The Fourth Hour of the Book of Gates: The Tomb of Seti I

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.