THE TENTH and ELEVENTH DIVISIONS, or HOURS, are intended to illustrate the passage of AFU-RA through the region of AKERT, Or AUKERT, that is to say, the Kingdom of the Sun-god of ANNU, or Heliopolis. The name of the TENTH DIVISION is METCHET-QAT-UTCHEBU, its gate is called AA-KHERPU-MES-ARU, and the Hour-goddess is TENTENIT-UHESET-KHAK-AB. The pictures and texts which illustrate and describe this region are of peculiar interest, for they refer to the union of KHEPERA with RA, i.e., the introduction of the germ of new life into the body of the dead Sun-god, whereby AFU-RA. regains his powers as a living god, and becomes ready to emerge into the light of a new day with glory and splendour. It must be understood that the constitution of this DIVISION is quite different from that of any which we have seen hitherto, and that the gods who are in it are peculiar to the region of Akert. It is impossible to say where Akert
began or ended, but as the Tuat of the inhabitants of Heliopolis was represented by it, it follows, perhaps, that it was believed to be situated quite near that city. It is pretty certain that it comprised a part of the Eastern Delta, and that it extended along the eastern bank of the Nile some considerable distance to the south of Memphis, in fact, so far as BAKHAU, the Mountain of Sunrise; if this be so, it follows that when the Boat of AFU-RA entered this DIVISION the god would have to alter his course from east to south. As the Kingdom of Osiris marked the limit of his journey northwards, and the Boat then turned eastwards, so the northern end of AKERT marked the limit of his journey eastwards, and the Boat then turned southwards.
A glance at the Boat of AFU-RA as it enters this DIVISION shows us that it is neither being towed nor rowed along. Immediately in front of it (vol. i., p. 209) is the serpent THES-HRAU, with HERU-KHENTI, in the form of a black hawk, sitting on its back; on one side is a goddess of the North, and on the other a goddess of the South. Next we have the serpent ANKH-TA, (vol. i., p. 210), and then a group of twelve gods, four having disks for heads, and carrying arrows, four carrying javelins, and four carrying bows (vol. i., p. 210, 211). The serpent is the "watcher of the Tuat in the holy place of Khenti-Amenti," and the weapons carried by the twelve gods are to enable them to protect AFU-RA against his enemies in this region. To
the right of the path of AFU-RA are twelve lakes of water, which are intended to represent the celestial watery abyss of Nu, from which the Nile on earth was supposed to obtain its supply. At, one end of the scene is Horus, who leans on a staff, and addresses the beings who are seen plunging, and swimming, and floating in the various lakes (vol. i., pp. 226, 227), and bids them to come to HAP-UR, and promises them that their members shall not perish, nor their flesh decay. Who the beings in the water are it is impossible exactly to say, but it is clear that they were supposed to have the power to hinder the progress of the Boat of AFU-RA, for Horus propitiates them with promises of health and strength, as we have seen above. A little beyond the lakes are four goddesses who "shed light upon the road of RA in the thick darkness," and in front of them, is the mystic sceptre which represents "SET the Watcher," who "waketh up and travelleth with the god."
To the left of the path of AFU-RA we see first the god P-ANKHI, i.e., "he who is endowed with the property of life," and KHEPER-ANKH, in the form of a beetle, who is pushing before him an oval of sand, which either contains his germ, or is intended to represent the ball of eggs which the Scarabaeus sacer rolls before him, and which he wishes to take through the DIVISION into the Eastern Horizon of the sky (vol. i., p. 216). Then we have the two serpents Menenui supporting a disk, and goddesses of the North and South
[paragraph continues] (vol. i., p. 217). To the right of these are the goddesses NETHETH and KENAT, who spring from the axe SETFIT, which supports a disk. These four goddesses gather together souls on earth, and they purify the mighty spirits in the Tuat; they only become visible when AFU-RA appears, and so soon as he has passed them by they vanish. Beyond these is a long procession of deities who assist AFU-RA in his journey. The first eight, who are goddesses, stand before the Ape-god called AF-ERMEN-MAAT-F, who holds the Eye of Horus, and it is their duty to recite the words of power which shall cause splendour to issue from the Eye of Horus each day, and to sing praises to it (vol. i., pp. 219-221). The other deities only come into being when AFU-RA utters their names; they live in the shades which are in the mouth of the great god, and then their souls travel with him. Their work is to strip the dead of their swathings, and to break in pieces the enemies of Ra, and to order their destruction.
Next: Eleventh Division of the Tuat. I. Kingdom of Temu-Khepera-Ra According to the Book Am-Tuat