Amduat
Sign in to saveThe Amduat (from , () is an important ancient Egyptian funerary text of the New Kingdom of Egypt. Similar to previous funerary texts, such as the Old Kingdom's Pyramid Texts, or the First Intermediate Period's Coffin Texts, the Amduat was found carved on the internal walls of a pharaoh's tomb. Unlike other funerary texts, however, it was reserved almost exclusively for pharaohs until the Twenty-first Dynasty, or very select nobility.
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Content of the ''Amduat''
- The hours
- ''Amduat'' Tombs
- The Tomb of Thutmose III
- Other Examples of ''Amduat'' Tombs
- Gallery
- Notes
- References
- External links
The Amduat (from , () is an important ancient Egyptian funerary text of the New Kingdom of Egypt. Similar to previous funerary texts, such as the Old Kingdom's Pyramid Texts, or the First Intermediate Period's Coffin Texts, the Amduat was found carved on the internal walls of a pharaoh's tomb. Unlike other funerary texts, however, it was reserved almost exclusively for pharaohs until the Twenty-first Dynasty, or very select nobility.
The Amduat tells the story of Ra, the Egyptian sun god who makes a daily journey through the underworld, from the time when the sun sets in the west till it rises again in the east. This is associated with imagery of continual death and rebirth, as the sun 'dies' when it sets, and through the trials of rebirth in the underworld, it is once again 'reborn' at the beginning of a new day. It is said that the deceased Pharaoh will take this same journey through the underworld, ultimately to be reborn and become one with Ra, residing with him forever. Many gods, goddesses, and deities help both Ra and the deceased soul on this journey in a variety of ways, Khepri, Isis, and Osiris being some of the main ones. This is alongside many unnamed or unknown deities, which are often given reference to within the text of the Amduat itself.