Abstract

Ancient Egyptian funerary texts were writings used to help the spirit of a deceased person be protected and guided through the afterlife and toward resurrection. The Book of Gates, also more properly called The Book of Protecting Osiris among those of the Netherworld, is one such text, dating back to the period of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, around the 16th century B.C.

In it, the deceased must pass through 12 gates, coinciding with 12 hours, which represent the 12 hours of the night. Near the end, they will be judged and deemed either worthy or unworthy to “return to the daylight” or be resurrected. The First Hour of this text serves as an introduction to this nocturnal voyage.

As an archaeologist and Egyptology enthusiast, my talk looks at the theological and cosmological themes that the first Hour of the Book of Gates discusses and seeks to understand implicit cultural and intellectual interconnections between ancient Egypt and other African societies. By combining textual analysis with archaeological and historical perspectives, this reading of the Book of Gates argues for its internalization as not just a religious text, but as a symbolic one that is reflective of ancient Egyptian and indeed universal human themes.

One of these major themes involves the human desire to live forever, and the means through which our quest for immortality might be obtained.