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Part of the Book of Gates, Tomb of Ramesses V and Ramesses VI, Valley of the Kings | Valley of the Kings - Luxor, Egypt (20230219_144453.jpg)

Part of the Book of Gates, Tomb of Ramesses V and Ramesses VI, Valley of the Kings

On the south wall of the corridor are scenes from the Book of Gates. The Book of Gates is an ancient Egyptian funerary text dating from the New Kingdom. It narrates the passage of a newly deceased soul into the next world, corresponding to the journey of the sun through the underworld during the hours of the night. The soul is required to pass through a series of 'gates' at different stages in the journey. Each gate is associated with a different goddess, and requires that the deceased recognise the particular character of that deity. The text implies that some people will pass through unharmed, but that others will suffer torment in a lake of fire.
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