The Egyptian Heaven and Hell · 82 of 96 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 24 (part 2)

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 p.

175 [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.

Themes

◆Correspondencecosmology

The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.

The text links the celestial watery abyss of Nu directly to the supply of the Nile on earth, reflecting cosmic structure at different scales.

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◆Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The narrative centers on the Sun-god regaining powers to emerge into the 'light of a new day with glory and splendour'.

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◆Divine Marriagesoteriology

The reunification of complementary divine principles (male-female, spirit-matter) as a symbol of wholeness and salvation.

The passage highlights the 'union of KHEPERA with RA' as the mechanism for introducing new life and restoring the god's power.

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◆Maat Cosmic Ordercosmology

The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike.

The structured divisions and protection against enemies reflect the Egyptian principle of maintaining cosmic order against chaos.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The journey through the divisions of the Tuat culminates in emerging into the light, representing a movement toward divine restoration.

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◆Theosis Deificationsoteriology

The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.

Horus promises beings in the lakes that their members shall not perish and flesh shall not decay, granting them a form of divine immortality.

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◇Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] Gods are described standing on undulations and adjuring, while the serpent KHETI acts with human-like agency (belching fire into faces).

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◇Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The text is an excerpt from the Book of Am-Tuat describing divisions of the Tuat (underworld) and dangers faced by souls, which is the definition of funerary navigation texts.

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◇Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] Divine beings like Horus and the gods on the serpent are depicted as active agents who adjure, stand, and aid in destruction.

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◇Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

[auto] The text specifies 'seven undulations' of the serpent, indicating a structured numerical significance in the cosmic arrangement.

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◇Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] The passage details a specific division of the afterlife (Tenth Division of the Tuat) and the obstacles within it, implying a structured journey through death realms.

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◇Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

[auto] The enemies are charged with 'profanation' and dragging sacred objects from sanctuaries, implying a violation of required ritual purity.

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Related passages · 2 parallels

◆mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1h

“She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell, And the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons. Then advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counselor of the gods; To the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh. The lord sp…”

Both passages describe mythological battles involving divine beings and the establishment of cosmic order. They share themes of divine intervention, the defeat of chaotic forces, and the structuring of the universe, albeit within different cultural and religious contexts.

◆platonism|Plato: Phaedo|Section 1

“And some burst forth again on the opposite side, and some on the same side, and some wind round the earth with one or many folds, like the coils of a serpent, and descend as far as they can, but always return and fall into the lake. The ri…”

Both passages describe mystical journeys through the afterlife, featuring divine beings, rivers, and processes of purification. They share themes of divine assistance and judgment in the afterlife, though they are rooted in different cultural and religious traditions.