This realm is most often depicted as a setting for a variety of rituals and
mythological events, especially the journey and judgment of the soul after death and the nightly rebirth of the sun god
Ra. The
Duat is divided into sections by
twelve guarded gates that represent each hour of the night and are closely associated with the journey of Ra and prominently feature
Osiris, god of the
Duat and personification of rebirth. ,'' depicts a map like image of the Duat, seen as two pathways in the right middle of this coffin.
Geography To connect this realm to the material world, burial chambers formed touching-points between the mundane world and the
Duat. To further this connection, the
Duat is often described as having many realistic features such as rivers, islands, fields, paths, and lakes. Although, texts also describe fantastic lakes of fire, walls of iron, and trees of turquoise. It is described as a paradise where the dead could live their former life with their loved ones without pain or suffering. Harvest of crops is often featured in depictions of ''A'aru'' as it was believed that the harvests were never poor and the land in eternal spring. •
Anubis, son of Osiris and
Nephthys, who weighs the heart of the deceased. His domains also cover the
embalming and mummification process as well as acting to guide souls to the
Duat upon death. He is depicted with the black head of a canine, most often assumed to be a
jackal. •
Thoth, who records the verdict of the 'Weighing of the Heart'. He is most often depicted as an
Ibis headed man with a stylus and tablet. After confirming that they were sinless, the heart of the deceased was weighed by
Anubis against the feather of
Maat, which represents truth and justice. Any heart that is heavier than the feather failed the test, and was rejected and eaten by
Ammit, the devourer of souls, as these people were denied existence after death in the Duat. The souls that were lighter than the feather would pass this most important test, and would be allowed to travel to Aaru. The
Duat is not equivalent to the conceptions of
Hell in the
Abrahamic religions, in which souls are condemned with fiery torment. The absolute punishment for the wicked, in ancient Egyptian thought, was the denial of an afterlife to the deceased, ceasing to exist in the intellectual form seen through the devouring of the heart by Ammit.
Journey of the Sun (the 12 hours of night and the underworld) on the
Mesektet barque along with
Sia (left and front of barque) and
Heka (right and behind of barque), surrounded by the protective coiled serpent deity
MehenEach night Ra travelled through the
Duat, bringing revivification to the dead as their main benefit. When in the underworld he was in his
ram-headed form Af. Ra travelled under the world upon his
Atet barge from west to east; on the course of the underground journey, he was transformed from his aged
Atum form into his young
Khepri form – the new dawning sun. The role of the dead king, worshiped as a god, was also central to the mythology surrounding the concept of Duat, often depicted as being identical with Ra. Along with the sun god the dead king travelled through the Duat, the Kingdom of Osiris, using the special knowledge he was supposed to possess, which was recorded in the
Coffin Texts, that served as a guide to the hereafter not just for the king but for all deceased. According to the
Amduat, the underworld consists of twelve regions signifying the twelve hours of the sun god's journey through it, battling
Apep in order to bring order back to the earth in the morning; as his rays illuminated the Duat during the journey, they revived the dead who occupied the underworld and let them enjoy life after death during that hour of the night when they were in the presence of the sun god, after which they resumed their sleep, waiting for the god's return the following night. == Differences in sources ==