← Home
The Egyptian Heaven and Hell · 91 of 96 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 28 (part 2)

191 they invoke the Spirits of the East, and join with them in singing hymns to the god, and in praising him after he has appeared in the sky. At the head of the whole . company stands a god with the head of a crocodile (vol. ii., pp. 290-293). The Kingdom of TEMU-KHEPERA-RA. differs from other Tuats from the fact that, according to the BOOK OF GATES, it contains no place specially set apart for the punishment of the enemies of Osiris and Ra, and of the damned. The pictures which illustrate it supply us with representations of the enemies of the Sun-god and of the beings who vanquish them, and secure his triumphant progress. Having arrived at the end of the ELEVENTH DIVISION the Boat comes to the end of the Fourth Tuat; 1 AFU-RA has effected his transformation as KHEPERA, and is now ready to appear in the sky of this world as RA. How he effects this we shall see from the next DIVISION. Footnotes 190:1 Compare Job xxxviii. 7--"When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." 191:1 The Four Tuats are the Kingdoms of Khenti-Amenti-Osiris, Seker, Osiris of Mendes and Busiris, and Temu-Khepera-Ra. Eastern Vestibule of the Tuat, or the Antechamber of the World of Light According to the Book Am-Tuat
Themes
◇Anthropomorphismtheology

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

[auto] Deities are depicted with human-like actions such as crying, towing boats, and possessing faces.

All passages →
◇Divine Lighttheology

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

[auto] Deities of flame and fire provide light to reconstitute the Sun-god in the darkness of the Tuat.

All passages →
◇Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The passage describes the Tenth Division of the Tuat from the Book of Gates, a primary text guiding the journey through the underworld.

All passages →
◇Living Godtheology

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

[auto] The Sun-god Afu-Ra is portrayed as an active, dynamic entity moving through gates and interacting with other gods.

All passages →
◇Numerical Mysticismtheology

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

[auto] The structure of the division relies on specific numbers such as the Tenth Hour, four deities, and three star-gods.

All passages →
◇Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] The Sun-god is towed and guided by deities and serpents through the divisions of the afterlife realm.

All passages →
◇Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

[auto] The Flame-god BESI collects fire specifically to place into the new sun, highlighting fire as a divine medium.

All passages →
Related passages · 5 parallels
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XXXIX
“XXXIX. The Abode of the Righteous and of the Elect One: the Praises of the Blessed . CHAPTER XXXIX. 1. [ And it †shall come to pass in those days that elect and holy children †will descend from the high heaven, and their seed †will become o…”
Both passages describe a heavenly realm where the righteous or blessed beings praise and extol the divine. They share a common theme of divine worship and the blessed state of the righteous, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆jewish_mysticism|The Kabbalah Unveiled|Introduction, Section 1f
“And here the idea or universal form of all the shells is understood, which encompasseth the seven inferior emanations of the queen after the manner of a serpent, as well from the right as from the left and from every side.) [The excavation…”
Both passages describe a serpent-like entity that represents chaos or evil, which is opposed by divine forces. The passages share a common theme of a cosmic battle between order and disorder, with the serpent being a central symbol.
◆mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1a
“THE FIRST TABLET When in the height heaven was not named, And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name, And the primeval Apsu, who begat them, And chaos, Tiamut, the mother of them both Their waters were mingled together, And no field was…”
Both passages describe a cosmic battle involving primordial forces and deities. In Passage A, the serpent Apep is defeated by various gods, ensuring the rebirth of the sun-god Ra. In Passage B, the primordial forces Tiamat and Apsu are in conflict, leading to the creation and establishment of the gods. Both texts depict a struggle between order and chaos, with deities playing crucial roles in maintaining cosmic balance.
◆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 a mythological battle between a primary deity and a chaotic, serpentine force (Apep in Passage A and Tiamat in Passage B), leading to the restoration of order and the creation or renewal of the cosmos. The themes of divine triumph, cosmic order, and the defeat of chaos are central to both narratives.
◆mesopotamian|Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation|1j
“Tutu [Marduk] is "He who created them anew"; Should their wants be pure, then are they satisfied; Should he make an incantation, then are the gods appeased; Should they attack him in anger, he withstandeth their onslaught! Let him therefor…”
Both passages describe a divine being (AFU-RA in Passage A and Tutu/Marduk in Passage B) undergoing a process of renewal or creation. They also involve a struggle against chaotic forces (APEP in Passage A and the evil ones in Passage B), highlighting themes of cosmic order and divine triumph.