The Twelve Gates of Duat

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May 11, 2025

To the ancient Egyptians, death was not seen as an end but the start of another journey through the Duat, the Egyptian underworld.

The Duat, also known as Tuat, Amenthes, Amenti, or Neter-khertet, was not a single place but an underworld which combined elements of paradise, purgatory, and chaos. It was the dwelling place for a large majority of powerful deities, where the dead traveled to meet Osiris, god of the afterlife, where Ra, the sun god, fought the serpent Apep each night to ensure dawn’s return and finally where souls were judged, purified, and—if worthy—granted eternal life in A'aru (Field of Reeds).

The Duat was a place where the deceased had to navigate dangers, recite spells, and prove their righteousness to progress through.

Through the course of this article, we will explore the Duat in Egyptian cosmology, the structure of each of the Twelve Gates as well as the guardians and challenges at every stage. By the end, we’ll see how the Twelve Gates were more than myth—they were a map of the soul’s evolution, a guide to immortality, and understanding life, death, and cosmic order.

Journeying Through Duat

Hieroglyphically, the Duat was often symbolized by a star enclosed within a circle, and to bridge the gap between this realm and the tangible world, ancient Egyptians established burial chambers as checkpoints.

The west bank of the Nile, where the sun descended each day, became associated with the realm of the dead, and the entrance to the Duat. The Egyptians saw the sun's daily "death" in the west and its "rebirth" in the east, as a metaphor of what awaited them after they die. Furthermore, the association with the sun god Ra's nightly passage shows the Egyptian religious principle of the nature of death and the potential for rebirth, a mirror of the sun's daily resurrection.

Egyptians left detailed guides to help souls survive the Duat, and these guides are known as funerary texts, the most important of which include;

The Book of Gates, which focuses on the Twelve Gates and details Ra’s journey as well as the challenges faced by the dead. The Book of the Dead which is a collection of spells to protect and guide the deceased. The Amduat which describes the twelve hours of the night, linking Ra’s voyage to the soul’s trials. And finally The Coffin Texts, which contains earlier spells inscribed on coffins to ensure safe passage.

These texts were often illustrated in tombs, ensuring the deceased had the knowledge needed to overcome each gate.

Guardians of the Threshold

***Tourist Park Statues. Image Source:*** ***Freepik.com***

Each of the twelve gates of the Egyptian underworld wasn't an open passage but a threshold guarded by various minor deities. Oftentimes, a single gate was overseen by a triad of beings: a gatekeeper, a watcher, and a herald, they could either be serpents and monstrous beings. Beyond the doorway of each gate, the deceased could encounter two additional guardians accompanied by fire-spitting uraei, and to successfully pass through, it was important to know the names of these guardians. Since each gate was associated with a specific serpent deity, which in turn was linked to a particular goddess, this made it more difficult for the souls to bluff their way into the afterlife. The funerary texts, provided this necessary information to the deceased as the names themselves hold a certain power, and reciting them correctly would establish a proper relationship with the entities guarding the gates.

The Twelve Gates of Duat

1H: The Entrance

This is the first hour where Ra, arrives as Khepri (the dawn scarab) to begin his nightly voyage.

At the gate, are the guardians "Gods of the West" (spirits of the dead) and here the soul is challenged to shed all traces of the mortal world behind. This first step symbolises a a soul's willingness to dive into the unknown.

2H: Trials of the Dead

The second hour leads the soul down a gateway guarded by creatures known as "Treacheries," and the principal guardian deity called "Swallower Of Sinners." The deceased must go through a series trials designed to test the worthiness of their soul and only those souls deemed pure of heart could successfully pass through and continue their journey. On the other hand, Ra's boat proceeds through the Duat, it reaches a door guarded by the serpent Saa-Set,"Watcher of the Desert." Beyond the door is eternal darkness until the sun god manifests in his divine form. Bound figures, referred to as both "damned" and "blessed" by Ra surround the solar barque in this hour.

3H: Piercing of Embers

Just beyond the door of this third hour, which is named "Piercing of Embers," where Ra calls for fire into the dark corridor, illuminating a Lake of Fire which he crosses on his barque. For souls of the dead, they must cross a fiery lake, assisted by mummified spirits, as a purification by fire of sorts. The guardian snake of this gate is known as "Stinger," while the portal itself is personified as the goddess "Mistress Of Food,". Additionally, jackals are depicted watching over the "Lake of Life," a place forbidden to the dead as it is where Ra draws his vital breath.

4H: The River of the Dead

In the Book of Gates, during the fourth hour, Ra is bathed in darkness while his barque is pulled along by four deities until it reaches a structure containing nine shrines with each shrine containing mummified gods, identified as the "gods who follow Osiris, who are in their abodes." These deities are responsible for protecting the ba, or soul, of the deceased.

As for the deceased, they must pass the jackal-headed guardian gods, Aau and Tekmi, as well as the serpent Teka-Hra to progress to their next challenge, crossing the underworld’s river (like the Greek Styx). Here, Osiris watches as ethnic groups Egyptians, Nubians, Libyians are assessed, showing universal justice.

5H: Throne of Her Lord

The fifth gateway named "Throne of her Lord," is guarded by the serpent called "All-Seeing Eye," as well as twelve mummiform gods, leads the soul to a chamber of flames, where only those who could withstand the intensity of these flames without suffering harm were guaranteed passage onward. The fifth hour in the Book of Gates is when Ra's solar barque is pulled by the four gods of the Duat, towards nine deities who are holding the chaos serpent, Apep. In front of these nine gods are an additional twelve gods, who are designated as "the souls of the men who are in the Tuat." Ra then orders the binding of Apep, the chaos serpent, preventing it from traversing the gateway.

