This library is built in the open.
If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or just want to say hello — we’d love to hear from you.
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileKV17, the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Pillared chamber F, southeast wall decorated with the scenes from the Book of Gates, Valley of the Kings, Egypt (49845805158)
This wall relief from the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I features two horizontal registers of Egyptian deities and mythological figures in profile. The upper register shows a series of figures holding a long, wavy serpent—likely the protective coil Mehen—that winds across the composition. The lower register depicts several figures, including some with animal heads, carrying round objects or interacting with a long, segmented serpent that stretches across the base of the scene. The figures are rendered in traditional Egyptian style with ochre tones on a pale, stone-textured background, accompanied by extensive vertical columns of hieroglyphic inscriptions.
This scene is a critical illustration of the Book of Gates, a New Kingdom funerary text that describes the journey of the sun god Ra through the twelve hours of the night. It serves as a guide for the deceased, outlining the trials, deities, and dangers of the Duat (underworld) to ensure safe passage to the afterlife.
Numerous columns of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs spanning the length of the registers.
Translation
The text consists of ritual instructions, the names of deities, and declarations meant to protect the deceased and ensure the movement of the solar barque through the gates of the underworld.
Book of Gates
The image directly illustrates the fourth division of the underworld as described in this funerary text.
Object
fresco
limestone
New Kingdom
Egyptian
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 20, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.