DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4689#0027
THE PASSAGES.
21
then required a fresh commentary. In Renouf's
translation (P.S.B.A.) the original text, so far as it
can be ascertained, and the commentaries, are
printed in different type, enabling the reader to
distinguish between them at a glance.
The lintel or roofing stone, which still remains
in position, was painted in black on a grey ground.
It was probably the intention of the builders to
engrave the hieroglyphs, but it was left, like the east
side of the North passage, merely sketched in.
The names, which are determined with the sign of
a star, are those of the dekans, and are interesting as
none have hitherto been found of the time of
Merenptah. The earliest known are in the tomb of
Sety I, and in the Ramesseum of the reign of
Rameses II; these now continue the consecutive
series for another reign.
The whole roof of the passage was probably
covered with the names of stars, and possibly with
astronomical data, of which not a vestige remains
except this one small section.
19. Pl. XIII. The passage leading northwards
out of the hall is sculptured and painted with scenes
from the " Book of Gates."
On the East wall is the representation of the
sunrise, on the West wall is the sunset. The latter
was considered more important, for the West wall is
sculptured, the East wall being merely painted.
Surrounding the whole scene is the pathway of
the sun, with the disk of the sun placed half-way.
The disk has been painted red, and was scribbled
over with a half-legible Greek graffito.
The first scene shows the Boat of the Sun upheld
by Nu, the primaeval Waters. The hieroglyphs
explain that " These two arms go forth from the
water; they raise this god.:' In the centre of the
boat is the beetle, emblem of the resurrection,
supporting the sun's disk. On either side are Isis
and Nephthys, whose headdresses are the hieroglyphs
which form their names ; towards the stern of the
boat and behind Isis, are five divinities, Geb, Shu,
Heka, Hu, and one unnamed; the two last manage
the great oars by which the boat is steered. Above is
the sentence "The god [?gods] of the Atet-boat fol-
lowing this god [when he] sets." On the other side
of the beetle, and behind Nephthys, are three gods
named Sa. Above them are the words, " Those who
are with him." In the prow kneels the king with
upraised hands in an attitude of worship, with his
name and titles above his head, " Lord of the Two
Lands, Ba-en-Ra mer-Ptah, true of voice." This is
the only instance I know of the king appearing in the
boat of the immortals.
Over the boat is a straight line, above which are
two figures upside down. The upper one is
represented with the feet turned back till they
almost touch the head. According to the hieroglyphs
this is " Osiris encircling the Duat ; " the Duat being
the other World through which the sun passed
at night. Osiris with raised arms supports the
goddess Nut on his head. The hieroglyphs beside
her read, " Nut receiving Ra; " the theory being that
the sun was born of Nut every morning, and died in
her arms every evening.
This scene of the circular Osiris is very rare ; it
occurs on the sarcophagus of Sety I and in thetomb of
Rameses VI. The explanation of the peculiar position
appears to me quite simple; the straight line above
the boat I take to be the line of the horizon, Osiris and
Nut being below the horizon. It was impossible to
represent both sides of the horizon on an upright
wall without having some of the figures wrong way
up. The artist was forced to sacrifice truth to the
exigencies of the case ; the boat and its passengers,
being the most important, are placed correctly, there-
fore Osiris and Nut, who are merely subordinate
characters, are reversed.
The sunset is separated from the next scene by five
lines of hieroglyphs. In the line nearest the boat
are two serpents ; the one at the top is upside down,
and wears the head-dress of Isis ; that at the bottom
wears the head-dress of Nephthys.
The inscription between the two reads, " They
are the guard of the secret gate of the souls who are
in Amentet, after entering this gate."
Between the other lines of hieroglyphs are two
serpents standing on their tails, the one called Sbay,
" He of the gate" [or perhaps Duay, " He who
praises"], the other called Pckhery, " He who sur-
rounds."
The hieroglyphs read from right to left, the inscrip-
tion therefore begins on the right-hand side. " (i)'He
[who] is on this door, he opens unto Ra. Sa [says]
unto Pekhery, Open thy gate unto Ra, unbolt thy
door for the Horizon-god. It is that he makes light
the thick darkness. (2) The gate it is of entrance (?)
before the souls who are in Amentet, after entering
this gate. (3) He [who] is on this gate, he opens
unto Ra. Sa [says] to Pekhery, Open thy gate to
Ra, unbolt thy door to the Horizon-god. He is
accustomed to make light the thick darkness. (4)
21
then required a fresh commentary. In Renouf's
translation (P.S.B.A.) the original text, so far as it
can be ascertained, and the commentaries, are
printed in different type, enabling the reader to
distinguish between them at a glance.
