Vignettes Spell 144 to 147
Passing through the Gates of the Duat
Spells 144 to 147 form a closely related group of Book of the Dead compositions concerned with access to the protected regions of the Duat and the domain of Osiris. Together, they equip the deceased with the knowledge required to pass a series of guarded thresholds. Safe admission depends on recognising the gates, knowing the names and identities of their guardians, and reciting the appropriate addresses and declarations
Spells 144 and 147 concern seven ꜥrryt-gates. Each gate is associated with a group of supernatural officials, normally including a doorkeeper, a watcher, and a herald. The deceased must identify these beings correctly in order to gain admission and continue the journey through the netherworld
Spells 145 and 146 belong to the same wider gate tradition, but focus on the sbx.wt-pylons or portals of the Osirian realm. Their sequences may comprise up to twenty-one portals, each with its own name and guardian. Although the wording, order, and visual presentation vary between manuscripts, the essential principle remains the same: correct ritual knowledge enables the deceased to pass through the divine boundaries
Note on the Types and Number of Gates:
The ꜥrry.t gateways (Spells 144/147): These consist of exactly 7 guarded gateways.
The sbx.wt portals of the House of Osiris (Spells 145/146): This is a much longer sequence; depending on the specific papyrus recension, they may show up to 21 consecutive portals.
The distinction between the two gate traditions is generally clear: BD 144/147 concern seven ꜥrryt-gateways and their three officials, whereas BD 145/146 concern the sbx.wt-portals of the Osirian domain. Within each pair, however, the boundary between the two numbered spells is not always sharp in individual manuscripts. Attribution should therefore be based primarily on the wording and structure of the preserved text, supported by the vignette, rather than on iconography alone. I may have mixed up one or two.
See for analyses and academic information Totenbuch Spruch 144, 145, 146, 147
See also R. O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, 1985 revised edition, p.133
“The Keepers of the Gates”
Kha
Papyrus c. 1400 BC, 18th Dyn.
Museo Egizio
For a comparable iconographic representation, see the Papyrus of Yuya
Spell 144 with the 7 gateways
Spell 146 with 12 sbx.wt-portals
Maiherperi
Papyrus c. 1400 BC, 18th Dyn.
Photo VB 2021
Spell 147 with the 7 gateways
Spell 146 with 8 sbx.wt-portals
Nebseni
Papyrus c. 1400 BC, 18th Dyn.
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Spell 144 and 146 mixed
Iconographic details with the deceased on the left
Yuya
Papyrus c. 1370 BC, 18th Dyn.
Photo VB 2021
For a comparable iconographic representation, see the Papyrus of Kha
Spell 144 with the 7 gateways
Spell 146 with 12 sbx.wt-portals
Nakht
Papyrus c. 1325 BC, 18th Dyn.
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Spell 145 with originally 14 sbx.wt-portals, the first four are lost
Ani
Papyrus c. 1250 BC, 19th Dyn.
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Anhay
Papyrus c. 1010 BC, 21th Dyn.
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Spell 146 with 6 sbx.wt-portals
Nestanebetisheru
Papyrus c. 960 BC, 21th Dyn.
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Classified as Spell 144, but the presence of the deceased indicates Spell 147
Spell 145 with 10 sbx.wt-portals
Horemakhbit
Papyrus c. 945 BC, 21th Dyn.
Photo VB 2025
Spell 147 with the seven ꜥrry.t gateways
Spell 146 with 20 sbx.wt-portals
Imhotep
Papyrus c. 340 BC, Ptolemaic
Photo VB 2024
Vignettes for Spells 144 (7), 145 (21), 146 (15) and 147 (7)
Iuefankh
Papyrus c. 200 BC, Ptolemaic
Photo VB 2025
Spell 144 with the seven ꜥrry.t gateways
Spell 147 with the seven ꜥrry.t gateways
Spell 145 with 21 sbx.wt-portals (entering through the portals of the Field of Reeds of the House of Osiris)
Spell 146 with 15 sbx.wt-portals (entering through the portals of the House of Osiris in the Field of Reeds)
Tayesnakht
Papyrus c. 200 BC, Ptolemaic
Photo Archivio Museo Egizio
Spell 144, seven ꜥrry.t gateways
Spell 147, seven ꜥrry.t gateways
Spell 145 with 21 sbx.wt-portals
