Cleveland Museum of Art

Book of the Dead of Hori

Date

c. 1069–945 BCE

Medium

papyrus

Culture

Egypt, Third Intermediate (1069–715 BCE), Dynasty 21

Department

Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The Egyptian Book of the Dead--or as they called it, the Book of Going Forth By Day--was not a single, unified, and authoritative manuscript, but a handful of special spells selected from a pool of about 200 age-old magical formulae. This illustrated Book of the Dead inscribed for the priest Hori includes the so-called Book of Gates. There are sixteen gates through which Hori must pass, each guarded by a fierce, animal-headed, knife-brandishing monster. Among them are "The Mistress of Wrath," "The Fiery One," and the "Long-Horned Bull." To reach the afterlife, Hori must present the gate-keepers with a series of secret passwords provided for him in the papyrus. At the far right, we see Hori, who having completed his task, is now reborn.

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