpent SEMI, standing on its tail, with its body in folds. 6. The bearded figure BESI, receiving in his hand the flame which spouts up from the head of a horned animal, which forms the top of a staff, and is transfixed by a knife. 7. The serpent ANKHI, from each side of the neck of which grows a bearded, mummy figure. 8. Four women, each with both hands raised in adoration; they are described as "Criers." 9. Two bows, set end to end, on each of which three uraei rear their heads. Standing over the place where the two ends of the bows meet, with a foot on the end of each, is the two-headed figure HORUS-SET, with two pairs of hands, one pair on each side of his body, raised in adoration. HORUS -SET is called "he of the two heads," and the two bows are "the Crown of the Uraei," Of the god with stars it is said:-- "He maketh a rising up for Ra (or, he stablisheth Ra), UNTI maketh to be light the upper heaven; this god leadeth the hour, which performeth that which belongeth to it to do." Of the four seated gods it is said:-- "The [four] serpents who are in the earth keep ward (over those who are in this picture. They make a rising up for Ra, and they sit upon the great image[s which are] under them, and they pass onwards with them in the following of Ra, together with the hidden images which belong to them." Of the winged serpent SEMI it is said:-- "[It maketh a rising up for Ra], and it guideth the
Of the god BESI it is said:-- "He maketh a rising up for Ra, and he placeth fire on the head and horns (or, [in] his hands is the fire from the head and horns), and the weapon which is in the hand of the Fighter is in the follower of this god." Of the uraeus with the double male figure it is said:-- "It maketh a rising up for Ra. The stablishing of Of the "Criers" it is said:-- Those who cry unto Ra say, 'Enter in, O Ra! Hail, come, O Ra! Hail, come, O thou who art born of the Tuat! Come, O offspring of the heights of heaven! Hail, come thou into being, O Ra!
Of the double bow it is said:-- "This is the MEHEN serpent of the uraei, which strideth through the Tuat. The two bows are stretched out, and they bear up on themselves him of the Two-Faces (or, Two-Heads, i.e., Horus-Set) in his mystery which [appertaineth] to them. They lead the way for Ra, in the horizon of the east of heaven, and they pass on into the heights of heaven in his train." 3. The undulating length of the serpent APEP, of whom it is said, "his voice goeth round the Tuat." Attached to the neck of the monster is a very long chain, which rises in an oval curve, and, passing along through the hands of sixteen male figures, is then grasped and held down by a large hand, from which it again rises in an oval curve, and passing on for some distance descends into the earth Of the eight gods (i.e., the ANTIU and HENATIU) it is said:-- "Those who are in this picture rise up (or, stand) for Ra, and Ra riseth and cometh forth for them, [and they say], 'Rise, Ra, be strong, Khuti; verily we will overthrow Apep in his fetters. Approach not thou, O Ra, towards thine enemy, and thine enemy shall not approach thee; may thy holy attributes come into being within the serpent. The serpent Apep is "The reptile (literally, worm) who is in this picture breaketh asunder the fetters, and the boat of this great god beginneth [to move] towards the region
of Apep; this great god travelleth on after he (i.e., Apep) hath been put in restraint by means of his 'fetters." Of the four SETEFIU gods it is said:-- "Those who are in this picture grasp the fetters of the being of two-fold evil, and they say to Ra, 'Come forward, Ra, pass onwards, Khuti. Verily fetters have been laid upon NEHA-HRA, and Apep is in his bonds.'" Of the children of Horus it is said:-- "Those who are in this picture make heavy the fetters of the sons of the helpless one, and the boat of the Well-doing God travelleth on its way." In the lower register are:-- 1. Twelve male beings, each of whom carries a paddle; they are called "gods who never diminish." 2. Twelve female beings, each of whom grasps a rope with both hands; above the head of each is a star. They are called the "hours who tow alone, [the boat of Ra]." 6. The god RENEN-SBAU, man-headed, with a star above him, holding a sceptre. 7. A monkey, with a star over his head, standing on a bracket; he is called the "god of Rethenu" (Syria). 8. A bracket, whereon rests the Utchat. Of the twelve goddesses of the hours it is said:-- "Those who are in this scene take hold of the rope of the boat of Ra to tow him along into the sky. It is they who tow Ra along, and guide him along the roads into the sky, and behold, they are the goddesses who draw along the great god in the Tuat. Ra saith 1. "The god who is in this picture adjureth the
pylons to open to Ra, and he goeth on his way by his side." 2. "The god who is in this picture crieth out to the stars concerning the births of this great god, and he goeth on his way with them." 3. "The god who is in this picture crieth to the gods of the Boat of Ra, and he goeth on his way with him." 4. "The god who is in this picture setteth the stars The above four paragraphs must refer to the four gods BANTI, SESHSHA, KA-AMENT, and RENEN-SBAU, and therefore the god of Rethenu, the Utchat, and the god HER-NEST-F remain without descriptions. From the tomb of Rameses VI. M. Lefébure adds the two
following paragraphs which concern the Utchat and HER-NEST-F. "This is the Eye of Ra, which the god uniteth to himself, and it rejoiceth in its place in the boat." "This is he who openeth the door of this Circle; he remaineth in his position, and doth not go on his way with Ra."