6H: The Gleaming One

Before continuing on its journey, the soul has to confront the guardian serpent of the sixth gateway called "the Hidden Eye" in order to move forward. This challenge is symbolic for the soul's overcoming of inner darkness.

As for Ra, once he has undergone Osiris ' judgment in the Duat, he passes through this sixth gateway and reunites with his ba, or soul. In the depictions of this hour, mummies armed with tridents are shown protecting Ra from Apep during his reunification. After this, he breathes life into the mummies that guard him, andpunishes his enemies by either beheading them or tossing them into the Lake of fire. The gate of this hour is named "the Gleaming One," and emphasizesthe triumph over adversaries.

7H: Gate of the Fiery Heat

The seventh gate is guarded by the deity "One who seizes with His Eye" who is in turn protected by the serpent "Face of Flames" and leads the soul to the Hall of Judgment(Hall of Ma'at), where Anubis weighs the heart against Ma’at’s feather of truth on a golden scale. A heart heavy with sin would tip the balance, triggering Ammit—the “Devourer”—to consume it, erasing the soul from existence while pure souls received the saḥ (glorified body) and are rewarded with fertile fields of grain. Osiris himself would preside at this gate, making the final decision on whether a soul deserves eternal life or was destined for oblivion. In this hour, twelve men who carry ma'at feathers, proof that they have been judged to be truthful and good, come before Ra and require provision for the afterlife. Conversely, those who were judged to be evil are tied to Geb, the earth god's jackal-headed stakes for punishment.

8H: Exalted in Veneration

The eighth gate, "Exalted in Veneration" is where the soul begins its transformation in earnest, a process of renewal where it sheds its earthly form and moves closer to divinity. The gate of the eighth hour in the Book of Gates is guarded by nine deities situated just inside, while the serpent guarding the door itself is named "Closed of Eye." Beyond this gate, Ra reaches deities holding a long rope, who are responsible for bringing forth the hours of the day, tying up the horizon god, Aken and offering praises to Ra. This space in the underworld is said to be inhabited by a flaming snake whose purpose is to burn up the enemies of Osiris, as a form of protection to the righteous. Another protector of this gate is the serpent called "Earth Tusk," and the guardians at each end of the hall, Anhefta and Ermenta.

9H: The Sacred Gate

At the ninth gateway, which is guarded by a deity known as "Flaming of Face," whilst the doorway itself named "Glowing One.", the soul enters a vast and endless expanse known as The Starry Abyss. Here, the soul is permitted to reflect on the journey thus far. Beyond this gate, Ra reaches an Island of fire and the Waters of Nun, where the deceased souls who have reached this stage float, waiting for rebirth. The island of fire in this hour is where the god Horus is depicted burning those who have been condemned for committing evil acts against the sun god. The gate is named "the Sacred Gate," protected by the serpent Setu, and hall guardian serpents, Nemi and Kefi. It is in this hour that the evil serpent Apep, is subdued in chains, signifying the continued struggle against chaos.

10H: Hidden Entrance

The tenth gate is the point where the soul gains access to Osiris's knowledge and wisdom. Osiris grants this wisdom only to those souls who had proven their worth through the previous trials. As Ra continues through the tenth hour, his fight to defeat Apep continues. At the height of this hour, Apep is shown captured by a group of gods with magical nets. In another depiction, Apep is chained to prevent him from causing harm to Ra during his transit through the underworld. The gate of this hour is named "Hidden Entrance," and is protected by the serpent "the Effluent One," with Metes and Chateau guarding the hallway. During this hour, Apep is also shown being attacked with knives by various deities, and several gods of light and stars appear in anticipation of the sun god's imminent return to the sky, heralding the coming dawn.

11H: Mysterious of Approaches

The eleventh gate leads the soul to A'aru or the Field of Reeds, a paradise where souls who had successfully overcome all the trials of their journey would find their final rest for eternity, as well as solace and comfort in the company of loved ones who had died before. In the Book of Gates, Apep is still captured in the eleventh hour and is punished by the four sons of Horus and Geb. Following its destruction, Ra is surrounded by protective deities who guide his path through the sky. At the gate of this hour, there are two scepters depicted, one belonging to Osiris and the other to Horus, both bearing inscriptions that praise Ra and speak of his soul and body residing in both heaven and earth. This gate is called "Mysterious Of Approaches" and is under the protection cat-headed god Meeyuty. It is also named "the gate of Sacred Power" and is protected by the serpent known as "Lord of the Dawn and Enveloper," with the guardians of the hall being Pai and Akhekhi.

12H: Tesert-Baiu

The final gate is named Tesert-Baiu, with the bearded god Pai standing at its entrance and Akhekhi at its exit, and the goddesses Isis and Nephthys offer their protection in the form of snakes. Tesert-Baiu is the culmination of the soul's journey, the point where the soul ascends to attain eternal life in the realm of the gods. As Ra completes his passage through the afterworld, many figures holding various symbolic objects, such as scepters, stars, and disks, are depicted, representing the different aspects that aid Ra during the daytime. Ra passes by Apep, who is once again being punished by the Ennead, the council of gods. After traversing this final gate, Ra finds himself in the waters of Nun, who then lifts the solar barque. Ra returns to his scarab form as Kephri, symbolizing rebirth, and Nun raises the solar barque into the waiting arms of Nut, the sky goddess.

Conclusion

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The Twelve Gates were more than myth—they were a spiritual roadmap, teaching that death was not an end but a transformation. By aligning with Ra’s journey, Egyptians found hope in rebirth, justice in judgment, and order in cosmic balance.

Today, these gates remind us of humanity’s oldest question: What awaits beyond death? For the Egyptians, the answer was a journey of trials, triumph, and eternal return.