THE pictures and texts of this DIVISION, or HOUR, in the BOOK OF GATES vary considerably from those in the BOOK-AM-TUAT. The god AFU-RA. appears in his Boat as before with SA and HEKAU, and four gods tow him on his way; he has passed through the Gate which is called NEBT-TCHEFAU, and its guardian serpent TCHETBI has in no way resisted his progress. The region now entered by AFU-RA has no connexion with the Land of Seker, and it appears to be a continuation of the dominions Of KHENTI-AMENTI. Immediately in front of the boat are nine sepulchres, each containing a god in mummied form; these are the "gods who are in the following of Osiris, who dwell in their caves" (vol. ii., p. 123). Next come the twelve Hour-goddesses who stand in two groups; between the groups is the monster serpent HERERET, which spawns twelve serpents to be consumed by the Twelve Hour-goddesses. As AFU-RA goes on his way he adjures the Tuat gods to take
him to the eastern part of heaven, so that he may visit the habitations of the god ARES, (or SAR), and when he has come to them, he orders the doors to open, and raises up the beings therein whose "souls are broken," and allots to them meat and drink. The Hour-goddesses are the daughters of RA, and their work is to guide their father through the night; six of them represent the first six hours of the night, and the other six the last six. These are here (vol. ii., p. 123) depicted together, whilst in the BOOK AM-TUAT each appears in the boat of AFU-RA in the Hour to which she belongs.
On the right of AFU-RA are the Twelve gods who "carry their doubles" (vol. ii., p. 131) and who live upon the offerings which are made to them and upon what is given to them by TESERT-BAIU, i.e., the place of holy souls. Their duty is to offer their kau or doubles to the god, whom they address as the "lord of years and of everlastingness which hath no diminution" (vol. ii., p. 130). Beyond these gods are two lakes, viz., the LAKE OF LIFE, and the LAKE OF THE LIVING URAEI. Round the LAKE OF LIFE stand twelve jackal-headed gods who invite AFU-RA to bathe in it, even as the "lord of the gods" did, and who state that the souls of the dead do not come near it because it is holy. When he passes out of this DIVISION they lift up their voices in lamentation (vol. ii., p. 132). The LIVING URAEI turn back the souls from their Lake, and the mere sound of
the words which they utter destroys the shadows of the dead who have succeeded in coming near it. They preserve with great care the flames and fire which are in them, so that they may hurl them at the enemies of AFU-RA.
In the course of his journey through this HOUR AFU-RA passes the shrine of KHENTI-AMENTI, the ancient god of Abydos, which is seen on the left (vol. ii., p. 137); he is in mummied form, wears the white crown, as befits a god of the South, and stands on a serpent. Immediately before the shrine is the Flame-goddess NESERT. Before and behind the shrine are twelve gods, at the head of the first company being HERU-UR, or "Horus the Aged." HERU-UR addresses the god in the shrine by the names "Osiris" and "Khenti-Amenti," and declares that he has performed the magical ceremonies which have made KHENTI-AMENTI to be the "Governor of the Tuat," to such purpose that the spirits of the blessed (khu) look upon him with awe, and the dead, i.e., the damned, (mit) are in terror of him. Here we have the proof of the existence of the belief that Osiris was enabled to travel safely through the Tuat by means of the spells, and incantations, and magical formulae, and words of power which were uttered by HERU-UR. The Twelve gods who are in front of the shrine ascribe praise and dominion to KHENTI-AMENTI, and declare that his son Horus has restored to him his crown, and crushed his
enemies, and made strong OSIRIS-KHENTI-AMENTI. To these AFU-RA makes no answer, but he calls upon Horns to avenge him on those who work against him, and to cast them to the Master of the lords of the pits, so that they may be destroyed. Now the pits here referred to are four in number (vol. ii., p. 137), and they are filled with fire; into these the enemies of the god are cast, and the keepers of them are adjured by Horus to watch and tend the fires. Who the plotters against the god may be it is impossible to say, but it is quite clear that one portion of the FOURTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT was a fiery hell wherein all the wicked were consumed. It is interesting to note that of the beings who are to the left of the Boat of AFU-RA Horus is the only one whom the god addresses.