The lintel or roofing stone, which still remains
in position, was painted in black on a grey ground.
It was probably the intention of the builders to
engrave the hieroglyphs, but it was left, like the east
side of the North passage, merely sketched in.
The names, which are determined with the sign of
a star, are those of the dekans, and are interesting as
none have hitherto been found of the time of
Merenptah. The earliest known are in the tomb of
Sety I, and in the Ramesseum of the reign of
Rameses II; these now continue the consecutive
series for another reign.
The whole roof of the passage was probably
covered with the names of stars, and possibly with
astronomical data, of which not a vestige remains
except this one small section.
19. Pl. XIII. The passage leading northwards
out of the hall is sculptured and painted with scenes
from the " Book of Gates."
On the East wall is the representation of the
sunrise, on the West wall is the sunset. The latter
was considered more important, for the West wall is
sculptured, the East wall being merely painted.
Surrounding the whole scene is the pathway of
the sun, with the disk of the sun placed half-way.
The disk has been painted red, and was scribbled
over with a half-legible Greek graffito.
The first scene shows the Boat of the Sun upheld
by Nu, the primaeval Waters. The hieroglyphs
explain that " These two arms go forth from the
water; they raise this god.:' In the centre of the
boat is the beetle, emblem of the resurrection,
supporting the sun's disk. On either side are Isis
and Nephthys, whose headdresses are the hieroglyphs
which form their names ; towards the stern of the
boat and behind Isis, are five divinities, Geb, Shu,
Heka, Hu, and one unnamed; the two last manage
the great oars by which the boat is steered. Above is
the sentence "The god [?gods] of the Atet-boat fol-
lowing this god [when he] sets." On the other side
of the beetle, and behind Nephthys, are three gods
named Sa. Above them are the words, " Those who
are with him." In the prow kneels the king with
upraised hands in an attitude of worship, with his
name and titles above his head, " Lord of the Two
Lands, Ba-en-Ra mer-Ptah, true of voice." This is
the only instance I know of the king appearing in the
boat of the immortals.
Over the boat is a straight line, above which are
two figures upside down. The upper one is
represented with the feet turned back till they
almost touch the head. According to the hieroglyphs
this is " Osiris encircling the Duat ; " the Duat being
the other World through which the sun passed
at night. Osiris with raised arms supports the
goddess Nut on his head. The hieroglyphs beside
her read, " Nut receiving Ra; " the theory being that
the sun was born of Nut every morning, and died in
her arms every evening.
This scene of the circular Osiris is very rare ; it
occurs on the sarcophagus of Sety I and in thetomb of
Rameses VI. The explanation of the peculiar position
appears to me quite simple; the straight line above
the boat I take to be the line of the horizon, Osiris and
Nut being below the horizon. It was impossible to
represent both sides of the horizon on an upright
wall without having some of the figures wrong way
up. The artist was forced to sacrifice truth to the
exigencies of the case ; the boat and its passengers,
being the most important, are placed correctly, there-
fore Osiris and Nut, who are merely subordinate
characters, are reversed.
The sunset is separated from the next scene by five
lines of hieroglyphs. In the line nearest the boat
are two serpents ; the one at the top is upside down,
and wears the head-dress of Isis ; that at the bottom
wears the head-dress of Nephthys.
The inscription between the two reads, " They
are the guard of the secret gate of the souls who are
in Amentet, after entering this gate."
Between the other lines of hieroglyphs are two
serpents standing on their tails, the one called Sbay,
" He of the gate" [or perhaps Duay, " He who
praises"], the other called Pckhery, " He who sur-
rounds."
The hieroglyphs read from right to left, the inscrip-
tion therefore begins on the right-hand side. " (i)'He
[who] is on this door, he opens unto Ra. Sa [says]
unto Pekhery, Open thy gate unto Ra, unbolt thy
door for the Horizon-god. It is that he makes light
the thick darkness. (2) The gate it is of entrance (?)
before the souls who are in Amentet, after entering
this gate. (3) He [who] is on this gate, he opens
unto Ra. Sa [says] to Pekhery, Open thy gate to
Ra, unbolt thy door to the Horizon-god. He is
accustomed to make light the thick darkness. (4)