Gate book
The Port Book (modern term) or The Book of the Underworldly Who Assist Osiris is an ancient Egyptian underworld book that is first documented after the Amarna period (end of the 18th dynasty around 1300 BC).
content
The port book is related to the Amduat and like this shows the night journey of the sun god Re in the underworld. In general, it has a simpler structure and, above all, does not show as many gods and demons .
As in the Amduat, the underworld is divided into twelve hours, which are separated in the Book of Gates by gates that gave the book its name. In the underworld, the sun god has to overcome various obstacles. In addition to the Amduat, the gate book shows the judgment of the dead with Osiris in the Hall of Complete Truth in the 5th hour and at the end the god Now , as he lifts the boat of the sun god out of the primeval waters.
supporting documents
The port book is documented for the first time in the tomb of the haremhab ( KV57 ). From the 19th dynasty it became the standard program in the royal tombs, but was only reproduced in excerpts , especially in the 20th dynasty . In the third interim period , it is also used by private individuals.
literature
- Erik Hornung : The Egyptians' underworld books. Artemis-Verlag, Zurich / Munich 1992, ISBN 3-7608-1061-6 , pp. 195-308.
- Erik Hornung: The book of the gates of the hereafter: according to the versions of the New Kingdom. 2 volumes (= Ægyptiaca Helvetica. [AH] volumes 7–8). Editions de Belles-Lettres, Geneva 1979/1984.
- Erik Hornung: The Egyptian Book of Gates. Translated into English by Erik Hornung in collaboration with Theodor Abt. Daimon, Zurich 2014, ISBN 978-3-9523880-5-1 .
- Hans Bonnet : Port book. In: Real Lexicon of Egyptian Religious History. 3rd unchanged edition, Nikol, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-937872-08-6 , p. 589 f.
Web links
- Tour Egypt: The Book of Gates . (Pfortenbuch) On: touregypt.net ; last accessed on August 5, 2016.