Amduat

The Amduat is an ancient Egyptian funerary text that translates roughly to “What is in the Amduat” or “What is in the Duat.” It describes the sun god Ra’s nocturnal voyage through the Duat, the underworld, during the twelve hours of darkness. The narrative is typically presented as a sequence of scenes painted or carved on the walls and ceilings of royal tombs, often accompanied by hieroglyphic spells. Ra travels in a solar bark, guided by deities and protected against dangers within a landscape of caverns, lakes of fire, and celestial gates.

Each hour corresponds to a portion of the journey, with specific spells and visual imagery intended to ensure Ra’s survival and rebirth at dawn. In the context of royal tombs, the living king is identified with Ra during this journey, reinforcing the pharaoh’s divine status and the continuity of kingship in the afterlife. Thus the Amduat functions both as cosmology and ritual guide, offering protection, knowledge of the underworld’s geography, and a template for the sun’s renewal.

Historically, the Amduat is one of the central “Books of the Night” in ancient Egyptian funerary literature. It appears in tomb decoration from the Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom and attained particular prominence in Thebes, where extended programs depict Ra’s nocturnal passage. It is closely related to other underworld texts such as the Book of Gates and the Book of Caverns, forming part of a broader tradition about the sun’s rebirth and the king’s safe journey into the afterlife.